OK, so I’m really sick of the eReader VS. iPad articles – and yet, here I am writing one myself. Why? Because for the first time yesterday I played with an iPad and an eReader at the same time. I love eReaders (and yes, they are for “reading”), but after playing with the iPad, I felt very underwhelmed by the NOOK and Sony Readers that Best Buy had stocked.

eReaders As Multi-Function Devices

As I’ve stated before, I think eReaders will turn into multi-function devices that allow you to read, surf the Web, view videos, pictures and more. I’m even more sure of this after playing with the iPad at Best Buy – because if eReaders don’t adapt, they’ll die. Some disagree with me, stating that eReaders are for people who read, not those that want to view video or play games. Now I like to read – but I also like to surf the Web, watch videos, etc., and I’d like to do this on one main device.

Why The iPad and iBooks Aren’t There Yet

So why not just buy an iPad for reading eBooks (Apple-speak: iBooks) and doing everything else? Because reading for more than 30 minutes on the iPad’s LED screen will suck. the eInk screens on most popular eReaders are much, much better for reading.  As discussed in the best eReader post, technology is in the works to have color screens with eInk type displays for reading. But the speed, multi-touch navigation and beautiful display of the iPad might be a ways off for eReaders.

Another problem with reading on the iPad is it’s weight – coming in at 1.5 -1.6 lbs (depending on version) versus the similar-sized Kindle DX’s 1.17 lbs or the Kindle 2’s .638 lbs. When I picked it up, I felt like I’d need two hands to hold it while reading. Now I could be wrong (since I don’t own one), but the weight just seemed a little too much for hours of comfortable reading.

The verdict? For the time-being, I’ll stick with eReaders for my eBooks. However, in the next few years I’m hoping to get a tablet/eReader device that will let me do all my reading, surfing and everything else while still fitting comfortably in my bag and in my hands.

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Before the printing press, printed materials were in short supply. Once Gutenberg invented the printing press, books for the population became commonplace – and not much has changed since then.

Until now…

We are in a pretty exciting time with eBooks available to the majority of readers. However, should eBooks keep the same-old-same-old of black and white text, or should they evolve as their digital medium allows?

I, for one, would prefer the latter. eBooks could be so much more than just printed text on a screen. In comes Vook with a “why didn’t I think of that” head-slapping idea – integrate multimedia into eBooks and change the way you tell a story.

The Vook application combines videos, pictures and text, and allows you to connect to authors, friends and other readers via social media applications. This brings lots of possibilities and I think the social media aspect is particularly exciting.

Another very cool example of multimedia eBooks is the new Alice In Wonderland for the iPad (video) by iPhone and iPad app developer Atomic Antelope. This has been described as a “pop-up book for the 21st century” and you’ll see from the video, it does reinvent the way that books are experienced.

These are just a couple of first examples of using multimedia in eBooks, so just think of what the future has to hold. I can’t wait to see and experience these new eBooks for myself.

Newspapers as we know them seem to be on their last leg. And Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. has a big stake in newspapers (they own several newspapers around the world, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post). Apparently Mr. Murdoch thinks the Internet is to blame for newspapers’ demise, and he set out to stop it – by stopping Google from indexing his newspapers’ Websites.

Hmmm, that’s probably not the best move by an old media company trying to compete in the digital age. Oh well, they aren’t my sites – but I would like to see how much their Web traffic drops once they block Google.

If It Works With WJS.com….

The rational for blocking Google is that they would be able to entice searchers to pay for the stories they once got for free.  In addition, News Corp. isn’t too happy about being included in Google’s News pages without any payment (note to Google News: feel free to include any pages from this blog, and for free!).

News Corp.’s Wall Street Journal online edition is set up similar to this – a user who enters the site will have to subscribe to see  many of the full stories. In my opinion, however, the Wall Street Journal has the unique content, trust and brand reputation to make user subscriptions work – for now.

The fact is that we are at a turning point for newspapers and publishing. The average daily newspaper takes a workforce of thousands to run – but the average daily blog can be run by a few. The problem with these large publications is their overhead and the fact they still print, which also runs up their cost of doing business. Newspaper publishers like News Corp. need to embrace the Web, search engines and digital publishing, letting go of their old-school print editions.

Counting On eReaders To Save Newspapers

However, you don’t hear Murdoch pushing plans to cut out print editions and just publish online. His strategy seems to be getting people to subscribe digitally via the Web or on eReader devices. Note that News Corp. isn’t the only large media company that’s going this route – much of the industry is talking about it, and the New York Times announced a paid-model for 2011.

Murdoch is quoted in the Wall Street Journal saying that without eReaders, “newspapers will go out of business.”  He’s actually been talking about an eReader/Tablet device that will save all of News Corp.’s print publications for a few years and just inked a deal with Sony for some exclusive editions for the Sony Reader.

