[MGP-Forum Announce] Sony starts selling the Sony eBookreader:$349.00

[Bill Densmore]

Cross-posted for Eric Deggans, who submitted from DigDog at aol.com -- bill 
densmore

On Sun, 1 Oct 2006 DigDog at aol.com wrote:

>
>
> 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.
>
>
ERIC DEGGANS COMMENTS:>
>
> 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
>

-- 
-------------------------------------
Bill Densmore, director/editor
The Media Giraffe Project 
Journalism Program / 108 Bartlett Hall 
Univ. of Massachusetts 
Amherst MA 01003 
OFF: 413-577-4370 / CELL: 413-458-8001
densmore at journ.umass.edu

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