CES: E-Readers
Barnes and Noble's NookBordering close to oversaturation, many new e-readers came to surface at CES. Since Amazon first released the Kindle in 2007 an influx of devices have come out in an attempt to take on the Kindle. CES saw several new strong competitors, including several dual-screen devices.
Sony's new Reader came in two different forms. The main version was a standard large screen viewer and also featured a smaller Pocket edition with a 5 inch screen display. The Pocket edition could be a hit with consumers, with it's ease of portability.
Barnes and Noble also came out with their potential "Kindle Killer" in their Nook. The Nook features a dual screen feature that is half touchscreen, half reader and has wi-fi capabilities. It also boasts a wider selection of reads than Kindle while having the same retail cost.
What will ultimately separate the strong from the weak in this increasingly saturated e-reader market? Accessibility to content. The iPod stood out among other mp3 competitors because of its broad range of content via iTunes. The same concept will hold true as to which reader has the best accessibility to new things. As of now, Amazon's Kindle seems to be playing the e-reader role of the iPod. However, with Barne's and Noble's dual screen Nook and boasting a wider variety of accessible material, Kindle will see some heftier competition down the road. Time will certainly tell.