I’m all for these types of partnerships – I think we’ll begin to see better content produced that uses technologies that aren’t even available in eReaders yet. However, I fail to see the benefits of News Corp. blocking Google from their sites.  Newspaper publishers need to think beyond just a “digital version of their printed paper”. They need to start thinking in terms of digital-only, because this is where the future is leading them. Digital newspapers won’t be print’s ugly cousin – it will be the other way around.

Just like music and movie companies have done for years, eBook publishers are taking a stand on their content by trying to stop it from being pirated or shared. Broken record? Yep.

I understand why content producers are up-in-arms over the illegal distribution of their content. They put in a lot of work and money, and then they see it pirated on the Internet for free and their profits gone. Sites like the thepiratebay.org offer consumers the option to immediately download music, TV shows, movies, and yes, eBooks. These sites are easy-to-use, well-organized and free.

So are consumers downloading this content simply because it’s free? Some are – but others go the pirate route because of it’s benefits. Amazingly, it’s very hard to find a legal site like the thepiratebay.org, and my theory is that many more consumers would use a legal site if it was available.  Unfortunately, digital content producers have been so busy fighting piracy, that they haven’t looked at what their consumers really want – and they can find this by looking at online piracy sites.

The Benefits of Online Piracy Sites:

• Everything is Available in One Place and Organized Well
• Quick Downloads
• No Digital Rights Management – Use the Content on any Device

Three simple benefits (and notice being “free” is not one of them). You’d think that the content producers could put together a site where they could both charge reasonable prices for their content and keep their customers from using piracy and breaking the law. However, instead of doing this they put ridiculous restrictions on companies like Netflix, making consumers angry and the pirate sites’ traffic increase.

Content producers – the ball is in your court!

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There’s been a ton of rumors this month about the Google Tablet with prototype photos and even a video being released. All of this speculation has got people talking – especially after the not-so-great launch of the Apple iPad tablet.

So is this thing real? You bet it is – but it won’t be limited to a single device.

Google has been pushing its  Chrome Operating System (OS) for some time now. Chrome is set up to run on a variety of devices, especially mobile devices such as eReaders  and tablets.   Google will most likely take a similar approach to tablets as they did with their Android mobile phone OS by letting manufacturers install it on their devices for free.

Google is, in fact, already doing this on a variety of eReaders and tablet devices. For example, the Barnes & Noble Nook eReader runs the Android OS.

Will Google Develop Their Own Tablet?

This remains to be seen, but they did do it with their Nexus One mobile phone. This was after working with carriers and manufacturers to develop Android-based phones. Apparently Google felt they could do it better.

Now tablets are a little different than mobile phones, but some could have 3G provided by mobile carriers. If Google is successful selling the Nexus One to the public, they just might take this route for tablets.

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This is a hard question – with all the choices of eReaders, and more coming every day, which one is the best?

You probably won’t like my answer.

Currently, I don’t have a choice for the best eReader – because I don’t think it’s been made yet. I am a fan of the Kindle DX and the newer Sony Touch Edition, but neither of those have what I’m looking for in an eReader.

Here’s what would make the best  eReader for me:

Color Screen – Yep, I like to read, but I also like to do other things. And if I’m spending $300+ for an eReader device, I want it to do other things too – like surf the Web, play videos, download apps, etc.  And all of these things are made much, much better with a color screen.

Color eReaders will be out in 2010, but it remains to be seen how good they will be. A requirement of mine is that the color eReader will have an eInk-type screen for reading, but also the ability to display color (this is something the color Apple iPad doesn’t have). However, companies such as Qualcomm and Pixel Qi are working on these types of screens, so they will be here soon.

Wireless 3G and WiFi – Wireless access is another huge “must have” for me. How will I surf the Web without it? I’d like an eReader with both 3G (like the Kindle) and WiFi, so I could connect at higher speeds when a WiFi access point is available. This should be standard in 2010, even the Kindle seems to be adding WiFi.

DRM-Free Formats – If there’s one thing I don’t like about eBooks, it’s that many of them are wrapped in DRM (Digital Rights Management). This usually means you can only use them on one device so if you want to transfer them to a different device in the future you’re out of luck. The standard format in the industry is ePub, but even that has bowed to the DRM insanity.

That’s about it – seems  like a pretty easy list. In fact, I predict that all of my requirements will be met in 2010 or 2011 except for the DRM thing. Oh well, it looks like publishing is taking the same path the music industry did with MP3’s. Best of luck on that one! For some related reading, check out this article on the top features to look for in an eBook reader.

What’s your requirements for the best eReader? Let us know in the comments below.

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