Summary

promoted as an eBook reader and was sold at Borders bookstores. However, adoption of this device
was unexpectedly slow as consumers had to make their own PDF files or download from websites,
save the files into a memory stick or SDcard, then plug it into the reader to access them. Although
the Sony Reader had potential to become a very convenient and popular device, Sony failed to create
an ecosystem of matching it with software and contents. Without the ease to download content
directly into the device and lack of access to an eBook library, the reader was just an extension of the
PC for people who want to read existing files that they had already saved. On the other hand,
Amazon was also developing its own reader device and introduced its first generation of Kindle in
Nov 2007. 3 Unlike the Sony Reader, Amazon built a Kindle store that sold eBooks. The store can be
accessed from a PC web browser or connected directly from a Kindle device through its “Amazon
Whispernet”, a cellular network that was built from Sprint’s EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized)
network. The user did not have to pay for any data plan nor a monthly bill because Amazon had
already paid for it. This convenience of being connected directly to an eBook store and ease of
purchase by using the same Amazon credit card information propelled the sales of its Kindle. For a
few years, Kindle enjoyed a dominant position in eBook readers until the iPad was introduced in Apr
2010, creating a new category of portable multimedia tablet that was more than an eBook reader.
Like Kindle, iPad users could connect their device to (Apple App) store where they could
purchase and download anything from music to games and eBooks. The device is linked to the
user’s Apple account where credit card information is stored. What made iPad a sensation and not
the Kindle, was its mixture of advanced technology and clever marketing. Unlike Kindle, the iPad
could display full range of colors, play movies and games, and connect to the Internet via its web
browser. Its sleek design and marketing campaigns echoed that it was a cool gadget to own for a
more convenient lifestyle, be it just for entertainment or for learning purposes. Apple was not just
selling hardware, but an “experience”.
There is no denying that people around the world are going mobile with the impressive
3 McCarthy, Caroline. "Amazon debuts Kindle e-book reader" CNET News. N.p., 19 Nov. 2007.
Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
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