It was with great anticipation that I opened my just arrived Kindle electronic book, touted to be the second coming of the printed book. The marketing is amazing, they almost promote it as a pet; you don't "turn it on", you "wake" it. It is registered to me as the owner. I can download any digitized book in a minute or so with just one click for $9.99. Everything happens as they say it will.
The downsides are: 1) They are currently back ordered with about a 6 week wait. 2) The cost is $399, way too pricey for the average person, although it would be interesting to run the demographics on the average reader of a hard bound novel. 3) Most books are not digitized as of yet, and therefore unavailable. 4) One has to get used to "texting thumbs" to turn the pages. This will be easier for teens now than older adults.
The upsides are numerous: 1) Only takes 2 hrs to charge 2) Electronic ink is very easy on the eye. I read before bed for 1 1/2 hours with ease. 3) Bookmarks, underlining, highlighting, and a clippings option allow for the same kind of use as a real book, and is easier to do. 4) The size of text can be chosen, so there's no eyesight problem. 5) It has a universal power adapter, which can be used worldwide.
The bottom line is that not only is the Kindle easy to use, it has features incorporated that make the EXPERIENCE of reading it much like the real thing. The question that we as book manufacturers must answer is: How much will it REPLACE the book versus compliment its use? Being an eternal optimist, I would hope that the Kindle will only promote more reading, more positive experience with dreaming, learning, and make our world a better place for our children and us.
One final admonition though: we who love the book, must hope and expect for the best of outcomes, and yet plan for the worst. The Kindle is the real thing.
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A hurdle the Kindle may not be able to overcome is its proprietary format. Even if electronic content is not protected by DRM, there is still the problem of the file format remaining in use long enough for the consumer to get their $399 worth. This is one problem that has either benefited or plagued the music industry (depending on your point of view). With recorded music there has always been an interface between the user and his/her content: you've either needed a phonograph, a CD player, or an iPod to listen to music. Every time the interface changes, the consumer needs to reacquire content. There is no interface between the consumer and a printed book. As long as I remain alive and have the necessary visual and mental acuity to read, I'll be able to use all of my current books. I don't think the Kindle can make that claim.
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