Ebook reader prices have fallen dramatically over the last few months. Currently, you can get hold of an ebook reader for under $ 100. The new Amazon Kindle 4 is just $79. Even higher spec readers, such as Amazon’s Kindle Touch and Barnes and Noble’s Nook Touch sell for under $100 at the moment.
It’s a big change from when the Amazon Kindle originally launched back in November of 2007. It had a ticket price of $399 when it first hit the market. Obviously things have changed quite a bit and competition has driven prices downwards.
In a addition to reduced prices, today’s consumers are being offered ebook readers that are quite a bit better, technically speaking, than the original Kindle. E-ink technology displays are a lot sharper, page turns are quicker and the time between battery charges is longer than ever.
Whilst falling prices are obviously a big factor in the growth of ebook reader popularity, there are other influences at work also. The convenience of being able to download a new book in less than a minute and being able to carry your own mini library of ebooks with you in a device that is no bigger than a typical paperback is definitely a factor.
E-ink displays are much better to read on than back-lit LCD displays. E-ink displays produce less eye strain than computer monitors and are as close to reading text printed on paper as it’s possible to get. After you’ve been reading on an ebook reader for as little as an hour or so, you will be totally unaware that you’re using an electronic gadget rather than flicking through the pages of a traditional book.
One of the biggest advantages of e-ink displays is the fact that they only draw power when the page is being changed. That’s the reason why ebook readers can go for weeks between battery charges.
These are just a few of the factors that have contributed to the rapid growth in the popularity of ebook readers. Consider the fact that Amazon now sells more Kindle books than paperback and hard cover books combined. That should give you some idea of just how popular ebook readers and ebooks are right now. It’s a sign of the times.
In the not too distant future, ebooks are going to become the preferred method of reading for most people. Printed books will be around for a long time yet, but ebooks are going to be many people’s first choice in the near future. It seems reasonable to suggest that ebooks and ebook readers are, in all probability, the most significant change in the world of books and reading since Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press.
