Purchasing An Ipad? .

Essentially both the ipad from Apple and the apad from iRobot offer the same. Both allow us to surf the net, go online to watch video’s and check our email messages. So which one is the best?

When it comes to browsing online then both are more than capable with the Ipad running the safari browser and the apad featuring its own integrated Google browser. For checking email messages and reading blogs both can do the trick with no hassles, however the apad offers Gmail as one of the standard accounts in their mail apps.

Although the apad has a somewhat smaller seven inch screen than that of the 9.7 inch ipad, expandability of the apad is significantly superior. Once your ipad is full of content then you’ll have to select and remove any unnecessary files to add more. The apad uses a regular microSD card which allows you to easily double your memory by inserting a brand new card.

If you’re a game lover then, by far the ipad is way better with literally hundreds of games and apps to select from. The main games are available for both however with the apad games and apps coming from the Android marketplace.

For YouTube lovers then both the ipad and apad have one click access along having the ability to view HD videos and both support MP3. Quality of picture and sound is equal across the board.

Both units permit reading of ebooks, nevertheless Apples ibooks is a better application making the business of buying and reading ebooks very simple.

Over-all the ipad and witstech a81e offer more or less the same functions but when it depends upon price the apad e7002 is less than half price than the ipad so worth considering each one when deciding to make a purchase.

Publisher Stops Supplying Amazon With Books As Pressure Bid

Amazon reached an agreement with Penguin over the pricing of electronic books on the Kindle e-reader. Penguin is a major book publisher and their commitment was significant for the Kindle’s success.

Penguin has not been responding to inquiries around the agreement; and the terms have not been publicly disclosed.

The two have been arguing over  the terms of the agreements over digital book prices. Penguin, based in Seattle Washington but owned by Pearson PLC from Britain, stopped supplying Amazon with new titles in a bid to put pressure on the online retail merchant.

“We have an agreement with Penguin and will soon be offering their complete selection of digital books to Kindle customers,” an Amazon spokeswoman said in a statement .

Since the iPad arrived out  , numerous publishers have been trying  to renegotiate their deals  with Amazon. Book prices on the Kindle have been set at $9.99 for all new releases since its creation  ; but Apple’s new product  seems to be putting new vigour into the marketplace.

One of the trends in the market in the last few years has focused on discount books online, which has helped to depress prices.

But, only a few days after the iPad became publicly available, Macmillan (another large book publisher) told  Amazon that it was going to charge between $12.99 and $14.99 for e-book versions of many of its hardcover new releases and bestsellers.

The contract would include a 30% cut to Amazon as well as a 30% cut to Apple for all digital titles sold on the iPad.

Amazon tried to push  Macmillan by taking off  its print and e-book titles from its online bookstore; but when the measure failed to realize results they gave into the pressure.

Other major publishers have been watching  and may take similar  action soon. Hachette Book Group already took the same  course  as Macmillan and is currently marketing its books over  Kindle prices.

E-Book Sales already comprising 9.0% of Trade Book Sales

According to figures gathered from publishers by the Association of American Publishers

Figures over August of 2009, with

Hardcover Children’s/YA sales down 8.0 percent for the month with sales of $77.8 million, year-to-date sales are down by 14.6 percent.
Children’s/YA Paperback sales decreased 15.1 percent in August with sales totaling $58.9 million; sales fell 7.6 percent for the year to date.

The Adult Hardcover category was down 24.4 percent in August with sales of $83.8 million, although sales for the year-to-date are up by 5.2 percent.
Adult Paperback sales decreased 18.3 percent for the month ($124.9 million) but increased by 4.1 percent for the year.

Adult Mass Market sales decreased 21.9 percent for August with sales totaling $54.9 million; sales were down by 14.3 percent year to date.

Downloaded Audio Books also saw an increase of 4.6 percent over last year, with sales of $6.3 million in August; and the category also rose 28.8 percent year-to-date. Physical Audio Book sales decreased 23.4 percent in August with sales totaling $9.9 million; sales for the year to date are down 6.0 percent.

Religious Books decreased 0.4 percent for the month with sales totaling $58.1 million, sales were down by 0.3 percent for the year to date.

Trade book sales (not including books for academic study) for the period of January-August 2010 had sales of $2.91 billion. eBook sales in the same period were $263 million.

E books for the period comprise 9.03% of total consumer book sales, compared to 3.31 percent at the close of 2009.

E book sales for January-August 2010 represented $263 million, compared to $89.8 million from January-August 2009, representing an overall increase for the category of 193% over the same period last year. For the month of August, e-book sales continue to grow, with a 172.4 percent increase over August 2009 ($39.0 million).

