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November 12 – November 19, 2009 Edition

e-Readers in Hot Demand for Christmas

New York, NY (Authorlink News, November 12, 2009)—Independent business research firm Forrester Group predicts that e-Readers will be one of the hottest gift categories this year.  

Forrester claims there will be nearly 1 million e-Reader devices sold just during the holiday season, bringing the total for 2009 to somewhere around 3 million e-Readers. It also predicts that the market will double in 2010.

Barnes & Noble, is already announcing production delays as a result of demand, before it has shipped its first Android-based Nook e-Reader, though the impact of a lawsuit that claims B&N stole the Nook  from Spring Design, may also be influencing the delay. The Nook poses the biggest threat so far to the dominance of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader. Lower prices, more content, better distribution, and lots of media hype are contributing to faster-than-expected adoption of e-Reader devices in 2009, says Forrester.

“While there are still no guarantees, especially with Google and Microsoft looking to replace niche devices with simple browser-based alternatives, the addition of players like Sony, Asus, and Barnes and Noble pretty much ensures that the concept of electronic books is here to stay,” says Forrester.

"Demand for the product in our stores and online has surpassed our expectations," said Mary Ellen Keating, a spokeswoman for Barnes & Noble. She declined to say how many Nooks have been pre-ordered since the retailer introduced the Nook on Oct. 20.

Ms. Keating said initial pre-orders will be shipped on Nov. 30 as promised. However, there has been so much interest in the Nook that customers who preorder the $259 device now will have to wait a little longer to receive them. "We are working hard to meet demand for the holidays," she added.

A December 11 shipping date was reported on Brighthand.com, but there is no official word just yet.