is supposed to bring entertainment to your lap in a BIG way.  The battery is puported to last for 10 hours and stay alive in hibernate mode for up to a month.  Like an iPhone or iTouch, Apple’s iPad brings up games, lets you surf the Internet, contact via email and even–READ A BOOK!  Now that Apple has entered the realm of electronic book readers (like Sony’s Reader, Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook), we can expect the demand for ebooks to continue to rise.  Currently they make up 5% of  all book sales.

Does this news mean the End of the Book is sooner?

I argue no.  The iPad may create more readers, by creating more portability for books and greater accessibility, e-reading isn’t necessarily competing with regular reading–it’s adding reading to the many activities people can do online.  This may tap a market of gamers and Internet browsers looking for something else to do with their screen.  I liken it to putting books in the laps and hands of computer users.

Reader, what’s your take on the iPad?