The original idea behind this research project was to dissect the possibility that the Kindle would bring about the demise of the paper book. By using what are called e-books the Kindle is a portable tool that can hold hundreds of books in one piece of computer hardware that is as easily transportable as any book. After researching however my focus was shifted to e-books in general and how the Kindle is helping these become more popular. I eventually came to my research question which is similar to my original with a different concept added on. It is Will the e-book replace paper books because of the hardware such as the Kindle, iPad, or Sony Reader or will it fail because of price cost and availability?
I feel as though this is an important question to answer as e-books are out there now however they are not growing to fullest potential. Could the problem be the e-book reader hardware or are paper books still considered the norm for now? If it is the hardware could a new device change how we read books for all citizens or is it a technology that just needs time for people to accept the change? These are all questions I was attempting to answer when I first started my research.
After researching I basically broke my evidence down into three specific groups. Those that are for e-books, those for the paper books, and those who like or dislike hardware devices such as the Kindle. Those supporting the e-book tend to state that the e-book is a cheaper more effect source for information. This new technology is the future and its only a matter of time before it becomes common place amongst all. The only problem that seems to pop up for the e-book is the price for which the consumer should be charged for each e-book. All supporters seem to think that the price is too high to justify not having a physical copy.
The next group is those that are for paper books. In researching this opinion it was hard to come up with a solid argument. However I did find one specific one in which the argument was that poorer countries still need paper books to help educate and improve standards of living. The other support for paper books is the fact that while cd's were replaced by mp3's they are still produced and still have a market although much smaller. Many feel that paper books can still have a market despite the rise of e-books.
The last group I focused on was the physical hardware that is used for reading e-books. The Amazon Kindle was the main piece of hardware that I focused on. The Kindle had some positive reviews however the majority thought that it was ugly, hard to read the text, slow Internet, and limited ability other than e-books. With the recent release of the iPad many have questioned which would be better? While the iPad is sleeker, more memory, and a better Internet service (although you have to pay) it seems confusing that you can download a Kindle application for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch that does the same thing as the Kindle however since you have an apple product your not limited to just that. Despite this the Kindle has still done surprisingly well because Amazon still has the largest library of e-books available to the consumer.
Lastly I feel it is important to address this issue simply for the fact that new technology that changes the print media doesn't happen everyday. We went from scrolls, animal skins, to paper, and now to digital these changes are not everyday items. In fact most of these changes took time much like the e-book revolution will too.
Friday, April 23, 2010
E-Books: A page for the future?
Read this article
In the article “E-books changing the publishing industry — but for the better?” author Alvaro Vargas Llosa is trying to address the issues that E-books are creating in the new book market. Llosa addresses the fact that before the newly released IPAD that amazon's Kindle dominate the e-book market. He states that amazon would buy the book rights from the publisher for about $26 dollars then sell it for a standard rate of $9.99. Now with the infusion of the IPAD publishing companies have decided to set the price themselves and give distributors 70 percent revenue profit. This allows for self published authors who publish books on there own are able to make 70 percent of the profit from each sell of their books rather than a flat rate set by Amazon. Llosa also points out that e-books only make up 3.3 percent of all trade book sales last year it is continuing to grow. In fact books have only grown 1.6 percent of the past few years while e-books have grown by 58 percent over the same course of time. He then goes on to point out that e-books are setting the terms and conditions in the market since they are able to set lower prices on a whim while books are stuck to the publisher. Llosa does acknowledge that books will have a place in personal collections and in museums but that the future is the e-books because it economically makes the most sense. He concludes by saying that each advancement in history has been questioned but eventually turned out for the better and he believes e-books are the same.
This article provides a clear personal opinion that is backed by facts. Llosa not only presents his argument that e-books he provides facts to back these claims. He provides a clear topic shows the negatives and positives to the e-books but always reverts back to his opinion that e-books are the wave of the future. He concludes his article by mentioning incidents in the past that have caused an uproar in the printing community. Because the industry hasn't changed much he brings in history to show that things do change and that we have learned to cope with these changes. Llosa is also a reasonable source as he is a senior fellow at the Independent Institute as well as an editor. By providing facts and history this article could easily be used to help one answer whether the future of books is going to be in e-books are remain in the physical paper form.
