The ebook reader wars are heating up, just as the netbook wars are peaking.
Amazon has just announced the Kindle 2, an update to one of the better ebook readers I’ve seen:
Its nearest competition, as far as anyone can tell, is the Plastic Logic reader:
The Kindle 2 has a lot going for it: easily held, has a keyboard (version 1 did not), and has Amazon.com behind it to sell the hundreds of thousands of books needed in its format. The Plastic Logic reader, however, has two huge advantages: it’s got a completely onscreen interface, no keyboard, and is huge — full page size.
My prediction is that these devices are going to converge with netbooks rapidly, as people realize that for checking email and browsing the web, it might be nicer to have 12 hours of battery life than color screens.
While the Plastic Logic reader may be future competition for the Kindle 2, it isn’t scheduled to be released until 2010. Which would make Sony’s PRS-700BC Reader, more likely current competition.
Also, Kindle 1 did have a keyboard: https://wiki-land.wikispaces.com/file/view/Kindle-front.png
I personally am more excited about a Netbook/Laptop convergence, so I can get a more powerful (and yes more expensive) netbook, that wont stutter its way through windows.
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