Tablets threaten e-readers

[jes]

Tablets threaten e-readers

Gartner predicts rising e-reader sales despite competition from tablet PCs

 

[EtienneK]

... Is it just me or is the article description contradicting the article title?

 

[diabolus]

Well while a tablet costs R8000 and an E-reader R1400 , i don't see any threat to e-readers , i'm sorry. The article clearly states how E-reader sales are up 79% since 2009 .

Sure, tablets are going to make an impact, but as it is the pricing is way too high for people who actually want a device for e-books as their main requirement.

Gartner seem to think e-readers need a price advantage, but they ALREADY have it.

 

[Tacet]

E-ink will keep e-readers a success as far as I"m concerned. I spend hours reading on my kindle. The same amount of time spent looking at an LCD screen will cause a hectic headache.

 

[Valis]

Why is it always "a threat" with these people? These giant, multi-billion dollar corporations always see any form of competition or innovation as "a threat".

 

[Terencek]

It's not entirely true as stated in one of these posts that a tablet has to cost R8,000. See the separate forum thread under Hardware on a tablet device being punted as an eReader in South Africa for around R1,200 by the CNA. Overseas there are several such super-cheap tablets, so we're not only talking iPads here.

That said I still think the eReader and Tablet markets are largely separate -- if you want a dedicated eReader there is no argument that the Kindle or Sony or Nook-type eInk display is far easier on the eyes for extended reading than the traditional backlit LCD found in tablets, and eReaders will run weeks on a charge, unlike a Tablet which is used to the same extent. Amazon is currently struggling to keep up with orders, even though it's shifting a million Kindles a month now, so I don't think there's (yet) much of a threat....