New Chip Will Make Ebook Readers Faster and Cheaper
Wiredreports that Freescale is working on a new chip that was designed specifically for ebook reading devices. Wired says Freescale powers most of today's e-readers, including the Kindle and the Sony Reader. Freescale claims its new chip, called the i.MX508, will offer twice the performance at a reduced cost. The chip "integrates an ARM Cortex A8 processor with a display controller from E Ink." It would allow for faster page flipping. For example, the Kindle's current page flipping rate of 1.5 to 2 seconds could be cut to half a second with Freescale's new chip.
The chip could reduce ebook reader prices by $30 to $50, which means ebook readers could come down to around $150. Ebook readers using the new chip could be available as early as the third quarter of this year.
A new report called "e-Reader Owners: Attitudes and Usage" from The NPD Group indicates that owners of ebook readers are very satisfied. The report found that almost all owners (93%) said they were "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with their device. Only 2 percent of owners expressed any level of dissatisfaction. The study, conducated online in late November 2009, queried over 1000 owners of ebook reading devices.
The study also found that some specific features are important to owners of electronic reading devices. 60% of ebook reader owners said wireless access was their favorite feature. Touch was a feature mentioned by 23 percent of owners.
"Both the display technology and available content on e-Readers are optimized for those interested in books," said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD. "Pairing these optimizations with wireless technology for transparent access and touch screens for easy navigation has resonated with the avid readers that have been early e-Reader adopters."
Some of the recommended improvements from ebook reader owners include more book title availability (42%), longer battery life (39%), and color screens (34%). Most ebook readers could find the book they wanted. 46% of ebook reader owners said they were mostly satisfied with the selection of titles while 39% said they could find every title they were looking for.
While most ebook reading device owners are satisfied some would like an additional device. The study found about three-in-ten owners use at least one another device for reading electronic books, such as a PC or a smartphone. This suggests that if Apple wants to lure Kindle owners into buying an iPad they should allow Amazon to create an iPad app even if it competes with Apple's iBooks sofwate.
"As we have seen with music, photos and video, books and other printed matter are slated to appear on a wide array of devices that offer tradeoffs in such factors as screen size and battery life," said Rubin. "As the recent introduction of Apple's iPad demonstrates, applications now on smartphones benefit from larger screens, and industry leaders are recognizing the importance of supporting multiple platforms by supporting multiple clients and open standards."
Jeff Bezos Says Amazon Has Sold Millions of Kindles
Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos finally gave a figure for Kindle sales. He told analysts yesterday that "millions of people" now own Kindles. TechCrunch thinks the number of Kindles sold is around 3 million and that doesn't include the newest model.
We've checked with our sources, who have been amazingly accurate on the number of Kindle's sold over the last couple of years. The total number of all types of Kindles out there in users hands hit 3 million sometime in December, says a source close to Amazon. And that was before the new model with worldwide data hit.
If Amazon.com has already sold that many Kindles it puts them in a very strong position against new ebook reading devices like Barnes and Noble's Nook and Apple's new iPad.
Barnes and Noble's ebook reading device, the Nook, has landed in the hands of gadget reviewers and the reviews are not good. David Pogue at the New York Timesreview is called "Not Yet the Season for a Nook." He says the Nook takes nearly three seconds to turn a page. David Pogue writes, "Worse, the touch screen is balky and nonresponsive, even for the Nook product manager who demonstrated it for me. The only thing slower than the color strip is the main screen above it."
The Wall Street Journal's Walter Mossberg also says the Nook needs work in his review. Mossberg says, "During my tests, I found the Nook slower, more cumbersome to use and less polished than the Kindle. I ran into various crashes and bugs."
The negative reviews are primarily for the Nook's software which means the Nook can be fixed with a software upgrade. This can be done remotely so Nook owners can get upgraded software without having to do anything. However, it still isn't a good start for the Nook. They would have been better off waiting until they had it right then rushing out a glitchy product. Barnes and Noble's inability to get the device in stores for Christmas may have actually spared them a lot of angry customers.
