Most Active Articles 2009-11-25T17:19:07.905-05:00 Business Exchange Business_Exchange@businessweek.com urn:com:businessweek:bx:topic:most-active:e-book-readers Susan Clement sclement698 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:2229745244383652617-20b78b1cfaf65376d7cafa2f876a8e7c 2009-11-23T10:42:55.039-05:00

Sony cannot guarantee that its new Daily Edition Reader would reach online buyers in time for Christmas. Now Barnes & Noble says that preorders of its stylish new Nook ebook player have exceeded expectations, and that the company has sold out of its initial supply of devices. Amazon had these same problems last year but now appears to have gotten its manufacturing and supply chain in order. That leaves the Kindle as the most prominent wireless ebook player available for the holidays, although Sony is still selling two non-wireless Readers which must be plugged into PCs to download books...

Sony cannot guarantee that its new Daily Edition Reader would reach online buyers in time for Christmas. Now Barnes & Noble says that preorders of its stylish new Nook ebook player have exceeded expectations, and that the company has sold out of its initial supply of devices. Amazon had these same problems last year but now appears to have gotten its manufacturing and supply chain in order. That leaves the Kindle as the most prominent wireless ebook player available for the holidays, although Sony is still selling two non-wireless Readers which must be plugged into PCs to download books... http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/barnes-nobles-nook-sold-out-for-the-holidays/ Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 2 1 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:11503793444162848620-0c46d961c2c7e03820c5de54aa66abaa 2009-11-18T06:13:00.000-05:00

December 18 through January 8, with no guarantee of delivery date. The Daily Edition, Sony's first wireless e-reader, launched in August as a challenger to Amazon.com Inc's Kindle device, which analysts believe holds top market share. Other devices sold

December 18 through January 8, with no guarantee of delivery date. The Daily Edition, Sony's first wireless e-reader, launched in August as a challenger to Amazon.com Inc's Kindle device, which analysts believe holds top market share. Other devices sold http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r2343578996&f=9791 25 24 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:13843903847097292309-e23777cb49470b5d2daebb82bb592820 2009-11-05T11:12:01.839-05:00

New predictions that e-book player sales will rise from 5 million in 2010 to 115 million in 2013, and that color magazine player sales could reach 280 million units in 2020...

New predictions that e-book player sales will rise from 5 million in 2010 to 115 million in 2013, and that color magazine player sales could reach 280 million units in 2020... http://www.minonline.com/news/12587.html Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 30 29 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:8699844815871168656-ddbe825cf7e6e875cdfd56c4a4a96491 2009-11-10T10:40:39.509-05:00

Why can't a device vendor go with more of a cell phone model, where the low price of the device is subsidized by the longer-term commitment to buying content? How many Kindles do you suppose Amazon could sell if they priced it at $99, or $49? The device costs more than that to make, not to mention the cellular charges they pay Sprint, so why would Amazon price device so low? Hoping that they "make it up in volume" won't help...they'll just lose that much more money in total. But what if all the ebook editions Amazon sells for the Kindle weren't $9.99 but something much closer to the print book's price on Amazon? So a $30 book at 33% off would be $20 for the Kindle edition (as opposed to $9.99 currently), pretty much the same as what you'd pay for the print version. Now there's a bigger margin left over for Amazon to keep part of (to cover the loss on the sale of the device), share some with the publisher/author and even pay Sprint. And oh, btw, we'd put an end to the model where some publishers are delaying the e-version so as not to cannibalize the print version's sales. Publishers would be indifferent, if not prefer the e-version since there's no cost for manufacturing, inventory or returns...

Why can't a device vendor go with more of a cell phone model, where the low price of the device is subsidized by the longer-term commitment to buying content? How many Kindles do you suppose Amazon could sell if they priced it at $99, or $49? The device costs more than that to make, not to mention the cellular charges they pay Sprint, so why would Amazon price device so low? Hoping that they "make it up in volume" won't help...they'll just lose that much more money in total. But what if all the ebook editions Amazon sells for the Kindle weren't $9.99 but something much closer to the print book's price on Amazon? So a $30 book at 33% off would be $20 for the Kindle edition (as opposed to $9.99 currently), pretty much the same as what you'd pay for the print version. Now there's a bigger margin left over for Amazon to keep part of (to cover the loss on the sale of the device), share some with the publisher/author and even pay Sprint. And oh, btw, we'd put an end to the model where some publishers are delaying the e-version so as not to cannibalize the print version's sales. Publishers would be indifferent, if not prefer the e-version since there's no cost for manufacturing, inventory or returns... http://jwikert.typepad.com/the_average_joe/2009/11/is-the-ereader-financial-model-upside-down.html Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 10 9 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:18045421153888442275-d47520200d41c491f1d8fa7796cb4dd6 2009-10-20T20:44:36.000-04:00

