[djenkins6]

An opportunity for RIm?

RIP e-book readers? Rise of tablets drives e-reader drop | Mobile - CNET News

IHS iSuppli says the e-book reader market is on an "alarmingly precipitous decline" -- likely down 36 percent this year and 27 percent next year -- as tablet sales soar.
by Shara Tibken December 12, 2012 6:55 AM PST
RIP Kindle?
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
The rapid rise of tablets is driving the e-book reader market to an equally rapid fall, according to a new study.

IHS iSuppli said that after "spectacular" growth during the past few years, the e-book reader market is now on an "alarmingly precipitous decline," all thanks to the growing popularity of tablets.
How alarming? Well, the firm predicts that shipments of e-book readers will tumble 36 percent this year to 14.9 million units and then drop another "drastic" 27 percent next year to 10.9 million units. By 2016, IHS iSuppli predicts, the e-book reader market will total just 7.1 million units, equal to a loss of more than two-thirds from its peak volume in 2011.
According to Jordan Selburn, senior principal analyst for consumer platforms at IHS iSuppli:
The rapid growth -- followed by the immediate collapse -- of the ebook reader market is virtually unheard of, even in the volatile consumer electronics space, where products have notoriously short life cycles. The stunning rise and then blazing flameout of ebooks perfectly encapsulate what has become an axiomatic truth in the industry: Single-task devices like the ebook reader are being replaced without remorse in the lives of consumers by their multifunction equivalents, in this case by media tablets.
By comparison, the electronics industry should ship 120 million tablets this year and 340 million by 2016 -- a magnitude of sales exceeded only by mobile phones.
What this means for the industry is that e-book readers are likely to continue selling at manufacturing cost or even less in the future. Sales prospects could improve if prices drop further, the firm said, though it doesn't believe the devices will regain the popularity they briefly savored.

The e-book reader market is expected to plunge.
(Credit: IHS iSuppli)
In addition, the pressure for e-book reader manufacturers to keep costs to an absolute minimum will be extreme, especially in cases where the system maker isn't also a content provider, IHS iSuppli said. That means Amazon is more insulated, and it also will benefit from its Kindle Fire tablet.
Meanwhile, the firm said, the market for e-book readers remains strong in Eastern Europe and Russia, and a potential opportunity exists in Africa and India.

[Bold_until_Hybrid_Comes]

I thought this was already well known that e-readers were being taken over by tablets? Thanks for the read though.

[FSeverino]

I prefer an ereader over my playbook, or any other tablet, all the time. If anything the playbook, and other 7 inch tablets, would be a threat... but not really when you consider that they have such a short battery life compared. The glare on a tablet during daylight is horrible, and if i read on a flight my playbook will most likely be dead from the time i enter the airport and get in the hotel... this wont happen with an e reader.

[TgeekB]

Agree, tablets are not good ereaders.

[belfastdispatcher]

A tablet will never replace an ereader.

The problem with e readers from a manufacturer's view is people tend to hold on to them and they do last a long time. They don't get "old" after 6 months.

[dcrystal99]

RIP Kindle?

Never going to happen. The kindle e-reader is 20x better than ANY tablet (kindle fire included).

And if the "decline" were true, then why has the new kindle paperwhite been sold-out since it was released?

[djenkins6]

I thought this was already well known that e-readers were being taken over by tablets? Thanks for the read though.

I thought there would still be plenty of people willing to buy ereaders for the readability of epaper.

[Crutchy]

For the greatest reading experience, a tablet will always be bested by an ereader. Despite having a playbook and a Nexus 7 I opted to get a Sony reader for the better reading experience. Battery longevity measured in days (Dare I say weeks?) rather than hours and a screen that's easier on the eyes during long sessions make it no contest. I just wish that 10 inch ereaders weren't dying/stupidly expensive so I could throw textbook pdfs on one without paying a so much.

[berklon]

If you are an avid book reader, e-readers always beat tablets.
E-readers are better in every aspect.

[hpjrt]

Yeah. I read a lot and my Sony PRS-650, now over two years old, is my constant companion..The e-ink screen and 2 week + battery life make it the clear winner over my PB. I do like the PB for reading colourful storybooks to my grandchildren.

[Xader]

Lighter, longer battery life, easier on the eyes, controls are designed for reading, no complications of being a multi-function OS.

They're simple, easy, and last forever. I have a Playbook, but there's no way I'd give up my Kindle.

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

I would rather have one device that does everything for the same price. This is why the decline will continue to happen. As the reader apps get better you will see a faster decline. To me and a lot of other people, ereaders are simply a waste of money.

[djenkins6]

I think they'll remain as a niche, maybe people will start carrying a bag of tablets to school instead of a bag of books, being able to read something on a large screen ebook, while browsing the Web for info on another and taking notes from teacher/lecturer on a third, all with different features.

[belfastdispatcher]

I would rather have one device that does everything for the same price. This is why the decline will continue to happen. As the reader apps get better you will see a faster decline. To me and a lot of other people, ereaders are simply a waste of money.

Never gonna happen. There isn't so much of a ereader market, it's really a Kindle market, same as the iPad dominates the tablet market.

