As technology manufacturers prepare for what should be a rejuvenated holiday shopping season, electronic reading devices could be the industry's surprise best seller.
The overall cost of e-readers has continually fell while the library of digital books expands. Research group iSuppli expects the number of e-readers sold in 2009 to top 5 million -- up from 1 million in 2008 -- and that number is expected to increase further in the next couple of years.
"There is tremendous potential for these devices to become more multi-function," according to Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps.
Previously, Forrester predicted just 2 million e-readers sold in 2009, but expect sales to dramatically increase it's possible to purchase the devices in best Buy, Wal-Mart, and other brick and mortar locations. It wasn't long ago that e-readers could only be purchased online, but now consumers have the ability to see what the devices are like in person.
The Amazon Kindle e-reader leads the way, controlling 60% of the market -- Amazon has a solid profit margin, as it sells each unit for $299, but only pays $186 to manufacture.
Even so, Amazon faces pressure from Sony and other companies looking to cash in on the market.
I've used several e-reading devices -- and call me old fashioned -- but I still prefer reading paperback books. However, I'm impressed with the way the industry has matured, and should continue to mature in the years to come. If the price of e-books actually decreases, which it should do assuming book publishers embrace the format, then I may be interested in finally making a purchase.
Do you own an e-book reader? If so, what do you think of it?
