http://www.teleread.com/chris-meadows/cheap-lcd-tablets-approaching-reality/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Fri, 24 May 2013 05:34:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://www.teleread.com/chris-meadows/cheap-lcd-tablets-approaching-reality/comment-page-1/#comment-1219579 Paul StJohn Mackintosh Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:06:17 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=74419#comment-1219579 Here in Central Europe you can already get a 7" MyAudio ICS tablet for $89, and MyAudio is a bit better than no-brand. It's not hard to see where this is going. Low-end tablets are going to be tomorrow's MP3 players or cheap dumphones, bottom-dollar low-margin ubiquitous consumer devices. That will spread adoption of ereading accordingly [though have a look here at how many - or few - use the devices they've got: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/gadget/3331538/amazon-kindle-tops-list-on-unused-christmas-gifts/]. Dedicated ereading devices are going to have to be very special to differentiate themselves with this race to the bottom going on. But we should worry: the tablet's case as a mass-market reading device is clearly made. Here in Central Europe you can already get a 7″ MyAudio ICS tablet for $89, and MyAudio is a bit better than no-brand. It’s not hard to see where this is going. Low-end tablets are going to be tomorrow’s MP3 players or cheap dumphones, bottom-dollar low-margin ubiquitous consumer devices. That will spread adoption of ereading accordingly [though have a look here at how many – or few – use the devices they’ve got: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/gadget/3331538/amazon-kindle-tops-list-on-unused-christmas-gifts/. Dedicated ereading devices are going to have to be very special to differentiate themselves with this race to the bottom going on. But we should worry: the tablet’s case as a mass-market reading device is clearly made.

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