The New York Times captured all the buzz from this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). As expeceted, ebook readers were very hot.
One of the reasons these little wonders are all the rage is because Apple is going to announce in a few weeks that they will throw their hats in the ring (it will either be just an ebook reader or a tablet, depending on which rumor mill you follow). Apple tends to dominate the market when they enter it (think iPod, iPhone), so this could certainly change the game.
Or at least the number of players.
Here's a pretty comprehensive summary of what's out there right now:
That's a lot of ebook readers. And they're expensive. So, if Apple's entry price is high, people may stick with their Kindles and Sonys. For now. I mean, who would spend $500 after laying down $250 or more for a reader? It's not like the iPod or iPhone coming out party, because people either didn't have those devices or had ones that they didn't spend a lot of money on (or didn't mind buying a new one).
Personally, I'm sticking with my Kindle for now. And not because my book is on Kindle. I am actively looking for other readers for my book (Nook, for one, but the kind folks at Barnes & Noble have not answered my emails yet). I just don't need a tablet or a new eBook reader. Kindle does a great job, and Amazon's bookstore has a ton of great books and makes it very easy to search, evaluate, and purchase a book.
Who knows what will happen once Apple makes its announcement. I feel confident that this will be a great time for consumers. I'm always happy when companies start competing this fiercely over products - let them sweat a little so the average Joe can have more choices.
And, no, traditional books are not dead. I think there will always be a market for them. However, I think there's also room for e-books. When I wrote my book, I knew that an electronic version was just a natural fit because I wanted to include a lot of links to other sections and Web sites. Plus the portable nature of the Kindle makes it easy to bring to Vegas with you. Throw in search capabilities and you have a match made in Heaven.
The players may change, but the ebook game is on. Let's hope the consumer wins.
Viva,
Mike
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