A record of my life as a reader, writer, and father (not necessarily in that order).

According to Gizmodo, two tablet projects that would have competed with Apple’s iPad are officially dead. The first is Microsoft’s Courier. The second is HP’s Slate. Other than the Kindle, the Sony Reader, the Nook, and other e-ink devices, there isn’t a serious contender for reading books in the very new tablet market.

Unless NotionInk gets its act together soon, Apple is going to run away with the tablet market the same way it did with portable music players. As appealing as those e-ink readers are, unfortunately, single-use devices don’t have a long shelf-life in this day and age.

I did get a chance to play with an iPad at the local Best Buy here and I was impressed. Despite the LCD screen, I had no trouble envisioning reading a novel on the device.