News
M&A Sessions
Impact Awards
Pipeline 2025
MSP Index
Reports
Events
Resources
Advertise

Business Managed IT Services Cloud

Collaboration Data Centre Digital

Distribution Hardware Mobility

Networking Printing Security

Servers & Storage Services Storage

Telco

End of support for Windows 10 State of AI 2024 Public Sector Tech Report

State of data State of Security 2024 State of the MSP 2024

Kickstarter 2024 Cloud Covered State of Diversity

State of Sustainability 2023

Channel Leaders Golf Day Benchmark Security Awards MSP Index Roadshow

Channel Meets 2025 Pipeline 2025 Impact Awards

Fast50

Photos Channel TV Focal Points

Partner Content Partner Hubs Partner Stories

Media Hub Boardroom Impact Whitepapers

News

Business Managed IT Services Cloud Collaboration Data Centre Digital Distribution Hardware Mobility Networking Printing Security Servers & Storage Services Storage Telco

M&A Sessions Impact Awards Pipeline 2025 MSP Index Reports

End of support for Windows 10 State of AI 2024 Public Sector Tech Report State of data State of Security 2024 State of the MSP 2024 Kickstarter 2024 Cloud Covered State of Diversity State of Sustainability 2023

Events

Channel Leaders Golf Day Benchmark Security Awards MSP Index Roadshow Channel Meets 2025 Pipeline 2025 Impact Awards Fast50

Resources

Photos Channel TV Focal Points Partner Content Partner Hubs Partner Stories Media Hub Boardroom Impact Whitepapers

Advertise

Log in

Email:

Password:

Remember me | Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register now!

Home
Galleries

Gallery: From Gutenberg to iPad 40 years of e-books

It took 40 years for electronic books to reach the mainstream.

0 Comments

1 of 20

Amazon kicked off the modern e-reader frenzy three years ago with its original Kindle. Its current model, the DX International 2 (shown), brings sales up to about three million. It runs Linux and is made by Chinese contract manufacturer Foxconn.

But the Kindle e-reader device is just the start of Amazon's ambitions. The online bookseller moved to distribute books electronically through its proprietary reader when earlier efforts (see later in the gallery) failed. It's bigger and more important ploy is to establish the Kindle online store on as many devices as possible. You can read Kindle books on your PC or Mac, iPad and iPhone, Blackberry and Android devices.

The advantage of the Amazon Kindle application is that bookworms can easily buy from the biggest store of commercial e-books in the world and it works across devices. It has bestsellers such as Swedish author Henning Mankell, whose Wallander series is a cross-over titan.

Swedish author Stieg Larsson's breakout bestseller Män som hatar kvinnor (Men Who Hate Women) known in the West as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo that details the investigation of serial murderers and childhood abduction is the world's biggest selling e-book. Amazon reported July 21, 2010, that it sold more than a million electronic copies on its Kindle platform to top the charts.

Borders is going up against the competition with its Kobo iPad app. The books are generally pricier than the same books on Amazon and the interface is woeful but it offers at lease some competition to the reigning hegemony of Amazon and Apple (which doesn't have a commercial book store in Australia yet).

The Borders online bookstore for e-books. Android Karenina - classic.

The Barnes and Noble Nook has the much-desired feature of being able to lend e-books to friends just as you would their dead-tree forebears. It's a very warm and sharey device.

Asus is one of the contenders trying to wrest control from Amazon and Apple.

Sony recently shifted its Reader to an open platform to gain market share from the proprietary systems favoured by Apple and Amazon.

E-books such as this two-screen device running Windows were hot at this year's CES.

Where it all began: the Nuvomedia Rocket e-reader was the hot ticket of 1998, destined to reshape the publishing and consumer electronics world. Only, it didn't. E-books were transferred over serial or infrared to the device that ran 20 hours between charges.

The Softbook was the other e-reader released in 1998 that failed to catch on. It had a leather, fold-back cover for that old-world hardback charm.

