Nov 16, 2007
Amazon to Launch an E-Book Reader Next Week
Back in June, I wrote that large publishers such as HarperCollins and Random House are currently focusing a lot of energy and resources to publishing e-books. These publishers reported that, although sales for e-books never lived up to expectations since their launch in the mid to late 1990s, they now feel this is about to change.
Ãœber-retailer Amazon seems to agree. Next week, Amazon is launching its own e-book reader, the Kindle.
The Kindle is EVDO-enabled, allowing you to subscribe to and download electronic content such as newspaper stories. Amazon is obviously hoping people use the direct connection to its online store to purchase e-books. The device is also audio-enabled, allowing you to listen to audio books and podcasts.
The photo of the Kindle above is the one circulating on the Web. If Amazon’s e-book device really looks like this, it will be a huge flop. From a design perspective, this is one ugly machine, reminiscent of computers from the early 1980s. In a world that now pays a premium for sexy electronic toys such as iPhones, what was Amazon thinking?
The topic of e-books always seems to ruffle feathers. Traditional paper book lovers can’t get their heads around reading their beloved books on-screen. Early e-book adopters have grown bitter that e-books never seemed to gain much ground and that the world of e-books is mired in format turf wars.
Where am I on the subject of e-books?
The manufacturing of paper is one of the top five energy consumers in the United States. Given that much of this energy is derived from carbon-spewing power plants, I applaud any attempts to reduce paper consumption.
Stranded at the grocery checkout line while the person ahead of me counts out the exact change in pennies and nickles, I’ll often turn to my Palm TX PDA, loaded up with my favorite RSS newsfeeds. But, to be honest, this isn’t a pleasant experience. The screen is tiny, navigation is a pain, and the text is hard to read. I’d never choose to read this way.
I want to be an e-book evangelist. But, I know of no device yet that will convince me to switch. (From what I’ve read and seen so far, the Amazon Kindle isn’t going to be it either.) That’s sure to change in a couple of years. Who knows, after changing the way people listen to music, perhaps Apple, or another innovative, design-centered company, will change how we read.
Like the “paperless office” pipe dream that remains as elusive as ever, do you think that there is even a demand for a dedicated e-book reader? Kindle will have built-in Wi-Fi tying into an Amazon e-book store, similar to Apple’s iTunes Wi-Fi Store on the iPhone / iPod Touch. You’ll also be able to listen to audiobooks on Kindle, and even email people. More importantly (for readers anyway), it’ll have a small reading light on an adjustable arm.