Moderator’s note: Hey, Joe, care to check out OLPC XO-1? The current XO is far from Kindle-simple, but still a great hint of the possibilities of a multi-purpose machine. – David Rothman.
“People don’t read anymore,” said Apple’s Steve Jobs earlier this week. I don’t doubt the various surveys and reports that show adults are reading fewer books these days, but I would contend that overall, most are reading more content; much of that is online, of course, in the form of articles, blogs, etc. Using myself as an example, I read about the same number of books per year that I have for the past few years, but I find myself inundated with RSS feeds and other sources that I struggle to keep up with.
Jobs was making the point that it would be silly for Apple to produce an e-book device. As he put it, “the whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.” Didn’t he also downplay the attractiveness of the cellphone market not too long ago, and then the iPhone appeared? I’m not suggesting Apple has some e-book device in the works, but it’s interesting to look back at these kind of statements.
More importantly, I think any e-book device that is strictly built for books is flawed.
This model needs to focus on content, not books. While the Kindle is mainly an e-book device, Amazon was smart enough to enable it in other ways so that it can do more than just serve up a digital book. And that’s just Kindle Version 1.0.
Beyond books
Regardless of whether the ultimate market share winner is Amazon, Apple or someone else, this sort of device needs to serve the needs of all content acquisition and consumption, not just books. Beyond books and magazines, the vision should be that this device is your go-to, read/write tool for blogs and all social networks, for example. That sounds like a laptop, doesn’t it? Well, if someone can create an ultra-thin laptop with e-ink technology and a great e-content fulfillment service behind it, they might just have something there.
Sorry, Joe, but I disagree: There are times when a device should be for a specific use and ebook reading is one of those times.
What you seek you already have — it’s a laptop. And laptops are getting lighter and slimmer (witness MacAir). The only thing missing is the eInk screen but why would you want that? The LCD screen is really a better screen and with the increases in processor speed, turning a page on the LCD is often smoother and quicker than it would be with eInk –plus you get color now, and at a reasonable price.
There is a certain experience associated with reading. It is different from that of a computer. Once you blend the two, you no longer have a great experience in either genre because each genre has to compromise in order to coexist with the other.
When I was looking at ebook devices, I considered a lot of them, including the Kindle. I rejected the Kindle because it was essentially a stripped down laptop that lacked the capabilities of a laptop, and represented something I wanted to get away from. I chose the Sony because it was a closer emulation of reading which is what I wanted an ebook reader for.
I want reading to be something unique, something important, something memorable, something pleasurable, and so I want a device that mimics the experience of reading a printed book, not a device that mimics my workspace.
Hi Richard. I must respectfully disagree with you. Ask any good eye doctor and they’ll tell you the backlit LCD screen you find on a laptop is hard on the eyes. That’s precisely why Sony and Amazon went with eInk technologies for their readers. I spent a lot of time reading on a Sony device last year and found it to be much, much easier on my eyes than reading on a laptop.