Here is an article I wrote for THe Medium (the U of T mississauga campus news). I am really interested in this whole e-reader/e-life phenomenon...a preview, this will be pubished monday.
After three years of development, and wielding itself into a legion of flopped e-reader technologies, Amazon’s first digital reader, the Kindle, was officially launched last Sunday, Nov 18th, in New York. The much talked about endeavor backed by North America’s largest online book retailer sold out in 5.5 hours when it reached the markets on the following Tuesday. Since Amazon never made public how many kindles they made available for sale, some skeptics are wondering how to measure the success of a complete sell out. However, the reviews have been favorable.
The thin and sleek white plastic frame is described as unflattering. But the real kicker is the E Ink technology used in the display screen – first introduced by the Sony reader this year, which now sells, literally, a dozen units. Selling for a retail of $399, Kindle currently accesses over 90, 000 books including bestsellers using Sprint’s 3G cellular network. Yes, using EV-DO data (wireless technology regulated to give you access almost anywhere).
What is E Ink® Technology?The Sony® Reader’s display uses E Ink® - a significant improvement over CRT and LCD technology. Instead of rows of glowing cells, E Ink® microcapsules actually appear as either black or white depending on a positive or negative charge determined by the content. The result is a reading experience that’s similar to paper - high contrast, high resolution, viewable in direct sunlight and at a nearly 180-degree angle, and requiring no power to maintain the image. In other words, it's a screen that, like you, is well read. - http://products.sel.sony.com
The most impressive quality thus far, and the one the New York Times is gushing about, is that your wireless is free. Unlike cell phone technology, no contracts or monthly bills are included with downloading the books. Wireless costs for Amazon will be integrated into the books, but if you download often and uses the device for newsprint, magazine, email, and new reports, the free wireless sounds awfully tasty.
The cost of a download? It makes sense that a download would be cheaper than a physical object, but the prices are more than cut in half. An Ebook goes for an average of $10, as compared to a hardcover bought in-store that ranges from $25 - $35 (yes, this will even make that dreaded U.S/Can par pricing debate disappear). Older books range anywhere from $6 to $9.
“The interesting question to think about is why books are the last bastion of analog,” said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at the kindle launch. “[Books] have stubbornly resisted digitalization [but] we don’t think about the ink or the paper or the glue or the stitching…what remains is the author’s world, the author’s word…”
But is the author the main presence anymore? With a transition to the digital realm, like music’s transition, file sharing will soon become an issue. This technology is sure to change the definition of ownership for the age-old technology. As it stands, your paperback, once bought, is yours to loan and copy. However, with its new digital form, the Amazon corporation instilled the following terms of service for all its downloads:
"You may not sell, rent, lease, distribute, broadcast, sublicense or otherwise assign any rights to the Digital Content or any portion of it to any third party, and you may not remove any proprietary notices or labels on the Digital Content. In addition, you may not, and you will not encourage, assist or authorize any other person to, bypass, modify, defeat or circumvent security features that protect the Digital Content."
So, who owns the e-book? And what does this mean for the book retailer, the publishing house, and most importantly, the author? If you think in terms of music, this will make books more accessible. Just think. As you watch Opera, and she announces the latest book in her book club – because in my experience working in a bookstore, Oprah’s recommendation is the best selling tool imaginable – you will be able to get it within one minute downloading time. This sure beats going to the bookstore and finding out it is sold out and on back-order. Sure it is convenient, but the publishing houses, all hail Gutenberg, are going to ensure that these e-books are protected from pirating.
Authors can now become “kindle authors” formatting books straight to the kindle device and setting their own prices. Amazon becoming a publishing Mecca as well as a bookseller? Some authors are on board, such as Michael Lewis (Moneyball and Liars Poker) calling the kindle the “future of book reading.” Others are against, in 2004, American author Annie Proulx was quoted as saying, "Nobody is going to sit down and read a novel on a twitchy little screen. Ever.”
Bezos somewhat agrees in that the book cannot be compared, “we can’t out-book the book. But could use this new medium to go beyond.” And so the debate will continue. Is E entertainment/culture/technology a better future? Is Orwell’s 1984 a work of Nostradamus-ian accuracy?
For those interested, the Kindle will be back in-stock online on the 29th – just in-time for the Christmas rush.
The most impressive quality thus far, and the one the New York Times is gushing about, is that your wireless is free. Unlike cell phone technology, no contracts or monthly bills are included with downloading the books. Wireless costs for Amazon will be integrated into the books, but if you download often and uses the device for newsprint, magazine, email, and new reports, the free wireless sounds awfully tasty.
The cost of a download? It makes sense that a download would be cheaper than a physical object, but the prices are more than cut in half. An Ebook goes for an average of $10, as compared to a hardcover bought in-store that ranges from $25 - $35 (yes, this will even make that dreaded U.S/Can par pricing debate disappear). Older books range anywhere from $6 to $9.
“The interesting question to think about is why books are the last bastion of analog,” said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at the kindle launch. “[Books] have stubbornly resisted digitalization [but] we don’t think about the ink or the paper or the glue or the stitching…what remains is the author’s world, the author’s word…”
But is the author the main presence anymore? With a transition to the digital realm, like music’s transition, file sharing will soon become an issue. This technology is sure to change the definition of ownership for the age-old technology. As it stands, your paperback, once bought, is yours to loan and copy. However, with its new digital form, the Amazon corporation instilled the following terms of service for all its downloads:
"You may not sell, rent, lease, distribute, broadcast, sublicense or otherwise assign any rights to the Digital Content or any portion of it to any third party, and you may not remove any proprietary notices or labels on the Digital Content. In addition, you may not, and you will not encourage, assist or authorize any other person to, bypass, modify, defeat or circumvent security features that protect the Digital Content."
So, who owns the e-book? And what does this mean for the book retailer, the publishing house, and most importantly, the author? If you think in terms of music, this will make books more accessible. Just think. As you watch Opera, and she announces the latest book in her book club – because in my experience working in a bookstore, Oprah’s recommendation is the best selling tool imaginable – you will be able to get it within one minute downloading time. This sure beats going to the bookstore and finding out it is sold out and on back-order. Sure it is convenient, but the publishing houses, all hail Gutenberg, are going to ensure that these e-books are protected from pirating.
Authors can now become “kindle authors” formatting books straight to the kindle device and setting their own prices. Amazon becoming a publishing Mecca as well as a bookseller? Some authors are on board, such as Michael Lewis (Moneyball and Liars Poker) calling the kindle the “future of book reading.” Others are against, in 2004, American author Annie Proulx was quoted as saying, "Nobody is going to sit down and read a novel on a twitchy little screen. Ever.”
Bezos somewhat agrees in that the book cannot be compared, “we can’t out-book the book. But could use this new medium to go beyond.” And so the debate will continue. Is E entertainment/culture/technology a better future? Is Orwell’s 1984 a work of Nostradamus-ian accuracy?
For those interested, the Kindle will be back in-stock online on the 29th – just in-time for the Christmas rush.
