TeleRead assembles the numbers and ponders whether the Amazon Kindle or the Sony Reader is number one in sales. It looks like the numbers are not so clear. I’m still guessing that the Kindle is tops for now, however. Just a guess though.
I do think TeleRead is right about one thing: “the real winner going by sheer numbers might be neither the Kindle nor the Sony Reader but rather the iPhone.” Yep, the iPhone continues to impress as a small, mobile device for reading the web or eBooks via Stanza. I do wish someone would make an iPhone like device with a larger display, however. I’m holding out hope that one of the MID manufacturers will do this.
I also think there’s a broader problem here yet to be solved. It’s actually a two part problem. A great reading device needs good browser connectivity. Here again, the iPhone is the closest, but I don’t think even it goes far enough in terms of the browser design and the like. I also think eBooks need to enable more user input. It’s the difference between static web pages, for instance, and those will Flash. Something similar needs to happen with eBooks. (Note: I’ve been working on my own permutation of this with a series of electronic Workbooks.)
I won’t be surprised one day to see Netbookish or MID-like devices that look and are packaged more like eReaders than notebooks. This is where I see the next iteration going, at least.