A VP's take on the E-Book Industry
Read this article
In the video narrated by Michael Taamblyn who is the VP of Content, sales and merchandising for the e-book bestseller Kobo he states how the business model for e-books has changed over recent years. He explains how his company Kobo has tried to adapt to the ever changing market. One of the first facts he brings up is the recent studies by Indigo that paper books would lose 5-10 percent to ebooks over the next few years. He points out how long form books are what people want the most on their portable devices. He next focuses on how they had to revamp their entire software programs in order to meet what the customer wanted which is full scale books available on all mobile platforms. He then breaks down how more people purchase e-books on either Tuesday or on Sunday and that most people start to read around noon and continues through late afternoon. This information provides actually sales information for e-books and how well they are doing in the current market. Then he goes into how they set their prices starting with matching Amazon price of $9.99. The question then remains as to how much is an e-book worth? He goes into the science of how Kobo averages out to sell each book for $8.76. He acknowledges that e-books have a limited use and should be much cheaper than paper. He also notes that e-books are perceived to have less value due to the fact that they can not lend or technically own the product. Next he points to the lesson that e-books have to have multiple platforms to succeed. The next point is the expanded market world wide has Kobo is in over 200 countries. He then announces that Kobo will release a new application on their own hardware device as well release the applications to any hardware company.
Once unique about this particular video that would allow someone to effectively create an argument is that this is the VP of an actually e-book company who has facts as to how the industry works. He brings up how his company Kobo has broaden their e-books to extend to all readers. His facts on how consumers feel about e-book prices could easily be used to support an argument for the lowering or raising of prices. His information on the slide show create a strong view point that is hard evidence for those who wish to use his research to present an argument. Ultimately it comes down to assessing what his company has researched and using the facts he presents to the best of your argument.
In the video narrated by Michael Taamblyn who is the VP of Content, sales and merchandising for the e-book bestseller Kobo he states how the business model for e-books has changed over recent years. He explains how his company Kobo has tried to adapt to the ever changing market. One of the first facts he brings up is the recent studies by Indigo that paper books would lose 5-10 percent to ebooks over the next few years. He points out how long form books are what people want the most on their portable devices. He next focuses on how they had to revamp their entire software programs in order to meet what the customer wanted which is full scale books available on all mobile platforms. He then breaks down how more people purchase e-books on either Tuesday or on Sunday and that most people start to read around noon and continues through late afternoon. This information provides actually sales information for e-books and how well they are doing in the current market. Then he goes into how they set their prices starting with matching Amazon price of $9.99. The question then remains as to how much is an e-book worth? He goes into the science of how Kobo averages out to sell each book for $8.76. He acknowledges that e-books have a limited use and should be much cheaper than paper. He also notes that e-books are perceived to have less value due to the fact that they can not lend or technically own the product. Next he points to the lesson that e-books have to have multiple platforms to succeed. The next point is the expanded market world wide has Kobo is in over 200 countries. He then announces that Kobo will release a new application on their own hardware device as well release the applications to any hardware company.
Once unique about this particular video that would allow someone to effectively create an argument is that this is the VP of an actually e-book company who has facts as to how the industry works. He brings up how his company Kobo has broaden their e-books to extend to all readers. His facts on how consumers feel about e-book prices could easily be used to support an argument for the lowering or raising of prices. His information on the slide show create a strong view point that is hard evidence for those who wish to use his research to present an argument. Ultimately it comes down to assessing what his company has researched and using the facts he presents to the best of your argument.
E-Books Priced Right or Wrong?
Read this article
One of the key questions facing e-books is how much the price should be for a digital copy of a physical book? In Wired Magazine blog called “Kindle Readers Ignite Protest Over E-Book Prices” Priya Ganapati tries to shed light on this new problem. The Amazon market has set a constant price of e-books at $9.99. Many people like a Connecticut librarian feels as though since an e-book is digital and not a physical copy it should not cost as much as said physical copy. Priya then states that while there are those who are boycotting this price to have it lowered that many still feel that the price is justified. Priya brings up Tim Stevens who is a software engineer and Kindle owner who states that while many would like to see e-books drop in price the convenience in the platform is worth the few extra dollars. While some are boycotting the e-book market has clearly are not being hindered by it as Priya brings in facts presented by Association of American Publishers. According to the Association of American Publishers e-book rose in sale by 68.4 percent to 113.8 million dollars. Priya is quick to point out that paper books have dropped off in sales by 2.8 percent overall. Another positive that is keeping the e-book popular is the amount of books available. Priya states that the kindle has hundreds of books and newspaper articles for download which other wise would not be available for most readers to read. Clearly it seems that e-books despite the cost have found a place in the economical market.
