Speaking of Clover.

Amazon Kindle

This Christmas I received an Amazon Kindle. I’ve been wanting one of these ever since I played around with a friend’s first generation Kindle a year or so ago. This item has also sparked some lively debate around the office about whether or not a device like the Kindle will actually replace the “book” as we know it.

After spending some time with the Kindle (purchasing and reading a couple of books as well as spending a lot of time playing around in the interface of the tablet) I have solidified my opinion on what I believe the future will look like in how we will read and consume literature.

1. I believe that the concept of a tablet will replace books as we know it.

2. I believe the Amazon Kindle will not be the piece of technology that is the suitable replacement for books.

3. When the right technology is created, we will adapt as quickly and easily as a culture as we have with how we consume music digitally (i.e. iPod).

Before you get bummed out and mad at me for taking away the dreams of curling up by a fireplace with some cocoa, fluffy blanket, and the latest book in the Twilight Series, let me explain briefly how I came to these conclusions… Then you can curl up in that over-sized chair, pop in that mixed-tape cassette of Tears for Fears, and really enjoy your book.

1. The tablet will replace the “book”.

There are 4 reasons why I believe the tablet will replace the book. These reasons are 1) portability, 2) accessibility, 3) multimedia compatibility, and 4) sustainability.

Portability: As I write this, I have my tablet next to me with 2 books, 2 magazines, a Bible, a PDF of a Bible reading schedule, and a full Oxford American Dictionary. That is just after having the tablet for 3 full days while on vacation. Imagine being a student who instead of having to purchase and lug her 6 over-sized books over campus every day, can now just take a tablet that has 100x more room for information as her backpack.

Accessibility: Imagine that same student sitting in class, and realizing that she forgot to purchase the text book for the class. Instead of having to run out of class to the bookstore, she could simply download the book to her tablet. In the same way, imagine someone in a developing country who is now no longer limited to a local library for learning curriculum. The world’s library becomes open to anyone with Wifi.

Multimedia Compatibility: I believe the time is coming when reading a book is a multimedia experience. Imagine being in grade school reading about frogs at home, and instead of having to imagine what a bullfrog sounds like, you can actually hear and see it inside the text. Or imagine reading a biography about Martin Luther King Jr., and instead of reading his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, you can actually watch it.

Sustainability: As a culture we are beginning to realize what kind of impact our consumption has on the world around us. We have realized that everything we produce has a global impact. The concept of a tablet not only enhances the way we learn and consume information, but it also changes the way we make books. Imagine not needing to use paper to create books. Imagine simply deleting books when we are through with them rather than sending them to a landfill.

2. The Kindle is not the replacement.

Jeff Bezos created the Kindle with the intentions of getting out of the way. He wanted you to experience reading books off the Kindle in the same way you experienced reading a typical book or magazine article. I totally feel he accomplished those goals with the Kindle. After I was a couple of pages into reading my first book on the Kindle, I stopped noticing the tablet. My eyes felt the same as they do when reading a typical book, and I found myself submerged into the story. Even the way the home screen is organized is like books would typically be on your nightstand. Check out what the home screen looks like on my Kindle:

I really appreciate Amazon’s attention to detail… Even the fact that you can see how thick a book is in comparison to one another (just as you would if they were stacked on each other on your nightstand).

But Amazon’s attempt as making your transition from typical book to tablet seamless is the very reason why I believe it is not the replacement. For a culture to shift the way they consume information as a whole, you have to change the way they think about consuming information. The Apple did this with music… Now, to not have the ability to listen to music, watch movies, music videos and Podcasts seems a bit archaic. Playlists are a necessity to how we listen to music- multiple playlists… based on your mood. Apple didn’t just try to create a way to house more of our CD’s… They re-thought the way we consume music. It will take a revolutionary product that will change the way we consume literature, and unfortunately the Kindle is not that product.

3. We will adapt when the right product is created.

My brother purchased the “Creative Labs NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra” in right around 1996… It was a revolutionary piece of technology that meant you didn’t need to bring your entire CD library with you on trips (although with 30MB’s of memory there were still huge space limitations). But even with this new technology invented and sold, no one had created a mp3 device that would change the way consume music. The concept of purchasing digital music wasn’t a household concept until iTunes launched in 2003. Although the NOMAD was the right technology concept, the product was released at the wrong time in the wrong way. The iTunes launch in conjunction with the iPod was the right product launched in the right way.

I believe that when the right product is created that rethinks the way we consume information that works in conjunction with an online marketplace (much like Amazon), we will see change in this industry. But only when someone has the guts to rethink the whole industry- not just the medium in which we read books.

I personally look forward to the day when the industry changes… When we are not limited to telling stories with words and chapters, but we can use multiple senses in communicating. When it is done right, I’ll trade in my Kindle and jump whole-heartedly into the future. But until then, I’ll just keep reading books off my Kindle.