IDC's Quarterly tablet and ereader tracker. Also, comic strip for the day

IDC, International Data Corporation, just released its latest Worldwide Quarterly Media Tablet and eReader Tracker analysis.

Out of 10.1 million media tablets* shipped in the fourth quarter of 2010, which was more than double the 4.5 million shipped in the third quarter.

  Apple's share, with the iPad, decreased from 93% in the 3rd quarter to 73% in the 4th qtr, which is still a strong showing, obviously.  I was surprised it dropped down almost 20% though.

  * "Media tablets" - per IDC - are tablet form factor devices with color displays larger than 5 in. and smaller than 14 in. running lightweight operating systems.  This is in contrast to "tablet PC's" that run full PC operating systems.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab captured more than 17% share during the holiday season.

ArsTechnica's Chris Foresman Forrester reports that:

' Forrester researcher Sarah Rotman believes Amazon is best poised to give Apple the most credible threat to its dominating market position, assuming it could assemble a more general purpose tablet with a color screen" '

According to The Tracker analysis, the eReader market "picked up significantly in the fourth quarter" led by "strong sales of Amazon's Kindle" with significant gains from "competitors such as Pandigital, Barnes & Noble, Hanvon, and Sony among others."

In the 4th quarter (4Q10), the eReader market "more than doubled from the 3Q10, with 12.8 million units shipped, and eReader shipments were up more than 325% from 2009" when roughly 3 million units shipped."

IDC expects Apple to maintain a 70-80% share of the market.

Other media tablets
  "The recently launched Motorola Xoom is a worthy competitor in function, although the relatively high price is expected to be a barrier to gaining significant share."

  The Galaxy, with 32 gigs of storage and 3G cellular wireless access is available for $600 on a 2-year data plan of $20/mo. (for 1 gig of data used) and $30/mo. (for up to 5 gigs). The current Galaxy doesn't offer WiFi access.

  The iPad, with 32 gigs of storage and 3G access has been available for $730 with option of a monthly data plan at $15/mo. for 250 Megs or $25 for the first 2 gigs.

  Many more tablets are appearing on the scene.  Android tablets are not as restricted (in what software apps you can use) but currently are somewhat crash-prone while the iPad is restricted but more stable.

eReaders

' Amazon continued to lead the eReader market holding just over 48% share in 4Q10 and 2010 overall.  Amazon's share recovered in 4Q10 with shipments of the refreshed Kindle (3) (UK: K3)after dipping under 40% in 3Q10. '

They say the Pandigital edged out Barnes and Noble for the 2nd spot in 4Q10 (another surprise). Barnes and Noble's NOOKcolor, LCD-based, is more expensive than e-Ink ereaders but offers fewer features than a full-fledged media tablet.

Worldwide, Sony Reader shipments grew 80.7% during 4Q10 and exceeded 800,000 units for 2010.  They're not much discussed in U.S. ereader forums though, due to higher pricing and no wireless features except in the highest-priced model.

COMIC STRIP of the day - from grimmy.com - Thanks to James of the Lake.
Enjoy it here.


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   DX Graphite

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or highest-rated ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

1) ConsumerReports video: E-readers for the holidays. 2) A DIY book scanner

Consumer Reports has made a videoclip titled "E-Book Readers for the Holidays" which they feature on their ConsumerReports.Org page.  They allow embedding of the video on blogs and other websites, so if you click on the picture or on the link above, you can play the video.

They discuss the Nook, Sony, and Kindle readers and make recommendations.
  Which reader(s) will get the nod?


UNUSUAL GIFT SOME CAN MAKE FOR THEMSELVES (only a few)


Priya Ganapati of Wired.com's Gadget Labs writes about an amazing Do-It-Yourself  book scanner put together by Daniel Reetz who saved several thousands of dollars by building a system with simple materials that cost him about $300.   Ganapati explains:

'So over three days, and for about $300, he lashed together two lights, two Canon Powershot A590 cameras, a few pieces of acrylic and some chunks of wood to create a book scanner that’s fast enough to scan a 400-page book in about 20 minutes.

  To use it, he simply loads in a book and presses a button, then turns the page and presses the button again.  Each press of the button captures two pages, and when he’s done, software on Reetz’s computer converts the book into a PDF file.  The Reetz DIY book scanner isn’t automated – you still need to stand by it to turn the pages.  But it’s fast and inexpensive.

“The hardware is ridiculously simple as long as you are not demanding archival quality,” he says. “A dumpster full of building materials, really cheap cameras and outrageous textbook prices was all I needed to do it.”

... commercial book scanners that are completely automated cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000. The $50,000 Kirtas book scanner, for instance, can capture 3,000 pages an hour. '

See the photos of his basic setup, including an animated one showing it from all angles, at Wired's report.  I have similar cameras and would be tempted if I were of a more creative bent.  Questions of digital rights are discussed, of course, as well as a lot more in this meaty story -- it's a fun read.

  You can download his 79-page guide to building the DIY book scanner at Reetz's site.

"Kindle Culture" Now Available

I'm happy to announce that my new book "Kindle Culture" is now available for the Kindle at Amazon.com! Thanks to everyone in the Kindle community who helped out these past few months. Your support has been greatly appreciated. Here's the product description, which has yet to appear on the Amazon page but should soon.

"How influential and/or pervasive can the Kindle become? Does it have what it takes to join that exclusive group populated by the likes of the Hula-Hoop, the VW Bug and the iPhone and become the next bona fide cultural icon? Will the term 'Kindle' become as ubiquitous in describing e-readers in the future as Band-Aid has for adhesive bandages and Kleenex for facial tissue? And just how strong will the Kindle’s built-in marketing segment of evangelists be in counteracting the latest wave of 'Kindle killers' lurking on the horizon? I searched far and wide, from coast to coast of what currently constitutes Kindle Country to the far edges of the globe, to find out in his new book 'Kindle Culture.'

"'Kindle Culture' examines the social and cultural aspects of the Kindle through a series of stories about people whose lives have been changed by the popular e-reader, from a woman whose Kindle let her read again after almost ten years to a full-time business professional whose hobby of making Kindle covers has turned into a cottage industry he can't keep up with. Along the way you'll meet newlyweds, artists, librarians, hackers, bloggers, members of the clergy, anti-ereader groups and Kindle-defending celebrities, all with one thing in common--the Amazon Kindle."

Sony Vs. Kindle: The Text Ad Wars

Last week the Kindle 2.0 Blog ran a great capture of a text ad in which Sony's Canadian counterpart appeared to be trying to siphon potential Amazon Kindle customers by inviting them to "Re-kindle your love of reading."

Though the ad has since disappeared, a new ad from Sony Central had the #1 spot all week until Amazon finally placed the above. Note Sony wasting no time incorporating the 1/2 million free public domain books they added days ago via a new deal with Google.