Computers....MP3 Players.....e-book reader?

[SiliconAddict]

With the introduction of the iPod Apple has started to move into the realm of small consumer electronics. Unless you are blind, or dumb you know how sexy, sleek, superior, ya and spendy the iPod is to everything else.

I’ve been thinking about what other devices Apple could make. The first thing that hit me was the attempt a few years ago by a number of companies to launch standalone e-book readers. MS has its MS Reader. Palm has Palm Reader. Acrobat has its Reader. While e-book are popular on PDA’s they haven’t advanced any further and all attempts at stand alone e-book devices have bombed in a BIG way. I think there's a market there for Apple that is even more open then online music. The thought of an e-book reader made by Apple (Newton form factor anyone?) makes me drool. Obviously they wouldn’t do this while they are focusing on music right now but imagine an iRead app for books as iTunes is for music coupled with an Apple e-book device.

Thoughts?

[Ugg]

I've not been impressed with ebooks, none of them are very easy on the eyes and generally awkward to use. The new flexible paper/screens should change all that, but it probably won't be ready for a couple of years yet. I'm sure Apple will come up with something but the technology just isn't ripe yet.

[Golem]

I have a few ebooks on my ipod right now:)

It was just an experiment mind you. Wrote a program to split them into 20k chunks and then used some other program to turn them into notes as far as the ipod was concerned. Looked into the possibilty of some sort of formatting converter but it looked to hard for something you would have to be pretty desperate to read.