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The Boson Books Newsletter: Fall 2009

Present at the Creation

Back in 1994, Boson Books appeared as the first commercial, general online publisher of ebooks. From the start, we published fiction, nonfiction, drama, and even poetry; given the nascent promise of digital technology, we revived important titles that had long been out of print even as we introduced new authors. Naturally, we watched with intense interest the development and detours of ebooks. In what now seems the dark ages, ebooks in the 1990’s were downloaded in various file formats directly to a user’s computer to be read on the computer’s monitor. At the end of the 20th centuries, some plausible—though still problematic—ebook readers appeared, including the Gemstar and the Franklin eBookMan; those pioneers are no longer with us. Now, as we reach the end of the year, book lovers have a wonderful problem: choosing the right ebook reader. A quick review of the currently available products is in order

2009 has turned out to be the year of the ebook. In February of this year, Amazon’s introduced the Kindle 2; in May, Amazon rolled out the large screen Kindle DX, which has a 9.7 inch display and is especially suited to displaying newspaper and magazine text. Amazon has partnered with numerous publishing companies, and while “synergy” is an overused word in the rhetoric of marketing, the term might turn out to be entirely appropriate for the DX.

In Boson’s view, Kindle’s wireless capacity—it can download ebooks just about anywhere, and the reader doesn’t need to be attached to one’s computer—stands as a genuine breakthrough, and history will show that wireless connectivity was the dealmaker with the reading public. For those hoping to give e-readers a try, the Kindle 2’s price is defensible: after an October price cut, Amazon now sells the K2 for $259.00. We at Boson find the device very easy to use, with fast page turns and an e-ink display that’s very easy on the eyes.

Like the Kindle, the Sony Readers have gone through a few iterations. Currently, Sony offers the PRS 300 and PRS 600. Aesthetically, of course, users must make their own judgments, though we are wowed by the Sony’s elegant understatement. In terms of usability, the 300 and 600 are weaker than the Kindle: neither device has wireless capability, though that liability will be corrected soon. Indeed,, the Sony Daily Reader—due for imminent release—will have wireless connectivity. Sony is ahead of the price wars at the moment, however: the Sony PRS 300 is available for $199.00.

A very recent development is Barnes and Noble’s Nook. B & N says it will release the Nook in late November. Like the Kindles, the Nook has wireless connectivity. At $260.00, the Nook is B & N’s shot across the bow at Amazon. Boson has not had a chance to examine a Nook prototype, so we reserve judgment on the device’s usability. The Nook will have a touch screen and a color virtual keyboard at the bottom of the screen; the keyboard can be used for online shopping, navigation through an ebook, and so forth. The Nook can annotate content, as can the other e book readers. Clearly, the Nook has formidable potential, as it’s backed by B & N. Therefore, title availability (purported to be over a million already) will be formidable.

In Boson’s view, the Kindle is currently the eBook reader of choice. The variety of titles available for the Kindle is, for the book lover, of great importance. We hasten to add that our judgment is not colored by any special relationship with any of the companies; furthermore, Boson titles are available for both the Kindle and the Sony. Therefore, we offer our views as some friendly advice, with our own customers in mind.

Of course, our views are subject to change; indeed, change seems inevitable given the pace of e-reader development. In January of next year, the long awaited Plastic Logic reader will be introduced. Named the QUE, the device’s online store is backed by Barnes and Noble, which of course assures an enormous variety of content. When Boson gets a chance to examine the device, we’ll pass on our views to you.

Questions? Comments? We’d enjoy hearing from you. Drop us a line at: cm@cmoline.com