CES predictions: eBooks
It’s a long time since we first saw an eBook reader at CES – remember Sony’s PRS-500? Even if you don’t, you’ll have doubtless seen later incarnation
Even if you don’t, you’ll have doubtless seen later incarnations of the Reader since, and unless you’ve been buried in (or perhaps under) the British Library, you’ll have heard bookworm gadgeteers adding the words Kindle, Nook and BeBook to their vocabulary.
Then there’s the Elonex eReader, iRex’s Iliad and Spring Design’s Alex.
All told, that’s a pretty full shelf for a technology that has yet to gain real momentum in the mainstream. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing more this week.
In fact, the first shot has already been fired by Copia – an open platform that combines reader software with social networking for recommendations and chat. A sort of pocketable book club, if you like.
And they’ve backed that up with a couple of lines of devices, called Tidal and Ocean (pictured), available Stateside (and hopefully here) from April.
Meanwhile Amazon has let slip that its new 9.7-inch Kindle DX ships later this month. As well as the larger screen, the device will support wireless downloads in more than 100 countries. A UK price has yet to be confirmed, but it will cost US$489 across the pond.
So, is there room for more? Did Dickens write books?
We expect to see some new (and perhaps crazy) concepts as manufacturers struggle to make reading devices more accessible to the masses, and that may also include new models of selling electronic books, magazines and newspapers. A literary Spotify, perhaps?
Whatever it is, you’ll find the latest updates on Stuff.tv
Other CES stuff:
Watch our CES 2010 preview video and read the preview blog
Read about the B&O-designed, dual-trackpad (!) Asus laptop
Hands on with Skype on TV and the Alex eReader
Paddy’s CES predictions: 3DTV, eBooks and tablets
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Stuff.tv editor Simon Osborne-Walker
Dan Grabham
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