Ereaders: They're Not Just for Techies Anymore

When I started this blog 18 months ago, ereaders were still a bit of a novelty. Kindle had been out a year or so, and Barnes&Noble had just come out with the Nook a few months prior. Prices were in the $250 range, making an ereader a luxury item, and something a majority of people couldn't justify paying when they could go to a local bookstore and get a paperback without any need for a device to read it on. Now, bookstores are becoming scarce, partly because of ereaders, but also for other reasons.

Boy oh boy,  have things changed in the last year and a half! Prices have come way, way down, making them affordable for many more people in today's economy. In addition, ereaders have become faster and now include touch screens, making them  'cool' enough that even casual readers might covet one.  Ereaders come in many sizes and most offer a wireless connection to purchase books. Amazon still has two models with free 3G in addition to Wireless. I have a 3G Keyboard Kindle, also known as 3G K3, and I can't tell you how convenient it is to be able to order a book pretty much from anywhere. Last summer, I was sitting on the beach reading a sample from a book. I liked it, and at the end of the sample was the buy button. I was able to click it and continue reading in less than a minute. However, 3g isn't mandatory and as long as you have a bunch of books downloaded from the archive before you leave your Wi-fi connection, you'll be just fine.

B&N came out with a SimpleTouch e-ink Nook last summer, and I've heard really good things about it (wi-fi only). Not to be outdone, Amazon followed suit with a Kindle Touch, available as a wi-fi and as 3G/wi-fi, and dropped the price so that the Wi-fi only option is just $99. If that's not inexpensive enough, they also have a stripped down Kindle, non-touch, but with Wi-fi, for just $79. For a pure ereader, this deal can't be beat anywhere. It's the perfect option for kids/teens--and from my own experience with my daughter, the Kindle has spurred her into a love of reading. She might have developed the love anyway, but having the books available instantly when she finished the prior book in a series, kept her from setting the book down and rushing off to watch TV or something. With the next book right there, she would just continue reading.

Last, but definitely not least, we come to the hybrid tablet/ereaders. Barnes&Noble came out with NookColor last Christmas. I actually bought one for my husband for Christmas, but he's not much of a reader and wanted it for magazines. We found out, at the time, the magazines he wanted weren't available, so we took it back. I have to admit I was very sorry to see it go. I secretly wanted to use it myself!

This year, Amazon came out with their version, called Kindle Fire. It is available for pre-order right now, and at just $199, it is going to sell like crazy.  don't need one, but that didn't stop me from pre-ordering one for my own Christmas present along with one for my husband. Like NookColor, the screen is not e-ink, it is backlit, but also like NookColor, it is optimized for reading comfort, unlike most tablets. Also, it streams movies and tv shows via wi-fi, and Amazon Prime customers get unlimited streaming at no extra charge. Right there, Amazon is capturing a new audience, some of whom will buy books just because it's so easy.

There are rumors of a NookColor2 coming out before Christmas. I wonder what kind of innovations the have thought of for that one? Whatever they are, I'm sure it'll be good for all consumers because the competition drives the innovations.

While I've focused on Amazon and Barnes&Noble, there are other players in the game too. Sony has some excellent ereaders, and I've read good things about one called iRiver.

Then, of course, there are apps available so you can read your Amazon or B&N books on other devices like phones and iPads--but those aren't true ereaders, so I'm not really including them here. (okay, well, I just did, but I won't be comparing them!)

So, whether you are a fan of the Nook, Kindle or iRiver, it really doesn't matter because we all win with the brisk competition between companies.