Can EReaders Carve Out a Business Niche?
After a year that has seen the eReader options explode from "which version of the Kindle would you like?" to a virtual smorgasbord of devices from a diverse array of vendors, the challenge now is for the eReader to define itself better and justify its cost. Some vendors, like Plastic Logic and its Que eReader, are counting on establishing the device as a business tool.
Thu, January 14, 2010
PC World — After a year that has seen the eReader options explode from "which version of the Kindle would you like?" to a virtual smorgasbord of devices from a diverse array of vendors, the challenge now is for the eReader to define itself better and justify its cost. Some vendors, like Plastic Logic and its Que eReader, are counting on establishing the device as a business tool.
Business Value
Eight Reasons E-Readers Could Fail
Amazon has been relatively successful with the Kindle. In fact, all of the emerging eReader devices owe a debt of gratitude to Amazon for blazing the trail and evolving the eReader concept from a mere novelty to a mainstream consumer gadget.
Similar to the way Google (GOOG) has coined the term "superphone" to describe next-generation smartphones, Plastic Logic has dubbed its Que a "proReader" to differentiate it from other eReaders as a next-generation device aimed at business professionals rather than consumers.
Apparently, one of the primary differences between an eReader and a proReader is price. While Amazon has whittled the price of the standard Kindle down to $259, and Barnes & Noble matched that $259 price with the Nook, the Que proReader will come in two versions priced at $649 and $799.
Granted, the Que is a larger form factor than the Nook or the standard Kindle--about the size of a standard 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper, and it has a shatterproof plastic screen which may appeal to some professional road warriors and help justify its cost. However, the Amazon Kindle DX also has that larger form factor and still costs only $489.
The Que attempts to carve out a business niche, and justify the higher price, by displaying a wide variety of document formats including Adobe PDF's, Microsoft (MSFT) Word docs, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, and even Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.
Competing with PC's
From a business perspective, there is certainly more value in a device that lets you view electronic books as well as common business document types. However, business professionals and intrepid road warriors already have devices that provide that functionality and more.
The eReader--or proReader--is much thinner and lighter than a full-size notebook computer, but since the eReader does not provide a complete computing platform, it has to be carried in addition to a netbook or notebook when traveling.
As slim as they are, the device still takes up space and since its functionality is duplicated by the notebook, the eReader is the first to get bumped when space fills up in the carry-on bag. Business professionals have a growing number of ultra-portable computing gadgets that combine the portability of the eReader with the more comprehensive functionality of a notebook to choose from.
