OU professional writing senior Matt Madeiro accesses a menu on his Amazon Kindle. The e-reader plays a major role in the movement to convert print books to electronic format.
For those who have ever curled up under the covers with a book and a flashlight, that familiar (and often illustrated) scenario brings a specific picture to mind.
However, for the next generation, that picture may morph to one with neither a book nor a flashlight, thanks to the growing technology of electronic books. E-readers – portable devices that allow users to read books in an electronic format – have skyrocketed in popularity over the last few months.
A major player in this electronic conversion is the Amazon Kindle, the most popular of the e-readers available on the market today. The first Kindle model was released in Nov. 2007, according to Amazon's official Web site.
"It's portable, I can take it wherever I need to, and I can easily pick up (reading) right where I left off," said Mandy Wendel, speech therapist and Kindle owner.
Many technology enthusiasts, and those with on-the-go lifestyles, appreciate the portability of the Kindle. Others, including tactile types or traditionalists, claim nothing can replace the experience of sitting down and flipping through the pages of a "real" book. Wendel said she fits into both categories, depending on the book in question.
No matter which side of the fence one chooses, one realization emerges: The Kindle (along with similar technology) is transforming the way people read. And, as is the case with any innovation, this comes with the potential to transform the industry in which it concerns.
The appeal of electronic books relies on several factors, but two major pushes toward the format include convenience and variety.
Ross Rozell, a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa, Japan, appreciates the portability of electronic books. Rozell does not own a Kindle itself, but has used the Kindle program for iPhone in the past.
“I was already carrying my iPhone around with me, and it was convenient to be able to pull out a book and do some reading when I had some spare time,” he said.
For someone stationed on a military base, Rozell said the Kindle offered the largest selection of books available to him anywhere. As of press time, the online Kindle store offered more than 300,000 books for download.
“Given that’s probably just a little dent in the big picture of how many books have ever been written, but that’s more than you’d find in your local library most likely…Plus, the selection of books on base was disappointing, to say the least,” he said.
What this means for the book market
The phenomenon of a digital book market also has the potential to affect those on the business side of things. Authors, printers and publishers all have a stake in the rapid changes occurring concerning book production. However, the incentive for authors to create works rests on their success in this new market -- as does their overall motivation.
Several Kindle users feel that adapting books electronically would help up-and-coming authors, rather than hurt them. Wendel said Amazon currently offers five free book downloads per week, often in an effort to showcase a new or lesser-known author and encourage people to pay for other books by that same author.
Wendel said she became interested in a new author after one of her books was offered as a free download. Since then, Wendel has purchased some of that author's other books.
"I'm sure that she could have been an unknown author had it not been for the Kindle putting her work up as a free book, (because) I realized, 'Oh, she's written 8 books.' So, I've got three of her books now," Wendel said.
Rozell agreed lesser-known authors can benefit from the new technology by skipping some of the usual hurdles to publishing.
"Right now (for print books), you have to go find a publisher to get going, and have it printed, whereas I can write an e-book right now and distribute it digitally for nearly nothing. It seems to me that once you've removed the need to print, you take out a huge section of the infrastructure," he said.
Rozell said success for new authors could come partially as a result of reduced prices. E-books cost about the same as -- or less than -- the paperback version of a book, and much cheaper than the hardcover version, Wendel said.
"I'm more willing to pay $5 to try out a new author than $15," Rozell said.
Matt Madeiro, professional writing senior and Kindle owner, pointed out another feature Amazon offers to encourage book sales: free book sampling. If a user is interested in buying a book, he or she can download the first chapter or two of a book for free, he said. This service allows money-conscious consumers to avert some of the financial risk in purchasing a book.
“It helps save me money, which is important for college students,” Madeiro said.
What’s next, e-reader textbooks? Not so fast…
However, not all books lend themselves to the Kindle’s technology. For example, the idea of adapting college textbooks may sound feasible in theory, but presents its own set of problems in practice.
For one, the Kindle’s black-and-white screen means that students cannot view artistic works in color.
“If you’re reading about the Louvre and its collections, then the black-and-white (screen) would not and cannot give the artwork justice,” said Katherine Fream, employee at River Spirit Casino.
In addition, the very nature of the Kindle’s technology may prevent students from effectively using electronic textbooks, Fream said.
“The index, glossary, chapters, and color pictures are necessary for a student. I remember too often going through a textbook and holding one place of information, and turning to another page for information at the same time. You cannot do that with a Kindle,” she said.
Wendel suggested that text-only college textbooks may one day make their way to the Kindle, but for now, the traditional printed textbook provides a more student-friendly experience.
Madeiro, while acknowledging the Kindle’s shortcomings as an academic medium, said he hoped the technology advances to that stage someday -- which would save him from having to carry a heavy load of books to class every day.
Readers of the future
All things considered, the Kindle is just the latest craze in a slew of technology devices that are revolutionizing the way people interact with the world around them. As mp3 players, smartphones, PDAs and netbooks compete with e-readers – and people undoubtedly become more global – will future generations read less?
Not necessarily, according to Wendel. Her 10-year-old nephew, a voracious reader who started reading printed books, later began using his mother’s Kindle to find books to read. He expresses just as much desire to read digital books as their printed counterparts.
“I think the next generation coming up, they’re so into technology that it’ll lead them to be more avid readers than they might have been otherwise,” Wendel said.
Madeiro said the e-reader technology even caters to those who fear they might not find books they like. On Amazon, users can request for a certain book to be converted into digital format if it does not exist electronically.
Already, e-readers and electronic books have instigated multifaceted changes in book reading, purchasing and marketing. However, such technology is young, and – while innovative – is certainly still a work in progress. Time will tell to what extent e-reader technology replaces traditional printed books.
