EBook readers are, the electronics industry would have us believe, the next stage in the evolution of reading, and leading firms are battling it out to become the manufacturer of choice for the world’s millions of avid readers.  The reader can be traced back to its first conception in 1968, but the modern device uses flash memory and electronic paper, patented by US company E-Ink.  The display is not backlit, and uses a real pigment rather than LCD; this low-energy technology reduces eye strain over long periods of reading and can be read even in bright sunlight. 

Companies with in-roads into the ebook reader market are the ubiquitous Sony, with their functional Reader; Amazon, with the Kindle; and iRex, with an overpriced iLiad and Reader 1000 coming a close third.  New players include the Cool-er, which hopes to emulate the success of the iPod.

Underpinning all the above dedicated electronic readers is the E-paper technology from E Ink.  Their monochrome display is in all of the popular ebook readers of the moment, and they have only recently been challenged by Japanese giants Fujitsu, who unveiled a colour ebook reader to the Asian market in 2009.  E Ink is not far behind however, with a superior colour display which a can refresh at a rate of 30 frames per second, as opposed to Fujitsu’s 1 frame every 1.8 seconds.  E Ink is developing screens capable of video and even ones which can roll up, expected by 2012.

As the technology develops however, some doubt its relevance.  Apple CEO Steve Jobs has said: “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the [ebook reader] product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore.  Forty percent of the people in the US read one book or less last year.” The NEA report ‘To Read Or Not To Read’ seems to back this statement up; in one day, 15 to 24 year olds spend 7-10 minutes reading voluntarily and 2 to 2.5 hours watching television. 

While Steve Jobs may not see the eBook reader as important, his company is still a major player.  Using the iPhone and iPod Touch, over 395,000 users have downloaded the free ebook reader app Stanza, meaning that “Apple may have inadvertently sold more e-readers than any other company in the nascent digital book market.”  This is a major threat to the e-reader market.  Rivals Amazon at first unveiled a free app for the US iPhone that would allow Kindle books to be read on the device, but have since purchased Lexcycle, the software company who developed Stanza, further indicating the threat that the iPhone poses.  Library expert Phil Bradley describes the battle for the e-reader as a three horse race; Sony Reader, Amazon Kindle, and Stanza for the iPhone.

As the recession takes hold, one further player in the technological battlefield is the netbook.  These small laptop computers are multifunctional, net based, light, thin, and cheap, leading to an upturn in sales as money has become scarce.  They may soon be equipped with touch screens, slide-out keyboards, and be able to run all day on a single charge.  Phone networks are even offering these devices free with a contract. 

While giants such as Apple and Sony may have a stronghold over the Smartphone and eBook reader market respectively, the development of a new generation of netbooks may be the way forward for the industry.  Research shows that the younger generation prefer fewer devices to have to carry, and just have one multifunctional tool.  Researchers predict that by 2020, the mobile device will be the primary internet connection tool.  If the technology allows, why couldn’t netbooks be used as eBook readers also?  The ideal device would be a tablet netbook, with colour touch screen, capable of quality audio and video, a fold-out keyboard and e-paper technology, with an optional back light to make reading easier (if users will use them all day, a display which causes less eyestrain will be welcomed). 

The eBook reader has introduced the world to a new way of viewing information and literature, and the development of e-paper has made sustained electronic reading a viable option.  A new generation of netbook computing, with an emphasis on everyday leisure activities such as audio, video, photos and reading, may provide the answer to the publishing industry’s electronic quandary.