Today Amazon begins to sell the new Kindle 2, and electronic book reader. The launch is receiving a fair bit of attention.The president of the company producing the Kindle 2 appeared on the Daily Show on Monday--an indication this gizmo is considered hot, and the New York Times hosted an op-ed piece on Tuesday from the president of the US Authors Guild denouncing it.
I've seen the Sony equivalent and must say that I was impressed by the quality of the print, visible in darkness or bright sunlight. I'm just not sure this is how I want to read a book. Among the pros must be the ease of handling and reading. No awkward positioning of a tightly bound book while trying to find a comfortable position in bed. But what about the smug satisfaction of gazing at an overloaded bookshelf. How will others know I read?
It sounds like this might be the beginning of the end for the paper-bound book. Fortunately, the price of $430.00 (Canadian), makes it possible to put-off any decision to switch for some time.
Oh..., why was the president of the Authors Guild denouncing the Kindle? It includes a text-to-speech function that the Authors Guild fears will cut into the billion dollar audio book market. I listened to this audio feature in a promotional video (that can be found here...scroll down to "Watch a Video Demonstration of Kindle 2"), it isn't that good.
Photo Credit: Amazon.com
1 comment:
I am teaching (again) a workshop for Vancouver School Board about e-publishing. I like the idea of e-books - I download and read on my laptop. I would love to try a Sony or Kindle, but I agree the price is completely prohibitive, which means for now the iPhone/iPod is the more likely vehicle for the technology.
Still, nothing will replace the sensory pleasures of a book. They have survived everything else, despite civilization's best attempts. I always think of a Twilight Zone episode where a hen-pecked man is the only survivor of a 'catastrophic event' which leaves him the only man left on earth. He makes his way to a library and sits down to read to his heart's content and trips, breaking his glasses, without which he is blind.
Fade to black.
At least the books survive!
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