Priya Ganapati shows in this blog one sides argument for the lowering of e-book prices but then states that the price is justifiable because of the advantages that e-books present. E-books allow a new convenience that bookstores do not in that the product is always in stock. This is a valid point that one must consider when deciding if e-books are the future. Another positive to this article is that Priya uses facts presented by the Association of American Publishers to show that e-books are clearly not effected by protesters or pirates. The price of e-books will have an impact to how well devices such as the Kindle and Sony Reader. Therefore in order to make a valid argument one has to look at the views of others. Priya does a good job of bringing in a librarian, and a software engineer both kindle owners who have different views has the price of e-books. This contrast allows Priya to clearly back the opinion that e-book prices should be looked at as fair. Those reading this article could use this opinion and the facts that e-books are convenient to provide points for their argument.
One of the key questions facing e-books is how much the price should be for a digital copy of a physical book? In Wired Magazine blog called “Kindle Readers Ignite Protest Over E-Book Prices” Priya Ganapati tries to shed light on this new problem. The Amazon market has set a constant price of e-books at $9.99. Many people like a Connecticut librarian feels as though since an e-book is digital and not a physical copy it should not cost as much as said physical copy. Priya then states that while there are those who are boycotting this price to have it lowered that many still feel that the price is justified. Priya brings up Tim Stevens who is a software engineer and Kindle owner who states that while many would like to see e-books drop in price the convenience in the platform is worth the few extra dollars. While some are boycotting the e-book market has clearly are not being hindered by it as Priya brings in facts presented by Association of American Publishers. According to the Association of American Publishers e-book rose in sale by 68.4 percent to 113.8 million dollars. Priya is quick to point out that paper books have dropped off in sales by 2.8 percent overall. Another positive that is keeping the e-book popular is the amount of books available. Priya states that the kindle has hundreds of books and newspaper articles for download which other wise would not be available for most readers to read. Clearly it seems that e-books despite the cost have found a place in the economical market.
Priya Ganapati shows in this blog one sides argument for the lowering of e-book prices but then states that the price is justifiable because of the advantages that e-books present. E-books allow a new convenience that bookstores do not in that the product is always in stock. This is a valid point that one must consider when deciding if e-books are the future. Another positive to this article is that Priya uses facts presented by the Association of American Publishers to show that e-books are clearly not effected by protesters or pirates. The price of e-books will have an impact to how well devices such as the Kindle and Sony Reader. Therefore in order to make a valid argument one has to look at the views of others. Priya does a good job of bringing in a librarian, and a software engineer both kindle owners who have different views has the price of e-books. This contrast allows Priya to clearly back the opinion that e-book prices should be looked at as fair. Those reading this article could use this opinion and the facts that e-books are convenient to provide points for their argument.
Penguin Ceo Says Books are Alive and Well
Read this article
While the e-book has become a technological reality in recent memory many argue that “old fashioned” books still have a place in our collection. In the article “Romance of books key in digital age, says Penguin CEO” Rina Chandran tries to explain the message of Penguin Publishing CEO John Makinson.
Rina starts by showing that with the new release of the Ipad many publishing companies are now looking to promote on the ipad rather than the Kindle. While Rina does use quotes from Makinson who says that the new technology would allow them to connect to a young generation through applications for devices such as the ipad ultimately the market for physical paper media is still strong. Makinson points to India where since the introduction of books published in Indian languages as well as rising literacy levels shows that this country still has a want for physical books. Rina then points to the example of the music industry where digital mp3's replaced the buying of cd's yet cd's still exist but on a much smaller scale. Eventually the book industry will be the same where the e-book will replace paper books yet books will still exist for those who wish to buy them. Makinson put it best when he said, “We need to keep the emphasis on the reader's emotional relationship with the book.”
