EReaders are taking center stage this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. I forgot to boomark the article, but I read there are approximately twenty-three exhibits for companies revealing new eReaders. The initial reaction of some people may be ‘that is ridiculous’, but mine is ‘this is great’. Why, you ask?
There are two main reasons why I think the rush of new eReaders is a good thing. Here they are.
Competition breeds innovation.
The more companies competing for market share there are, the more each will try to push the envelope of what their product offers that others don’t. This is not revolutionary thinking; it’s a cold, hard fact. Not only does the company that comes out on top win, but so do we, the consumers.
Second, Competition leads to lower prices.
The more products there are on the market, the more likely that prices will begin falling. Again, nothing revolutionary here, just a cold, hard fact. Aside from innovation, the quickest way to garner market share is to beat your competitor in price. The company wins because of selling more products leading to more profit and consumers win because of the lower prices.
These two reasons alone, together or separately, are enough to celebrate the coming onslaught of new eReaders to the market.
Today, at Publishing Perspectives published an editorial about CES, eReaders, and tablet computers that stated:
…until books somehow morph into something other than “books,” the e-readers we have are already good enough to satisfy the needs of the vast majority of readers.
While I mostly agree in the context it was being stated, that no new eReader hitting the market is likely to revolutionize publishing, I do think they are of benefit simply for the two reasons above. Let’s face it, not everyone is willing or able to shell out the cash for an existing dedicated eReader at the prices currently being asked for them. Add in the innovation of devices that are more than just readers, though, and they may be willing to pay that price. Factor in lower prices brought on by more devices to compete with and even more people will buy them.
It is then, that either the devices become innovative enough or cheap enough, that they will truly have mass appeal. And once enough people have them and are using them, then there will be a true revolution of the publishing world. Sure, it may be a long time in coming, but there has to be steps in bringing about radical change.
For now, though, I’m happy enough with the idea of better devices at a cheaper price that I can actually afford to spend my hard earned money to buy. What about you? Do you think the new eReaders coming this year aren’t needed? Or do you think they are of benefit, no matter if they aren’t able to revolutionize the publishing world? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.
