Amazon has had a fantastic year in 2009. Much of the credit for that must go to the Kindle ebook reader family. The Kindle 2.0 and its larger sibling, the DX, have been a huge success for Amazon. The Kindle is now Amazon’s number one selling product.

Right now the Kindle accounts for 60% of the US ebook reader market. The Kindle 2.0 was recently released on the global market. Even if Amazon don’t achieve the same high level of success internationally – although it’s difficult to see why they shouldn’t – the increased size of the market is going to help Amazon to achieve even stronger returns next year.

Some business analysts are of the opinion that much of the Kindle’s success up to now has been a result of a lack of genuine competition. Whilst it may be true that there weren’t many e-book readers around to go head to head with the Kindle in the early stages, it would probably be nearer the mark to say that the Kindle’s success was primarily due to the fact that it was an innovative, market changing product.

There are certainly enough alternative readers available today – or planned for release in the near future. The lengthy list of companies which either already have their own readers on the market or scheduled for imminent release is a strong indication of the level of growth which can be expected in the e-book reader market. Whilst it is true that the market for ebook readers is still nascent, it has received support from a number of different sources – including the world of academic publishing and various political bodies. Rapid growth looks inevitable.

Another good indicator of the anticipated level of growth in this sector is the large volume of third party goods available to protect, customise and accessorise ebook readers. Right now most of these items are intended for Amazon’s Kindle reader. If you are looking for a Kindle cover, Kindle reading light or a spare charger then there are any number of independent manufacturers ready and willing to satisfy your requirements. The selection of items for new readers, such as Sony’s Daily Edition and the Nook reader from Barnes and Noble will begin to expand as their popularity rises.

In exactly the same way that 2009 was a good year for Amazon, we can expect 2010 to see ebook readers in general become more and more popular. Amazon’s dominance will be challenged and higher levels of competition will drive prices lower – quite possibly to the point where such readers are considered to be a mainstream consumer item rather than a high technology gadget.

Many business analysts have suggested that a price of around the $ 150 mark would allow this to happen. Bearing in mind the amount of competition in the sector, it’s not too fanciful to suppose that this price point could be achieved in 2010.

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