[MGP-Forum Announce] Cross posed for Eric Deggans . . .

[Bill Densmore]

Submitted by DigDog at aol.com (Eric Deggans) Sun, 2006-10-01 23:38. Media Giraffe Project Announcements 
In a message dated 10/1/2006 11:28:09 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
 susanekg at comcast dot 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.

Eric Deggans wrotes: 

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
with 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
DeggansTV/Media CriticSt. Petersburg (Fla.) Times(727)
893-8521http://www.sptimes.com/columns/deggans.shtmlhttp://blogs.tampabay.com/media/"Karl
Marx (was) wrong, Television is the opiate of the masses." - Tony Follari