Reports out the last few days point to Barnes and Noble looking at ways of selling some or all of their Nook line of eRedeaders.  The problem is an odd one.  By most measures the Nooks have been successful products.  They competed effectively with other eReading devices, and the Nook Color almost singlehandedly defined a new niche in the tablet category of computers.

The bottom line, however, is that the sales success has not been translated to B&N’s bottom line:  the large book chain has not found  a way to sell their fancy new devices at a profit.  Development costs are high, as are the costs of keeping the products up to date in a fast-paced technology industry. 

B&N is said to be looking at two options:  The first is to sell the brand to another firm that could afford to continue developing the Nooks and to promote them in American and international markets.  It is understood, apparently, that these products need further development and to be promoted more than they are now if they are to become profitable.

The second option would be to sell a large percentage of the products to another firm but keep  a minority interest.  This would allow B&N to reap some of the expected profits from the line as it reached critical mass.  And it would free them from the need to raise additional capital.

Lurking behind the issue is that B&N is not currently profitable.  Furthermore, if they sell or drop the line of eReaders, what they are left with is a dinosaur brick and mortar book chain that is steadily losing ground to the same digital markets that the Nook has helped define.

Some analysts feel the Nook is doomed and will eventually disappear.  The price pressure applied by Amazon is simply too much for each of their products, the e-Ink Reader that sells for $100, the Nook Color for $199 and the Nook Tablet for $249.  At these prices, there is no margin left for profit and not enough money coming in to continue their development efforts.

If there is to be a buyer it must obviously be one with deep pockets.  Microsoft and Google qualify as having deep pockets.  But do they have the compelling interest?  It is hard to see Microsoft blowing itself up even beyond their present size to take on such a different breed of cat.  It is not an area in which they have much of a proprietary interest.  They are not hardware manufactures at their core; neither are they book sellers, electronic or otherwise.

The case for Google is better.  They have an electronics bookstore, although it is not doing particularly well.  And they make the Android OS that runs many of the eReaders, both e-Ink and LCD types.  They would have better bargaining power with the publishers for the electronic titles they would sell.  Perhaps a partnership would be possible for them.

It also seems that Sony could be interested.  Their selection of electronic titles lags B&N and Amazon, so they would gain traction in an industry that is not in their wheelhouse.  They make eReader hardware now, so there would be some duplication in picking up the Nook line.  However, Sony could use the Color Nooks to enhance their offerings in the 7-inch segment of the tablet market.  Furthermore, Integrating these two sides of the Pacific might me more than Sony could do given their current state of struggle in the computer market.  This makes them a longshot, in my view.

11/28/2011:  Rumor: Apple to Re-design MacBook Airs And Add a 15-inch Model in Q1 of 2012.

Now the 10% price reduction on existing MacBook Air notebooks makes more sense.  The rumor is that sometime in the first quarter of next year Apple will offer a new design of the 11.6 and 13.3-inch models, plus they will add a 15-incher to the mix.

The price reduction is, then, a way of trimming its inventory of the old before bringing out the new.  This puts a new twist on buying one now.  The new models will probably have beefed up processors, faster and be more efficient.

Adding a 15incher, it is said, is Apple’s way of trying to compete in the enterprise market—sell more to business users.  This strategy, if it is, will meet significant resistance from business buyers who have a mandatory need to run the legacy Windows apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.  Microsoft has written code for these apps to run on Apple products, but it will require a separate purchase and add another layer of support on the IT departments.  Something, no one wants to do.

But, the Air is a fabulous product, and it will get some sales in the enterprise market.

Amazon’s Kindle Fire is Huge in Sales, as Are The Other Kindle Models.

Amazon announced that Kindle sales are four times greater this year than last, probably largely attributable to the Kindle Fire.  Their new tablet is now the largest selling item they sell, system wide.  It looks as if Amazon has hit the sweet spot for the small-form tablet.

11/24/2011:  Lenovo’s 10.1-inch Tablet Price Cut

The IdeaPad K1, Lenovo’s entry into the consumer market for Android tablets, began its existence priced at $499.  Seeing its mistake, Lenovo has now reduced its price to $349 according to PC World.  Lenovo’s on-line site specifies $379.  This is their top of the line product for consumers.

KEY SPECIFICATIONS
•     NVIDIA® Tegra 2.0 T20 1.0GHz processor
•     Google Android 3.1 operating system
•     10.1” HD (1280×800) display
•     Up to 1GB DDR2 memory, up to 64GB SSD storage
•     Integrated Bluetooth®, 3G1
& 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity
[Only two color options (brown and red) support 3G connectivity;
3G option is not available before the end of August]
•     Micro SD card reader, Mini HDMI connector & Docking port
2
•     Integrated front (2M) & back (5M) mounted webcam

It comes with 30 apps (including Angry Birds) pre-loaded.  Strong on social networking, movies and its high resolution screen.  At the new price it will be competitive for those who want an Android large-screen tablet.

