iPad, Kindle 2 and Nook - the death of paper books?

Will e-readers mean the end of paper books? Only time will tell. Amazon and Barnes & Noble seem to have positioned themselves to benefit either way- when a company is selling paper books, e-readers and content for e-readers; there is a sale opportunity for everyone, no matter which format they prefer. Apple, on the other hand, is reliant on device and device content sales with the iPad.
The push seems to be on for e-readers with all these marketing giants involved. It is easy to forget all the other e-reader manufacturers out there with the hype surrounding the iPad, Kindle 2 and Nook. Sony has had some success with their PRS series e-readers: with a reported 300,000+ units sold, they can't be discounted. And there are many other manufacturers, too - some familiar like Samsung, some unfamiliar (at least to me) like Iriver.
There are a few factors that may hinder the growth of e-readers: technophobia and competing formats being the major issues.
Technophobia is especially widespread among certain demographics - older, less educated females especially are noted for their resistance to computer use, although this may be changing due to societal and peer pressure. Technohobes are found in every country, age group, race, and gender. Whether e-readers, due to their ease of use and resemblance to traditional reading materials are able to overcome this bias, will be interesting to see. The iPad in particular would scare many technophobes due to the touchscreen navigation and resemblance to a computer or cell phone.
The competing format issue can't be discounted, either. Traditional reading materials come as books, magazine or newspapers, but you don't have to change your brain and eyes to process the information they contain! With e-readers, at the moment, you do. Similar to the situation prevalent in the early age of VCR technology, there are multiple incompatible formats available. Unlike VCRs, which had only 3 main formats, e-reader formats currently number approximately 16. Sixteen different formats to access the same information? Who thinks this is a good idea?
Until there is a major shakeout or agreement between content providers, this is going to continue to be a problem. Most e-readers are able to access the information in more than one format - the Kindle 2 for example can read .azw, .html, .mobi, .tr3, .txt (plain text) and .mp3 files. Barnes & Noble's Nook can read .epub, .pdb, .pdf and .mp3 files. This Tower of Babel creates unnecessary chaos and confusion among publishers of content, and a burden to the consumer. Who wants to memorize an alphabet soup of supported file formats, and know which ones they can use, and which are unavailable? Even public libraries are adding to the problem, using OverDrive to distribute their content to patrons, as WMA files limits which devices can access this information -for example, OverDrive is not compatible with the Kindle 2, but is with the iPad. OverDrive has to provide a whole page for users to see if their device is usable. To further add to the confusion, many people use their smartphones as e-readers, adding more file formats to the list.
Many avid readers have taken to the Kindle 2 and Nook, as the e-Ink most closely resembles the traditional paper reading process. Neither device is back-lit, which means less eye strain, too. The iPad has caused a stir, and with Apple's marketing prowess and the huge iTunes store already available as a sales engine for e-books, looks to be a formidable contender to Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Whether traditionalists take to an electronic device instead of a book or magazine, remains to be seen. I can't imagine lugging my Kindle 2 to the beach and exposing it to sand, salt spray and sun. The next few years will be interesting.
Don't forget - just like a dustcover on a paper book, your e-reader needs protection, too: add a skin today!
iPad, Kindle 2, Nook skins

Kindle 2 versus Nook

The best thing about e-readers is the fact that you are reading. We all know the "absorption" factor when reading something interesting. Whether you are reading an article in a magazine or newspaper, a short story, fiction or non-fiction; when you are absorbed in the subject matter, the material world falls away. You don't register your surroundings - you don't hear people call your name, noises, temperature or anything else outside of the book or magazine. You forget you are holding a magazine, you forget you are turning the page. It's like the words are beaming straight into your brain. Well, the good thing about the new generation e-readers like the Nook and the Kindle2 is that the same thing happens to you! Whether you have downloaded a novel, self-help book, magazine or newspaper, when you are reading on your Kindle 2 or Nook, the outside world falls away. You cease to register the outside world, you forget you are holding a device or touching a button to turn the page. Just like when reading a paper book!

There are a few differences between the Nook and the Kindle 2 - and there are similarities as well. The e-ink is exactly the same technology. The display screens are the same size. They both allow you to download wirelessly. They are a similar size. They cost the same. Now for some of the differences: the Nook is heavier, and thicker. The Kindle 2 only has one font (Nook has three), but you can change the font size. The Kindle 2 doesn't have WiFi capability, but with 3G and WiFi, the Nook lets you browse the ebook store with whichever system is available. You can expand the memory on the Nook with a microSD card slot. Kindle 2 doesn't offer this capability, but since you can offload into your account archives, it shouldn't be a problem. The Nook allows you to lend books you have purchased, the Kindle 2 doesn't. The battery lasts a lot longer between recharges on the Kindle 2.

The Kindle 2 has no touchscreen, the Nook does.

There are several highly technical differences between the formats supported on both devices, although they each allow you to download free books from sources other than their own stores. You can find out more by playing with the Nook at Best Buy, and the Kindle 2 at Target, or read more on their respective websites.

Whichever e-reader you choose to buy, or already have, you already know about the absorption factor. One of the best things is that you can now add skins to both the Kindle 2 and the Nook!

A skin adds individualization and style, as well as protection to you Kindle 2 or Nook. When you buy from us, we offer unparalleled customer service including real, live people that answer your phone questions, or livehelp! online chats to help you with any questions you have. Don't let your new e-reader be blah and plain Jane - decorate it today with an e-reader skin