...a nicety whose lack is often disparaged about eReaders — the ability to loan a book to a friend. ... barnes & noble, e-ink, ereader, Kindle,

...a nicety whose lack is often disparaged about eReaders — the ability to loan a book to a friend. ... barnes & noble, e-ink, ereader, Kindle, http://mashable.com/2009/10/20/nook-official/ 26 24 0 2 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:16474017837671801181-b009bf39851a679a2e6db9c0f8df2c23 2009-11-03T09:17:39.834-05:00

The Internet Archive (IA) formally announced the BookServer initiative www.archive.org/bookserver which will use an open architecture and open ebook formats to see that ebooks are available-for free or a fee-that will work on any device-whether a laptop, PC, smartphone, game console, or dedicated ebook reader. While it is still in development and probably years from completion, the BookServer project is intended to allow users to search book indexes across the web-whether it be on publishers' sites, libraries, bookstores, universities, or other sources-to identify content, compare vendor offerings, and easily download titles. According to the IA's website, BookServer is "a growing open architecture for vending and lending digital books over the Internet. Built on open catalog and open book formats, the BookServer model allows a wide network of publishers, booksellers, libraries, and even authors to make their catalogs of books available directly to readers through their laptops, phones, netbooks, or dedicated reading devices. BookServer facilitates pay transactions, borrowing books from libraries, and downloading free, publicly accessible books." The initiative is interesting not only in its breadth and scope, but it represents the first major effort to create a noncommercial, standard distribution system for online books and other publications based on clear, open technical standards. BookServer is intended to be easy-to-use, while respecting authors' and publishers' interests in controlling the pricing and market channels for their products. In that sense, this announcement is pointing to a potential 21st-century web-based digital distribution system for information that is more inclusive and far-sighted than Google's controversial scenario.

The Internet Archive (IA) formally announced the BookServer initiative www.archive.org/bookserver which will use an open architecture and open ebook formats to see that ebooks are available-for free or a fee-that will work on any device-whether a laptop, PC, smartphone, game console, or dedicated ebook reader. While it is still in development and probably years from completion, the BookServer project is intended to allow users to search book indexes across the web-whether it be on publishers' sites, libraries, bookstores, universities, or other sources-to identify content, compare vendor offerings, and easily download titles. According to the IA's website, BookServer is "a growing open architecture for vending and lending digital books over the Internet. Built on open catalog and open book formats, the BookServer model allows a wide network of publishers, booksellers, libraries, and even authors to make their catalogs of books available directly to readers through their laptops, phones, netbooks, or dedicated reading devices. BookServer facilitates pay transactions, borrowing books from libraries, and downloading free, publicly accessible books." The initiative is interesting not only in its breadth and scope, but it represents the first major effort to create a noncommercial, standard distribution system for online books and other publications based on clear, open technical standards. BookServer is intended to be easy-to-use, while respecting authors' and publishers' interests in controlling the pricing and market channels for their products. In that sense, this announcement is pointing to a potential 21st-century web-based digital distribution system for information that is more inclusive and far-sighted than Google's controversial scenario. http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/Internet-Archive-Dishes-up-BookServer-as-Digital-Books-Market-Heats-Up-57760.asp Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 8 7 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:15543406970105236956-794e6380688a74bce72c1f8111142910 2009-11-01T10:29:46.566-05:00

There has been a flurry of news lately about Barnes & Noble's new e-reader, the Nook. It will compete head on with Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader, offering additional features such as limited book sharing and newspaper subscriptions.

There has been a flurry of news lately about Barnes & Noble's new e-reader, the Nook. It will compete head on with Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader, offering additional features such as limited book sharing and newspaper subscriptions. http://www.business-strategy-innovation.com/2009/11/does-bn-nook-compete-with-amazon-or.html Braden Kelley bkelley034 10 10 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:8487318342958801383-2cb27d5ffa3cdb8c651799baf7d63e7b 2009-10-21T17:53:41.929-04:00

The vendor-owned e-reader market—which until recently has been dominated by Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s Reader—is getting considerably more crowded. Barnes & Noble on Tuesday announced the launch of “nook,” the bookseller’s e-reader for books,...