11/21/2011:  Children’s Books Lag in eReading

An article in today’s NY Times points out that children’s books are not making the transition to electronicformat at the pace for all adultr books.  The article points out:

“. . .sales of e-books for titles aimed at children under 8 have barely budged. They represent less than 5 percent of total annual sales of children’s books, several publishers estimated, compared with more than 25 percent in some categories of adult books.”

It seems that the parents of young children enjoy the tradition of holding an actual book with a child in their lap and the two go through the pages together.  In this way the child learns to turn the page and get familiar with the symbols and pictures made especially for the younger set.

It is difficult to impossible to put all the special fonts and pictures for children within the confines of a six-inch eReader screen.  Additionally, converting a paper children’s book to electronic texts is expensive with the special graphics and page sizes used for the youngsters.

The article also points out another significant impediment to adoption of electronic editions.  Parents love the browsing experience of a brick and mortar store and often stumble upon a new book for their child by just strolling the book shelves.

“. . . parents often want to flip through an entire book before buying it, something they usually cannot do with e-book browsing. A study commissioned by HarperCollins in 2010 found that books bought for 3- to 7-year-olds were frequently discovered at a local bookstore — 38 percent of the time.”

It looks as if there will not be much of an acceleration from tradition print to electronic editions in this niche market. 

11/19/2011  Amazon Ups Orders Again for Kindle Fire

According to a report by Display Search, a research organization, Amazon has recently added another one million units to its orders for the Kindle Fire this quarter.  This brings their orders up to 6 million, which is what they expect to sell by the end of this year.

The iPad2, according to general consensus, is expecting to sell about 9 million units for the quarter ending December 31.  this comparison is astounding.  No other tablet provider has sold more than a couple of million units a year, much less a quarter.  Amazon has shown its marketing muscle, and they have it in abundance.

These sales figures may not stay at this level past the holiday season.   Apple is expected to bring out the iPad3 by April or 2012, and that would put it further ahead of the Kindle Fire in features than it is now.

Nevertheless, Amazon has made an impressive debut for its new tablet .  they have my attention.

11/18/2011:  BlackBerry PlayBook for $199 in Canada

The Kindle Fire effect has reached our immediate neighbor to the north. The BlackBerry PlayBook is now on sale there for $199 for their 16 GB model at Canadian BestBuy stores. This sale will end on November 24.

In the U.S., Staples is offering that same deal (one per customer) but only on Black Friday. So far no other American retailers have matched that deal, but it probably won’t be long. It looks as if RIM is trying to empty its warehouses.

There is probably a newer version on the near horizon, at least I hope so. The new model, though, is not supposed to be out until after the first of the year in February.

For those interested in e-reading, the PlayBook has a Kindle app, so it will do well reading electronic books. Its specs are also quite good—fast processor, good screen resolution and fast execution. It has been hobbled, however, with the omission of some key applications such as email and contacts, and it uses a proprietary operating system, QNX, which is not natively compatible with Android apps. This has left it short of a good selection of independent apps.

Thus far, regardless of similar promotions in the recent past, it is not moving off dealer shelves. It is hard to make much of a case for it at $199, given its limited usefulness over the long term. In my view is was almost a good idea, and RIM almost implemented their almost good idea. It was and is, though, almost a good tablet.

11/16/2011;  Santa’s List Dominated By Tablets This Year

A survey done by PriceGrabber of online shoppers asked respondents what they wanted for Christmas.  First, 79% of the respondents wanted a tablet computer over a laptop.  Of the 79% who preferred a tablet, the following is their ranking by preference:

1. iPad: 83%
2. Kindle Fire, 5%
3. Samsung Galaxy Tab 4%
4. HP Touch, 2%

The survey was taken in mid to late October, before news of the Nook Tablet was released.

For those who wanted an e-reader, the results by rank:

1. iPad, 62%
2. Kindle, 27%
3. Nook, 7%.

The sample size was 3574, but it was not a random sample, therefore the results are not reliable for scientific purposes.  But is is informative.  The iPad obviously dominates their choices, and this is not new.  But the Kindle Fire coming in 2nd is.  Amazon has an amazing ability to catch the public’s attention, and a good level of trust, too.  Christmas may be a little blue for the other sellers of tablets such as Acer, Asus, Toshiba, HTC and others.

No questions about preferences for screen size were asked, but the large-screen iPad seems to settle that issue for now.

Mobile Battery Life May Expand by 10 Times

Nothing is more bothersome to mobile computer and smartphone users than having to keep all their instruments charged.  I generally use four portable devices: a Lenovo Ultraportable Laptop, an iPhone, iPad and a Galaxy Tab of 7-inches.  Keeping all these guys running requires due diligence and constant attention.

Now a group of engineers at Northwestern University have been experimenting with lithium ion batteries, the kind almost all mobile devices use, and they claim they have extended the life of a single charge by 10 times.  A cellphone might last a month on a charge if this holds true when their ideas are put into production.

Additionally, they also claim that these new formulations will charge in a 10th of the time of today’s batteries.  They claim 15 minutes is all it takes to get one of their batteries fully charged.

