E-Reader Feature

Motorola’s Xoom Starts Tablet Wars With iPad

Walt Mossberg in Personal Technology on February 23, 2011 at 6:01 pm PT

Motorola is launching its Xoom tablet on Feb. 24, and it’s the first real competitor to Apple’s hit iPad, writes Walt. That is partly because it is the first iPad challenger to run Honeycomb, an elegant new version of Google’s Android operating system designed especially for tablets.

New Way to Check Out eBooks

Katherine Boehret in The Digital Solution on February 22, 2011 at 4:21 pm PT

Get out your library cards: Now you can wirelessly download electronic books from your local library using the Apple iPad or an Android tablet.

News Byte

Waiting for the $80 Kindle? Hang On Till 2013

Peter Kafka in Media on January 18, 2011 at 5:00 am PT

Since Amazon refuses to say how many Kindles it sells, observers keep making educated guesses: Barclays now thinks the e-commerce giant moved 7.1 million e-readers last year. That’s a bit less than the 8 million estimate that Bloomberg reported in December, but no matter what the number is, it’s a lot of Kindles. Barclays think Amazon will keep selling more, despite (and perhaps because of) competition from Apple, while dropping prices of the devices. By 2013, it predicts the average price of the e-reader will drop to $79.

Kindle or iPad for Reading E-Books?

Walt Mossberg in Mossberg’s Mailbox on January 12, 2011 at 2:27 pm PT

Walt answers a reader’s question about Kindle as an alternative to the iPad.

Wi-Fi Hotspot Safety and Mac Viruses

Walt Mossberg in Mossberg’s Mailbox on December 29, 2010 at 2:50 pm PT

Walt answers readers’ questions on just how safe are Wi-Fi hotspots and should Mac owners worry about computer viruses.

Transferring E-Books from One iPad App to Another

Walt Mossberg in Mossberg’s Mailbox on September 22, 2010 at 2:33 pm PT

Walt answers readers’ questions on e-reader apps and devices.

Finding the Best Way to Read Books on an iPad

Walt Mossberg in Personal Technology on September 15, 2010 at 6:04 pm PT

The iPad offers a wide selection of different e-reading apps. None is substantially better than the other, but together they enhance the experience of reading e-books.

E-Reader Race to Zero Speeds Up: Borders Cuts Prices on Kindle Killers You Probably Haven't Bought

Peter Kafka in Media on August 31, 2010 at 5:00 am PT

If you haven’t bought a Kobo yet, you’re in luck–it just got 20 bucks cheaper. But it’s reasonable to assume that Borders’ e-reader will see its price drop again within a few months.

Amazon Says New Kindle Is "Fastest-Selling Ever"

Peter Kafka in Media on August 25, 2010 at 6:43 am PT

No numbers, of course. But imagine something really fast, and you’ll get the idea. Right?

The Wait for Plastic Logic's Que E-Reader Will Last Forever

Peter Kafka in Media on August 10, 2010 at 3:54 pm PT

The Que e-reader, which has missed at least three shipping deadlines, won’t miss any more: Plastic Logic is killing the thing off altogether. Plastic Logic insists that it will still be able to compete with Apple’s iPad, Amazon’s Kindle and countless other e-readers, though, via a “second-generation ProReader plastic electronics-based product.” Wisely, it won’t say when that one will show up.