Dilemmas dilemmas, which one to get?…A pretty dull e-reader with e-ink technology so you can read books, or a brand new tablet PC with full colour display and access to games, video and the internet?

So, you’re in the market for a cool gadget this Christmas, but still unsure what that will be.

You have the sweet Canon 60D for photography, you are happy with your current laptop for one more year, your smartphone needs updating, but that will be a bonus mid-way through the year at contract renewal, and your X-Box 360 is still providing you with lots of stimulation and pleasure, not in part due to the huge HD screen that it is connected to, yes Joe nearly has it all…

Obviously your missing an iPad or more Generic tablet?

Now many would argue that if you were this example of an average Joe, then your next logical gadget to buy should be a nice Android based Tablet from Samsung or a new iPad from Apple.

Joe is on a budget though:

Yes, like many in the US and the rest of the World our man Joe is skint.

And if the Samsung and Apple iPad were too costly, or he perhaps wanted something a bit smaller, then Joe should then go for the new Amazon Kindle Fire or Barnes and Noble Nook color E-Book, obviously these “near” tablet like devices are far better than those boring E-Ink E-Readers:

But does our man Joe really want a Tablet PC or colour E-reader for Xmas?

So, are these lovely looking, funky devices what this person really needs.

Let us do some common sense analysis:

Firstly, he works in an office with his own computer always there, his smartphone keeps him amused with various news apps during breaks and on the way to work, and gives him access to email, Youtube and other video sites, and at home and when he is out enjoying a coffee, his laptop is powerful enough and small enough to hold in his bag and do some emailing or surfing the net in general while out and about, and he is more than happy with his huge HD display and X-Box for gaming on a mid week night and weekend.

So what could Joe get if he still needs his gadget fix like so many guys and girls do at Christmas?

The answer could well be an E-reader, but not the color ones, and here is why:

We have covered some interesting comparisons of E-Readers in the past from the Nook V’s Kindle Fire Tablet and you know what I love about these is that you can have a huge sized book all contained in a lovely small device, that makes no noise, lasts ages on one charge, and can be read in any light (apart from dark), and what is more it is pretty cheap for a gadget. Though I predict that they will be almost giving these e-readers away in years to come, so you are then signed up to their individual marketplaces.

In this world of plenty the humble e-reader shines out as a bastion of peace and tranquillity:

So with this in mind, I am going to suggest to our friend Joe that he should take more time out to relax and stop stimulating his poor brain with vast amounts of data and unhealthy radiation and sit down with a new lightweight e-reader and enjoy one of life’s little, very inexpensive pleasures.

Albeit using a cool gadget that reinvented the book and termed it an “ebook” when it did not even know it had anything wrong with it.

Joe, if you ain’t got an e-reader in 2012, you are out of the loop my friend!

Both the Barnes and Noble Nook, and Amazon Kindle Fire offer affordable prices for gaining easy access into tablet computing, but what are they offering in terms of specifications and features other than a great price?

We help you make you make up your mind with an easy to see comparison between the two Tablet computers.

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Price:

• Nook tablet = $229-249
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablet = $199

Screen:

• Nook tablet = 7 inches
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablet = 7 inches

Internet:

• Nook tablet = Wi-Fi only
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablet = Wi-Fi only

Apps:

• Nook tablet = Roughly 1000 +
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablet = 10,000 and growing quickly

Operating System:

• Nook tablet = Based on Android but no access to Androids marketplace for apps
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablet = Based on Android but no access to Androids marketplace for apps

Storage:

• Nook tablet = 16 gigabytes of storage plus a memory-card slot
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablet = With unlimited access to the Amazon cloud service – Only 8 gigabytes of internal storage is offered and no memory-card slot

Dimensions/Weight:

• Nook tablet = 0.48 inch thick, 14.1 ounces
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablet = 0.45 inch thick, 14.6 ounces

Battery:

• Nook tablet = Up to 9 hours claimed
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablet = Up to 7.5 hours claimed

Entertainment:

• Nook tablet = Access to apps from Netflix and Hulu for video streaming
• Amazon Kindle Fire tablet = Access to apps from Netflix and Hulu for video streaming plus Amazon Premium cloud service for $79 a year offering free movies, e-books, music all form their cloud servers,

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Amazon Kindle v Barnes and Noble Nook:

So as you can see, apart from price there is not much at all between the two, there is however one more important factor that many should consider that is less obvious and will be prone to fluctuation and that is how many apps are available on their own marketplaces.

Here Amazon are leaps and bounds ahead from the fact that they have such a huge overall global presence already and a highly functional marketplace that is designed to make their Kindle Fire a real entertainment hub, offering videos, music and games with free access to their flagship cloud service as standard to stream the content and store items bought.

I actually struggle to see why anyone would want the Nook when they can get a better functioning and more connected tablet PC for less money.

Ok, so this articles source has a hint of the self fulfilling prophecy behind it as the data is released via a Mr Sriram Peruvemba, the CMO of E-Ink Holdings, who just so happen to be the guys behind that lovely glare free display that adorns the massively popular Kindle by Amazon and the Barnes and Noble “Nook” among others.

Mr Sriram Peruvemba does however say that the demand for its displays could hit 25 million to 30 million units this year at a conference on Emerging Display Technologies, this is around 3 times the amount sold in 2010, question is will this grow exponentially or will the demand plateau?

E-ink holdings income for 2010:

There is no denying that a mobile digital library has something appealing to many people, I was admittedly one of those that thought it was solving a problem that did not exist but like some innovations the market worked out why they wanted and liked these devices after they were sold and word simply spread one by one, I see very little advertising for these devices, though admittedly I am perhaps the wrong demographic.

So moving back to figures. Last year, E Ink Holdings generated $650 million, and have said that they could go past $1 billion this year.

Will e-ink holdings be concerned about smartphones and tablets?

While most e-readers bought at present are currently “kindle’s” with barnes and nobles “nook” gaining strength, it will be interesting to see what the highly anticipated Amazon Hollywood Tablet we wrote about a month ago, due for release some time soon will do for the kindle market.

You see I can not work out why someone would want an e-reader that is useless for video or high gloss presentations but admittedly great for reading from, when you can have a tablet and have huge functionality and a pretty good attempt at a virtual kindle via an application.

There is undoubtedly a market for e-readers, I just wonder whether this may wane quite sharply in the next 24 months as the desire for tablets increases and prices come down.

Want to find out the difference between a tablet and an e-reader why not check out or lowdown on tablets v’s e-readers.

Qualcomm Mirasol – A Hybrid?

It is touted that many e-reader manufacturers are looking at full colour screens that are able to do video while keeping power consumption down to a minimum such as will be seen in Qualcomms Mirasol, could this hybrid become the way forward for the e-reader market thought at what point to do they become one and the same!