The full article is found here if you want to get the details.  Needless to say, this is great news for all who are too often tethered to a wall outlet for hours at a time. I hope their claims have merit for production models.

11/10/11:  Amazon Increases Production Run on the Kindle Fire to 5 Million units

Pre-orders for the new Kindle Fire, Amazon’s upcoming 7-inch tablet, are doing so well that they have just upped the first production run to 5 million units, according to report from Taiwan. 

This is excellent news for Amazon, who has spent many millions of dollars in developing their new tablet.  It looks as if the Fire will slip in at second place behind only the iPad in the race for leadership in the tablet market.  Over the last year Samsung has led the 7-inch segment of the market, but the Fire is going to blow it out of the water.

This is probably good news, at least in one way, for Barnes and Noble.  The new form factor is definitely catching on.  This may mean that B&N’s efforts for their new Nook Tablet will also pay off.

The Kindle Fire is expected to be delivered to those who ordered earlier by November 15th.  I am anxious to read the first reviews of it.  The price is good, but it comes in on the low side as far as its specs—no cameras, slower processor and not running a version of Android that has access to the Android Marketplace.

RIM’s Playbook to go on sale Black Friday at Staples for $199

Research in Motion has had trouble selling its BlackBerry Playbook, and there has been much speculation as to whether their 7-inch tablet will make the cut by the end of the year.  The price has been coming down from its original $499, and now Staples has announced it will sell the device for $199 on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Its survival is still in question because of delays in bringing its functionality up to par with other tablets.  And RIM recently cancelled a scheduled upgrade, putting it off until next year.  This indicates that the software fixes are much more difficult to bring off than its executives first thought.

11/09/2011:  Kindle Fire and other Kindle Models to be Sold at 16,000 Retailers.

Beginning November 15 the new Kindle Fire will be in stock at over 16,000 stores in the U.S.  BestBuy, Office Depot, Radio Shack, Sam’s Club, Staples, Target and WalMart will carry the products.

These are, by and large the same stores that have carried the eInk readers Amazon sells, so it is not surprising they have picked up the Kindle Fire.  This availability trumps Barnes and Noble’s bragging rights about having brick and mortar stores where their customers can buy the Nook Color.

Most of these stores also carry the iPad, so it gives Amazon a chance to compete directly with those who are shopping for a new tablet.  Although the Fire does not seem designed to compete head-to-head with the iPad, it doesn’t hurt to have it close by when iPad shoppers are looking.

11/08/2011:  T-Mobile to offer 4G (almost) version of the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

Press release from T-Mobile:

Beginning Nov. 16 customers can purchase the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus for a $249.99 down payment at T-Mobile retail stores.

The purchase requires a $50 mail-in rebate, with a T-Mobile Value Mobile Broadband plan, two-year service agreement, and 20 interest free monthly payments of $10 on approved credit. Overage-free Mobile Broadband Value plans start at $29.99 per month, and T-Mobile postpaid voice customers enjoy $10 off their monthly mobile broadband service.

This up-dated version of the original Galaxy Tab is one of the finest 7-inchers on the market.  Now with a dual core, 1.2GHz processor, it will be much faster than its predecessor and have Honeycomb Android doing the user interface. 

For e-reading it offers two built-in readers: Blio for great color graphics in printed material and Zenio for magazines featuring full color.  It also offers a significant improvement in playing videos.  I would expect reader software from Kindle and Nook will be available the day it ships.

Amazon is selling a 16 GB WiFi-only version of the Tab for $399  with deliveries beginning November 13th.  Best Buy also carries a WiFi version (16GB) for $399.

The almost 4G offered by T-Mobile would be great, but there is no subsidy for buying it.  Their least expensive data plan is $30 per month, but with the extra $10 a buyers’ cost would be $40.

 Ray Hendon

For the last two years I have wanted to begin each article about e-readers or tablets with a phrase about how rapidly things are changing in the industry. But, it is now and it always will  be that way. Technology is changing fast, and the longer we have experience in a particular technology, the faster change takes place. It’s a sentiment that is true in every segment of industry that is touched by computer technology.

This article is about the seven inch tablet, a segment of the tablet industry that has not in the past seen the tectonic eruptions that have defined the 10-inch segment. The iPad, of course, dominates the 10-inch segment, and, so far no other single tablet has managed to mount a significant challenge to the dominance established by the Apple product.

The seven-inch market, however, is not the same. Although Samsung probably owns the lion’s share of the smaller form factor today, their dominance is going to change soon. Samsung was the first major designer to bring a high quality device into this space, the Galaxy Tab. Their first 7-inch tablet was almost alone for the first nine months to a year of its existence. But, the price point Samsung chose for their entry was too high by half, so its sales paled with that of the iPad by more than 10 to one. Dell, who also had a 7-incher in the market, made a serious design flaw in giving their product a poor screen resolution, and even with their newer version, they still don’t get it, offering a measly 800 X 480 resolution while the market demands better.

The latter half of this year, however, has seen interest in the smaller form factor explode, not so much with sales but with other manufacturers jumping into the market with their own devices. Apparently they see something there that consumers do not. Of course, Amazon’s decision to go with the smaller screen for their first tablet has created more excitement than anything that preceded their announcement.