The vendor-owned e-reader market—which until recently has been dominated by Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s Reader—is getting considerably more crowded. Barnes & Noble on Tuesday announced the launch of “nook,” the bookseller’s e-reader for books,... http://www.foliomag.com/2009/surge-kindle-killer-e-readers Michael Lavitt mlavitt609 12 11 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:9925450450633715498-cd6e46562f2f2df76815d2c68d113a69 2009-10-27T18:06:10.468-04:00

Multimedia book startup Vook has launched its first video books and utilizes video production network TurnHere to minimize costs.

Multimedia book startup Vook has launched its first video books and utilizes video production network TurnHere to minimize costs. http://paidcontent.org/article/419-embargo-vooks-bradley-inman-on-e-books-fiction-vs.-non-fiction-and-the-/ Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 2 1 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:14769207517537033286-f1a83e38e21300a6b43c67e4098647b2 2009-10-26T12:03:30.341-04:00

A core organizing principle the publishing landscape is that it is now “emergent” (arising out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions). Or, in relatively simple terms, each action by hardware companies, software companies, media companies, artists, writers, publishers, and retailers affects the landscape. The falling of barriers to entry has increased the number of these actors operating on the landscape, and their degree of interdependence has grown. So not only will things continue to change, the rate of change itself is likely to increase. We are not just in transition from one state or model to another state or model, we’re in transition to a state of permanent accelerated transition where the model is continuous rapid reinvention. Publishing will never be stable again...

A core organizing principle the publishing landscape is that it is now “emergent” (arising out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions). Or, in relatively simple terms, each action by hardware companies, software companies, media companies, artists, writers, publishers, and retailers affects the landscape. The falling of barriers to entry has increased the number of these actors operating on the landscape, and their degree of interdependence has grown. So not only will things continue to change, the rate of change itself is likely to increase. We are not just in transition from one state or model to another state or model, we’re in transition to a state of permanent accelerated transition where the model is continuous rapid reinvention. Publishing will never be stable again... http://rnash.com/article/the-emergent-landscape-or-the-continuous-permenant-reinvention-of-publishin/ Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 2 1 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:10016681069238501750-a5df821bcf3d841e0e70ab53a685c248 2009-10-22T09:21:36.691-04:00

Sellers and owners of electronic reading devices are making the case that people are reading more because of e-books...

Sellers and owners of electronic reading devices are making the case that people are reading more because of e-books... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/technology/21books.html Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 4 3 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:4856227832696590645-ba5f810e4aa31851c15429c4d13b95be 2009-10-19T17:09:46.669-04:00

Many library patrons can now check out ebooks and audiobooks and download them while on their computer at home--for free. Many of those borrower might not otherwise use the library, but the digital collections are still tiny compared with print troves. Circulation is expanding quickly with the number of checkouts growing by over 20%. That expansion could be greater but it is being slowed partly because, with few exceptions, ebooks in libraries cannot be read on Amazon’s Kindle, the best-selling electronic reader. Most digital books in libraries are treated like printed ones: only one borrower can check out an ebook at a time so patrons must wait in line. After two to three weeks, the e-book automatically expires from a reader’s account. Some publishers worry that the convenience of borrowing books electronically could ultimately cut into sales of print editions as patrons switch from buying books to checking out ebooks from libraries or downloading pirate editions off the internet. The recession has driven many new users to seek free resources, but few library patrons seem to be aware that ebook collections even exist--yet. Some librarians suggest that because digital books never wear out, take up no shelf space and could, in theory, be read by multiple people at the same time, the purchasing model for e-books should be different than it is for print. Instead of purchasing a set number of digital copies of a book, many would prefer to buy one copy and pay a nominal licensing fee each time a patron downloads it. Publishers generally charge the same price for e-books as they do for print editions, but online retailers currently subsidize the sale price of best sellers by marking them down to $9.99 so libraries end up paying more for their ebooks than consumers do. Academic publishers have been more willing to experiment with subscription models, inviting libraries to pay an annual fee for unlimited access to certain books. Some publishers believe that library ebooks, like print versions, can attract new customers. But some patrons are considering purchasing an electronic reader so they can borrow ebooks for free rather than buy print editions.

