About six months ago, a new e-reader was announced that would shake up the scene. The Txtr Beagle would be a no-frills reading experience. It didn’t have a touchscreen, a backlight, 3G or even Wi-Fi, and would need two AAA batteries to work. Why would anyone want it? Because it was only going to cost 15 bucks. Well, the Beagle finally went up for pre-order and it turns out it’s going to cost 70 dollars, not 15. Who knows what changed, but Amazon sells its basic Kindle, with Wi-Fi built in, for the same price. But the bigger question is: Does it really matter at all? With Barnes & Noble rumored to possibly eliminate its entire Nook line, e-readers are in limbo right now. Tablets are getting cheaper and phone screens are getting bigger, and all of these devices can access e-reader apps from every e-book seller, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. In a world that doesn’t really need e-readers anymore, the Txtr Beagle has absolutely no place.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.