Below are nine of the best of these new devices, including one expected before the end of the year.

Acer Aspire Iconia A100

The technical specifications of the A100 are a little on the low side of most of the other tablets shown. It supports a dual core ARM A9 at 1 GHz speed, and its screen resolution is less than the best: 1024 X 600 is still being sold but 1024 by 800 is where it is headed. The A 100’s storage memory is light at 8 GB, although it does have a micro SD slot to boost the external memory.

Other specs include a weight of 14.7 oz, a TFT-LCD multitouch screen, two cameras, WiFi, blue tooth, 2 USB ports, HDMI out and GPS. It also runs Android Honeycomb and retails for $329 at BestBuy. AT&T has a 3G model that they sell with a data services contract.

Reviewers generally like the device but think it is priced too high for its specs. I agree, but I hope that as the end-of-year selling season progresses we will see a price reduction closer to $200. With the Kindle Fire going for $199 and the B&N Nook Tablet for $249, it doesn’t make much sense for spending a hundred or hundred and fifty more for the A100. It was unfortunate that Acer brought out its new model just before either the Fire or Nook Tablet came on the scene. Acer and every other tablet seller will have to do some re-thinking on their price points.

Lenovo Idea Pad A1

Priced on sale at $220 today from Lenovo, this model was also introduced before the Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet, so it suffered a little from being overpriced for the modest specs it has. But, the assumption would be that it is a well-built device, coming from Lenovo. It features:

Texas Instruments OMAP 3622 ( 1GHz )  single-core processor derived from the ARM A8 Cortex family.

· 1024×600 screen

• Android 2.3

· Optimized for the Web with full Flash® support and instant synching

· More than 10 preloaded apps, with more available via Lenovo App Shop and Android Market

· GPS navigation in offline mode

· Integrated front (0.3M) and back (3M) cameras

· Trendy design available in black, white, pink or blue

· Integrated Bluetooth® and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi

· Measures 7.7” x 4.9” x 0.5”

· Micro-USB connector, microSD card reader

Its weaknesses are the single core processor and a lack of full Android Market Place support and running an older version of Android, v 2.3.

Its strengths are in GPS, cameras (not great, but OK), and good connectivity with USB and microSD memory capability. Lenovo may find traction for their new entry at a $150 price point. But Lenovo has failed to adjust its prices yet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus

Samsung’s lead in the 7-inch segment of the tablet market is based on its original machine, The Galaxy Tab. The picture to the right is its replacement. While it looks about the same, it is thinner, lighter and speedier.

The Tab 7.0 Plus includes a 1.2GHz dual-core processor; the older model had a 1Ghz single-core ARM Cortex A8. The new machines also uses Android Honeycomb 3.2 operating system; vs. 2.x Hummingbird for last year’s model. The screen resolution remains the same at 1024-pixel by 600-pixels. One of the cameras is up to 2.0 megapixles from 1.3. Video resolution remains the same at 720p.

A major upgrade over the older model is as a media center. The new one can be used as a remote control for many tv, etc. Samsung has also added a USB port, a nice improvement.

The new model will arrive at retailers on November 13.

The Wi-Fi-only Plus model with 16GB of storage will cost $400 at Best Buy, Amazon and Tiger Direct. A 32 GB model is also available.

There can be little doubt that the price of the new 7-inch Tab will have to come down. It is one of the best of the current crop of 7-inchers, but at twice the price of Amazon’s Kindle Fire, and with only marginal improvement in performance, it is unlikely to sell many of the new machines. I would look for big price reductions as the final selling season gets underway.

One other thing in its favor is the year’s experience Samsung has in working out the kinks of this small form factor and in enhancing its feature set.  Their 7-inch Tab was and is a well made, sturdy device.

 

Huawei, SpringBoard

The 1280-by-800 screen

Mobile hotspot 3G

1.2-GHz dual-core Qualcom Snapdragon processor

1 GB RAM and 16GB storage

 

Huawei’s tablet is probably the best of the new breed. Good screen resolution, hotspot capability and a fast, dual-core processor.

It is a fine machine. It is fast, great graphics and a full feature set. But it is beset by two major problems, at least at this writing.

First it is too expensive. Again, the Amazon $199 price will cut it off at the knees at its advertised price of around $400.

Second, for now it is available only through T-Mobile—the weakest of the four major national service providers of cell phone service. Part of its problem is that its T-Mobile pricing is quite complicated. You make a down payment (with approved credit) of $229.99 and get a card for a $50 mail-in rebate. Then, on top of the charges for a data plan the owner must pay $10 a month for the next two years. This totals to $429 over the course of the contract, and by that time, of course, you will want to get a new device, given the rapid changes going on in the industry. One must also pay for the data services.