Many library patrons can now check out ebooks and audiobooks and download them while on their computer at home--for free. Many of those borrower might not otherwise use the library, but the digital collections are still tiny compared with print troves. Circulation is expanding quickly with the number of checkouts growing by over 20%. That expansion could be greater but it is being slowed partly because, with few exceptions, ebooks in libraries cannot be read on Amazon’s Kindle, the best-selling electronic reader. Most digital books in libraries are treated like printed ones: only one borrower can check out an ebook at a time so patrons must wait in line. After two to three weeks, the e-book automatically expires from a reader’s account. Some publishers worry that the convenience of borrowing books electronically could ultimately cut into sales of print editions as patrons switch from buying books to checking out ebooks from libraries or downloading pirate editions off the internet. The recession has driven many new users to seek free resources, but few library patrons seem to be aware that ebook collections even exist--yet. Some librarians suggest that because digital books never wear out, take up no shelf space and could, in theory, be read by multiple people at the same time, the purchasing model for e-books should be different than it is for print. Instead of purchasing a set number of digital copies of a book, many would prefer to buy one copy and pay a nominal licensing fee each time a patron downloads it. Publishers generally charge the same price for e-books as they do for print editions, but online retailers currently subsidize the sale price of best sellers by marking them down to $9.99 so libraries end up paying more for their ebooks than consumers do. Academic publishers have been more willing to experiment with subscription models, inviting libraries to pay an annual fee for unlimited access to certain books. Some publishers believe that library ebooks, like print versions, can attract new customers. But some patrons are considering purchasing an electronic reader so they can borrow ebooks for free rather than buy print editions. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/books/15libraries.html Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 6 5 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:10024133211017790790-1ada8d202122505592e160d232478f3d 2009-10-21T13:57:35.510-04:00

Dreams and visions of ebook aficionados everywhere becoming a demonstrable reality recently. Brewster Kahle, Internet Archive Founder, introduced his “BookServer” project's framework of tools and activities. It is an open-architectured set of tools that allow for the discoverability, distribution, and delivery of electronic books by retailers, librarians, and aggregators, all in a way that makes for a very easy and satisfying experience for the reader, on whatever device they want...

Dreams and visions of ebook aficionados everywhere becoming a demonstrable reality recently. Brewster Kahle, Internet Archive Founder, introduced his “BookServer” project's framework of tools and activities. It is an open-architectured set of tools that allow for the discoverability, distribution, and delivery of electronic books by retailers, librarians, and aggregators, all in a way that makes for a very easy and satisfying experience for the reader, on whatever device they want... http://followthereader.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/the-day-it-all-changed/ Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 4 3 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:15169387494081897237-ca1249a17dcf01bcc3c2c44b6e3391c6 2009-10-29T07:17:32.914-04:00

Qualcomm, Sony, Apple, Google, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon are geared to shake-up the application and media delivery ecosystem. What will this mean to marketers? Moderator, Paul Sweeting an Analyst with GigaOM opens the floor to publishers looking...

Qualcomm, Sony, Apple, Google, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon are geared to shake-up the application and media delivery ecosystem. What will this mean to marketers? Moderator, Paul Sweeting an Analyst with GigaOM opens the floor to publishers looking... http://www.digidaydaily.com/stories/dpac_4_looks_at_the_next_generation_of_digital_platforms Andrea Muller amuller078 2 2 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:16305303830918905391-04812773188524f5dab3f79712a5b9e9 2009-10-15T16:02:31.375-04:00

Google revealed its intention to launch an online bookstore dubbed Google Editions sometime in early 2010. Google plans to open for business with about 500,000 available titles from a variety of publishers.

Google revealed its intention to launch an online bookstore dubbed Google Editions sometime in early 2010. Google plans to open for business with about 500,000 available titles from a variety of publishers. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/173749/google_online_bookstore_fuels_ereader_war.html Thomas Huynh thuynh381 4 3 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:13937179429453985447-06ca76e03a034e616d15f0b08d6c0b01 2009-10-20T13:43:08.261-04:00

Apple now allows extra content to be sold through free iPhone apps. Newspapers and magazines are reportedly in talks with Apple about repurposing their content onto a “new device,” presumably the rumored touchscreen tablet. Previously, free apps were not permitted to sell content. Charging for apps cuts off potential customers so by allowing commerce within free apps Apple creates the opportunity for a free media app to serve as a gateway for readers to get hooked. The key for publishers now is to create a convenient experience that readers will pay for after sampling. Who would wish to read a digital newspaper or magazine on the Kindle’s drab e-ink screen if Apple delivers a multimedia-centric tablet?

