Will a new Kindle and other e-readers save newspapers?

Posted by Marion Geiger on May 5, 2009 at 10:52 AM

Ever since news got out regarding Amazon's intention to launch a new and bigger e-reader, eyebrows have been raised across the news business. Many have claimed that the new Kindle, Amazon's e-reader, could save newspapers: analysts are suspicious of these claims.

Brian Caulfield is especially adamant about it when he compares the Kindle to the iPhone. Admitting it is kind of like comparing apples to oranges, he says the Kindle is still too focused on old media, while the iPhone provides access to information across all kinds of mediums.

Caulfield writes, "Nearly half of the Kindle's users are over 50 years old, according to a survey of Amazon's discussion boards by blog, Kindle Culture. That's not because people under 50 don't read. It's because they read differently." He points out that the media is changing inevitably and creating new technologies that hold on to old media. Considering the age range of Kindle users is mostly past mid-life crisis range, it's plausible that the e-readers will not last as the generations age.

Other factors that make Kindle's success harder to imagine are costs. Many complain that it is too expensive for what it does. The latest Kindle costs $359.00, meaning the new one will very likely cost more. In addition to paying for the device, a subscription to a paper like the New York Times can cost you up to $13.99 a month.

The Kindle was originally designed for presenting chunkier text and not newspapers, which is why they are coming out with a version that will be more newspaper friendly. However perhaps people like Caulfield have a point; the media is changing and new technologies need to offer more flexibility when it comes to news delivery.

Nobody is saying the Kindle is worthless, quite the contrary depending on the field. The Kindle is an amazing gadget for those students, doctors and lawyers who have way too many textbooks invading their offices and homes. However, we may be getting ahead of ourselves when we say that e-readers will save newspapers when there are other technologies more interesting to the younger generations. Only time will tell because it is also possible that one day it will be standard to see e-readers set at the breakfast table with the latest news ready to be read over coffee.

Source: Forbes, CNET