Lauren Picard, cofounder of Bookeen, is one of the veterans in the fast growing e-reader industry.
Here are some of his predictions of the major developments for e-readers in 2010.
Newspaper managers have been gathered in Paris for the second European E-reading conference. The conference was organized by the news industry organization WAN-IFRA, and focused on the opportunities for newspapers on the e-paper platform.
One interesting presentation was given by one of the founders of the French e-reader company Bookeen, Lauren Picard, who has been in the business for more than 10 years.
As many others Picard pointed out that e-paper technology now is moving fast. He expected that many major developments will take place during next year as e-reader devices are becoming a mass product.
Here is Picard’s useful list of the major expected changes that will happen in 2010:
The market will expand
- Many book stores have been selling e-reader devices. So far they have mainly been mixed with other type of goods – now we will see e-readers as a separate category of goods in the stores, making them easier to find for customres
- There will be a consolidation of content, both with regard to e-books and newspapers
- Traditional manufacturers (like Samsung or Asus) of electronic devices for other purposes will try to launch their own e-reader devices as well.
- More and more e-reader clones and white label branded devices will appear from Asia
Wireless is becoming the standard in new devices
- Most new devices will be provided with 3G connection, wi-fi or bluetooth
- Users will be able to buy and download content directly from the reader, rather than having to use an USB cable
- There will be synergies with existing hardware, for instance by applications for iPhone.
- Mobile operators will launch their own e-reader offers with their own 3G connection and subsidized hardware. Some of these operators will also launch their own content portals
- Many new devices will offer touch screen
E-paper technologies improve
- E-ink technology and the Taiwanese manufacturer Prime View International will see new competitors. So far there has been more or less a technological monopoly with the same factory producing almost all displays on the market. But by early next year we will see other plants presenting competitive technologies. This new competition will contribute to bringing down the prices of e-reader devices.
- Devices will become flexible and unbreakable. New devices will have displays built either on plastic or by removing the glass part of the device, like Plastic Logic will be doing.
- Devices with color screen probably will not be in production until 2011.