The iPad

[casnow]

I think what the iPad will do is force companies to make CHEAP eReaders. The problem with eReaders now is that they are $200+ and all they let you do is download and read books. So, the only convenience you get from an eReader is that it allows you to save space (you can fit 500 books into one). It keeps you from having to carry something as big as your laptop/netbook/etc. I like it because i can fit it in my jacket pocket (I have the sony eReader) - the Ipad is too big for that.

What do I think will happen to eReaders?

We will see them lose their 3G capability (iPods don't have it for music, why do eReaders need it for books - it is also a very expensive feature), we will see them lose their keyboard (in favor of something that looks like sony's eReader, which is very simple), and we might even see the total memory go down. We will also see the price go down dramatically - I'm guessing we will see a simple eReader for under $50 in 18 months, and one for as cheap as $19.99 in two-three years.
Think I'm crazy? look at what happened to memory sticks, Mp3 players, dvd players, walkmans, etc... they all went from $300 to $200 to a price where you can buy the cheapest, simplest model at a convenience store for $9.99... All an eReader has to do is give you a way to load books (USB port), a menu to navigate them (same technology as mp3 players), and a screen to read them (very basic technology).

I'm going to even make the "bold" prediction that within 5 years time, you will be able to walk into a book store, and have the option of either buying the hardcover or buying the eReader with the book pre-loaded for the same price.

[jmcooper]

It's pretty friggen awesome as suspected. I'd use that thing more than my laptop. But I am one of the millions of people who sure as heck doesn't have an extra $500 to spend on it. :-(

[marilyn peake]

There's a recent feature of the Kindle and other new e-readers that's often overlooked, something great for readers but not so good in terms of royalties for writers: sooooo many eBooks are now offered for FREE or at extremely reduced prices for these new e-readers, the devices soon pay for themselves. For example, 26 eBooks “purchased” for free, rather than for $9.99, and the $259 Kindle has paid for itself.

[Nick]

This meme never gets old

[sjp]

Everything is cool but the 'form factor'...it should look like a PSP handheld device, only slightly larger. Sort of like a thin paperback book. Why? Movies would play in their native format (widescreen) and books would read 'natively' (i.e. like a paperback). And it would be 'pocketable' (given a jacket-sized pocket).
There is also wasted space...the black 'bezel' was created so you could hold the device without activating the touchscreen, but that seems to me a waste of space, hardware and weight.
On the other hand, for my money, the overall concept (unlimited internet, color, sound, movies/tv, books, simple games, phone service, etc.) has the Kindle (in its present iteration) beat hands down.

[Nick]

They could release multi-size pads I guess. And the bezel isn't really a waste of space, ftr. It could be smaller, but it's kind of necessary when you're screen is all touchy. For example, it could be like:

(although I guess that border isn't too much smaller)

But smaller. Because that is an ungodly size. Also I am a bit bitter Apple didn't try to capitalize on the whole PADD thing. Massively missed opportunity there. Dammit now I've made myself want one. Oh and the day an iPad has some of the tech PADDs have is the day I will definitely buy one. Even if I have to sink myself into debt for the rest of my life.

[sjp]

"It could be smaller, but it's kind of necessary when you're screen is all touchy." That may or may not be true...I don't know enough to be definitive. But I'd like to see a software solution to the bezel, like a Windows 'screen resize button'. Screen space and overall weight are extremely valuable commodities when dealing with a hand held device.

In any case, I applaud Apple's efforts and certainly hope it takes off as a consumer device.

Here's a wonderful article on the technology and philosophy behind the iPad:

http://www.salon.com/technology/apple/i ... in_control

[jrector]

I've always had a strict rule of not buying first generation Apple products, but I'm breaking that rule this time and counting down the days until I can buy one. I'm thrilled with the idea of having a real tablet computer that I can carry around my house and use for email and surfing without the hassle of a laptop. Also, iBooks looks amazing. I love my kindle and I haven't read a print book since I bought it, but there's a lot of stuff I don't like, too. No page numbers, the home page is a pain when you have 20+ pages to sort through, and all my non-amazon purchased books have disappeared three times in the last year. iBooks looks like everything I was hoping the kindle would be but wasn't. And I really don't think there's going to be much of a war. 5 of the 6 big publishers are onboard with Apple, and Steve Jobs came out and said the Kindle pricing is going to be the same as Apple's (around $12.99 to $14.99 per new release/bestseller) or the publishers are going to withold ebooks from Amazon.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/2 ... 41926.html

It looks like all the leverage Amazon had with the publishers is gone now that Apple is in the game, and that means it's just a matter of time until they are nothing but a minor player. Steve Jobs doesn't even pretend to be worried about Amazon. I suppose after you've crushed countless competitors over the years, one more isn't anything to worry about.

