Turning the Page: The Future of eBooks
7
Store to create a seamless environment in
which customers can buy, download, and
read books. iPad customers can download
from Apple a free application, or app,
called iBooks. This app acts as an eBook
reader, in which users can read books, add
notes, highlight passages, and organize
their libraries. A button in iBooks links the
user to Apple’s iBookstore, where more
books can be purchased. Free books from
the public domain are also available.
Because the iPad is a multifunction device,
users can download many apps, including
different eBook reader apps. Amazon’s
Kindle app is free and provides much of
the functionality of the Kindle device
itself. An iPad owner can launch the Kindle
app, type in his or her Kindle account
name and password, and gain access to all
previously purchased content. The Kindle
app, just like the Kindle device, lets users
download new books from the Kindle
Store. Bookmarks, notes, and highlights are
synchronized across all devices.
Barnes & Noble has a Nook app for the
iPad, which is similar to the Kindle app.
Someone with a Barnes & Noble account
can download the free Nook app, enter his
or her account and password information,
and use the iPad in much the same way as
the Nook device itself.
Why would customers buy eReaders
instead of tablets when tablets can act as
an eReader? First, tablets cost considerably
more than eReaders. The least expensive
iPad model costs US$499 in the United
States, £429 in the UK or €499 in Europe.
The least expensive iPad with an integrated
mobile connection costs US$599 in the
United States, £529 in the UK or €599 in
Europe. Second, tablets are multifunction
devices. A customer may not want email
or social networking notification messages
to pop up on the screen. Third, customers
may prefer the eInk display to the LED
display.
2.2.3 Smartphones and Laptops
Smartphones in Japan popular for reading
books
In Japan, the mobile telephone has become
a mobile reading device, particularly in
recent years. The mobile novels, or Keitai
Shosetu, which are written specifically for
mobile phones and which are frequently
written as sequels as a result of the limited
size of display, are popular among young
Japanese who use them on their daily
commute to work or school, as well as at
home and during their leisure time. The
great success is attributable particularly
to the high mobility of the Japanese (long
commuting hours) and the intensive use of
the mobile phone.
The national variations between
consumer reading patterns mean that
it is not possible to generalize such
trends; however, in other countries, it is
also possible for iPhone users to access
an extensive range of eBook apps via
Apple’s App Store. iPhone owners can, for
instance, buy and read electronic books
via iBooks, the Kindle app or the Nook
app. In addition, companies also offer
book applications for other devices, such
as Android smartphones and BlackBerry
devices.
The advantages of smartphones are their
ease of handling and, generally, their
direct access to the Internet and thus the
possibility of downloading eBooks. The
disadvantages of mobile telephones are the
small display and the comparatively short
battery operating time.
Apart from mobile devices, eBooks can
also be read via traditional channels such
as PCs, notebooks, and laptops. Amazon
has also published free reading software
(Kindle for PC), which, in the same way
as the Kindle app, allows eBooks to be
purchased and downloaded.
2.2.4 What Device for What Purpose?
A Comparison
The launch of Apple’s iPad has also set
off a discussion as to what is the best
reading device for eBooks. While some
may say tablets have not been designed
primarily for reading electronic books,
Apple is clearly positioning its iPad as
an alternative to eReaders with the
introduction of the iBook app and the
iBookstore. In addition, for smartphones
and laptops, there are products for reading
eBooks such as Amazon’s Kindle app. How
is the competition posed by the various
reading devices to be assessed? Do tablets
compete with simple eReaders or do they
complement each other? The following
table summarizes and compares the main
device characteristics.
Fig. 2 Comparison of the suitability of different reading devices for
eBooks
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