Amazon never released numbers so how can they judge a "decline"

Kindle Paperwhite is flying off the shelves.

[Nurees]

Playbook is much to heavy to sit and hold long-term. On the occasions I use Overdrive, the battery life drops dramatically even with the display turned down. Same goes for the Kindle app. I have a basic Kindle touch that weighs next to nothing that can fit in my jacket pocket or small purse while keeping a charge for about a month at a time. No glare either. Each has their pros/cons but I don't see e-Readers going away any time soon especially for those of us who always have our noses in the proverbial "book".

[texazzpete]

Belfastdispatcher is 100% right. People don't replace their ebook readers with the frequency of tablets. Sales will naturally slow as most of those who wanted one already have one.
As he said, the Kindle paperwhite is selling out as fast as amazon can make them.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

[reeneebob]

I'm the oddity that prefers a book book. A glass of wine, a good book, the feel of the paper, if it's an old book the smell of it. I don't even use my tablet because I prefer a good old fashioned book.

Flowed from mah heart using SwiftKey Flow Beta from the Galaxy S3, jellybean style

[CairnsRock]

Yeah. I read a lot and my Sony PRS-650, now over two years old, is my constant companion..The e-ink screen and 2 week + battery life make it the clear winner over my PB. I do like the PB for reading colourful storybooks to my grandchildren.

Cant read a tablet on the beach. You need an eInk screen.

[EdY]

I don't think anyone seriously thinks a tablet and e-reader (using e-ink) is even comparable. They are meant for different things, and while there is a small overlap, there is no question which device wins for each function.

I have several Playbooks but also Kindle. They are completely different and I use both, they complement each other.

The e-ink readers are best for very long battery life, large number of book storage and portability/weight. They are designed for people who BUY books cheaply and easily, or borrow from library, automatically bill VISA and instantly appears on your device. They are good on airplanes, cruises and long vacations, where access to wifi or power charging is not so easy, since they last for a month on a single charge.

I take my Kindle with me but also Playbook. The Playbook is amazing but no way it will beat Kindle for pure reading only. Nevertheless, I download Zinio magazines on Playbook, read online papers, read PDF books and other stuff. Yes I still read on Playbook, probably MORE than I would on a Kindle... But after 2-3 days of travel, cruising or camping, my Playbook is DEAD while my Kindle is still going on for hundreds of pages of reading!

Sent from my BlackBerry 9810 using Crackberry Tapatalk Forum app

[ubizmo]

I sold my generation 2 Kindle and have been using my Playbook for reading, but I think I'm going to go back to a dedicated book reader, probably the Paperwhite. The PB really is heavy, and not usable everywhere. For intermittent mobile reading, I'm counting on a decent Kindle app on my BB10 phone. For longer reading sessions, a dedicated reader.

[howarmat]

for a casual reader im sure a tablet works ok but if you read a couple hours a day or something, then you want a very light and easy to read ereader over the tablet.

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

for a casual reader im sure a tablet works ok but if you read a couple hours a day or something, then you want a very light and easy to read ereader over the tablet.

You're right. I'm not disputing the advantages of ereaders. They do what they do very well. I do say society as a whole has grown in the direction of being just casual readers of books. I only read must have books now. I think the movement of reading is focused on informational reading. Which is what I do for more than 2 hours a day. Hence the rise in blogging and other social media. I also know a lot of people who are still paper bound diehards. I think tablets will continue to eat away at the overall ereader sales numbers. If the overall battery life is increased and they become as light as the iPad mini then tablets will eventually eliminate the need for them.

[berryaddictnoza]

I will always have an e-reader, I think it's the best way to read the written word, bar none. Of course, this is from the old guy still using a BlackBerry

[Taigatrommel]

Three days ago, I recieved my first Playbook. Two days ago, a friend of mine recieved her Kindle - the very basic model, not the Paperwhite, QWERTY or touch one. The first moment I started using the Kindle, I completely forgot about any plans of reading books on the PB in the future.

Those E-Paper displays are simply so eyefriendly and reading is *much* more comfortable compared to a tablet. Also battery lifetime bests basicly every tablet out there by a few times. Combine that with the small size and virtually non existing weight, you have multiple strong points no current gen tablet can match. Sure you could read e-books on tablets, however I could also watch movies on my Bold 9900...

The right tool for the right job. However I think some people don't really compare prior buying their stuff and prefer a tablet just because it can do more.

[Skeevecr]

I would rather have one device that does everything for the same price. This is why the decline will continue to happen. As the reader apps get better you will see a faster decline. To me and a lot of other people, ereaders are simply a waste of money.

There are times when I also only want to take one device, but want to do more than just read and then I use my tablet, but generally I will stick to my kindle for reading as the device is lighter, has better battery life and is easier on the eyes.

Ereaders are a niche, but it is a niche that will continue to exist while they are a superior option to the tablet in their area of specialisation.

As somebody mentioned earlier in this thread, the biggest reason for a drop in sales is that people already have one and don't feel the need to upgrade for a faster cpu or similar, the big upgrade in the latest generation of ereaders is an integrated lighting solution which will be a great benefit to some people, but utterly pointless to others.