Electronic book devices represent the ultimate in convergence, uniting ancient written language with modern telecommunications technology. Right now, Amazon offers Kindle and Sony Digital Book.
Soon there may be other participants. The Street and other sites and publications reporting that Barnes & Noble is working with a device vendor and Sprint on an eBook reader. The story goes that the network had been in talks with Verizon, but the talks ended. AT&T is also mentioned as a possible partner.
Barnes & Noble is the nation’s largest book chain, and how it approaches e-readers, both technically and commercially, is critical. The chain partnered with Microsoft and Adobe on a tablet-style device earlier in the decade, but demand was limited and the partnership ended. That the company is ready for another foray into the concept is evidenced not only by the eReader rumours, but also by last month’s purchase of Fictionwise, an electronic bookstore. This would give you a source of content for your eContent distribution initiatives.
Parallel to the activities of the publishing industry and the great increase in cellular and wireless coverage, the fascinating science of flexible displays is advancing rapidly. At the end of January, I took a look at the activities in the field. Flex screens and e-readers overlap but are not synonymous – it’s possible to use a good old-fashioned rigid screen for an e-reader. However, the advent of screens that can be folded, rolled, and even sewn to clothing will certainly broaden the field.
Earlier this month, The Associated Press looked at possible e-book options for Verizon Wireless. The article reported that Tony Lewis, who heads non-phone device activities for the carrier, said he had been contacted by five companies. The article is a bit sketchy on the details, but said the indications are that a product would focus on the types of books that Kindle doesn’t emphasize, like college texts. Lewis neither confirmed nor denied whether Sony, whose device lacks a wireless connectivity option, is one of the five companies.
Everything indicates that Barnes & Noble is very interested in the sector. Besides the fact that it just makes sense, the Fictionwise purchase and rumors of developing a device for use on Sprint’s network, the company late last month released a beta version of a free e-reading app for BlackBerry. East computer world story, benefiting from Enderle Group analysis [http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130673&intsrc=news_ts_head] IT Business Edge director and blogger Rob Enderle confirms that using smartphones for e-books is a stopgap at best due to the limited screen size and heavy demand the app places on users. batteries.
Another player in the field of e-book readers could be Rupert Murdock. T3 reports that News Corp. is interested in producing a device intended for newspapers rather than books. The story raises the interesting question of how an electronic reader could help save newspapers. The poor economy has accelerated the decline of the industry. Possibly, electronic readers could be a convergent solution that allows at least some version of traditional newspapers to survive. Plastic Logic is reported to be designing the device which will launch early next year. Plastic Logic announced an e-reader deal with The Detroit Media Partnership, which a recent Editor & Publisher story cautiously identifies as “the joint operating agency” of the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.