Comment by Groxx | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Groxx | Hacker News Reader

tbh, I suspect the reason ebook readers have been declining in sales is because they all suck. I haven't yet seen one that supports even English and Japanese, much less math / standard comp-sci notation or a third language, or has reasonable typography support. Your average Android tablet does all that and far more, and the prices and weights have been driving down to where they're competing.

Add to that that your average Android tablet has far better support for formats, both open and closed (buy an Android, get B&N, Amazon, and almost every other ebook market. Buy a Kindle, get... Amazon), and you're left with the screen on one hand and everything else on the other, and surprise surprise, the other sells better.

but this frustrates me largely because I really really want a good e-ink reader, because I love reading on it and I love using it in sunlight and I love more than 12 hours of battery life. And nobody seems willing to hit even the "not a piece of shit" level, just "better than other ebook readers". where the heck did it go wrong?

--- </rant>

this would be nice to see, but I don't really see any evidence that the tech is right around the corner, much less prepping for release. Lots of words for a hypothetical.

Your standards for a good e-reader are well outside the norm. Most people simply want something that's small, lightweight, convenient, and easy to read plain text on. The Kindle is all of those things, and cheap to boot. It's a shame that you can't find an e-reader that suits you, but for everyone I know (myself included) the Kindle has made reading much more accessible and practical (especially if you commute on public transport).

Maybe not so far outside the norm. I want something that can do what books do, better, without having to move them when I move.

That's it. I am utterly convinced it's possible with only things available now. None are easy to use, none make it easier to share with friends, none make it easier to organize or find or buy. I can't find any reason for this.

Maybe I should add more context.

You know what the best ebook reader is that I've ever laid hands on? The e-ink one I installed Android on. In absolutely every way (except for the weird soft-buttons) it is a superior experience than the stock system.

The software is the problem here, not the hardware, and the software on every single one has been at best stagnant and poorly thought out.

I haven't yet seen one that supports even English and Japanese

Ah yes, that famous mass market requirement.

much less math / standard comp-sci notation or a third language

Even better.

eBook readers have been declining in sales because they can't offer the features that tablets can. Simple as that.

I wonder whether it's a matter of market saturation. There are two basic camps of readers- those who are willing to try and prefer e-readers, and those who simply prefer books. I fall into the latter, and try as I might to change, I just have never really wanted to own an e-reader. I want to want one, seriously, but every time I go back and look into getting one I just realize I don't want it. E-books are no bargain compared to print and I don't think the reading experience matches a real book, so really the only benefit is convenience and ability to store multiple books in a compact tablet which doesn't carry much weight either, I'm afraid.

So my point is that I wonder whether the market is reaching a point where those who wanted to try an e-reader made the purchase and are happily using their Kindles and Nooks and the rest don't give a shit. I would be very interested to know what percentage of Kindle buyers are repeat customers or own one and are buying one for a relative. I'd bet it's high compared to tablets.

> I haven't yet seen one that supports even English and Japanese, much less math / standard comp-sci notation or a third language, or has reasonable typography support.

I don't understand this. My Kindle DX is fairly ancient at this point, but it seems to do OK with english-language books and some math texts as well. I really enjoy it.

He was talking about the combination of English and Japanese, not one or the other as individuals.

What about the Japanese Paperwhite? I came close to getting one last December but decided to hold off. The people I've talked to who own it haven't mentioned having any issues. That being said I sympathize with the rest of Groxx's post which is why I'm still hesitant to purchase one. The math type point probably sticks regardless.

What do you mean? My Kindle (latest model white backlight one) supports English and Japanese books.

Or is that because I bought it in Japan? The US model does not support Japanese text?

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