Print is Dead: Books in Our Digital Age

The New York Times reviewed Sony’s new eReader last week, giving it a fairly muted review (which seems to be the kind of reviews it’s been getting from nearly every media outlet: everyone thinks the screen looks great, but that the device isn’t very intuitive). The overall verdict seems to be that this is indeed not the iPod of books, but that it’s better than previous devices. Another thing faulted is the integration with existing platforms, which shows that — the same as with downloaded music — users want as much flexibility as possible when it comes to reading purchased and free content.

Excerpt: “The Reader, which lists for $350, is clearly an advance over the old technology, but not so much that bookstore owners have to worry yet. If this is all Sony has come up with, you have to wonder just what they’ve been doing for 10 years.”

Can’t Judge an E-Book by Its Screen? Well, Maybe You Can