The best use of this article for a person would be the fact that the CEO of Penguin publishing is stating quotes on how the book industry will change or stay the same. This article essential gives an opposing argument from a key head of a publishing company who is trying to be competitive with e-books. The quotes used by a powerful executive could be an important factor in deciding whether to back e-books or paper books. This article also gives a clear example of where books are still in popular use such as a lower economic country such as India. While in 1st world countries like the United States the e-book is thriving in comparison to paper books, other countries as pointed could still get significant benefits from paper books. The keys in using this article to the best of an argument is to use the quotes from Penguin CEO John Makinson and point to the fact that books are still rising in popularity in certain areas.
Could the Kindle save the Newspaper?
Read this article
One aspect many might not connect with e-books is the newspaper or magazine industry. In his article “How the Next Kindle Could Save the Newspaper Business” Marion Manekar breaks down how the Kindle and e-books could revitalize the newspaper industry. Manekar first starts by explaining that newspapers make their money based on advertisement which is becoming harder as Internet websites are able to have advertisement and post news articles much quicker than paper copies. Maneker does state that while ad revenue is killing the newspaper business the lack of readers is not. His solution to the problem is to use the e-book format to increase revenue. He mentions that Time magazine already has a solution in which on line there is news articles however Kindle readers have exclusive content which is only available to them for a fee. Manekar goes further stating what if all newspapers where to charge x amount of money for Kindle readers to read an article that was only exclusive to one area or written by an author directly free of any newspaper. For instance if an article was written by one writer who then could sell it to multiple newspaper and split the profit for on line sales as well as gain a boarder reputation it would be a win win situation for the newspaper and author. He states that while this might seem fantasy rather it is closer to history as writers were slaves to printers however printers were more likely to print many different articles rather than just certain ones. This allowed for a more broad approach for writers. Manekar then goes on to state that while the new Kindle DX might have been released to answer the newspaper industry question that other companies such as Plastic Logic are starting to create competition for the Kindle. As Manekar ends with the idea that more competition and more media tools the industry could become huge quickly.
Those trying to figure out if the e-book industry is the future would be able to use this article to provide an alternative to how the e-book could transform other industries. Not only is Marion Manekar a former publisher for HarperCollins he presents in this article solutions to how the e-book industry could transform the newspaper industry. For instance one could point to how Manekar states that if newspapers went to an e-book format they could benefit independent authors and as well make authors better by not being bound to newspapers. Also the infusion of new competitors in the field of e-book readers is only going to make the industry better. More competition makes companies improve their products for the consumer so that there product will win out. This argument could be use to reason why the Kindle is so expensive and how that competition could make the price more reasonable. Lastly those reading this article could see that newspapers are a new media that e-books could easily capitalize on and improve upon.
One aspect many might not connect with e-books is the newspaper or magazine industry. In his article “How the Next Kindle Could Save the Newspaper Business” Marion Manekar breaks down how the Kindle and e-books could revitalize the newspaper industry. Manekar first starts by explaining that newspapers make their money based on advertisement which is becoming harder as Internet websites are able to have advertisement and post news articles much quicker than paper copies. Maneker does state that while ad revenue is killing the newspaper business the lack of readers is not. His solution to the problem is to use the e-book format to increase revenue. He mentions that Time magazine already has a solution in which on line there is news articles however Kindle readers have exclusive content which is only available to them for a fee. Manekar goes further stating what if all newspapers where to charge x amount of money for Kindle readers to read an article that was only exclusive to one area or written by an author directly free of any newspaper. For instance if an article was written by one writer who then could sell it to multiple newspaper and split the profit for on line sales as well as gain a boarder reputation it would be a win win situation for the newspaper and author. He states that while this might seem fantasy rather it is closer to history as writers were slaves to printers however printers were more likely to print many different articles rather than just certain ones. This allowed for a more broad approach for writers. Manekar then goes on to state that while the new Kindle DX might have been released to answer the newspaper industry question that other companies such as Plastic Logic are starting to create competition for the Kindle. As Manekar ends with the idea that more competition and more media tools the industry could become huge quickly.