Apple now allows extra content to be sold through free iPhone apps. Newspapers and magazines are reportedly in talks with Apple about repurposing their content onto a “new device,” presumably the rumored touchscreen tablet. Previously, free apps were not permitted to sell content. Charging for apps cuts off potential customers so by allowing commerce within free apps Apple creates the opportunity for a free media app to serve as a gateway for readers to get hooked. The key for publishers now is to create a convenient experience that readers will pay for after sampling. Who would wish to read a digital newspaper or magazine on the Kindle’s drab e-ink screen if Apple delivers a multimedia-centric tablet? http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/10/tablet-print-2/ Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 2 1 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:230596132236918457-a9209de806d3cf3a03f2707ba3afa8b9 2008-11-26T09:08:47.545-05:00

NYT’s 10K subscribers on Kindle: The start of something bigger? One other important note from that internal New York Times memo my colleague Zach got a hold of: The company reports it has “more than 10,000 paid subscribers” to an electronic edition...

NYT’s 10K subscribers on Kindle: The start of something bigger? One other important note from that internal New York Times memo my colleague Zach got a hold of: The company reports it has “more than 10,000 paid subscribers” to an electronic edition... http://www.niemanlab.org/2008/11/nyts-10k-subscribers-on-kindle-the-start-of-something-bigger/ Gopal Pillai gpillai453 145 144 1 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:11408056857679793766-450b63325fee648f59e18fec3955718c 2009-10-20T10:45:42.658-04:00

Is there a difference in the way the brain takes in or absorbs information when it is presented electronically versus on paper? Does the reading experience change, from retention to comprehension, depending on the medium? Initially, any new information medium seems to degrade reading because it disturbs the balance between focal and peripheral attention. It takes time and adaptation before a balance can be restored, not just in the “mentality” of the reader but in the social systems that complete the reading environment. Current forms of digital media behave nothing like books and cause users to swing between two kinds of bad reading. Networked digital media do a poor job of balancing focal and peripheral attention. We suffer tunnel vision, as when reading a single page, paragraph, or even “keyword in context” without an organized sense of the whole. Or we suffer marginal distraction, as when we glance at feeds or blogrolls in the margin (sidebar) of a blog. Online technologies behave nothing like a book, edition, or library. Digital reading may be better described as a social experience rather than in terms of a containing structure such as "book." Reading environments should be seen more like the historical coffeehouses, taverns and pubs where one shifts flexibly between focused and collective reading and debate. The trick will be to harness such attention and distraction. ----- People read 20-30 percent slower on screen. Distractions abound online — costing time and interfering with the concentration needed to think about what you read. Reading on screen requires slightly more effort and thus is more tiring. Paper retains substantial advantages for types of reading that require flipping back and forth between pages, such as articles with end notes or figures. To a great extent, the computer’s usefulness for serious reading depends on the user’s strength of character. Distractions abound on most people’s computer screens. Delays include clicking away from the text to see the new email that just arrived or check out what’s new on your favorite blog. Workers tend to switch tasks about every three minutes and take over 23 minutes on average to return to a task. All this interferes with the concentration needed to think deeply about what has been read. ----- Humans have to learn to read--it does not come natural like speaking or watching. The ability to read is more or less developed depending on the particulars of the learner: e.g., instruction, culture, motivation, educational opportunity, and the medium (e.g., digital online reading, book, etc) utilized. No one really knows the ultimate effects of an immersion in a digital medium on the young developing brain. We do not know whether they will develop the sophisticated set of comprehension processes that allow readers to connect the decoded words to inference, analogical reasoning, critical analysis, contextual knowledge, and finally, the apex of reading: our own thoughts that go beyond the text. The reading circuit of our youngest members may be short-circuited, figuratively and physiologically. The young brain may never have the time (in milliseconds or in hours or in years) to learn to go deeper into the text after the first decoding, but rather will be pulled by the medium to ever more distracting information, sidebars, and videos. The child’s imagination and children’s nascent sense of probity and introspection are no match for a medium that creates a sense of urgency to get to the next piece of stimulating information. The attention span of children may be one of the main reasons why an immersion in on-screen reading is so engaging, and it may also be why digital reading may ultimately prove antithetical to the long-in-development, reflective nature of the expert reading brain as we know it. Aristotle worried about the three lives of the “good society”: the first life is the life of productivity and knowledge gathering; the second, the life of entertainment; and the third, the life of reflection and contemplation. The formation of the “good reader” follows a similar course. Digital immersion of our children will provide a rich life of entertainment and information and knowledge. But will they learn, with their passive immersion, the joy and the effort of the third life, of thinking one’s own thoughts and going beyond what is given? We need to count the cost and bring our best thought and research to preserving what is most precious about the present reading brain as we add the new capacities of its next iteration. ----- So long as books are cheap, tough, easy to mark up, and beautiful, they will remain the best of all word-delivery vehicles. Technology will soon start moving in the natural direction: integrating chips into books, not vice versa. Users may want to make a book beep so that it can be located, to search its text online, to download updates, or to keep an eye on reviews and discussion. Technologists have decreed the disappearance of the printed book without bothering to understand it. People like books. The most important ongoing change to reading itself is the cheapening of the word in a world where you can practically see the text messages bounce off the walls and the narrowing time required to publish on the Web is helping to kill the art of editing. While “cloud” computing will soon offer readers the chance to consult any text in any library anywhere, it is up to us to insist that onscreen reading enhance, not replace, traditional book reading and to remember that the medium is not the message; that the meaning and music of the words is what matters, not the glitzy vehicle they arrive in. ----- People switch activities online an average of every three minutes and switch projects about every 10 and a half minutes. Ebook readers can search the text, skip to a juicy section, or to go back and reread a memorable part. Hypertext allows readers to go directly to an online source to investigate any unfamiliar word or topic. Each additional link takes the reader further away from the original text. Each document is one of many in a networked maze containing an unfathomable amount of information. It’s just not possible to engage in deep thought about a topic when we’re switching so rapidly. Reading a printed book is both an escape into a world of literature and an escape from digital devices where the temptation to surf the Internet is removed due to the inconvenience.

