2009 was an excellent year for ebook readers in general – and a very good year for Amazon’s Kindle reader in particular. Even though ebook readers have been around for a decade or so – the Franklin eBookman is generally agreed to have been the first and was released in 1999 – they only really took off in a big way in 2009.
At the risk of putting Sony’s nose out of joint, it’s probably fair to say that much of the credit for this must be given to Amazon. The February launch of the Kindle 2.0, followed by the Kindle DX in June, seemed to create quite a buzz around ebook readers. When Amazon released the original Kindle in November of 2007 this didn’t happen to anything like the same extent- so what was the difference?
For quite some time, Amazon’s unique selling point was the fact that the Kindle was the only reader available which incorporated wireless connectivity. However, since the original Kindle also featured this, it doesn’t explain the surge in interest for ebook readers. Certainly the Kindle books was a much better looking device than the, somewhat quirky, original Kindle. There was also a much larger selection of Kindle books available. At the launch of the Kindle 2.0 there were 240,000 Kindle books to choose from. This has now increased to just under 400,000 in just a few months. Amazon is currently adding new titles at an average rate of over 500 per day.
Or perhaps it’s simply the fact that the public has become more accustomed to digital books. For whatever reason, it looks like ebook readers are an idea whose time has come.
Ebook readers are basically portable devices that allow you to read ebooks – digital or electronic books. This has been possible for years now, simply by using a computer – or even an iPod. The difference between reading a book on an ebook reader and a notebook is the display. Computers use a backlit LCD display which will give you eye strain after a certain time. Ebook readers use something known as an e-Ink display, which is not backlit and much closer to reading printed type on paper.
Without getting too technical, e-Ink displays consist of a clear screen with electrical conductors below it. Sandwiched between the conductors and the screen are thousands of tiny spheres, each containing both black and white charged particles suspended in a fluid. The black particles are negatively charged and the white particles are positively charged. By passing current through the conductors, either the black or white particles can be driven to the screen so as to form clearly legible text.
Power is only required when the page is being generated. Once the particles have been set in place they will stay there. Therefore, e-Ink technology is not only kinder to your eyes than a backlit PC screen, but it also has a much lower power requirement. This means that battery life is considerably longer than would be the case for a backlit display – ideal for a battery powered mobile device.
Right now, there is a long list of companieswho are developing their own ebook readers. Increased competition will lead to reduced prices and, while 2009 might be remembered as the year in which ebook readers took off, 2010 could see them becoming part of the mainstream consumer electronics market. They may be as commonplace as mobile phones or iPods by the end of the year.
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