Share

Year of the ebook

accreditation

THE idea of an electronic book was immediately appealing to me when I first heard about it in the 90s.

The first ebook I read was Bram Stoker's Dracula (terrible piece of classic literature - don't bother) that was included free with an application called Microsoft Reader on one of HP's first iPaq devices.

Microsoft had the right idea, submitting ebooks to the fringes of the technology industry (but the world was not ready for it yet), until Sony got the ball rolling proper with its first ebook readers in the mid-noughties.

The breakthrough Sony introduced to the market was e-ink - a technology that allows for static pages of text to be displayed on a screen without flickering in a way that closely emulates reading printed paper pages. The Sony device enjoyed uptake in the east, but western markets still weren't sure.

And then Amazon changed everything with its Kindle device, bringing books into the 21st century. The combination of e-ink technology, wireless delivery and the inclusion of newspaper and magazine subscriptions finally convinced the world that it needed to consume books on something besides dead trees and ebooks took a giant leap toward the mainstream.

All in

The success of the Kindle prompted America's leading book retailer Barnes and Noble to develop its own ebook reader device in the form of the Nook, giving Amazon the one Kindle feature it traditionally lacked - competition.

Sony, the company that usually introduces good technology ideas to the world and then mucks up its own strategy for them, has fallen behind and is trying to claw its way into the ebook market with a new range of ebook reader devices.

And perhaps most intriguing of all is a rumour-ridden device that Apple is expected to launch in 2010. Publishers around the world have claimed to be in talks with Apple, although they won't give details. New York Times editor Bill Keller apparently let slip with the name "Apple Slate" at an internal meeting, setting the gossip sphere alight with speculation.

One rumour sees Apple releasing a tablet computer which is a cross between an iPhone and Kindle, with a hybrid touch and e-ink screen that can statically display colour images. This would make ebooks viable for the likes of graphic novels for the first time.

Microsoft Reader is also still around and it remains to be seen what the Redmond giant's take will be on the new market. One would expect Microsoft to hang around in the background, wait for leaders to emerge in the market and then emulate them, which is what it has done with gaming, search and other products.

On the phone

According to a recent survey of iPhone owners, ebook applications like Stanza and Amazon's Kindle app are selling like hotcakes, making the iPhone a popular ebook device even though it lacks the golden e-ink ingredient that has made the Kindle so popular.

I am busy reading Richard Dawkins's new bestseller The Greatest Show on Earth, using a combination of the Amazon Kindle and my iPhone and honestly don't miss the e-ink when switching from the larger device to my phone. It's something more people would take to if they just tried it once.

I purchased the book in my lounge using the wireless connection on the Kindle. I have also subscribed to the New York Times that is delivered wirelessly every day, allowing me to read it in Johannesburg before most of New York does. Why the Kindle rocks is self-explanatory and it represents the beginning of a market that is going to explode next year.

At the moment, ebook technology in the broader sense is still limited by market expectation created by hundreds of years of consuming publications in paper form - the tactile experience is hard-wired into our brains.

Change is afoot, however, and 2010 will be the year in which considerably fewer trees die in favour of books that float to us on the air and satisfy our insatiable appetite for everything to be supplied on demand.

- Fin24.com

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders