The iPod for Books
October 14, 2008
Publishers should be thinking a lot more seriously about electronic books and how to leap ahead of their competitors.
Sony’s eBook has only been available in Canada for a few months, and it’s far from the perfect product, but it provides a glimpse into what’s coming.
Playing with the eBook Reader reminds me of the first MP3 players I used in the 90’s. At the time, people scoffed at the idea that the small players would replace their CD collection. People scoffed at the idea of an online music store where songs would be downloaded. And we all know how that turned out.
The shift to electronic books could easily follow the same pattern, assuming the hardware meets our needs. The Sony eBook is close - more on the problems later.
First - the good.
I love the eBook reader.
It’s sleek, easy to use, and the screen technology is far better than anything I’ve seen before.
Partly this is due to the high resolution of the e-ink technology - it’s more than twice the resolution of your typical computer screen - so text is crisp. Since the screen technology doesn’t depend on back lighting (like your laptop) it looks totally flat, so the effect is much closer to the look of paper than a digital screen.
The Sony eBook also displays images (in black and white), plays MP3’s and allows you to load up Word documents, PDF files, jpg and gif pictures, along with their own e-book format and other open electronic book formats.
I’ve loaded about 70 books into my reader and I’ve barely touched the internal memory. This version of the reader has 2 slots for Sony memory sticks, so there’s really no limit to the amount of content you can carry around.
I found that I quickly adjusted to the form factor. The placement of the ‘next page’ buttons line up with where you normally hold a book, and there’s a bookmark function to hold your place.
Essentially, the reading experience is different, but not in a negative way. The feel of the book obviously isn’t there, but it functions pretty much like a book, and that’s what makes its potential so powerful.
Riding the bus, sitting in a doctor’s waiting room, or hanging out on a park bench - this device is ideal. Like an mp3 player, it’s light and easy to carry - so I’m more likely to have it with me than I might a big heavy book. And considering that I can haul around hundreds of books, it’s hands down a much better option.
Opportunities
I can see a lot of major advantages in terms of publishing.
Timeliness
Reference and technical books, particularly those about software, are largely out of date by the time they’re published. With an electronic book, updates and changes could be made as often as required, and just a download away. It’s a natural for serialization. And dare I say it - a daily newspaper ?
Presentations
While I can haul out my laptop for a quick one-on-one presentation with a potential client, the size of the eBook is more easier to deal with, and I can literally stand in the elevator and walk through a presentation on the way up. Keep in mind that the screen only displayed in black and white (actually, 4 shades of grey) so I do repurpose my presentations to make them look good on the screen, but you can also just load up any PDF, Word doc, JPG or Gif image, and the eBook will simply display colour as monochrome images.
eBook and Podcasts
Given that Sony’s included an MP3 player right in the eBook, it seems natural to bundle books with author podcasts, as well as serialized “books on MP3″ packages that could be used for promotion
Trees
Books use paper. eBooks use bytes. Need I say more ? Shipping ? Fogetaboutit.
Here’s where I think things need to improve
Software. Sony makes great consumer entertainment products but its software is often horrid. Given that they have a great model with the iTunes store, there’s really no excuse for the state of Sony eBook store. The software is also the interface for loading books onto the eBook reader. It needs a major over-haul in look & feel as well as functionality.
Connectivity. Hard to beleive, but Sony’s software is PC only. Given the nature of the eBook reader, the Apple crowd should be a prime target market. But unless they’re running their MacBook in dual boot mode, they’re out of luck.
Tether. Connectivity to the computer is via a USB cable. I’m assuming the reason there’s no Bluetooth or other wireless connectivity is space, but I’d dearly love to be able to move data back and forth without having to find the cable and plug in. This is a challenge Apple still hasn’t solved with the iPod so I supposed I shouldn’t be so demanding. All I know is that as long as the device has to hook up to my computer, it’s potential is limited.
Price. The 505 model is 300.00 Canadian, which seems expensive given the price of things like iPods, game consoles and and digital cameras. The goal here is to get people using the device so they’ll buy books. Consumers don’t like paying for technology development and a price point that’s too high will keep the adoption rate low.
The newly released 700 models has some nice new features including touch scrolling, but at 400.00 it’s just way too expensive. Amazon’s competitor, the wireless Kindle, is 359.00 USD
Why publishers need to pay attention
The book isn’t going away any time soon, but things are going to change dramatically. Electronic books open up some new possibilities for existing publishing models, and throw the doors wide open to new models.
Is it possible that within a few years the biggest book seller might be a hardware manufacturer ? There’s a reason Amazon created it’s own electronic book reader.
Why not publish dailies in ebook form, so that I can grab up update on my way out the door and read it on the bus ?
