It’s safe to say that “wireless reading devices” like the Amazon Kindle are a step in the right direction toward a usable e-book reader. That said, librarians aren’t losing sleep over them just yet, what with their hefty price tag and a tactile experience similar to cuddling with a calculator.
When we talk about the importance of the experience of reading a book, a similar argument can be made for the experience of reading a newspaper. While there are many (myself included) who use the interwebs almost exclusively to stay abreast of the daily news, few can deny the pleasure to be derived from spreading a newspaper on the kitchen table and leisurely flipping through the pages with one’s morning coffee.
Unfortunately, the demise of the newspaper as a print-on-paper entity is almost assured, and profitable alternatives have been elusive. So… will “wireless reading devices” (the dork factor on that term is off the charts) like the Kindle provide a new home for newspaper content?
The Boston Globe, among other major dailies, is now offering a special edition of its paper that can be delivered wirelessly and automatically to Kindle owners every morning. It costs $9.99 a month, which certainly won’t break the bank, but there’s a catch:
The Kindle Edition of The Boston Globe contains articles found in the print edition, but will not include some images and tables. Also, some features such as the crossword puzzle, box scores and classifieds are not currently available.
Hmmmm. Sounds like there is still work to be done. In addition to the price of the “wireless reading device” needing to come down, all of the content that appears in the print edition and online, like images and tables, should be available in the Kindle edition.
While it looks like Amazon’s relationship with the newspaper industry will not be a life-saver, it’s an idea that hopefully provides fodder for further innovation in the future.
Tags: Amazon, Boston Globe, E-Books, Kindle, Newspapers
July 20, 2008 at 1:23 am
hey, i just found your blog via facebook. this is that college friend of yours who is also a librarian. i wanted to let you know that i have a blog too, which is totally unrelated to work: infogluttony dot wordpress dot com.
i don’t like to throw my name around because i like to keep my online and real identities as separated as possible. this is approaching the fine line between caution and paranoia, but i guess i’d like to keep my dissident musings between me and the department of homeland security.
ok, on to this post, which was very good. the kindle is a great idea that will hopefully improve over time. not only is there the innate pleasure of handling a newspaper, but also what constitutes ownership in the digital age? it’s like as we move to a digital culture we’re moving to perpetual licensing: what lawrence lessig calls “a permission culture.” that stinks, doesn’t it.
personally speaking, i’m one of the few who “can deny the pleasure to be derived from spreading a newspaper on the kitchen table and leisurely flipping through the pages with one’s morning coffee.” i find newspapers unwieldy instruments of knowledge. give me a PDA anyday. i’m sure the commuter sitting next to me on the train would agree, since i don’t clothesline him as i thrust open Section A.
good luck on the job search. tell ellen what’s up.
by the way, d love has a blog too. it’s his name dot wordpress dot com.
November 5, 2008 at 5:30 pm
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