Is there a difference in the way the brain takes in or absorbs information when it is presented electronically versus on paper? Does the reading experience change, from retention to comprehension, depending on the medium? Initially, any new information medium seems to degrade reading because it disturbs the balance between focal and peripheral attention. It takes time and adaptation before a balance can be restored, not just in the “mentality” of the reader but in the social systems that complete the reading environment. Current forms of digital media behave nothing like books and cause users to swing between two kinds of bad reading. Networked digital media do a poor job of balancing focal and peripheral attention. We suffer tunnel vision, as when reading a single page, paragraph, or even “keyword in context” without an organized sense of the whole. Or we suffer marginal distraction, as when we glance at feeds or blogrolls in the margin (sidebar) of a blog. Online technologies behave nothing like a book, edition, or library. Digital reading may be better described as a social experience rather than in terms of a containing structure such as "book." Reading environments should be seen more like the historical coffeehouses, taverns and pubs where one shifts flexibly between focused and collective reading and debate. The trick will be to harness such attention and distraction. ----- People read 20-30 percent slower on screen. Distractions abound online — costing time and interfering with the concentration needed to think about what you read. Reading on screen requires slightly more effort and thus is more tiring. Paper retains substantial advantages for types of reading that require flipping back and forth between pages, such as articles with end notes or figures. To a great extent, the computer’s usefulness for serious reading depends on the user’s strength of character. Distractions abound on most people’s computer screens. Delays include clicking away from the text to see the new email that just arrived or check out what’s new on your favorite blog. Workers tend to switch tasks about every three minutes and take over 23 minutes on average to return to a task. All this interferes with the concentration needed to think deeply about what has been read. ----- Humans have to learn to read--it does not come natural like speaking or watching. The ability to read is more or less developed depending on the particulars of the learner: e.g., instruction, culture, motivation, educational opportunity, and the medium (e.g., digital online reading, book, etc) utilized. No one really knows the ultimate effects of an immersion in a digital medium on the young developing brain. We do not know whether they will develop the sophisticated set of comprehension processes that allow readers to connect the decoded words to inference, analogical reasoning, critical analysis, contextual knowledge, and finally, the apex of reading: our own thoughts that go beyond the text. The reading circuit of our youngest members may be short-circuited, figuratively and physiologically. The young brain may never have the time (in milliseconds or in hours or in years) to learn to go deeper into the text after the first decoding, but rather will be pulled by the medium to ever more distracting information, sidebars, and videos. The child’s imagination and children’s nascent sense of probity and introspection are no match for a medium that creates a sense of urgency to get to the next piece of stimulating information. The attention span of children may be one of the main reasons why an immersion in on-screen reading is so engaging, and it may also be why digital reading may ultimately prove antithetical to the long-in-development, reflective nature of the expert reading brain as we know it. Aristotle worried about the three lives of the “good society”: the first life is the life of productivity and knowledge gathering; the second, the life of entertainment; and the third, the life of reflection and contemplation. The formation of the “good reader” follows a similar course. Digital immersion of our children will provide a rich life of entertainment and information and knowledge. But will they learn, with their passive immersion, the joy and the effort of the third life, of thinking one’s own thoughts and going beyond what is given? We need to count the cost and bring our best thought and research to preserving what is most precious about the present reading brain as we add the new capacities of its next iteration. ----- So long as books are cheap, tough, easy to mark up, and beautiful, they will remain the best of all word-delivery vehicles. Technology will soon start moving in the natural direction: integrating chips into books, not vice versa. Users may want to make a book beep so that it can be located, to search its text online, to download updates, or to keep an eye on reviews and discussion. Technologists have decreed the disappearance of the printed book without bothering to understand it. People like books. The most important ongoing change to reading itself is the cheapening of the word in a world where you can practically see the text messages bounce off the walls and the narrowing time required to publish on the Web is helping to kill the art of editing. While “cloud” computing will soon offer readers the chance to consult any text in any library anywhere, it is up to us to insist that onscreen reading enhance, not replace, traditional book reading and to remember that the medium is not the message; that the meaning and music of the words is what matters, not the glitzy vehicle they arrive in. ----- People switch activities online an average of every three minutes and switch projects about every 10 and a half minutes. Ebook readers can search the text, skip to a juicy section, or to go back and reread a memorable part. Hypertext allows readers to go directly to an online source to investigate any unfamiliar word or topic. Each additional link takes the reader further away from the original text. Each document is one of many in a networked maze containing an unfathomable amount of information. It’s just not possible to engage in deep thought about a topic when we’re switching so rapidly. Reading a printed book is both an escape into a world of literature and an escape from digital devices where the temptation to surf the Internet is removed due to the inconvenience. http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/does-the-brain-like-e-books/ Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 2 1 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:12046382881709990400-94b2defdfe01d5a5f3af22a224ffffc9 2009-10-19T17:40:14.794-04:00

