There are two different types of e-readers on the market. One is the consumer segment that has a built in digital bookstore or allows you to install Android apps. Professional e-readers appeal to people who want to make digital notes, draw or edit PDF files. If you had to design the perfect ereader for either consumers or professionals, what types of features would you want?
Over the course of the past year there has been a ton of innovation in the e-reader arena, featuring a myriad of concepts and new ways to showcase epaper products. E Ink debuted a foldable e-reader prototype last year and it featured a hinge and two giant screens. The company designed it with the intention of showing companies what their tech is capable of, but nobody has bit yet. Intel debuted the Tiger Rapid a few months ago, and it had an E Ink screen on one side and a LCD on the other. This was the inspiration behind the new Lenovo two-in-one with an E Ink keyboard that doubles as a digital note taker and e-book reader.
Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo are the three companies that primarily market e-readers with bookstores right on the device. Amazon sells audiobooks and many Kindle models have Bluetooth for wireless headphones or speakers. The other two companies also have an audiobook business but have yet to make devices that give users access. There are many brands such as Boyue, Icarus, Onyx Boox, Good e-Reader, Pocketbook, Remarkable and Sony who either make professional products, consumer grade e-readers or a mixture of both.
Whenever a company announces a new e-reader or tablet that is using E Ink, many people are underwhelmed with the hardware and software. Some people offer criticisms and others feedback. If you had the chance to design a new Kindle or professional grade device, what would you want to see in it? IMX7? Clearink? 12GB of RAM? A small screen or a large screen? Color temperature light? Different color options? Modular design? Expensive/Cheap? Dual screen or a single screen? Overdrive lending built into the e-reader or another company like RBDIGITAL? Android or Linux? Sound off below on everything you would want in an e-reader and would gladly open your wallet?
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.