Below is a cut and paste from the T-Mobile site as to its features:

5 Megapixel Camera

Bluetooth® connectivity

Calculator

Calendar

GPS with Navigation Capability

HDMI Out

Music player

QWERTY keyboard

USB Tethering*

Voice recorder

Wi-Fi enabled*

This is a good batch of specs except for external memory capability or USB connection. It is also overpriced when compared with an iPad2 or other tablets. I would like to see it sold with WiFi only, but Huawei seems to be putting all its eggs in the T-Mobile basket for now.

PC world has a hands-on review here. Generally the reviewer was impressed with its speed and ability to stream videos without hitches. But, the reviewer had only a few minutes with the device, so we must wait for a more comprehensive review.

 

Amazon Kindle Fire

The Kindle Fire has generated more interest in tablet computers than any other product except the iPad. Kindle e-reader customers have suffered long with their eInk, non-touch readers, and there is obviously a large number of Amazon customers who were waiting for a full-color tablet. Amazon recently upped their initial production run to 5 million units that they expect to sell before the end of the year. Pre-orders have apparently gone well.

Video Review:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3Opi9VZt8s

Written hand-on review from Associated Press: http://news.yahoo.com/review-kindle-fire-sacrifices-under-200-050342124.html

Hands-on review from Wired: http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/11/kindle-fire/all/1

Specs on this $199 device are not outstanding. To get the price $300 lower than the iPad, they had to leave out things like cameras, high resolution screen (1024 X 600), 3G access and unmolested Android. But, the total package will probably work well for many users. It will surf, is tightly integrated with Amazon’s movies, music and electronic books. It will stream video, check e-mail and have some form of text entry for notes and letters. And Amazon has created its own browser that promises to be fast and capable. The video of a demonstration is impressive.

It also stores your movies, books and music on Amazon’s cloud storage facilities. This means you don’t need a lot of internal memory, thus saving more on production costs.

With Amazon’s marketing muscle and decent machine they will have a hit and probably end the year with the second place in tablet sales behind the iPad. In terms of pure specs, the Fire is more toward the low end of the market rather than the high, but when the build-quality and software integration is included in the definition it is not a low-end machine. It has a reduced feature set, but it does a great job in what it does.

 

Nook Tablet

The Nook family of e-readers and tablets is shown below, with the newest entry, the Nook Tablet shown on the right. Its specs are better than the Kindle Fire—it has a faster dual core and higher screen resolution, and it has more internal memory. It is also priced at $249.99, $50 more than Amazon’s product.(Click Here for  Review of Engadget)

For a more comprehensive review,see PC World’s Review Here.

Who can say how it will fare next to the Fire. Probably it will do OK. B&N gained credibility with their Nook Color as a fairly competent Android device, although it was marketed as a full-color e-reader.

I don’t think it will sell near as many as the Fire. Amazon has a larger customer base, and the integration with Amazon’s content will be attractive to many of their loyal customers. Nevertheless, B&N has a loyal customer base, too, so I expect they will do well with their new Nook Tablet.

HTC Flyer

The Flyer is a great 7-inch tablet. It is light, slim and has a great processor and screen. I wish all the 7-inchers were this good. It’s major problem is that it is a little too good. HTC has included pen-input capability, and this adds to the cost. While it is nice, not everyone needs it, and I wonder that it woldn’t have been better to offer two models, one with and one without this feature. But, that is only one person’s guess.

A hands-on review was published at Engadget (Click Here). It is a great machine. “. . . the 7-inch Flyer, the most unique of this year’s Android tablet offerings, opting for a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a sturdy aluminum construction that doesn’t even try to compete in the race for extreme thinness, and a Magic Pen to make you forget it’s running Gingerbread and not Honeycomb (yet).

Its display goes with the 1024 X 600, but it looks great. I have used it for brief periods—it is fast, bright and responsive. Viewing angle is much better than many, and it feels good in the hand.

When it first hit the market a month or so ago it was priced at $499—a killer for a 7-inch tablet. But it sat on dealer shelves until the price was reduced to $399. But it is still a notch too high, in my view.

It comes in two versions: 3G and WiFi only. Amazon sells a 3G version for $500, but it must be unlocked. None of the major carriers are selling it with a service plan for now.

Looking ahead:

The most interesting new 7-incher headed our way is the Samsung Tab 7.7. The new tablet, from the specs I have seen, it looks great.

· 7.7" SUPER AMOLED Plus*· 1280 x 800 WXGA· 197 pixels per inch (ppi)· 4-way rotation· Live Panel · Mini Apps · Clipboard · Hub for music, video (1080p), etc · WiFi, 3G, Blue Tooth · Front and back cameras · 1 GB memory + micro SD slot · 1.4 GHz dual core processor · Flash and Mobile Office suite · Sensors for proximity, GPS, Accelerometer, and others e-reading, games and remote control · WiFi, 3G, Blue Tooth · Front and back cameras · 1 GB memory + micro SD slot · 1.4 GHz dual core processor · Flash and Mobile Office suite · Sensors for proximity, GPS, Accelerometer, and others

The only problem with the nifty new device is that when and where it will be available is an unknown, apparently even to the executive suite at Samsung’s headquarters. Apple got an injunction against Samsung that prevents selling it in Germany and Australia.  Perhaps Samsung is fearful of the same thing happening in the U.S. The basis of Apple’s complaint was patent infringement, so this is a bothersome issue that may be a while before it is settled.

