Top 5 signs that ebooks are going mainstream
Some people view ebooks as just a fad, something that’s popular today but gone tomorrow. I think they’re wrong. There are signs everywhere that ebooks are the future of the way we consume all kinds of literature.
Thus I composed this short list of the top 5 signs that signal ebooks are definitely getting more "mainstream" every day. I didn’t rank these in order of importance because I think they are all important in different ways.
1. Release of the Kindle 2: Despite my criticism, I don’t hate Amazon and I don’t even hate the Kindle, I just hate the DRM they have in place that let’s users have access to content they buy, but not actually own it. But I have to give Amazon credit, they have really pushed ebooks into the public eye.
2. Barnes & Noble purchase of Fictionwise: When the largest bookselling chain in the U.S. buys the largest online ebookstore, you know ebooks are here to stay!
3. Popularity of ebook reading apps on iPhone/iPod Touch: This one pretty much speaks for itself. But aside from showing the growing popularity of ebooks, this also shows that people are more than willing to read digital content on their mobile devices.
4. Articles about ebooks in mainstream press (i.e. NYT, WSJ, etc): The fact that there is articles doesn’t mean much (you can read articles about short-lived fads every day), but it’s the content of the articles that count. They all appear to be about the ebook movement gaining steam, like the one I wrote about in this post.
5. Number of standalone ebook reading devices on the market: A lot of people are trying to get a slice of the ebook pie. Devices include: The Kindle, Sony’s eReader, the Cybook, iRex iLiad, ebookwise 1150, Plastic Logic eReader (coming soon!), and rumors abound about new devices on the drawing board or already in the works!
There are probably a lot more signs that ebooks are going mainstream than what I wrote about here. But I tried to touch on the ones I thought were most important.
What signs do you see that ebooks are here to stay? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!
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Read More: Publishing News, Reading, eBooks
Hi Brad, I always enjoy your posts and put them on Twitter – you really need to get on it now so you can get more traffic to your great site (and so I can credit you on my tweets!)
Have a great day! Joanna
Hi Joanna!
Thank you for your kind comments! I really appreciate it.
I probably should get on Twitter. But I’m not sure. I still don’t know what to make of Twitter.
Don’t worry though, if I do get a Twitter account, you’ll be the first to know!
Thanks again for your comments!
-Brad
You can almost parallel the rise of ebooks with the rise of MP3s – it took a “killer device” to come out (the iPod) before the MP3 format became mainstream. Will the Kindle 2 be the ebook’s killer device? Or will it be the next generation reader? Me personally, I want something that can display color so I can read my graphic design magazines on it before I will plunk down my money.