The Future of Reading?

Whether you plan on writing for a living, are a student that interacts with textbooks or still practice the lost of art of reading for fun, you probably think of reading as being done out of a book written with ink on pieces of paper.

However, companies like Amazon.com are looking to revolutionize the way that we read.

Amazon has had a product on the market for awhile now that is called Kindle. Kindle is a wireless device that allows users to shop for, download and read books on a screen that is about the size of a paperback book.

That's great and all, but what's the damage?

The device comes with a hefty price tag of $349, but I imagine the price will fall if it becomes more popular (same as what happened with iPods).

Available services already include access to major newspapapers, magazines, blogs, books and a free connection to Wikipedia (America's most reliable source for information).

An eyesore?

Most people are immediately appalled by the idea of straining their eyes on a screen for hours, but Kindle's claim to fame is that the screen has a resolution that is identical to a piece of paper. It uses technology that makes the level of eyestrain no different than reading a standard book.

And unlike laptop computers, you can efficiently take the Kindle into the bathroom, which will give newspapers a real run for their money!

Why is it called Kindle?

I at first thought of the image of people burning their books because they would not need them anymore due to the technology of this new product. I don't know if this is what Amazon is going for, but it was a funny thought.

One could argue that they were referring to the grouping of books, similar to a grouping of sticks to make fire. I like the idea of mass book burning better though. So I'm sticking with the first option.

But, that is not the point I am trying to make here.

The real point!

What is the future of reading and for that matter the publishing industry going to be?

If devices like Kindle catch on, it is possible that printing companies will become obsolete.

This will cost some people jobs, but it will also make getting your work published much easier.

Imagine a struggling author that is looking to get his or her work published for as cheap as possible. Why not strike a deal with Amazon and have the work available exclusively online?

A similar trend can be seen in the music industry where new artists are putting songs up for download on iTunes or other internet sites in place of the actual physical CD form.

On the other hand do we really want Amazon controlling the majority of our access to books such as what iTunes is doing with music?

Even more contemplation...

There are plenty of people who enjoy going to bookstores and browsing the shelves. There is something a little more personal about the experience than ordering a book off of Amazon.com.

For all those environmental hippies out there, the Kindle would save a ton of trees! That is definitely an upside to the product.

As a journalism major, this product interests me, because in the future will I be writing for an audience that consists of all Kindle users? Probably not, but I could be writing for at least several thousand of them or more!

I'm sure I could find plenty more upsides and downsides to the product, but my purpose here is just to get you started thinking about the future of America, good or bad.

You can look at the video below or check out the Amazon page for the product here.