The Irex iLiad with its Wacom pen and touch screen uses electronic paper to display e-books bought from the company's website.

The Australian Quokkapad from Ubiq Technologies grew out of a knopwledge management project for failed airline, Ansett. Books are downloaded wirlessly with the aid of its inbuilt browser.

Direct-seller Kogan hopes its $200 black and whiite e-reader will appeal to buyers.

Although not specifically an e-reader, the Toshiba Libretto W100 "cloud companion" with its two 7-inch screens is clearly a contender. It potentially offers the most book-like reading experience - just turn it on its side.

Mobile device maker Toshiba revealed that it was on the brink of realeasing a smart pad to rival Apple's iPad that would run either Android or Windows 7. Either way, you can get Kindle and Borders books through it.

The iPad, this is the device all e-book reader makers are trying to beat. It raced past sales of the Kindle in just three months and although its reflective screen is terrible for reading books in bright light, the combination of features and alternative e-bookstores found favour with bookworms.

The other problem with the iPad's iBooks e-bookstore, in Australia at least, is the paucity of titles. There are no commercial agreements as yet for books still in copyright so only classics from Project Gutenberg are available.

The electronic book shelf of a typical Australian iPad owner would make a Year 12 Literature student weep.

Linked Articles

Amazon: Digital books outselling hard copies Kogan launches e-book reader for under $200 Toshiba Android, Windows 7 slate to take on iPad Hypecycle: E-books turn over a new leaf QuokkaPad takes on e-book giants

Partner Content

How NinjaOne Is Supporting The Channel As It Builds An Innovative Global Partner Program

Ingram Micro Ushers in the Age of Ultra

Channel can help lead customers to boosting workplace wellbeing with professional headsets

Kaseya Dattocon APAC 2024 is Back

Build cybersecurity capability with award winning Fortinet training from Ingram Micro

Events

techpartner.news MSP index - Brisbane

techpartner.news Channel Leader List / Golf day

techpartner.news Pipeline Conference 2025

Integrate Expo 2025

Security Exhibition & Conference 2025

Most popular tech stories

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content

Westpac hires CBA's data chief to lead AI, data and digital

Coles merges digital and customer leadership

Orica to set new workforce systems live in Australia in July

City of Sydney's HR uplift to help career management
Transport for NSW restructures tech division

Telstra to move away from 'best effort' connectivity, let users tweak attributes

In Pictures: Freshworks IT modernisation roundtable

Vic firefighters doing battle with IT outages

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content
Blackberry celebrates "giant step forward"

Photos: The 2024 IoT Awards winners

Axis Communications opens experience centre in Sydney tech hub

How the University of Melbourne used LoRaWAN and IoT in ‘COVIDSafe’ strategy

Perth IoT vendor Digital Matter names new chief executive

OTHER TECH SITES: Digital Nation | IoT Hub | iTnews

All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form without prior authorisation.
Your use of this website constitutes acceptance of nextmedia's Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Log in

Don't have an account? Register now!

Email:

Password:

Remember me | Forgot your password?

Gallery: From Gutenberg to iPad 40 years of e-books

It took 40 years for electronic books to reach the mainstream.

Linked Articles

Most popular tech stories

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content

Westpac hires CBA's data chief to lead AI, data and digital

Coles merges digital and customer leadership

Orica to set new workforce systems live in Australia in July

City of Sydney's HR uplift to help career management

Transport for NSW restructures tech division

Telstra to move away from 'best effort' connectivity, let users tweak attributes

In Pictures: Freshworks IT modernisation roundtable

Vic firefighters doing battle with IT outages

Westpac pilots AI to analyse inbound call content

Blackberry celebrates "giant step forward"

Photos: The 2024 IoT Awards winners

Axis Communications opens experience centre in Sydney tech hub

How the University of Melbourne used LoRaWAN and IoT in ‘COVIDSafe’ strategy

Perth IoT vendor Digital Matter names new chief executive

Log in