Print is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age

From the “Print is dead; long live print!” files comes this article on the UK Cnet website about vinyl records making a “comeback.” It seems that more and more bands are producing records, especially 7″ singles, which were long thought to be extinct. Of course, records are indeed extinct in terms of them being a mass commodity, or being the way most people get their music. Instead, vinyl records are an artifact, an artform, a boutique item that people want to own and hold and, I’m sure, occasionally play (although I don’t see a related story on the resurgence of record players). But in terms of records somehow taking back the sales charts, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Looked at in the “Print is Dead” light, it shows that what happened to vinyl will also happen to books; books will never go completely away, not even in the most digitally advanced society. Instead they will continually be sought out by collectors and people who want to hold and touch pages, covers and dustjackets. But they will no longer be the primary way that people get their information.

Cnet article

Apple today introduced iTV, a “media transfer box” that allows people to watch computer content downloaded from iTunes–such as movies and TV shows–on their televisions. If I were a maker of DVD players, or owned a chain of movie theaters, this would make me a little nervous. The unit goes on sale in January, and will cost around $299.

USA Today: Apple broadens iTunes use with PC-to-TV device

The blog Engadget posted today a sneak preview of Amazon’s new eBook reader, called the Kindle. While nothing was mentioned in terms of price or launch, the blog has some product stats of the eReader, as well as some pictures. It looks a bit like the Japanese version of Sony’s eBook reader, the Librie. The keyboard is a nice touch if it’s going to be wireless and have an internet browser, but overall I think the recent wave of UMPC’s look a lot better.

Engadget: Meet Amazon’s e-book Reader

Amazon today jumped in the waters of the “Attention Economy” by announcing a new service called AmazonUnbox. The program will of course compete with iTunes, and according to the New York Times will “sell most movies for $7.99 to $14.99 and most television programs for $1.99 (the same price as Apple). Users can also rent movies for a 24-hour period for $3.99.” Of course the prices are still high for movie downloads ($14.99, which is more expensive than seeing it in a theater), and the file sizes are still very large (according to an estimate in the NY Times story, it could take up to seven hours to download a film), but for shorter fare like TV shows, this could really take off. Plus, when tied to a Tablet PC or UMPC device, it makes even more sense.

Read NY Times: New Service From Amazon Offers Downloadable Films

USA Today had an article last week talking about how more and more teens are getting their usual magazine content through the web. The article also talked about how well-known brands are going away in print format, but are thriving online.

Excerpt: “Consumers’ migration to the Web has hurt overall magazines, but teen publications have been the first group of major consumer publications that have “fallen by the wayside,” said Martin S. Walker, chairman of Walker Communications, a magazine consulting firm.”

Read USA Today Article: Magazines drop print for Web to reach teens

The New York Times has an interesting article last week talking about the tradtion of college textbooks, and the further encroachment of electronic textbooks in the classroom and on university campuses.

Excerpt: “Writers have written lovingly of the tactile pleasures provided by printed books and newspapers, but no one has paid particular tribute to the voluptuous four-color, four-pound textbook. Now being replaced by weightless electronic versions, the bound artifact remains forlorn and unloved. In any ceremony marking its demise, college students may want to throw a fusillade of stones at its coffin. Expensive texts, after all, have broken many student budgets.”

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