On December 6, 2010, Google heated up competition in the eBook market with the introduction of Google eBooks and Google eBookstore. Unlike Amazon, who touts the Kindle, Google isn't interested in selling an e-reader device. What Goggle wants is to let most devices with a modern browser become compatible with Google eBooks. Using the new Google eBooks Web Reader, you can buy, store and read Google eBooks everywhere, it is easily accessible just like Gmail and comes with unlimited eBooks storage. So, does this new development render the Kindle obsolete?
It's important to note here that Kindle books are already available for download on various platforms, including smartphones - Amazon customers are not restricted to the Kindle. And all Amazon books, once purchased from the Kindle Store, are automatically backed up online in the user's Kindle Library. Books may be re-downloaded for free, anytime.
Amazon repeatedly emphasizes the benefits of a dedicated e-reader, over other portable electronic devices. According to Amazon, the Kindle uses a specially made electronic "ink" that looks like paper to the eye, and can be read clearly even in direct sunlight. Studies confirm that, the brighter the ambient light, the clearer the words become - just like regular paper. In addition, the Kindle boasts a conveniently sized 6-inch reading area - much larger than a smartphone, a very long battery life (up to one month, with wireless turned off), and a "read to me" feature that can read English text out loud.
The Amazon website even boasts that the Kindle will allow users a better night's rest than an iPad, due to differences in screen lighting. Anticipating these arguments, Google e-books will allow users to select font, font size, day/night reading mode and even line-spacing. So, with that said, are the Kindle's innovations worth the extra investment, and the trouble of carrying around another delicate electronic device? For avid readers, the answer may be yes, but for the majority of people, who seek a brief distraction while on the go, it is probably no.
Google seems to be betting that eReaders will soon become obsolete. If Google eBooks is an accurate progenitor of a new trend, e-reader technology will simply be incorporated into existing devices, effectively rendering such devices as the Kindle obsolete. Even now, many people are quite satisfied to read eBooks on their smartphones, iPads, and laptops, although until technology advances, the Kindle will retain its aficionados among avid readers, and those who enjoy a romance novel on the beach.
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