Ebook readers attracted a great deal of publicity in 2009 – and none more so than Amazon’s Kindle. The first ebook reader – generally held to be the Franklin eBookman – was released in 1999, over a decade ago, but it was only in 2009 that public interest was sparked.
Without diminishing the contribution of Sony in any way, it’s probably accurate to say that Amazon deserve a lot of the credit for this. The February launch of the Kindle 2.0, followed by the DX in June, seemed to put ebook readers in the spotlight. The launch of Amazon’s original Kindle in November of 2007 hadn’t provoked anything like the buzz of either the Kindle 2.0 or the DX – so what is different now?
Until very recently the Kindle was the only reader to include wireless connectivity. This was also a feature of the original Kindle – so it seems to be an unlikely explanation for the increased interest in ebook readers during 2009. The Kindle 2.0 was undoubtedly easier on the eye than the original Kindle. In addition to that, the selection of Kindle books available had risen to 240,000 by the time the Kindle 2.0 was released. By the end of 2009 there were almost 400,000 titles to choose from on Amazon’s Kindle store – which meant that new titles were being added at an average rate of 500 a day.
Of course, it might just be the fact that the public have had enough time to grow accustomed to electronic books. Whatever the reason, it does appear that the time is right for ebook readers.
Ebook readers are portable devices which let you read ebooks – electronic or digital books. Reading ebooks has been possible for a long time of course, simply by using a PC, or maybe even an iPod. The big difference between reading on a PC monitor and an ebook reader is that the PC monitor uses a backlit LCD display. After a while this can cause you eyestrain. Ebook readers use eInk technology which is much closer to reading text typed on conventional paper – they are not backlit.
Without going too far into the technical aspects, eInk displays consist of thousands of tiny spheres, each of which contains both black and white charged particle suspended in a liquid. The spheres are sandwiched between a transparent screen and electrical conductors. Passing the correct polarity of electrical current through the conductors causes either the black or white particles to be positioned next to the transparent screen in such a way as to form letters.
E-Ink displays only require power when “writing” the page. Once the particles have been properly positioned they will stay in place without any further power being required. E-Ink technology is not only better for your eye tan a PC monitor, it requires considerably less power to operate. Battery life is extended – which is perfect for a mobile device.
At the moment, there is a long list of companies with ebook readers in development. Increased competition will produce lower prices and, while 2009 may well be remembered as the year that ebook readers took off, 2010 could see them becoming part of the mainstream consumer electronics market. They may be as commonplace as iPods or mobile phones by the end of the year.
Get the skinny on the Kindle ebook reader and have a look at the wide range of Kindle accessories available to personalise, protect and enhance your reader.
