This entry is basically a re-print of a comment I made in response to another guy's review of the new Amazon Kindle 2. I've tailored it a little bit to stand on it's own here in my blog.
My gut - having read the review - is that the author is making a larger statement about the marketing hype than about the actual utility of the device. It’s clear he isn’t into e-readers.
I landed on his site as part of my research to determine if I would switch over from Sony to Kindle.
I think he's missing the point. The main draw of these devices is really 2 things:
1. The portability. This is a huge win for those of us who travel frequently.
2. The screen. It has the contrast of news print w/o any backlighting. Much easier on they eyes than an LCD.
Taken together, it makes complete sense that we (travelers) are going to buy one or the other of these devices - even at the high price-point, bad economy or no.
I’m in agreement that it’s not a world-changer. No starving Somalians are to be helped here. That said, it makes sense to think about these kinds of items in a broader context.
The e-readers are in their infancy. There will come a time when there are no magazines and no books printed on paper. There will come a time when we do our reading in ways we haven’t even yet begun to fathom.
It will still be reading.
Of course you aren’t going to see these devices on subways, trains and busses just yet. But you are starting to see them on airplanes. It just a matter of time before they are commodotized (sp?) and will be as ubiquitous as the books and magazines they are meant to replace.
As for me, I'm still on the fence. I don't know if I'm going to make the switch over to Kindle yet or not. It remains to be seen.
And there you have it. I have spoken on this matter and your lives have been enriched. Go forth and prosper.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