I will be first in line to see it if it ever makes it here. It may be a block buster of a product if it is priced right and the courts eventually allow it to be sold.  Otherwise, Samsung will have to pay some royalties to Apple on each unit produced.

The 7-inch market looks to come into its own this year and next.  I have found many uses for this size tablet, but it does not replace the iPad or other 10.1 Android tablet.  The screen size is simply to small to do a good job surfing in a serious manner.  I have also noticed that many power users have both sizes, so I am not alone in my opinion of its usefulness.

It is much preferred over a 10-inch tablet.As an e-reader, hotspot, email checker and some other functions,   It will be interesting see how this plays out.  Will the 7.7-inch make a splash?  Will Samsung’s other entry into the less than 10-inch market, the 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab 8.9, make it as a viable alternative?

I took the picture to the left at a local BestBuy showing my 7-inch Galaxy Tab below the Galaxy Tab 8.9.  The larger screen will not fit into my back pocket, but it certainly makes a better web browser.

I will be watching this new form factor closely to see if it finds traction in the market.

The ability of electronic devices to morph from one form to another is a source of confusion in the minds of consumers. For decades there were tablet computers, but there were no electronic readers. Then electronic readers were introduced, and within a few years browsing capabilities were added, more or less as an afterthought but not done well.  But, the distinction between these two categories was blurred just a little.

Then the tablet computer morphed from a very expensive pen-centric business device that was a sub-category of a laptop into a hand-held device that is now a category of its own. It wasn’t long before Amazon and the other eBook sellers developed reader applications that allowed these new tablets to read eBooks, too. When you put a Kindle reader on an iPad, the iPad becomes an eReader, even though it was an afterthought of the designers.

Now we have two categories of devices that have inched closer to each others’ afterthoughts. The old distinctions are gradually melding into a commonality that makes it hard to make meaningful distinctions between them.

This confusion is not only demonstrated by the buyers of these devices. It is also on display by the blogs and eMagazine sites that keep track on the industry. As an example, notice what the data below shows how differently the different blogs and eMagazines treat this distinction.

PC World: Single category: Tablets/E-Readers.

Engadget: Separate categories: (1) E-Readers, (2) Tablet PCs. The Nook Color, by the way, is reviewed under the E-Reader category, although it could just as well be classified as a tablet.

Computer World No classification of either device

ReadWriteWeb No classification of either device

ZDNet Three categories: (1) iPad, (2) Tablets, (3) E-Books and E-Readers

Crunch Gear No specific classifications. They use “Mobile” and “Gadgets.”

Laptop Magazine Separate categories for Tablets and eReaders

Cnet Separate categories for Tablets and E-Book readers as a sub-class of Tablets

Tabletreaderinfo Single category: Tablet/eBook Readers

Sometimes our classification system fails us. And recently the original eInk providers, Amazon and Barnes and Noble, have introduced what are in fact tablets, but were designed and promoted as eReaders as their primary function. They also include tight integration of the eBook seller’s sites and all the electronic media capabilities. Still, they are tablet computers underneath and eReaders by heritage.

I don’t have a solution for this failure to clarify. Although there are two clear divisions between these categories: eInk vs not eInk. But, this is not convenient terminology for anyone, although it does describe the difference fairly accurately. We will probably have to live with this confusion for a while until one or the other either disappears or does some more morphing closer to the other.

On my site I find that I spend more time lately reviewing the eReading capabilities of tablets than I do reviewing pure, eInk readers. The market is clearly moving away from eInk, although it could make a comeback. But, I can’t see how. It is a hassle to carry two devices with you when one is enough, and the way the technology stands today, the clear winner is the tablet with eReading software. I almost never use my old Kindle anymore. My 7-inch Galaxy Tab or iPad has taken over this function.

Nevertheless, there are many avid readers who prefer their old eInk devices, and they are the best way to read if you are out of doors. But I don’t see a bright future for this old technology. I am most curious as to how this plays out.  But confusion will reign for a while longer.

For its first years of existence eReading existed in a black and white world, satisfied with emulating the texts of printed pages.  This system worked well enough, and millions of individuals who loved books and reading found it a joyful experience.  Nook Color Shown Below

The iPad, which exploded into the industry last April 3rd, is now beginning to change the equation.  Being one of the early buyers who eagerly followed my shipping number from Hong Kong to my home, I immediately tried the new reading software Apple included in the package.  

It was clear that color added much to the experience, but only if graphic material was included with the text.  Almost none was, so the full benefits of adding color were confined to the book covers that were displayed when accessing the library of iBooks and the single free book that Apple included with the package, Winnie The Pooh.  It had color illustrations included with the text and gave an indication of what was to come.

The popularity of the iPad as an eReader was quick to take hold, even if many of the readers used Amazon’s Kindle for the iPad to get their reading material rather than iBooks, the native application lodged in iTunes.

