More E-Book News: Scribd, iPad, B and N, Cool-er

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The past two weeks have been full of rumors and developments regarding e-books.  Certainly this category of publishing is very active right now, just as book, magazine and newspaper sales are plunging.

SCRIBD

About six weeks ago, I wrote a series The Pieces Are Beginning To Fit in which I observed that the digital age was finally offering several routes to publication that are really substantial.  I pointed to Smashwords as the new model.  Now along comes a competitor:  Scribd.

The online global edition of the New York Times recently carried an excellent description of the new service.

IPAD

Rumors are now swirling in geek-world about a possible tablet-size version of the iPod, with speculation that it might be unveiled at Apple’s upcoming press-con on June 8.  Such a device might compete directly with the new Kindle DX, offering much broader applicability, while still offering a good reading experience.

BARNES and NOBLE – entering the e-reader field?

There are also rumors that Barnes and Noble will soon unveil its own e-reader, tightly tied in to its online store.  Another direct challenge to the Amazon Kindle.

COOL-er — NOT YET READY FOR PRIME-TIME

There’s yet another entry into the e-reader field:  the Cool-er, coming out of UK.  The Times has just reviewed it, giving it high marks for some of its innovative features and very low marks for usability.  The main thing to like is its capability to allow book purchasers to “sell” their books once they have finished with them.  This “pass-along” model would probably have a strong appeal.  The Times reviewer hopes that the next hardware version corrects the reader’s many shortcomings.

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