Acer cautious over e-book reader roll-out
Not sure there's enough money in it
Acer has put its plan to develop an e-book reader on hold while it watches how the market develops, a senior executive has said.
Speaking in Taipei yesterday, Acer chairman Wang Jeng-tang said his company is not yet ready to launch an e-book reader. But it has the hardware standing by, just in case, he said, the Taipei Times reports.
The executive said at issue is the question of whether punters will embrace e-book readers to such a degree that the category moves out of its niche and into the mainstream. He hinted that until this happens, e-book readers will not be profitable for Acer.
And it's a good bet that if they're not profitable for a manufacturer like Acer, they're not going to be pouring cash into the coffers of the likes of Amazon and Sony, both key e-book reader suppliers.
Acer's work on an e-book reader range was revealed in late January by Jim Wong, the head of its IT products division.
Wong also hinted that Acer might adjust its product line up according to what Apple would launch, this in the days before the introduction of the iPad. After Apple's announcement, Acer Taiwan boss Scott Lin said the company has no plans to launch a gadget along the same lines. ®
COMMENTS
If only the market would develop...
...and it's not likely to do that when publishers are pricing eBooks at the same level as hardbacks long after the paperback has been released. I would love to move to eBooks but I won't be taken for a mug. Ideally I would like proper pricing (akin to current Amazon/online pricing) and portability (no tie-ins). DRM free or a legitimate secondary market are probably a long way off but I can dream. I steered clear of digital music downloads until I felt the market was offering something more; I will do the same with eBooks but would really like them to get a move on. I can't be the only one who is thinking along these lines can I?