I'll keep my kindle to read manuscripts and free books I download as pdf's or .doc files, but I'll buy all my new books on the iPad.

[MosesSiregar]

jrector, I was checking out 'The Grove' on Amazon the other day. Looks good. Congrats.

I can't see Amazon ever being a minor player in the ebook world. They've already got such a massive head start, and you know they'll be determined to stay in the lead. They also have so many loyal customers after being the game so long, and you know they will find ways to keep their customers buying from them. I don't see them suddenly forgetting how to innovate and respond to the marketplace. Amazon simply dominates when it comes to book sales online, and Apple hasn't done much here to chip away at that with iPad IMO.

Even at this point, I'd much rather have a Kindle due to the backlit screen issue with iPad, the battery life of Kindle, and the current reality that ebooks are going to cost more through iPad. And we haven't even seen Amazon's counterpunch. I'm guessing the price of Kindle will drop this year in response to Apple (maybe by a lot within the next few years), and more functionality and features will be added to Kindle.

I think the consumer/reader will be the winner here. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and others will make their dedicated ereaders better and cheaper. iPad will never catch up to dedicated ereaders in terms of low price, because they're not going to be able to approach the low prices that ereaders will cost in two or three years. Unless Apple also produces a dedicated ereader (and maybe they will), I think this is why Apple has probably doomed themselves to, at the very best, second place in the ebook market. Their product just costs too much more and wasn't built for book readers, and over time the price chasm will widen. If Apple produces a cheap ereader though, then that could change everything.

I'm pretty surprised by the iPad. It doesn't seem to do any one thing especially well, and it's not cheap. If I was used to reading on a backlit screen like Nathan is, then I'd be really excited about iPad, though. It does look like a fun device.

[MosesSiregar]

I really want to see how the iPad screen feels to my eyes when reading on it for a while. I heard someone else say today that backlit screens gave them no problem with reading. If it's easy to read on, then I'd have to at least consider the iPad.

[sjp]

"I'm thrilled with the idea of having a real tablet computer that I can carry around my house and use for email and surfing without the hassle of a laptop." from jrector

Exactly. I don't think the computer industry has yet to come to understand the full power of the internet and the unrelenting hassle of computers. The iPad, in many way (although not all), cuts to that power and that convenience.

[Nick]

Personally I have zilch hassle with my laptop, whether it's getting around the house or getting around public. And she's not exactly tiny, either.

[MosesSiregar]

Personally I have zilch hassle with my laptop, whether it's getting around the house or getting around public. And she's not exactly tiny, either.

I feel the same way. If iPad was better than my laptop, I'd want one. If iPad was better than a Kindle for reading books, I'd want one. If I could see using iPad as my computer while being my dedicated ereader at the same time, I'd definitely want one.

But if its screen is gentle on my eyes when reading ebooks and I can get mainly $9.99 or cheaper ebooks for it, then it's a toy I'll be tempted to buy.

[MosesSiregar]

This is great. Apparently the good folks at Apple are big fans of the dreaded adjective :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZS8HqOGTbA

[Bron]

I was very disappointed when I heard the iPad wasn't going to be backlit. But I, and I suspect most people here, are thinking about the iPad in terms of an e-reader. A lot of people I know don't read that often. They wouldn't even consider buying an e-reader, at least not at today's prices, but they'd consider an iPad for all the other functionality it offers. And, having bought the iPad, they'd then proceed to use the iBooks app and download books. The backlit screen wouldn't be a problem for them, because they don't read for hours and hours on end. So I can't help but think that this will be a good device for publishing, because it will put ebooks within easy reach of people who otherwise wouldn't be jumping on the bandwagon.