informationToys

2009 was a good year for ebook readers in general – and a very good year for the Amazon Kindle reader in particular. Even though ebook readers have been available for the last ten years – the Franklin eBookman is generally agreed to have been the first and was released in 1999 – they only really became popular during 2009.

Without diminishing Sony’s contribution, it’s probably fair to say that a lot of the credit for this must be given to Amazon. The release of Amazon’s Kindle 2.0 in February, followed by the Kindle DX in June, seemed to create quite a buzz around ebook readers. When Amazon released the original Kindle in November of 2007 this didn’t happen to anything like the same extent- so why the huge reaction in 2009?

For quite some time, Amazon’s unique selling point was the fact that the Kindle was the only reader available on the market which incorporated wireless connectivity. However, as the original Kindle also featured this, it doesn’t explain the surge in interest for ebook readers. Certainly the Kindle books was a much more aesthetically pleasing device than the, somewhat quirky, original Kindle. There was also a much larger selection of Kindle books available. When the Kindle 2.0 was launched there were 240,000 Kindle titles available. This has now increased to just under 400,000 in just a few months. Amazon is currently adding new titles at an average rate of over 500 per day.

Or perhaps it’s simply the fact that the public is more accustomed to digital books. Whatever the reason, it seems as if ebook readers are an idea whose time has come.

Ebook readers are basically portable devices that let you read ebooks – digital or electronic books. This has been possible for years now, just by using a computer – or even an iPod. The difference between reading a book on a notebook and an ebook reader is the display. Computers use a backlit LCD display which will give you eye strain after a certain time. Ebook readers use something known as an e-Ink display, this is not backlit and much more akin to reading printed type on paper.

Not to get too technical, e-Ink displays consist of a clear screen with electrical conductors below it. Sandwiched between the screen and the conductors are thousands of tiny spheres, each of which contains both black and white charged particles suspended in a fluid. The black particles have a negative charge and the white particles have a positive charge. By passing current through the conductors, either the white or black particles can be positioned next to the screen in such a way as to form clearly legible text.

Power is only required when the page is being generated. Once the particles have been set in place they will stay there. Therefore, e-Ink technology is not only kinder to your eyes than a backlit PC screen, but it also uses much less power. This means that battery life is significantly longer than would be the case for a backlit display – which is a good feature for a mobile, battery operated device.

At the moment, there is a long list of companieswho are developing their own ebook readers. Higher levels of competition will lead to reduced prices and, while 2009 might be remembered as the year that ebook readers took off, 2010 could see them becoming part of the mainstream consumer electronics market. They may be as commonplace as iPods or mobile phones by the year end.