The AP's Peter Svensson calls the Nook a "dual-screen mess." He shows a couple of the glitches in the video below. Take a look:
Nook Goes on Sale in Barnes and Noble Stores on November 30th
Barnes and Noble's new electronic reading device called the Nook will be available in its bookstore on November 30th. Computerworld says shoppers can currently pick up pamphlets in Barnes and Noble stores that are cut to match Nook's size. Those curious about the Nook will be able to hold and feel the device in B&N stores and decide whether or not they think they would prefer it to Amazon.com's Kindle. This could give B&N an advantage. Apple has been able to use its stores to show customers a wide range of products. Some customers are more likely to purchase a device they can touch and feel. Barnes & Noble will need any advantage it can get. Many people already own a Kindle as Amazon.com began selling them long before the Nook launched. Amazon.com has also had time to perfect its device and respond to consumer complaints while the Nook will be on version 1.0. You can read more about the Nook here on bn.com.
Creative is Working on an eBook, Video Player Called Zii
Tech blogs are reporting that Creative is another company busy working on a device for reading ebooks. Creative's device called Zii will also offer other media including video and photographs. Engadget says the Zii is billed as a "MediaBook" device that will look "nothing like" the device pictured above. The Zii image is from an EpiZencenter.net post that says the Zii features a touchscreen, text-to-speech function and an SD memory card slot. For a device to work as an ebook reader the part of the screen that contains the electronic book's text needs to be as large as possible. The screen looks a little small for reading books in the photo.
The Wall Street Journal's Digits blog reports that Cool-er book reader is going to sold on QVC, presumabely at a discounted price. The reader currently retails for $250.
QVC will offer the e-reader, at an undisclosed price, as part of its "Today's Special Value" program, commonly referred to as "TSV," in early December.
The deal "offers more of a mass-market approach," said Neil Jones, Interead's chief executive. "We've been looking at non-traditional retail channels for our e-readers, as opposed to just doing deals with bookstores."
Forrester Research said Wednesday that the e-reader market is outpacing expectations, and Mr. Jones said his biggest concern is ensuring that Interead has enough Cool-er supply for the holiday shopping season. The device will still be available for purchase through the company’s Web site.
The ebook reader from a British firm named Interead has a 6" E Ink Vizplex screen with a resolution of 170 pixels per inch. You can find more about them on the official website at coolerbooks.com.
CES Expands Ebook Space After Allotted Space Sells Out
This is yet another sign that ebook readers are the next big thing and that the ebook category is getting ready to explode. Dealerscope reports that the The Consumer Electronics Association announced today that the eBooks TechZone at International CES has sold out of space. Additional space is being added in the Las Vegas Convention Center's Central Hall.
The eBook category is experiencing astounding growth, with more than one million units expected to sell in the United States this year," Karen Chupka, CEA's senior vice president, events and conferences, said as part of the announcement.
"We have received overwhelming response from companies interested in exhibiting in the eBooks TechZone for the 2010 CES. In fact, the original space allocated for the TechZone has already sold out and we are adding additional floor space to accommodate our customers. This exciting new TechZone is sure to draw plenty of attention at the 2010 CES."
Ebook readers like Amazon's Kindle and the Sony Reader are already available but this is just the beginning as competition heats up among gadget manufacturers. Consumers will have more and more ebook readers to choose from. 2010 will see the arrival of Plastic Logic's flat digital reader and a rumored tablet device from Apple.
A British firm named Interead is launching an ebook reader called the Cool-er. The Cool-er comes in eight colors. The reader's $249 carries a lower price tag than most ebook readers.
The Cool-er has a 6" E Ink Vizplex screen with a resolution of 170 pixels per inch. It has 1GB of memory and runs on Linux. The battery's lifetime is 8000 pages. Books for the reader can be purchased from coolerbooks.com, which carries over 750,000 titles.
Wired 
A new report called "e-Reader Owners: Attitudes and Usage" from The NPD Group indicates that owners of ebook readers are very satisfied. The report found that almost all owners (93%) said they were "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with their device. Only 2 percent of owners expressed any level of dissatisfaction. The study, conducated online in late November 2009, queried over 1000 owners of ebook reading devices.
Barnes and Noble's ebook reading device, the Nook, has landed in the hands of gadget reviewers and the reviews are not good. David Pogue at the New York Times 
This is yet another sign that ebook readers are the next big thing and that the ebook category is getting ready to explode. Dealerscope 
