"Tablet Takeover Suggests E-Reader's Demise."
This was the rather alarmist headline in the Huffington Post this week. The article has its points, among them the fact that Barnes & Noble's NOOK Color e-reader is already in tablet territory (with another offering possibly in the works) and Amazon is rumored to be preparing its own tablet. There's no denying the fact that tablets are hot. The wrap up concludes:
"The fate of the e-reader comes down to whether consumers deciding on their next device will prefer to opt for the simplicity of a gadget dedicated just to reading — a boon to those who want to eliminate distractions — or if they’ll opt to buy a multifunctional tablet that can not only supply the computerlike abilities of its compatriots, but maybe even allow new reading experiences."
My opinion differs from that of the author and other pundits who look at the popularity of tablets and predict the end for standalone e-readers. I think the death of the e-reader is greatly exaggerated.
The simplicity of an e-reader may indeed be a plus, although many current models offer additional functions such as the ability to play MP3s. However, I don't think freedom from distraction is what will save the day against the multifunction tablet onslaught. I believe there are several other fundamental factors that favor a continuing healthy market for these devices.
For one, a dedicated e-reader requires much less processing power than a multi-functional tablet device. Not only does this help to keep the cost of the device down, it has additional benefits, including better battery life and lower weight. While antiglare coatings have helped to improve the performance of tablets' backlit LCD displays outdoors and reduced glare issues, E Ink remains a superior display technology for reading as soon as sunlight or bright light comes into the equation. Given the direction in which tablet sales have been trending so far, an iPad-size display (roughly 10 inches diagonal) is by far the most popular. For many tablet functions, this makes sense. The more screen real estate available for icons, playing movies, catapulting birds or swiping, the better the tablet experience seems to be. However, the most popular e-reader form factor utilizes a 6-inch to 7-inch display. This closely mimics the size of a novel page, is small enough to slip into most pockets and enables many people to read with a single hand. Moving to an iPad or similar-sized tablet cuts into portability and makes reading a two-handed activity.
Does the example of the Flip digital camcorder — a highly popular device killed off by video capable, multi-purpose smart phones — portend a similar fate for e-readers, as suggested by the article?
I look to iPods as a better example. While the wildly popular iPhone and the line-up inducing iPad both offer the same music playing capability of Apple's iPod line of products, no-one is predicting the iPod is on its way out. In Q1 2011 financial results, Apple reported that over the holiday season they sold roughly 16 million iPhones, 7 million iPads and over 19 million iPods. Despite the fact that multifunction devices like the iPad and iPhone are perfectly capable music players and have become "must have" devices for gadget lovers, their cost and/or portability issues mean that there is still a very substantial demand for cheaper and smaller iPods. Many people even buy multiple devices, preferring to carry around a compact, less expensive iPod to listen to music while commuting and using the iPad to listen to tunes and surf the web while relaxing on the couch.
Only time will tell if tablets will wash away the market for dedicated e-readers, but I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that we'll be seeing E Ink-based Kindles, Sony Readers, Kobos and NOOKs for some time yet.