According to Wired.com, Amazon is on the brink of introducing a new version of their Kindle e-book reader that will use a larger format, potentially more suitable for electronic distribution of newspapers and broadsheet periodicals.
The claim was originally made by the New York Times, citing sources outside the company that have been “briefed” on Amazon.com’s plans to expand Kindle’s reach. But there’s a whole lot of misinformation and speculation out in the blogosphere right now, and until we get a definitive statement from Amazon.com, it’s anyone’s guess what the company is up to in regards to Kindle’s future.
Some critics claim that the rumors floating around about the new large-format are primarily wishful thinking on the part of the publishing industry. Large metropolitan newspapers all across the United States have seen their profits diminished as more and more consumers get their news from online sources.
To some, a large-format Kindle reader is seen as the last best hope for the newspaper and publishing industry to survive in the digital age. But in many ways, the publishing industry has only itself to blame for the dire straits they are in: the original decision by papers and other periodicals to put content online free is seen by many experts (with the benefit of hindsight) as a major business blunder. Reading the news online has become so ubiquitous, that almost every newspaper in the country has seen its circulation drop, and subscription rates right along with it.
The hope of the publishing industry is that a popular and easy to use E-reader, like Kindle, will catch fire with the public, enabling newspapers to charge a subscription fee for the digital delivery of their content on a daily basis. The problem with this “hope” is that it’s not at all based on reality.
Assuming that Amazon does develop a large-format Kindle reader, and that it does become very popular with the public, how many people are going to subscribe for the delivery of their favorite newspaper when they can get virtually the same information online via desktop computer, laptop or even smart phone — and for free?
But if a large-format Kindle won’t save the newspaper publishing industry, it could be a boon to the education field. High school and university textbooks would be prime candidates for e-delivery to a reader such as Kindle. And lower overhead and production costs should allow these typically expensive tomes to be delivered at a fraction of their current price.
So even if the newspapers can’t be saved by the widespread use of an E-reader, it could be an absolute boon to college kids, and parents struggling to keep up with increasing tuitions.
Looking at current e-book readers prices I guess the cost of large-format reader would easily beat Fujitsu FLEPia’s record. It makes the idea even more unrealistic until technology makes big steps towards e-paper price reduction.
Comment by Marco Gustafsson — June 23, 2009 @ 2:35 am