| Will the E-book replace ink and paper books? | | | | Otherwise the E-book is nothing more than |
| No. | | | | another occasional convenience. |
| However, get used to seeing E-books share retail | | | | In 2000 when I was a Research Director at |
| space along with a 1,500 page War and Peace. | | | | Gartner Group, I predicted that many enterprises |
| Portable electronic books are not about to invade | | | | implemented projects in an effort to rival the |
| the business or consumer world quickly as the | | | | efficiencies touted by larger players, however |
| Internet, cell phone, and PDA which have | | | | they struggled to gain the customer acceptance |
| complicated and cluttered our desks and our lives. | | | | required to justify the costs. |
| And don't expect the E-book to encroach your | | | | How much? |
| bedside table just yet, either. | | | | Most people read print and use electronic devises |
| However, do expect over the next ten years to | | | | to search, browse and discover. E-book reading |
| see a hybrid industry of books both in print and | | | | technology may be acceptable to many people as |
| digital formats. We likely will see books published in | | | | an additional book-type device, but only if the |
| two versions at two different costs to serve | | | | price is right. The benefits have to meet the |
| more markets. | | | | reader's expectations. |
| Some believe the E-book readers are the next | | | | The E-book industry is crowded with more |
| generation of readers -- the same who readers | | | | gadgets than buyers. Readers can choose various |
| who enjoyed the Harry Potter series -- in | | | | features from the Kindle 2 by Amazon, Digital |
| hardcopy. | | | | Book by Sony, Sony Reader by Sony, iLiad by |
| "The real problem is that people read less and less | | | | iRex Technologies, Hanlin eReader by Jinke, and |
| and prefer other forms of entertainment or other | | | | Cybook Gen3 by Bookeen. |
| channels to get content (say the web). I have a | | | | Balancing the whistles and bells with reality is yet |
| Sony E-reader but I only use it for proposals and | | | | another hurdle for buyers and sellers. The |
| still prefer to read an actual book when I read for | | | | features of electronic books will have to meet |
| pleasure," said a publishing editor. | | | | the "Pain Threshold" (PT) test. In order to pass |
| The E-book Challenge | | | | PT, the features must offer readers a unique |
| The striking difference -- and possibly off-putting - | | | | experience they can't get from a real book. A |
| is that many feel the E-book is distancing simply | | | | good comparison to E-book attributes is similar to |
| by its form: It is plastic, hard and digital and | | | | considering discount store coupons; the |
| therefore impersonal and cold. Holding an E-book | | | | percentage off doesn't matter if the product is |
| cuddled up by the fire is just not quite the same. | | | | something I normally wouldn't buy anyway? |
| This is a serious and real challenge for the | | | | I mean, do I really care if I receive Giraffe Daily |
| manufacturers. There is a large market of | | | | on my Wireless Sony E-reader? Reading is much |
| dedicated readers they must try and reach in | | | | more personal than any technological device on |
| order to gain acceptance across the reading public. | | | | the market today. |