Predicting ebook player sales may prove more elusive, and more nuanced, than manufacturers and early-adopters care to admit. It is time to consider the demand side of things. The tipping point for a new technology occurs at the transition from early-adopter to early-majority demand, at which point the rate of adoption increases dramatically and sales are thought to become self-sustaining as the product turns mainstream. (It also can become the graveyard of new products that fail to make the cut.) The explosion of MP3 devices and related vertical-support businesses (Napster and iTunes) in the early part of this decade clearly fit the pattern, leading to massive dislocation in the recorded-music industry. Three factors suggest that ebook players are in for more erratic and protracted growth than the MP3 market experience. First, it is not clear whether ebook players deliver greater value than paper books. Screen-reading is not the same as reading print on a page and may inhibit note-taking, immersion, and retention. Second, book purchasing is becoming more concentrated among avid book buyers who tend to be older Americans who have more leisure time for reading and browsing. These readers may not want all the features ebook players have to offer. Finally, the current pricing and distribution structures are confusing. Publishers remain deeply suspicious of Amazon’s below-cost $9.99 pricing for e-books and debate whether ebooks are cannibalizing print book sales. Pragmatic, early-majority consumers may be reluctant to commit to a $259 reading device...

Predicting ebook player sales may prove more elusive, and more nuanced, than manufacturers and early-adopters care to admit. It is time to consider the demand side of things. The tipping point for a new technology occurs at the transition from early-adopter to early-majority demand, at which point the rate of adoption increases dramatically and sales are thought to become self-sustaining as the product turns mainstream. (It also can become the graveyard of new products that fail to make the cut.) The explosion of MP3 devices and related vertical-support businesses (Napster and iTunes) in the early part of this decade clearly fit the pattern, leading to massive dislocation in the recorded-music industry. Three factors suggest that ebook players are in for more erratic and protracted growth than the MP3 market experience. First, it is not clear whether ebook players deliver greater value than paper books. Screen-reading is not the same as reading print on a page and may inhibit note-taking, immersion, and retention. Second, book purchasing is becoming more concentrated among avid book buyers who tend to be older Americans who have more leisure time for reading and browsing. These readers may not want all the features ebook players have to offer. Finally, the current pricing and distribution structures are confusing. Publishers remain deeply suspicious of Amazon’s below-cost $9.99 pricing for e-books and debate whether ebooks are cannibalizing print book sales. Pragmatic, early-majority consumers may be reluctant to commit to a $259 reading device... http://paidcontent.org/article/419-why-e-reader-adoption-will-be-slower-than-people-think/ Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 2 1 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:9662273202380689408-21da55b192fd337b2c02cb8183d640a8 2009-10-27T08:47:27.327-04:00

In an earlier blog entry on content, readers provided a number of interesting comments. If you haven't already read that article (and the comments), you may want to do so in order to understand this new article. Many did not agree with my point of view.