About a month ago Barnes and Noble introduced their color eReader, the Nook Color, and now publishers are beginning to incorporate color illustrations within the text materials of their popular children’s titles.  Both B&N and Apple have special contracts with publishers for new titles that is now just a trickle but will reach flood volume before this time next year.  Color content will push the leading edge further and faster into the next generation of electronic reading. iPad and Galaxy Tab shown to left and below.

The iBooks store today introduced 100 new titles that incorporate color, including children’s books, photographic essays and cook books available for download to the iPad. 

B&N has some titles available now, and contracts with major publishers to handle their libraries of color print as soon as they are digitized.

In a quote published by the New York Times,  Jon Anderson, the publisher of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, said the publishing house had been “itching to do it since e-books became possible,” but there were always limitations because the books were in color.

“It finally gives us the opportunity to have our picture books join the e-book revolution,” Mr. Anderson said in an interview. “It gives us a great opportunity to monetize our content in a way that we previously haven’t been able to.”

Mr. Anderson also indicated that their plans for early 2011 are to introduce the electronic version of new titles at the same time they release the printed edition.

Harper Collins released two children’s books through Barnes and Noble for the Nook Color:  “Amelia Bedelia” and “Fancy Nancy” series.  These titles have been available on the Nook Color for about a month.

There are a batch of new reading devices with full color coming to the market.  All the Android tablets out now have the native ability to read color illustrations, but their reader software software needs to be updated, which it probably will be soon enough.

In less than a month the Consumer Electronics Show begins in Las Vegas, and there we can expect a deluge of new tablet computers running a bevy of operating systems, all with color built in.  So the move to color will be accelerated for the rest of the year.

From my personal experience, I still use my Kindle 2 to read books, and I continue acquiring new titles.  But my tendency is to put them on the iPad, too, and more and more I find myself using it as my first option for short reading sessions.  For longer periods or out of doors reading, which I don’t do much, the Kindle is still preferred, but it is losing its position in my lineup as the primary tool used for reading electronic materials.

 I expect authors and publishers to take to the new medium with enthusiasm and begin creating new ways to incorporate color illustrations and videos into their work in the future. The traditional book as we know it will most likely yield to the new medium as it is more fully understood.

The revolution began in the first half of this year.  It will only gather momentum as 2011 unfolds, and like all true revolutions, there will be no going back.

Kobo, whose deal with Borders as a featured eReader for that firm, catapulted its name into the visible sphere of those interested in electronic reading.  But, this device has captured neither a compelling presence nor a strong following. 

Its price was too high for the poor design and performance it offered.  Only those entirely new to the industry would fork over enough money to buy the supremely competent Kindle or Nook in order to take home a cheap knockoff with subpar performance. 

Now Kobo has upgraded its performance.  It has 16-gray scale resolution, and a Pearl E-Ink display. It is faster in page turns and higher contrast—all welcome, but still a little short of adequate.

Kindle, Sony eReaders, and the Nook are still far better and more polished, and, except for Sony, sold at the same price. 

In my view, Kobo would be attractive at a price of $79.95, but at $139 it is not.  If Borders wants to join the digital age of electronic reading it must do better than that.  Otherwise, they must be content to become the defining standard of the cheap end of the user spectrum.  All the cheap tablets from Cruz, Andros and others form a motley lineup of reading devices that all are pulled in from the back alleys of the industry.

There may be a profitable place for this position, but it seems odd for Borders to settle for such a demeaning spot, given that they sell the same quality books that Amazon and B&N sell.  They need to add some quality to their product line or they will slip down the slope of second rate.

Specifically, the reviewer for PC World criticized its operations because of discernable screen flicker when turning pages, and sluggish operations, poor ergonomics and unpolished navigation buttons. 

Its on-line bookstore is far to slow to allow for a pleasurable stroll through the inventory of books Kobo offers.  Screen refreshes at the on-line store were SLOW to the point of distraction—not what you want when shopping for a new title to read.

For a more detailed review of the new device, follow this link.

There have been comparisons of iPad vs Kindle vs. Sony vs. Nook before.  The reviews , however, have been dated by the recent introductions of the newer Kindle 3, and of the new Sony line of its Reader Editions.  The Nook has seen no major changes, but it has had some critical software updates that stabilized and otherwise enhanced the Nook.

Cnet has a new head-to-head review of all the latest models of these devices, and they offer a generally accurate and balanced appraisal of each brand.  They also offer a list of questions that, in my view, is helpful in narrowing the choices between this disparate group of gadgets.  Click here for the full review.

There is a legitimate argument that the iPad should not be compared with a dedicated eReader, since the iPad is a completely different device.  It is more of a full-featured computer than the stand-alone readers.  Nevertheless, many iPad owners use it to read electronic editions of books and magazines, so it deserves a place at the table for that reason.

For the same reasons, the Galaxy Tab is also mentioned as a viable alternative for eReading.

There is one error of omission in their assessment.  Item # 6 implies that many of the free downloads of eBooks are not available to the Kindle because it does not read the ePub format.  My experience in downloading free eBooks is that the sites I use most, Gutenberg and Manybooks.net, both offer downloads in multiple formats, and both include Kindles’ proprietary format as an option for the download.

