Ever since rumors of a possible new tablet from Apple started swirling around the tech sites of the internet last year there were continuous prophesies of doom and gloom for the dedicated ereader devices like the Kindle. Why would anybody buy an ereader that is grayscale and only is good for one thing when they could buy a color multifunction tablet? Does the iPad mean obsolescence for "one trick pony" ereaders?

Since Apple finally took the wraps off of its almost mythical tablet on Jan. 27 of this year, it has seemed to draw mixed reactions. Of course, there are many people who love anything Apple. But there also seemed to become fair amount of disappointment. Probably a lot of this was a counter reaction to all of the pre-launch hype, but the iPad also seems to be missing several important features. There is no Adobe Flash support, which somewhat cripples the device's Internet browsing abilities. The iPad does not support multitasking, nor any kind of USB ports. And while the starting price of ?499 seems at first glance to be very reasonable, the lower priced models don't really come with enough storage capacity for a multimedia device. Additionally you will need to spend another ?180 to ?360 per year for a 3G connection.

To certain it feels as though Apple missed the chance to introduce the really revolutionary service that the iPad had the potential to be.

But what about reading on the iPad? Here too it feels as though Apple's newest marvel might have been better. Rather then using a really revolutionary display such as Pixel Qi that has a reflective mode for more comfortable reading, Apple used a backlit LCD screen. Basically reading on the iPad will be like reading on a super sized iPhone or iPod Touch.

Reading on an iPhone, iPod Touch, netbook or similar device with a backlit LCD screen is perfectly fine for casual reading for short intervals; but for long-form reading a non backlit reflective screen like the e-Ink displays that most ereaders use is much more comfortable for most people's eyes.

Yes, I know that we all read on backlit computer screens for hours each day. But the kind of reading that most of us do on the pc is different than book reading where one reads many pages of unbroken blocks of text, possibly for hours at a time. For more critical book readers who want a device for reading a lot of ebooks on a dedicated ereader with a non-backlit reflective display will be best.

If you really want a multifunction tablet style of device that you can also use for critical reading, you might consider waiting for a few months. If you're open to other brands besides Apple, there are a lot of new tablets that will be coming to market this year, and a number of them should incorporate a Pixel Qi or other new display technology that will get better because of long-term reading.

There are even hints that Amazon may have something in the works that will be a direct challenge to the iPad. Ereaders such as Amazon's Kindle are aimed at hardcore book readers who don't want distractions while they can be reading and want a device that is comfortable to read on for extended intervals. These are, after all, the users who buy the most books and who are the most important customers for a content company such as Amazon. If Amazon should make a tablet-like multifunction device, it is certain that it will likely be optimized for reading.

So how much of an impact on the ereader market will the iPad have? Until it is out for a time we cannot really say. No doubt many who are Apple fans or who want a multifunction device and to whom reading is of secondary importance will be thrilled with the iPad. As to killing off dedicated ereaders, I don't think so. I imagine that the larger and more expensive ebook readers, such as the Kindle DX, the Plastic Logic Que and others will feel the majority of the impact. A few of the new multifunction devices such as the enTourage eDGe and probably netbooks will feel the pain as well.

Actually the iPad has already had a dramatic effect on ebooks and on the individuals who buy and read them. Apple negotiated contracts with many of the largest book publishers that lets the publishers set the prices of ebooks sold on the iPad. Publishers have long complained about Amazon selling bestsellers for the Kindle ereader at ?9.99. Using their contracts with Apple as leverage, these publishers have forced Amazon to accept the same terms as well. Beginning in March 2010 we can probably expect to see bestsellers selling in ebook formats for ?12.99 - ?14.99. These prices will most likely be the same everywhere - no more discounting. Apple has probably helped to make ebooks as much as 50 percent more expensive for readers.

Whatever happens, 2010 is shaping up to be the year of both the tablet and the ereader and should prove to be quite interesting.