Those trying to figure out if the e-book industry is the future would be able to use this article to provide an alternative to how the e-book could transform other industries. Not only is Marion Manekar a former publisher for HarperCollins he presents in this article solutions to how the e-book industry could transform the newspaper industry. For instance one could point to how Manekar states that if newspapers went to an e-book format they could benefit independent authors and as well make authors better by not being bound to newspapers. Also the infusion of new competitors in the field of e-book readers is only going to make the industry better. More competition makes companies improve their products for the consumer so that there product will win out. This argument could be use to reason why the Kindle is so expensive and how that competition could make the price more reasonable. Lastly those reading this article could see that newspapers are a new media that e-books could easily capitalize on and improve upon.
One Persons Struggle with the Kindle
Read this article
The last article I have decided to use is from the New Yorker titled “A New Page” by Nicholas Baker. In this article Baker receives a Kindle in the mail and dissects it from a consumers point of view. First off he states that the display is grayish and not appealing to the eye. He also has a hard time trying to find books and makes a laundry list of books that are not available for the Kindle. He acknowledges that the book title will grow but for right now its a burden on the Kindle user. He also points out that while books are cheaper than on the Kindle than in paper the price is very small usually one a few dollars not enough to spend 359 dollars on the Kindle itself. He also points to the fact that you cant read competitors versions of books on the Kindle. For instance Sony Reader e-books can't be read on a Kindle and vice versa. He then goes on to explain what E-Ink does and how it is designed to allow the reader to have an easy time reading on such a small screen. Baker then explains that some have suggested that with the new Kindle 2 clarity on screen actually got worse. He actually says that it got worse then the first Kindle. The author then states that the Kindle DX was designed to help the newspaper reader transition into the e-book world ultimately killed the joy out of reading newspapers themselves. Baker even goes to suggest that the reader pick up an iPhone or iPod touch and download the Kindle application as it does everything the Kindle can do and is much cheaper and easier to use then the Kindle itself. However the author does make a mention that he was able to enjoy a reading on the Kindle 2 after all the difficulties beforehand.
If one were to use this article to help back a decision for e-books or not they would ultimately have to use this article as one person account of the Kindle. Baker does an excellent job of displaying his opinion on the Kindle by demonstrating why it has flaws. Those who would use this article could use the detail that Baker uses such as his how he goes into the background of E-Ink and why it was used. They also would want to use the facts presented by the lack of books available by Amazon and how this hurt the authors opinion on the Kindle. This source does an excellent job of giving a step by step account of a person's account with the Kindle. As well as the detail involved make it an important article to consider reading when trying to answer whether the e-book is the wave of the future.
The last article I have decided to use is from the New Yorker titled “A New Page” by Nicholas Baker. In this article Baker receives a Kindle in the mail and dissects it from a consumers point of view. First off he states that the display is grayish and not appealing to the eye. He also has a hard time trying to find books and makes a laundry list of books that are not available for the Kindle. He acknowledges that the book title will grow but for right now its a burden on the Kindle user. He also points out that while books are cheaper than on the Kindle than in paper the price is very small usually one a few dollars not enough to spend 359 dollars on the Kindle itself. He also points to the fact that you cant read competitors versions of books on the Kindle. For instance Sony Reader e-books can't be read on a Kindle and vice versa. He then goes on to explain what E-Ink does and how it is designed to allow the reader to have an easy time reading on such a small screen. Baker then explains that some have suggested that with the new Kindle 2 clarity on screen actually got worse. He actually says that it got worse then the first Kindle. The author then states that the Kindle DX was designed to help the newspaper reader transition into the e-book world ultimately killed the joy out of reading newspapers themselves. Baker even goes to suggest that the reader pick up an iPhone or iPod touch and download the Kindle application as it does everything the Kindle can do and is much cheaper and easier to use then the Kindle itself. However the author does make a mention that he was able to enjoy a reading on the Kindle 2 after all the difficulties beforehand.
If one were to use this article to help back a decision for e-books or not they would ultimately have to use this article as one person account of the Kindle. Baker does an excellent job of displaying his opinion on the Kindle by demonstrating why it has flaws. Those who would use this article could use the detail that Baker uses such as his how he goes into the background of E-Ink and why it was used. They also would want to use the facts presented by the lack of books available by Amazon and how this hurt the authors opinion on the Kindle. This source does an excellent job of giving a step by step account of a person's account with the Kindle. As well as the detail involved make it an important article to consider reading when trying to answer whether the e-book is the wave of the future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)