Articles: An Open Book

Hailed as the next chapter in how people consume books, magazines and newspapers, for most New Zealanders e-readers remain a futuristic fantasy.

This is because, to date, no major brand of e-reader has yet arrived on our fair shores.

You may therefore be surprised to learn that the first e-readers appeared overseas in the late 1990s, while Sony launched the first e-ink based reader, the Librié, in 2004. But it was not until Amazon’s entry into the market with the Kindle in 2007 that these devices started taking off.

Amazon has not released sales figures for the Kindle, but it is estimated that by the end of last year about 1.5 million units had been sold. And on Christmas Day 2009, Amazon e-book sales overtook print for the first time.

Credit Suisse analysts expect Amazon to increase sales of e-books by 83 percent this year, taking in US$248 million (NZ$351.5m) compared with last year’s US$135 million.

But Amazon’s lead could soon be upset by Apple’s iPad.

In fact, Credit Suisse has also predicted that Amazon’s share of the e-book market is likely to slip from 90 percent to 72 percent this year and to 35 percent by 2015.

Other players are also in the mix. Sony remains a contender with its Reader, while US book chain Barnes & Noble launched the Nook last year, and Samsung and LG have both announced yet-to-launch devices.

However, while the jury is still out on which e-reader will reign supreme, the battle is yet to even reach New Zealand.

With the iPad launch imminent, there is still no word on when the Kindle will be available here, even though the latest version, the Kindle DX, was made available to more than 100 countries, including Australia, in January.

Amazon is yet to explain why New Zealand is not on the list and did not respond to a request for comment.

Residents in other countries can order the DX online from Amazon for US$489, but a message on the Amazon website reads: “Unfortunately, we are currently unable to ship Kindles to New Zealand.”

No further explanation is offered.

New Zealanders can, however, buy e-books from the Kindle store to read on their computer through the free Kindle for PC and Kindle for Mac beta applications.

Meanwhile, Apple has been no clearer over when the iPad will arrive here.

In March, it announced that the launch of the iPad in a number of countries, including Australia, will be delayed by a month to late April, but is yet to confirm if this includes New Zealand.

Interestingly, this means one the first e-readers to be sold here may not come from one of the global players, but rather local book chain Whitcoulls.

Both e-books and e-readers will be sold by Whitcoulls from May, says David Fenlon, group managing director of parent company REDgroup Retail.

“We are on track to launch in May. We believe we will be amongst the first, but technology moves quickly and there has been a lot of noise around the Kindle and iPad.”

Two or three e-reader models are slated for release initially and will be sold online and in Whitcoulls stores, but Fenlon would not reveal who is manufacturing the devices. “A number of partners have come on board to develop the technology.

“What is important is that New Zealanders have access to e-readers and content – it is the way of the future.”

REDgroup is partnering with Canadian e-reading service Kobo to launch the devices and e-books.

As for when Sony’s Reader will arrive, Sony New Zealand’s technology communications manager, Tim Barlow, says the company is yet to announce launch timing for this country.

Nevertheless, Sony expects uptake of e-readers to be significant here. “The potential market for the Reader is large,” says Barlow, adding that usage will not be limited to the reading of novels or periodicals.

“We believe there is also significant potential to deliver a wide range of reference material in a lightweight, connected and highly power-efficient device so you can have the world’s information at your fingertips.”

Samsung has announced two models of e-reader, with 6- and 10-inch displays, but marketing director Rachael Cotton-Bronte confirms there is no scheduled release date for these locally. “As there is currently no scheduled release date for New Zealand, Samsung is not in a position to comment on demand at this stage.”

What is so unique about e-readers anyway, as opposed to reading e-books on your laptop?

The main benefit of dedicated e-readers, such as the Kindle, Sony and Samsung models, are their e-ink display. E-ink mimics the appearance of ordinary ink on paper and needs no backlight, making it more comfortable to read than a backlit display such as the iPad’s, while preserving battery life.

“The benefits of e-ink include clearer, crisper text which helps to reduce eye strain over prolonged periods of reading, and a battery life measured in weeks, not hours,” says Sony’s Barlow.

The Whitcoulls device will also feature this technology, says Fenlon.

The iPad does have other advantages, however – it is a multifunction device boasting a large and touch-enabled colour display.

But one Sony model also has a touchscreen, as will both of Samsung’s. Colour e-ink displays are reportedly being developed, with Fenlon stating Whitcoulls will offer a colour device in the future.

Whitcoulls meanwhile will differentiate itself by focusing on content and not hardware, says Fenlon, adding it will offer a “device-agnostic e-reading platform”. This means e-books bought from Whitcoulls will not be locked to its e-reader and can be downloaded to an iPhone, BlackBerry, laptop or even another brand of e-reader. “We want to give consumers the choice to read content on whatever device they want.”

In addition, users will be able to switch reading the same content between different devices, picking up from the same place on one where they left off on another – provided both units have synched to the Kobo system in the interim, says Fenlon. “The system will always know where you are.”

Another unique selling point for e-readers is the ability to connect to an e-book store wirelessly while on the move to download content – via a 3G mobile or Wi-Fi connection.

The Kindle offers only 3G, while the iPad comes in both 3G and Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi-only models.

Amazon covers the cost of 3G downloads to the Kindle so users don’t need a separate mobile data plan. Sony does the same in the US for its 3G-enabled Reader, but Barlow can’t yet comment on connectivity options for models in New Zealand.

Fenlon says Whitcoulls plans to offer both 3G and Wi-Fi enabled e-readers, and is talks with local mobile operators around how the 3G option will work.

Overseas, Samsung’s e-books will come with wireless connectivity, says Cotton-Bronte but there is no information yet on the specifics in New Zealand.

Article by Tone Writer Louis Van Wyk