Kindle Review – Kindle Fire Review, Kindle 4 Review

There are a few very interesting Kindle and eReader prediction lists out today from Forrester (at Paid Content) and from BookSquare.

Forrester’s Predictions (the interesting ones)

1. eInk will lose near 100% share of eReader displays - To cheaper electrophoretic displays, dual display screens, and new technology such as OLED. That is hardly a prediction – Pixel Qi, Mirasol, SiPix, Dual screen eReaders and others are arriving and they obviously won’t add up to 0%. 
2. Dual screen mobile phones and netbooks will eat into eReader demand – Again, hardly a prediction. Here’s a real prediction – People who do not read can predict the death of pure reading focused devices all they want. It’s not going to happen. 5 to 10 million pure eReader sales in 2010.
3. eReaders will get apps too - Apparently iRex is releasing an SDK. This is another ‘safe’ prediction – Plastic Logic and Txtr have said they’ll allow for apps too.
4. Amazon will launch a suite of touchscreen eReaders – Forrester is saying touch, color and flexibility will be included. Finally a prediction requiring a spine.
5. B&N will steal market share from Amazon and Sony - Hasn’t this already happened? Nook is already getting more buzz and attention than any Sony Reader.
6. China, India, Brazil and the EU will propel global growth, but the US will still be the biggest market - This is nonsense. China, India and Brazil can’t afford $100 eReaders, let alone $259 eReaders.

There are some predictions on ebook sales – not my area of expertise. Forrester’s predictions are boring, safe, and not at all visionary.

BookSquare’s Predictions

1. International Rights will be hot, hot, hot – Agreed. A very good prediction.
2. $9.99 will become the standard (sort of) – It already has, hasn’t it. Still a reasonable prediction to make.
3. Independents will Rule (booksellers, authors, agents, publishers, distributors) – Indie Authors yes. Everyone else No. Amazon and Google are going to destroy all the small fish. I hope SmashWords does well – However, don’t see many indie or small companies surviving.
4. eBooks will be Huge – Really?

It’s interesting that BookSquare focuses almost entirely on books.

Collins Stewart Analyst predicts 550K Kindle sales for 2009

eWeek covers a report from Sandeep Aggarwal of Collins Stewart -

 Aggarwal nonetheless predicted that the company would sell around 450,000 Kindle 2 devices and 100,000 Kindle DX devices in 2009.

The analyst declined to explain in detail how he arrived at that number.

Amazon probably sold more than half that figure both in February (with the Kindle 2 launch) and in November (highest sales month ever).

Here’s something from the report that seems confusing -

Of the 40 e-readers currently on the market that Collins Stewart deemed “most popular” in its research note, devices by Samsung, Sony, Pocketbook, NeoLux, HanLin eBook, Cool-ER, Astak and Bookeen.

If those are the most popular eReaders how come no one is buying any of them except for Sony?

Kindle Updates and News

1. Puzux has a Beta that promises crosswords in your Kindle’s browser. It’s one free crossword a day while in Beta. They even have a Mock Kindle to try it out online.
2. Amazon now has a Kindle Gift Card with a Happy Reading – Amazon Kindle theme.

Newspaper News and Google’s First Click Free

1. The FTC has an event around helping journalism survive.
2. Google just added an option called First Click Free – it lets newspapers set things up so that the first 5 pages each day (when you go from Google to a newspaper) are free and after that newspapers can restrict access.
3. It definitely shows that Google don’t want to lose newspapers. They also talk about crawling and showing ‘preview pages’.
4. Mr. Murdoch reiterates claims that news aggregators like Google News are stealing news, and warns against Government Intervention.

eReader News 

1. Sony reduced the prices of its Sony Readers in Canada – the Pocket Edition costs $240 now ($20 less) and the Touch Edition costs $350 ($50 less). They both are still more expensive than in the US.
2. FoxConn, which makes the Kindle, the Playstation and the Xbox, will be opening retails stores in China. Wonder what it’ll sell?

Update: Request to stop Nook Sales denied, Spring Design case goes on.

Here’s the decision from the Judge -

Accordingly, the Court DENIES Plaintiff’s Motion for a Preliminary Injunction.

Nothing in this Order is intended to indicate that injunctive relief is not an appropriate remedy if Plaintiff prevails on the merits.

In addition, the Court will expedite the pre-trial process to accommodate Plaintiff’s request for an early hearing on their case.

Read the whole document on your PDF capable Kindle - spring-design-order

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