I had to register with engadget to say I think this is the stupidest idea I have ever heard all year next to the folio. 1. Price is way to high. 2. Why can't people use their laptops to do the same stuff. 3. Why can't people use their smartphones to do the same thing. 4. The target audience would probably already have a smartphone, laptop, and ipod. 5. Why not just make the service work with the devices that people already have.
Who is planning on purchasing this device? We should really get a poll going for this.
Right, because "registering" with Engadget is difficult and time-consuming.
I had to buy a computer, subscribe to an ISP, open up a web browser, type in the address to Endgadget, and hit enter just so I could submit this comment.
Nik you haven't seen an eink display in the flesh have you? You really need to, so as to appreciate just how much like paper this technology is. Because it's so paperlike it has none of the eyestrain associated with smartphones and laptops and the battery life can be amazing.
I agree with you that the price is way too high, but the same was true of MP3 players when they first came out. The same is true of next-gen consoles, Blu-ray players and everything else. It takes a few products and a few companies to play with a concept and improve it, before you get to a really good design at a really good price.
With this technology you have the added disadvantage that it's hard for people to understand just how easy on the eye the display technology is. Plus a lot of people rate a physical book very highly on their comfort meter.
To really break through, these things need to feel more like a book, look more like a book, and be at a $100-$150 price point. With a couple of free books thrown in, and stores where people can go try them out and see just how different the screen is from a laptop or PDA. I think once they hit that point where a good few people have them, the problem with not understanding the screen tech will go away.
Ok now I get it Fruit and Chay, I should look at what the product will eventually be and not what it actual is. Maybe they should just ship version 2 of the product and skip this one. The iPhone was overpriced also but people still wanted it. This product doesn't make me want to purchase at all.
I happen to buy books from Amazon.com all the time, but I don't think i would buy this device because I own a laptop. I would just rather download the books to my laptop.
You are correct Chay I have never seen a eink display so I won't talk bad about that part of the product anymore.
And no I don't think it was hard to register with engadget I just never had the urge to comment until now.
"If it feels and looks just like a book, and I have to pay the price of the books I want on top of the $100-$150, why not get just get books?"
Um, because, if this thing was in the $100 range, then if you're gonna put more than around 10 books on it, it's cheaper than buying the actual books. Plus you save trees.
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I had to register with engadget to say I think this is the stupidest idea I have ever heard all year next to the folio.
1. Price is way to high.
2. Why can't people use their laptops to do the same stuff.
3. Why can't people use their smartphones to do the same thing.
4. The target audience would probably already have a smartphone, laptop, and ipod.
5. Why not just make the service work with the devices that people already have.
Who is planning on purchasing this device? We should really get a poll going for this.
Right, because "registering" with Engadget is difficult and time-consuming.
I had to buy a computer, subscribe to an ISP, open up a web browser, type in the address to Endgadget, and hit enter just so I could submit this comment.
Nik you haven't seen an eink display in the flesh have you?
You really need to, so as to appreciate just how much like paper this technology is. Because it's so paperlike it has none of the eyestrain associated with smartphones and laptops and the battery life can be amazing.
I agree with you that the price is way too high, but the same was true of MP3 players when they first came out. The same is true of next-gen consoles, Blu-ray players and everything else. It takes a few products and a few companies to play with a concept and improve it, before you get to a really good design at a really good price.
With this technology you have the added disadvantage that it's hard for people to understand just how easy on the eye the display technology is. Plus a lot of people rate a physical book very highly on their comfort meter.
To really break through, these things need to feel more like a book, look more like a book, and be at a $100-$150 price point. With a couple of free books thrown in, and stores where people can go try them out and see just how different the screen is from a laptop or PDA. I think once they hit that point where a good few people have them, the problem with not understanding the screen tech will go away.
Sorry that was longer than I intended.
Ok now I get it Fruit and Chay, I should look at what the product will eventually be and not what it actual is. Maybe they should just ship version 2 of the product and skip this one. The iPhone was overpriced also but people still wanted it. This product doesn't make me want to purchase at all.
I happen to buy books from Amazon.com all the time, but I don't think i would buy this device because I own a laptop. I would just rather download the books to my laptop.
You are correct Chay I have never seen a eink display so I won't talk bad about that part of the product anymore.
And no I don't think it was hard to register with engadget I just never had the urge to comment until now.
@ Chay:
"To really break through, these things need to feel more like a book, look more like a book, and be at a $100-$150 price point"
If it feels and looks just like a book, and I have to pay the price of the books I want on top of the $100-$150, why not get just get books?
and however good these displays are, they won't come anywhere near as cheap as $150 for a long time, and will NEVER surpass actual paper
Sorry Nik, it just sounded like it was some great ordeal you went through. Now that you've clarified, I apologize for criticizing you.
"If it feels and looks just like a book, and I have to pay the price of the books I want on top of the $100-$150, why not get just get books?"
Um, because, if this thing was in the $100 range, then if you're gonna put more than around 10 books on it, it's cheaper than buying the actual books. Plus you save trees.
Droppin loads all over the Amazon Kindle? rofl.