There's been a lot of buzz around the Kindle lately, the device from Amazon.com that lets you read books electronically, and download more books and content via an integrated cellular modem. The $259 device foreshadows how we'll be viewing content in the future.
As much as I love my Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal each morning, the economics of printing and delivering a paper to my doorstep each morning can't be viable for much longer in the current advertising market. The cost of printing and delivery alone are too high. The question is not whether these publication will move on-line - rather, it is a question of when and how they will do it.
Will they subsidize a Kindle like device when a subscription is renewed? Or will I buy one device to read both papers - and my Wired and Time subscriptions? The technology for portable reading devices is advancing - but the cost of the devices is the biggest barrier. There's a great story on it from Fortune reporter Michael Copeland here which discusses the economics and the technology. As advertisers take advantage of this new medium, we'll eventually see motion graphics and video advertising in these devices. It's a few years out, but the advancements are impressive.
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I first ordered one for my mother for Christmas. I was not certain that she would be able to figure this out because she doesn't have a computer or understand the basics of technology (she's 82). I did some comparisons with other similar devices. What makes this great is that you do not have to be in a hot spot. I knew my mom would have trouble with that concept. We were told that it would not arrive until mid-March. I love it when Amazon is wrong because it came in late February. I had it delivered to my place so that I could set her up with an account and be able to teach her how to use it. As soon as I opened it, I knew I HAD to have one. Mine arrived about 2 weeks later. I just cannot say enough great things about it. It is easy to navigate around, even for an 82 year old technophobe. Books down load effortlessly. I can even order one at the office and have it there, ready to read when I get home. Although it is rare when I don't have it with me. Many classics are available for free. We both love ours. I like the fact that it fits easily in my purse/tote. I would recommend this to any avid reader.