Here's a link to a Newsweek cover story about Amazon's newest venture: the Kindle.
I checked Amazon.com's site and the Kindle is sold out. I'm not sure if it is available in Canada. The blogs that I've checked either love the Kindle or hate it. Some declare it too clunky and unwieldy and the software to be flawed. Others hail it as revolutionary.
It's true, book buying has dropped recently. I had lunch with a friend of mine who works in book publishing and he says that publishers are doing anything to sell books. Christmas is their big push to sell as much as they can. According to my friend, the situation is desperate. Publishers want to jump onto the ebook bandwagon to save their bottom lines. The Kindle will change over time and become more streamlined. It's price will drop too. It costs $399 (U.S.), which is a bit pricey.
Part of me finds the Kindle intriguing: it has wireless connectivity. You can buy book with one touch and it is downloaded right on to your Kindle.
Will it change the way in which we approach reading and literature? I'm not so sure. Maybe it will just provide more options for readers. I remember when movie theatres went into a tailspin with the advent of VCRs and cable movie channels. The thing is, people still like to go out to the movies. Granted, I go to the movies a lot so my evidence is anecdotal. I'm not sure if movie theatres are suffering due to poor attendance. I do know that when I saw Casino Royale, Notes on a Scandal and The Queen last year, the theatre was jammed. Plus, microwave popcorn doesn't even smell remotely close to the movie-theatre variety.
I am not convinced, however, that the Kindle will replace books. On my subway ride home the other day, I observed many riders engrossed in a book. And I know I mentioned this earlier in the course, but reading a book is a tactile experience. The Kindle would be great for travelling though. You wouldn't have to lug a sack of books with you through the airport for example.
What does the future hold for school libraries?
http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983
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2 comments:
Julie. Loved your sharing about The Kindle. Am I living under a rock these days? I seem to be so wrapped up in school that the real world has ceased to exist...
This was very very interesting. I listened to the interview-evaluation of The Kindle by the Senior Newsweek fellow - did anyone else notice that the background room to his review was his home library. The shelves were overflowing with books of all sizes and descriptions - as he evaluates the Kindle "book" of the future. Somehow that had significance for me. I love the feel of a book. I love the choice of covers and colours and the type of paper. I love the font and I always flip open a book to check out the date of publication.
He does have a valid point about adjusting FONT size. Some nights I find myself a tad frustrated as the FONT is beginning to be a challenge when I am tired. I love to search out phrases - and pride myself on having a visual and feel for approximately where in the book and which page (left or right) the phrase was. That would make that search easier....but that feeling of satisfaction of hunting down a phrase is such a thrill.
Very interesting. $399 does not even seem that pricey to start...
L
Yes!!!! I noticed the same thing about the book-filled home library! I really don't think books will ever go. And...I'm also wondering if the Kindle will really revive an interest in books. If people aren't reading books now, why would the Kindle motivate them to indulge in Dickens or Atwood? (That's another nettlesome aspect about the article. The author wrote that death of Norman Mailer does not bode well for literature. Well, there are many other literary titans.
Still, I'd like to see the Kindle.
Thanks for your interest, Lorna.
-Julie
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