There are an incredible number of manufacturers currently fighting it out in the new, but ever expanding, e-book reader market. The high level of competition is a strong indication that rapid growth is anticipated in this sector. And this will be good news for consumers as manufacturers strive to enhance specifications and offer lower prices.
There is an impressive list of major players who have e-book readers in various stages of development - and in some cases, ready for imminent release. Sony, Plastic Logic, Barnes and Noble, iRex, iRex, - not forgetting Microsoft and Apple - are all queuing up to grab their fair share of the market.
There's little doubt about the current market leader. The Amazon Kindle reader has not only dominated the market, but has been pivotal in its development since it was launched in November 2007. Now into its second iteration with the Kindle 2 and the large screen Kindle DX, Amazon has secured a 60% share of the American e-book reader market. The Kindle reader is now their number one product and, on October 19 this year, after what seemed like a long wait, they started shipping the international Kindle 2 to over 100 countries worldwide. When you think about it, it's a backhanded compliment to Amazon that every new e-book reader in development (and theres no shortage of these, the list above is hardly exhaustive) and which shows any promise whatsoever, is immediately dubbed the "Kindle Killer". Right now, the Kindle is setting the benchmark which must be achieved, and then bettered, in order to achieve success.
However, if it appears that the Kindle's current leadership position is unassailable, it's worth recalling that Amazon was a late entrant to the market when the Kindle was released. The Franklin eBookMan is generally considered to be the original e-book reader, and this was launched in 1999 - ten years ago. The Sony PRS was also on the market before the Kindle's 2007 launch.
The incredible success of the Kindle was due to a variety of different factors. Amazon had a very strong association with books, being among the largest web retailers. They also had a huge choice of books available to download - presently they have in over 300,000 titles on offer at the Kindle store. The option of wireless connectivity - with no fees - was another big plus.
Just as Amazon came from nowhere to secure the top position, any one of the other competitors could do exactly the same - and probably faster than you might imagine. Barnes and Noble for example, have more than one million titles available for their new Nook e-book reader. They have also elected to use the ePub format - which most of the readers in development seem to be going for. The Kindle e-book format is proprietary. Purchase a Kindle book - read it on your Kindle (or maybe on your iPhone, but certainly not on any other reader).
The Nook will also permit you to "lend" books to your friends and family for a fortnight. During this time, the borrower can read it and the lender will be unable access to it on their Nook - exactly the same as lending a "real" book. The big advantage is that, unlike a dog eared paperback, you can be sure that you will get it back.
Sony's new reader - the Sony Daily Edition - will also have a large display format and wireless connectivity - like the Kindle DX - but unlike the DX it will incorporate touch screen controls. It will also let users download e-books on loan from participating public libraries. Again - just like a conventional book.
Many of the other readers in the pipeline have features that could well make them more appealing than the Kindle. Amazon definitely have a fight looming - but it seems sure that they won't surrender their number one position without a struggle. They have played a pivotal role in the development of the market up to now, and bearing in mind the critical importance of the Kindle to their current business model, it seems reasonable to expect them to have a few new tricks up their corporate sleeve.
Given the level of activity amongst all of the different manufacturers, it looks like the e-book reader market is about to enter a period of exponential growth. It is to be hoped that the fierce competition that seems about to be unleashed will drive prices lower and transport e-book readers out of the high tech domain and into mainstream personal mobile tech market.
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