Sony’s eBook reader already supports RSS feeds - with a wireless connection there’s no reason I couldn’t be walking through the mall, train station or even at transit bus shelter and downloading the latest update to the periodicals and books I’ve subscribed to.
The e-paper will get better. The connectivity will improve. The price will come down. There’ll be other models and competitors. All those things bode well for publishers - IF they get with it and start to explore what’s possible.
Links:
Get this article for your Sony eBook Reader (open BBeb format)
Sony eBook reader at SonyStyle.ca
Amazon’s Kindle
James Glave Podcast
September 27, 2008
A veteran writer turns his obsession with detail into a building project.
In his new book, Almost Green, James Glave tells the story of building a green studio in the front yard - and changing his life forever.
Recording at James Glave’s eco-shed on Bowen Island, this podcast was recorded before the book was published, a of sorts.
Read more about James Glave and how to buy the book on his web site, www.glave.com
photo courtesy James Glave
Robert’s notes…
I’ve known James since the mid-90’s. We both fumbled our way onto the then new world wide web - he was with Vancouver Magazine and I was with CBC Vancouver.
I always looked forward to seeing a new magazine article by James - they were smart, witty and superbly crafted. He brought the same high quality to his online work; it stood out then, and it stands out now.
When he left Vancouver for San Francisco and Wired News in 1997, many of us were envious of his determination to carve out a living ‘on the internet’. He became a regular guest speaker at the Simon Fraser University summer web publishing courses, and he regaled us with news from the front lines of life in Silicon Valley.
I’m glad James is back in Vancouver - and thrilled to see him bringing outstanding journalism and his determined voice to stories about the environment and sustainability.
While we wait for his book to come out - do check out his mini-book Buck The System on his web site - add your contribution to his PayPal fund - and enjoy the articles he’s distributing online.
The podcast with James Glave runs: 25:30 and was originally produced for VanGoGreen.com
podcast ISBN: 978-0-9809054-3-4
© Bigsnit Media Consulting Inc. 2008. Podcasts are available for re-broadcast by contacting info@robertouimet.com
Podcasting
September 27, 2008
We love to create audio and video productions for our clients because they are such an effective way of getting your message across.
We produce all our online content at broadcast quality so that you get the most out of your production investment. Some of our clients choose to add video or audio highlights to client packages or as part of company presentations.
Online, podcasts have a tremendous return on investment. Unlike traditional forms of marketing, podcast traffic continues to grows over time.
We provide end-to-end production and can also provide serving options to make the addition of audio and video to your web site as painless as possible.
Click here to hear recent podcasts produced by Robert Ouimet
Podcast Return on Investment
September 27, 2008
Podcasts provide a very attractive return on investment. The chart below shows their usage statistics from one of our clients’ podcast series.
We’ve found this pattern repeating with almost every podcast series we’ve created - as more people discover the podcasts, they tell their friends, and the usage continue to grow over time.
click image for a larger version
What does this mean for your business or organization ?
Creating professional and compelling audio or video brings long-lasting results. It adds another level of engagement - visitors can listen and view your podcasts on your web site, as well as on their portable devices. We know that over time, their usage actually increases - and because of this so-called ‘long tail effect’ , your message goes further, and lasts longer.
We can work with you in whatever manner suits your needs, but most of our clients use our end-to-end services, where we take care of all the aspects of podcast production and distribution. We can create iTunes specific ‘enhanced’ podcasts as well as video casts designed for distribution via iTunes, YouTube and other video sharing sites.
We use only the best audio equipment to record our podcasts and record on-location or in-studio. We also specialize in conference podcasting.
Want to know more ? Email info@robertouimet.com for a free consultation and pricing.
For examples of recent podcasts produced by Robert Ouimet, please click here.
Matt Mullenweg Podcast
September 27, 2008
Keynote at Northern Voice 2008
Matt Mullenweg is the 24 year founder of WordPress, an open source blogging and content management software.
He was the keynote speaker this morning at the Northern Voice blogging conference in Vancouver.
This is audio of his complete presentation, un-edited.
Matt Mullengweg at the podium, Photo by kk+ Vancouver fashion photographer, bon vivant and all around nice guy who’s wicked with a lens.
Robert’s notes…
I’m a user and was a fan of WordPress before I met Matt. Hearing him speak has convinced me that one of the reasons WordPress has done so well is that Matt clearly keeps his eye on the goal; to make WordPress serve its users.
His presentation may be based on his work at WordPress, but his ideas are equally relevant to web sites, magazines, radio, tv, and any other form of communication in existence today.
Monique Trottier has a nice text summary of the presentation on So Misguided.
Matt Mullenweg
Keynote Address at the Northern Voice conference
Vancouver, British Columbia
Saturday Feb 23rd, 2008
runs: 42:48
Photo above by Penmachine and used under CC license
