Reading into the issues
There are still those who will argue that there is very little point in splashing out for a device which costs almost as much as a netbook (which, incidentally, you can also download e-books onto) and which, in the Kindle's case, forces consumers to pay for proprietary, locked in content.
These factors alone could well ensure that e-reader products remain a niche for some time to come, unless Amazon or Sony pair up with content providers to give devices out for free using data subscription models, much in the same way big telecom companies give out highly subsidised devices when customers sign up for a phone plan.
But what is also clear is that the market for e-books and e-readers is currently on the up and up, as even more firms look to jump on the Kindle and Sony Reader bandwagon. Just recently in the US, bookseller Barnes & Noble said it would come out with its own e-reader. The price of the Barnes & Noble device is still unknown, but the fact potential buyers would be able to test it out on location could well give it an edge.
At the end of the day, it will come down to price, and we would certainly not be surprised if the model for selling e-books and devices still has a long way to go before a happy medium is found.
