Which e-readers will the iPad crush?
With Apple's release of the iPad, several new e-readers will probably be rendered obsolete. Check out our list of e-readers in jeopardy.
- Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
Now that the iPad is upon us and the reviews have started coming in, it's becoming clear that the iPad is an excellent e-reader, perhaps the best one out there. This isn't exactly a great surprise. The fact is that ever since we had an inkling that Apple would come out with a slate-style device that resembled a giant iPod Touch, we knew that it would have a profound impact on the e-book reader world. We always figured there would be a before and after shot of the market--and it wouldn't be pretty for certain companies that had been working long and hard to deliver what they hoped would be innovative and appealing devices.
Of course, some of those devices will remain innovative and appealing, but when you're going up against a slick device like the iPad that has Apple's tremendous marketing muscle behind it, you're probably in for a rough ride if your product doesn't have a true competitive advantage and isn't priced properly.
Though we expect the iPad to cause many casualties in the e-book world (only a select few will survive), we've come up with a list of several e-reader hopefuls that will be most profoundly affected by the arrival of the iPad.
As always, feel free to add your comments disputing our claims or suggest any products we might have missed. Click on any image to start the slideshow.
Note: This article first appeared in late January but has been updated for the release of the iPad.