About AAP
The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and professional markets, scholarly journals, computer software, and electronic products and services. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and abroad, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s highest priorities.

What Should You Look For In An E-Book Reader?

There are a lot of reviews of e-book readers available on the internet today. You can often find them in magazines and newspapers as well. It reflects the fact that e-book readers have really taken off – largely driven by the release of the Amazon Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009. Currently there is a wide variety of e-book readers to choose from and many people are looking for help and advice prior to making a buying decision.

A lot of reviews, quite naturally perhaps, have a very strong focus on the hardware – the Kindle screen is this size, the Sony Daily Edition screen is that size, this one has touch screen controls, that one has no wireless, and so forth. Which is all very well, but if you’re interested in buying your first e-book reader then it’s quite likely that you will be mentally comparing not different e-book readers but e-book readers and “proper” books.

Just case you are having doubts about buying an e-book reader, you might be interested to know that a recent survey found that 80% of US e-book reader owners prefer their electronic device to a traditional paper book electronic device. Based on that type of feedback, it doesn’t look as if those who have changed from paper to electronic books and missing the experience of a real book. It seems that manhandling large, bound editions is an unattractive prospect for those with experience of e-book readers.

One of the most important things that you should take into consideration when selecting your e-book reader is the quality of the display. Assuming that the main purpose of your e-book reader is to read books rather than surf the web or watch video, you will definitely want to get a reader with an e-ink technology display. These are much closer to reading printed text on paper than reading using a backlit computer screen. They also have a much lower power requirement, which permits you to go for weeks between charges. The screen will momentarily go black when you turn the page. This is not a big problem, you will notice it at first but, after a couple of reading sessions, you will be unaware of it.

Another important factor which you should take into consideration is the layout of the controls and the overall usability. The controls of the Amazon Kindle for example, are well laid out and easy to use. It’s very easy to use the Kindle with only one hand, this makes it ideal if you are on a crowded bus or train. The Sony reader has touch screen controls – but this comes at the expense of a slightly poorer display as current touch screen technology is not completely transparent and also requires a slightly more reflective screen.

Finally, do not assume that e-book prices are the same for all readers. A recent survey, carried out by the New York Times, found significant differences in book prices across different e-book reader platforms. In certain cases, the price difference was large enough that choosing the correct reader would save someone who reads a book a week would save $300 a year! Clearly book pricing is subject to change at short notice – so make sure that you check the average price of e-books for the reader that you are considering buying.

Sales For The Amazon Kindle Still High

Amazon is having a busy time of it just at the moment. They have just announced the upgrade of their massively successful Kindle 2.0 and Kindle DX readers and pre-order rates are currently very high. Stocks of the third generation 6” Kindle are depleted and customers are now pre-ordering to get their Kindle delivered, on a first-come-first-served basis, within four to five weeks.

The latest upgrade incorporates a higher contrast screen, increased memory, faster page turns and color choice of white or graphite . The 6” display version has had its overall dimensions reduced by 21% and is 15% lighter, at 8.7 oz. Amazon has also introduced an entry level Wi-Fi only version of the Kindle 6” display model for customers who do not anticipate the need for a 3G connection.

All of this is accompanied by a price drop. The 6” Kindle version now starts at only $ 139 for Wi-Fi only, rising to $ 189 for 3G plus Wi-Fi. You can now get your hands on the large format Kindle DX for just $ 379. These represent significant price cuts when compared with the Kindle 2.0 launch price of $ 359 and the previous DX price of $ 489.

Much has been made of the potential impact of the Apple iPad on Kindle reader sales figures. It seems likely that the launch of the Apple iPad has prompted, or at least hastened, the latest round of e-book reader price reductions. However, the above prices are well below even the entry level iPad price and, for many customers, the fact that 3G is available with no monthly fee will be an attractive aspect of the Kindle pricing plan.

As well as the upgrades to the hardware and the price reductions, a dedicated UK Kindle store will be launched for the first time. Consumers in the UK won’t need to have their readers shipped from the States. The UK Kindle store opens in August 2010 and will, in the first instance, have around 400,000Kindle books to choose from. It seems reasonable to assume that other Amazon websites may well have their own Kindle stores before very much longer and that customers will be able to source their Kindles locally.

The recent price drop in the e-book reader market may be an indication that the market, although still relatively young, is maturing. Reduced hardware prices will change the emphasis from hardware sales towards the sale of the e-books themselves. Amazon, who have an interest in both hardware and book sales may be better placed than companies whose main interests lie in hardware manufacture and sales only. Whatever the future brings, and it seems likely that the future of reading will have a strong digital element, Amazon seem likely to remain a very influential player in the development of the market.

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