That said, I supplement my Kindle library with some ePub downloads, because the iPad reads them, and the software version of the Sony and Nook readers do so as well. 

I find the Sony  PC reader software to be exceptionally robust in reading just about everything on the market.  I like it better than any other eReading software when reading on my PC.   I do not have a Sony Reader, however, although I think well of their hardware offerings.

If you are contemplating buying an eReading device, I recommend the article at Cnet as a good starting point.

 

Ray Hendon

October 29, 2010

Liquivista and electrowetting are words you may not be familiar with now, but that may change soon.  Liquivista is the firm that developed the electrowetting method of colorizing computer pixels, and their development of this technology seems to be close to completion.  The process of electrowetting was covered in an earlier article on eRreaders Review in April of this year. Click here.

In a nutshell, electrowetting uses droplets of colored oil to define images on a screen, similar to E-Ink used on most eReaders.  But the droplets of oil can be colored black and white or they can be fully colorized if you prefer.

Furthermore, electrowetting can be scaled up and down in frequency for different types of display.  For video, the scale can be upped to sixty refreshes a second for full motion video or down to a low 1000 hertz for static images, color or black or white.

These two features are important, but electrowetting also promises exceptionally low power usage, even in a fast refresh mode and in full color.  This is a most promising technology and one that seems to have recently gotten closer to being a viable competitor to both E-Ink, which is closely resembles, and LCD to which it also resembles.

The video below, filmed at the Toulouse, France facility of Liquivista, explains and demonstrates these features quite well.

The spokesman in the video said Liquavista is aiming at the second half of next year to have their product ready to go into production, and that they are  focusing first on six and seven-inch screens.

A new wrinkle for electrowetting is that the process can also be accomplished on fully flexible screens.  One can roll up a screen, so to speak, and put it in your pocket to be unfurled later.  This bring all sorts of new uses to mind, but I’ll wait on that development until it is further refined before covering it.

In the original article I mentioned that the color vividness of electrowetting was not as bright as LCD or LED, and Liquavista was still working on that problem.  But the interview in the video stressed the full color saturation and vividness of the color display, so they may have made enough progress to feel competitive.  It’s hard to tell how good the color is on the video.

There are also other color technologies on the horizon.  Mirasol from Qualcomm is one that is in production now but has yet to be announced for a specific product.  Electrowetting, however, seems to have an edge on Mirasol in several areas, mostly in its low power requirement and its ability to be made on an LCD production line with few modifications.

I am gratified that Liquavista is making progress on their new technology.  They fell off the radar screens after April, but they have been busy and are now, for the first time, mentioning possible dates for its introduction.

It doesn’t look as if they will have anything but prototypes ready for the Consumer Electronics Show in January, but there will be a high level of interest in what they show.
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Ray Hendon

It’s been some time since Pandigital introduced its first Novel eReader.  Reviews of the Novel reader were uniformly poor, given its LCD screen.  Now they are ready with their second attempt shown below:

 

It is a good looking device: a six-inch E-Ink screen with high resolution that uses touch gestures for navigation.  The specs on the new Novel are impressive:

• Sipex/AUO ePaper touch screen
• WiFi access to Barnes and Noble’s eBokstore
• An accererometer
• 2GB of on-board memory and built-in card reader that will hold a 32GB card.  This should come close to holding the Library of Congress’ entire collection.
• 9.1 oz in weight

There is much to like about these features.

The suggested price is $200, so that may put it out of range for many, however. 

The reading screen is also impressive:

It appears that the black area below the screen has touch-sensitive buttons for navigation, with more options at the top.

The price that it sells for once it reaches retail shelves is not know, so if it falls under $200 it could gain a foothold among the dedicated eReading crowd.

For a few more pictures and the notice posted on Engadget, click here.

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by Ray Hendon

The review of four of the most popular eReaders by Switchedon is one of the best I have seen in maintaining an objective attitude throughout the evaluations.   Their conclusions seem reasonable to me. Follow this link to read the full review.

The reviewer ranks them: Kindle 3, with Sony and Nook more or less tied (although he did not rank them).  Kobo brings up the rear, especially at $129.  Kobo is not going to sell at that price to anyone who does the least bit of homework.  Perhaps in a captive environment like Barnes and Noble Stores, some will buy it at that price.  They are prime candidates for buyers remorse down the road.

I thought the model of Sony Reader they evaluated was not the best choice.  They should have tested the Touch Edition since it is closer to the specs of the Nook and Kindle.  Rather, they chose the PRS-900 which has a huge 7.1” screen, is thick, out of date, and not really comparable to the other units.

Nevertheless, the conclusion about the screen contrast being poor has been mentioned by virtually every reviewer of Sony Readers.  It appears to me that the large, 7+ inch E-Ink screens are headed for extinction before too many cycles of the seasons are counted.  They are too clumsy, too heavy and inconvenient to hold for long periods, and they are too expensive.  They have had their day in the sun.