In an earlier blog entry on content, readers provided a number of interesting comments. If you haven't already read that article (and the comments), you may want to do so in order to understand this new article. Many did not agree with my point of view. http://www.business-strategy-innovation.com/2009/10/content-is-no-longer-king-part-2.html Braden Kelley bkelley034 1 1 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:11676456679343474815-b6e28e6217f82c7f88d6ba3f9a3a2768 2009-10-02T17:17:39.633-04:00

Magazine publishers are working on a joint venture to deliver digital magazines (and perhaps newspapers and books) to content devices such Amazon's Kindle. The new company, which will operate independently from the publishers that invest in it, will create a digital storefront where consumers can purchase and manage their subscriptions, which can be delivered to any device. The objective is to control a direct relationship with consumers...

Magazine publishers are working on a joint venture to deliver digital magazines (and perhaps newspapers and books) to content devices such Amazon's Kindle. The new company, which will operate independently from the publishers that invest in it, will create a digital storefront where consumers can purchase and manage their subscriptions, which can be delivered to any device. The objective is to control a direct relationship with consumers... http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20091002/publishers-like-time-inc-s-hulu-for-magazines-proposal-what-will-apple-and-amazon-say/ Pete Nikolai pnikolai463 8 7 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:17716104678949071539-8805fd8531297d8c7595c8393eb0bd50 2009-10-08T14:23:38.944-04:00

Not only does the new international Kindle cost more than its U.S. counterpart, owners who want to take advantage of the wireless connectivity will be paying more for it. In addition to the $2 per-book fee for non-U.S. downloads, paidContent has learned from Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) that it will cost users $5 a week to access their newspaper, magazine and blog subscriptions via Whispernet.

Not only does the new international Kindle cost more than its U.S. counterpart, owners who want to take advantage of the wireless connectivity will be paying more for it. In addition to the $2 per-book fee for non-U.S. downloads, paidContent has learned from Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) that it will cost users $5 a week to access their newspaper, magazine and blog subscriptions via Whispernet. http://paidcontent.org/article/419-using-the-international-kindle-could-rack-up-fees/ Courtney Hurley churley331 4 3 1 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:13307848307794749692-601bb45ba2c785d9a71065a0477f7bbb 2009-10-14T21:24:38.758-04:00

Barnes and Noble's late to e-books. But the company's new gadget—first seen here—should address the weaknesses of all other readers with screens evoking a Kindle and an iPhone. A source from within reveals the first photos and details.

Barnes and Noble's late to e-books. But the company's new gadget—first seen here—should address the weaknesses of all other readers with screens evoking a Kindle and an iPhone. A source from within reveals the first photos and details. http://gizmodo.com/5380942/barnes-and-nobles-e+reader-like-a-kindleiphone-chimera-first-photos-and-details Thomas Huynh thuynh381 3 2 0 1 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:15868840867230175608-1a7c1904a0d8a9cb7ebefeed4cefcca4 2009-10-20T11:55:36.857-04:00

NEW YORK--Barnes & Noble's forthcoming electronic book reader will be called the Nook and sell for $259, according a report in The Wall Street Journal. The Journal, citing a forthcoming ad for the product, also says the device will feature the...

NEW YORK--Barnes & Noble's forthcoming electronic book reader will be called the Nook and sell for $259, according a report in The Wall Street Journal. The Journal, citing a forthcoming ad for the product, also says the device will feature the... http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10378525-56.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0 Olga Kharif okharif277 1 1 0 0 urn:com:businessweek:bx:article:9535465833819334837-760d3b80503d30ada4ebcbb631a3ffff 2009-10-15T09:37:24.967-04:00

Barnes & Noble Taps Kindle Designer For Its Athena e-Book Reader Posted by: Peter Burrows on October 14 Yes, it’s true. The much-anticipated device from Barnes & Noble, which has been eliciting oohs and ahs since leaked photos appeared on Gizmodo ,...

Barnes & Noble Taps Kindle Designer For Its Athena e-Book Reader Posted by: Peter Burrows on October 14 Yes, it’s true. The much-anticipated device from Barnes & Noble, which has been eliciting oohs and ahs since leaked photos appeared on Gizmodo ,... http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2009/10/barnes_noble_ta.html Tom Giles tgiles603 2 1 0 1