e-book reader

Analyst: Amazon.com's Kindle to generate $750 million by 2010

Calling it the iPod of the book business, CitiGroup analyst Mark Mahaney says the Kindle e-book reader will generate three-quarters of a billion dollars for Amazon.com in less than two years.

That should account for up to 3 percent of Amazon's business. See his chart and reasoning here.

His calculations assume that unit sales will grow from 189,000 by the end of this year to 2.2 million units in just two years. By then he assumes the price of the device will be just below $300. Mahaney also points out that Amazon does have the largest … Read more

Astak's e-book reader beats rivals in price

Another day, another e-book reader. There must be something in the air, because in the last week alone we've seen new releases of Endless Ideas' "Bebook," the Irex "Book Edition," and now Astak's "Mentor."

The latest runs on Windows CE 5.0 and has a 6-inch screen that's similar to the displays on the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, as well as the Bebook. Unlike the competing readers seen in the last few days, however, Astak's offering includes Wi-Fi connectivity, uses e-ink technology, and has a lower price than all … Read more

Another e-book reader hits the shelves

Companies that make e-book readers must be gearing up for lazy summer novels. At the same time Irex is shipping its new "Book Edition," Netherlands-based Endless Ideas is releasing a version of its own.

The "Bebook" appears to have many of the features included in its competing models, including an MP3 player, USB port, battery life for an estimated 7,000 page turns, and 512MB of storage that can be expanded with an SD card, according to SlashGear, though it lacks a wireless receiver. Its 6-inch, 600 x 800 screen is smaller than Irex's, but … Read more

Amazon Kindle: Hands-on first impressions

The slow drip of rumors and leaks about the Amazon Kindle e-book reader exploded into a full-blown flood over the weekend, once it was revealed as this week's Newsweek cover story. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos filled in all of the remaining blanks (or most of them, anyway) at this morning's New York press conference that officially introduced the product to the world. Some relevant details, finally confirmed:

Measurements: The Kindle weighs 10.3 ounces and is about the size of a trade paperback book. It's both taller and thicker than the Sony Reader.

Connectivity: The … Read more

Amazon to debut Kindle e-book reader Monday

Amazon is betting that e-books aren't a total e-bust.

On Monday, the online retail giant will unveil its Kindle e-book reader at a high-profile event in New York, an industry source told CNET News.com Thursday. Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos is expected to be present for the announcement, to be held at the chic W Hotel in Union Square.

The Kindle is equipped with a Wi-Fi connection that taps into an Amazon e-book store, which users can access to purchase new electronic books--and Amazon has reportedly signed onto a deal with Sprint for EVDO access. Additionally, the device … Read more

Reading, music combined? What a concept

With so many gadgets morphing into one another, we've often wondered why the natural combination of reading and music hasn't come up more often. Oh, right: No one reads books anymore.

Maybe some people will at least use the dictionary that comes with this combo e-book reader and MP3 player from Sharp. The RD-CX100 handheld has a relatively large 4.3-inch screen and a dictionary that can store up to "63 volumes," according to Akihabara News, though it doesn't explain exactly how much data a volume comprises. No other details are provided, though photos show … Read more