iPad News: Is the iPad Scaring Manufacturers in the e-Reader Market?

Posted Jun 22, 2010 at 5:51AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: iPad News Tags: apple, drop, e-book, e-reader, ios, kindle, tablet

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Amazon and Barnes & Noble are two giants in the book scene. Both transitioned into the technological world by bringing books to a virtual form with their e-reader tablets. While both were successful with their handheld electronic readers, they have just cut their prices by a good margin, and one would have to wonder the reasoning behind such a drastic cut. Barnes & Noble led the way in the price-cutting war by dropping its Nook reader by $60 to $199. Not to be outdone, Amazon followed just hours later by dropping their Kindle reader's price $70 to $189. Both of these price cuts are substantial, hovering around 25 percent of the original price that both shared of $259. So, why did they decide to make this move now? One could definitely argue that the release of the iPad has caused some panic among the two companies. After moving two million units in just a couple of months since its release, the iPad is red-hot right now. It does not show any sign of cooling down, either, as its international release should pad its sales stats even further. The iPad boasts a large display and a growing catalog of virtual books available for download. Add to that its plethora of other features in gaming, entertainment, productivity, and more, and you have quite a monster in the market. Obviously, the iPad is much more expensive than the Nook and the Kindle. Those with less disposable income that are avid readers could be drawn more to those e-readers for the time being. Still, the world seems to be going the way of portability, and having a single device that can be multi-faceted has its advantages. When traveling, do people want to tote around a laptop plus their e-reader, or would they rather have one device that can do it all? By combining several features into one, the iPad can be more cost effective in the long run, not to mention more practical as well. It seems to be much more than a coincidence that both Amazon and Barnes & Noble slashed their e-reader prices so drastically. They are likely feeling the heat emanating from the iPad's popularity, and want to ensure that their products, while overshadowed, do not become extinct.

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