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Don’t buy an ebook reader until you read this

by Julian Prokaza on Friday 15 January 2010 Comment

The ebook reader market may reach saturation point this year, with manufacturers launching model after model in an attempt to grab a slice of what is so far a pretty small market.

Buyers in the UK don’t have quite the same number of devices to choose from as those in the US, but with Amazon now offering both sizes of Kindle to international customers and new models on the way after CES launches, the choice will widen.

As with any new technology with no single ruling standard though, choosing an ebook reader isn’t an easy task, but Gizmodo has compiled a useful guide to what it considers to be the seven key devices — a mix of available-now and available-soon models.

The guide covers the Barnes & Noble Nook, Entourage Edge, Plastic Logic Que, Spring Design Alex Reader, Sony Daily Edition Reader, Kindle 2 and Notion Ink Adam Pixel Qi, and while no single device stands out as being the perfect ebook reader, a couple clearly have a technological edge.

If you’ve got money for an ebook reader burning a hole in your pocket, however, we suggest waiting a few weeks before making a decision to see what Apple announces at the end of January. If it turns out to be a tablet device, it may well wipe out the need for a dedicated ebook reading device — and offer much more functionality into the bargain.

An Apple tablet is likely to be much more expensive than any single-purpose e-ink gadget, of course, but even so, any innovations it introduces may well influence other ebook manufacturers, so it could still pay to wait to see how the market shapes in the subsequent months.

[ Gizmodo]

Originally published on www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk, now incorporated into Broadband Genie

 

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