Strong E-Book Reader Sales Likely To Continue In 2010

E-book readers have been around for a long time now. The first one, which is generally agreed to have been the Franklin eBookman, was released in 1999, more than ten years ago. Other readers were released, notably the original Amazon Kindle in 2007 which actually lagged behind the Sony PRS reader which had launched in 2006.

However, it wasn't until 2009 that e-book readers really took off in a big way. With absolutely no disrespect to Sony, much of the credit for this has to go to Amazon. The launch of the Kindle 2.0 in February 2009 backed up by the release of the larger DX reader in June caused quite a stir and established e-book readers as the hot gadget of the year. The Kindle quickly became Amazon's number one selling product and was the most gifted Amazon item ever over the 2009 festive period. Both Sony and Barnes and Noble had released new readers in time for the Christmas season, but uncertainty about delivery in time for Xmas, coupled with the Kindle's already established dominance meant that Amazon swept the boards.

There is no shortage of e-book readers to choose from right now. There is a long, and impressive list, of manufacturers who now have their readers on the market, or who are developing them for release in the very near future. Industry analysts are anticipating that 2010 will be a big year for e-book readers and the level of sales is expected to increase.

It is, to all intents and purposes, an entirely new market segment which, until very recently, simply didn't exist. Aside from manufacturers of the e-book reader devices themselves, there are implications for book publishers, academic establishments, educational authorities, third party suppliers and, of course, the book reading public.

The sudden appearance of this brand new market has been great news for manufacturers such as M-Edge who produce a range of accessories - chargers, reading lights, covers, etc. - for the Kindle. Other accessory suppliers are also making hay while the sun shines. Right now, most of the accessories on offer are for the Kindle - but other readers will emerge and they will almost certainly be catered for in a similar manner.

The e-book reader market is still nascent. It is growing and developing at an incredible rate. Amazon has been instrumental in the development of the market to date and enjoys a 60% share of the American market as a result. Their dominance will be strongly challenged in 2010, as will Sony's current second place (with a 35% market share). However, this new market offers plenty of opportunity for companies with the vision and innovative skills to establish themselves at this early stage.

Read more aboutthe Amazon Kindle reader and learn how you can save money by downloading free Kindle books - right from Amazon's website.