[LINK] ebook readers -- here they come!

[Craig Sanders]

On Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 03:06:52PM +1000, Ivan Trundle wrote:
> Absolutely. The track record of ubiquitous open-source consumer boxes  
> is minimal.

 - Tivo.

 - almost every small (and some large) wireless/adsl router box
around...netgear, linksys, dlink, and many other brands. almost all of
them use a version of linux, and most of those can also be re-flashed
with alternative firmware like openwrt or dd-wrt.

 - the kindle, like most other currently available e-book readers,
runs linux. it's a quite locked down linux, but eventually alternative
firmware will be available for it just as it is for wireless
routers....if not, some other more open ebook reader will displace it.

> All it will take is for a company to market something that actually  
> works as consumers want it to work, and a hit e-device will be born.

IMO, android has a reasonable chance of displacing the iphone (and
probably get a large share of the ebook market too). consumers are
getting sick of vendor lock-in and DRM. a much more open device that
does everything the iphone does and more that doesn't need to be
jail-broken (with the risk of being bricked deliberately by Apple on
every upgrade) in order to make it work for the USER rather than for
Apple will have a significant market advantage.

craig

-- 
craig sanders <cas at taz.net.au>