Amazon
By Jackie Watanabe
Voices
The Amazon Kindle2 is like a newspaper, minus the paper.
The 10-ounce Kindle delivers through wireless technology and Sprint’s national 3G data network, allowing users to download copies of their favorite newspaper anywhere, anytime. There are no monthly wireless bills, and The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and San Francisco Chronicle are just a few of the papers available. Users also can choose from more than 300,000 books for less than the price of most paperbacks. Kindles can store more than 1,500 books, newspaper, magazine, and blog subscriptions.
A special electronic display looks remarkably similar to actual paper.
“When I first started using (the Kindle), I had a tendency to reach up to turn the page,” said Lloyd LaCuesta, the South Bay Bureau Chief of Oakland, Calif.-based KTVU-TV. “It’s a matter of pressing a button to turn the page, (but) I still had this kind of book mentality in my mind.”
Owning a Kindle, LaCuesta said, has changed his reading habits.
“I don’t have to put on a robe and worry that the neighbors are going to see me when I pick up the newspaper,” he said, chuckling.
LaCuesta and others think the device is the future of newspapers. But there is skepticism within the industry, especially because the Kindle versions of the paper don’t feature ads.
“The problem with the Kindle is it can’t do advertising, traditional advertising,” said Vindu Goel, Deputy Technology Editor of The New York Times. “You can’t really replicate the newspaper page. It looks different, and of course, as much as advertising has gone down, advertising is still the bread and butter of every print publication.”
Another drawback is the price. At $299, reduced from $359, the device may still not be affordable for many.
The good news is newspaper subscriptions are cheaper through the Kindle. Boston Globe Kindle subscribers pay $9.99 a month. Regular home delivery can cost nearly five times that much.
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