Ereaders, popcorn makers…
and why the iPad isn’t a ‘Kindle killer’
The question on everyone’s keyboard lately has been whether the iPad is a ‘Kindle killer’. (Check out articles in the SMH, redherring, and The Melbourne Age.) It’s alliterative and dramatic. In other words, perfect to make people click on it or pick up the paper.
It seems pretty clear that while the iPad isn’t going to do away with Kindle and other ereaders, they will die a natural death for the simple fact that they just aren’t useful appliances to have in the house (or handbag).
Appliances are useful only when they fulfil more than one need, do more than one thing.
Take microwaves.
Microwaves have been fixtures in most homes in Australia for at least 20 years. What do they do? Make things warmer than they were before. This means they can cook, defrost and reheat. You can use any receptacle in them except those made out of metal. Plus, nothing else can do what they do quite as easily.
Now look at popcorn makers.
They make popcorn. You can only use them with the attachments they come with. Plus, it’s really easy to make popcorn on the stove or in a microwave. (Oh yeah, microwaves also make popcorn.)
There are tons of comparisons like these to be made: blenders do all sorts of stuff but milkshake makers only make milkshakes; a bucket and kettle are good for lots of things while a foot spa only the one.
Ereaders are going to be replaced fairly swiftly by smart phones and tablet computers because both of those can be ereaders as well as all the other stuff they do.
It kind of begs the question of why ereaders are around at all; why is anyone making or buying them?
As far as I can tell, ereaders are filling the same market gap as electric typewriter-printers did in the 1980s and 1990s. They are a baby step, a stopgap, a security blanket for those who can see the value of new technology but aren’t quite ready to make the leap to multi-purpose devices.
There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s just that ereaders aren’t going to be around for the long haul and will die a natural death over the next few years.
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Further entertaining reading on useless devices:
http://www.behindthecounter.com/10-useless-appliances-in-the-kitchen/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/314787/useless_appliances_where_is_our_common.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/more-silly-appliances.php
http://www.tastingandcomplaining.com/2009/great-moments-in-useless-appliances/
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/archives/2009/01/chronicle_of_us.php
http://www.designboom.com/history/useless.html
Filed Under: Journalism
