[MGP-Forum Announce] ebook readers

[DigDog at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/1/2006 11:28:09 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
susanekg at comcast.net writes:

But the  fact that I've been hearing about the e-book for so
> long makes me  wonder if it's like the flying car, or the pill that
> provides complete  nutrition for 24 hours: the reason they're not here is
> because we  don't really want them.




Actually, I think the explanation is simpler -- and more complex --  than 
that. Book readers tend to be more traditional media consumers -- older and  less 
inclined to adopt new technologies. So big media companies have no  
confidence that developing an ebook reader will produce any profit. Younger  media 
consumers will see it as a futile attempt to adapt old school media to new  
technologies and the older readers who might liek it most would be resistant to  the 
technology.
 
I think we'll see ebook or newspaper readers as an adjunct to technology  wit
h a different purpose altogether. For example, I could see Apple developing  
multimedia presentations of literary works that might include clips from movies 
 made of the story, interviews with he author and other relevant sources, an  
audio reading of the book and a ext version for those who wish to do the old  
fashioned thing and actually read it. 
 
The masses won't buy a machine expressly for the purpose of delivering  an 
ebook. But I think they would use the features if they were included in  another 
device they do want to buy... 
 
Eric  Deggans
TV/Media Critic
St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727)  893-8521
_http://www.sptimes.com/columns/deggans.shtml_ 
(http://www.sptimes.com/columns/deggans.shtml) 
_http://blogs.tampabay.com/media/_ (http://www.sptimes.com/blogs/media/) 

"Karl  Marx (was) wrong, Television is the opiate of the masses." - Tony 
Follari 
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