Confused... eBook readers

Okay, if any of you out there have been following my public venture
into this ebook reader stuff… you’ll understand my confusion and my
following question.

Why is there such a huge deal over this
Kindle or Sony reader? Why can’t a company who is making a PDA, a
system which already has all their nuts and bolts in the right place
considering they’re compatible with Adobe, and Mobi, our computers, are
wireless and well, the list goes on of all the things they already do…
Why can’t they simply make the screen a little bit bigger, rename it to
the PDA Reader and sell millions?

Or for that matter why couldn’t Amazon
have made a Kindle based off the PDA in that above sense? From Amazon’s
standpoint, I get it… money… they figure they can make more by
insisting you have to purchase from them basically. But I’ve been
pouring over the information and choices… literally. Learning a lot as
I go(something I’m sure all some of you more experienced ereaders have
most definitely been shaking your heads at). BUT I have to tell you,
its irritating! No wonder there has not been a mad rush for the common
non-tech person to jump into the foray of reading ebooks! The silly
companies are making it not easy. I can see why Sony or the Kindle have
a chance at being good… their the only easily found choice! PDA’s do
not pop up as a reader choice in google. PDA’s are small for reading
on– a HUGE issue even if they do everything else you need them to do.
Which is why I don’t get it.

Why aren’t one of the many PDA companies jumping on board and making a reader?
(or have I just not found it? but if that were the case, why would
Kindle’s supposed venture into wirelessness ect… be such a big deal???
Like I said, I just don’t get it.)

Am I missing something here? I mean I spent hours trying
to find a system which would be compatible with the different readers
out there and would upload protected documents that I
bought from my computer(not just downloaded straight from the
publishing house I buy it from) to a reader I could take with me.
HOURS! Most people I know wouldn’t do that. Heck, I’m wondering about
my own sanity for doing it.
PDA’s do this… you have a name id and you can move from about 6 systems
with the same story as long as you have your id. Makes sense to me. Ah…
why again aren’t all the other systems doing this??? I’m all for
protected documents. What I don’t get is why the companies creating the
machines aren’t getting it. Yeah, I like the Kindle and the Sony. I
found several other readers out there but only one that basically is a
like a PDA yet is classified as a reader and that cost $700… ah… and
you think the Kindle is expensive? I want to stand on my rooftop and yell, “HELLO!
Of course the sales for ebooks are slow to take off… and its not just
because we love our books in paper(though I do)its because its so dang
impossible to get a USER FRIENDLY reader system.”

Or that’s my take on it anyhow. Dang I wish I had a hand in one of
those PDA companies… they have an opportunity right before them that I
can’t believe their not tapping into. And for all those skeptics out there who say ebooks are not going to be big some day…. why are BOTH Sony AND Kindle BACKORDERED for the next month!??!
Yeah, exactly. And they’re not in my opinion the best deal other than
they are most definitely far and above the easiest to read and locate
as an ebook reader. Wonder if I’d get a cut in the profits if I were to
make the suggestion to a PDA company and they actually followed it?
Nah, I didn’t think so either.

Any thoughts?

Edit add: (Since I originally wrote this up I have bought a PDA - a My Pal A626 Ultra Slim–should be here Friday!!!! .
It does all that I ask in a reader and then some. The only thing, like
I’ve mentioned above, is the size of the screen… but I’ll live with
that. Thanks to all the wonderful gals on Harlequin who have been
gracious enough to answer my questions and listen to my grumblings as I
insisted on joining the ebook world. I truly think there would be far
more people reading both paper and ebook if the eReader options were a
bit easier. The general populace is not about to spend hours, much less
days, searching for the right tool. For most its a couple of clicks or
no buy. Its the truth about our world. If its not easy, we move on.
Hopefully with each year that goes by, the eReaders will get better and
better. )

Cole

Nicole Reising
www.nicolereising.com
www.nicolereising.com/blog

Imagination... the magical whispers from within.