I wanted to take a moment today to wish everyone a safe and happy
holidays.

A lot of magazines, new services, and websites are sharing their "Top
Ten" lists for the year, so I was inspired to begin a top ten list for
new developments in eBook Reader technology. This could include
hardware, software, or just decisions.

I hope that you will chime in to add to the list, voice your opinion
(whether you agree or disagree), or just to share a comment.

In no particular order, my list would include:

1. Amazon Kindle
It has its good and bad parts, but I think that the Kindle will
jumpstart the ebook industry, and maybe make 2008 the year that ebooks
actually do take off. What does this mean for Microsoft's MS Reader?
That still remains to be seen, but I imagine that more Mobile Windows
users will begin to purchase eBooks as this practice becomes more
popular. All because of the Kindle.

I also think that Kindle will push the industry towards the
development of devices which are always connected to the Internet. Not
just thorugh hotspots at McDonald's, but via a cellphone type
connection that is almost always there.

2. iPhone/iPod Touch
Apple came out with two new products that of course served their own
functions but could also view eBooks. As eBooks become more popular,
owners of the iPhone and iPod Touch will begin to show interest on
using their devices to read the latest fiction novel or stay up to
date with the local newspaper.

3. Laptop XO/Eee PC
Laptops will continue to be the most common device used to read ebooks
because of their popularity, versatility, and wi-fi ability to connect
through the phone lines, network, or wi-fi. Couple that with the
development of more economic laptops like the XO and Eeee and people
will begin to see the value of using their computers to read ebooks.

4. Build-your-own-publication
We've had vanity publishers around for many years, but with the
technology we have now it is becoming possible for Internet users to
take all publishers out of the loop. What are magazines and
newspapers, anyways, except the consilidation of news from several
different sources?

In the Build-your-own-publication system, you would be able to input
the addresses of news feeds or sources you already read anyways. The
computer would combine them into one file, document, or
psuedo-publication that you can transfer or print out and take with
you on the road. This is already a reality thanks to websites like
Feedbook.com (http://www.feedbook.com) which allows you to covert RSS
feeds into an ebook.

Soon people will have electronic content that they want to view but
need a means for viewing it, and this is where software like MS Reader
comes in.

Well, those are my first 4 choices. I had hoped for five, but this is
all I could come up with on short notice. Let me know what you think
of my picks for the year, and feel free to add your own. Maybe we
could even hold a vote using Yahoo's tools or start a list somewhere
within the discussion group website.

Just a reminder that I've started a Blog spin-off which will talk
about ebooks in general but still be related to this group. Let me
know if you are interested in writing for the blog.

Thanks,

Jon Morgan
jon@...
Moderator