Count me as a skeptic

Rumor has it Apple will soon unveil a new "tablet" device that will "save" print media.

It will be interesting to see, but I suspect that the "saving" involved will not be the kind of saving the media expects and wants.

I already get the AP feed and New York Times on my Kindle. I find it very convenient and generally cost-effective. (I have dropped the NYT for now, though) That said, the key point I need to make about my Kindle is, as much as I like it, I have yet to see anyone else with one.

I'm sure there are major metro areas and college campuses where they abound, but I'm not in some desert or cave either and the fact that I don't see Kindles around makes me suspect that this kind of device will not be the wholesale salvation of newspapers.

Bigger Kindle debuts

Amazon announces a new Kindle that may be suitable for newspaper and magazines.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015TCML0

Kindling the newspaper

Well, I'm about two weeks into the Kindle New York Times experience and I really don't see any significant downside to the device as a newspaper consumer.

Navigating the headlines is a little clumsier than it needs to be, but it's still easier than handling a broadsheet newspaper would be. I don't read the paper during a commute, but if I did I would definitely find the Kindle easier to use on a bus or train. Using the Text to Speech function even makes it possible to "read" the newspaper while driving. (The Kindle has the ability to take headphones).

The newspaper is "delivered" every morning to my nightstand and I'm able to start reading in bed as soon as I get up. Better than home delivery. Even if the news carrier gently placed the paper on my doorstep (instead of tossing it at the end of the driveway while driving past) I'd still have to go downstairs and open the door to the elements.

About the only significant capability the Kindle version of the NYT lacks are many photos and charts. I think that the Kindle still falls short of replacing a graphics and photo-heavy publication such as Sports Illustrated or Smithsonian, but it's hard to consider this merely a temporary state of affairs that will probably abate by the time the Kindle 3 or Kindle 4 or whatever it's called rolls out in a few more years.

From the point of view of the NYT, though, the Kindle creates an entirely new dynamic because it's a subscriber-pays model instead of an advertiser-pays model. It's hard to see how any subscriber-based payment model can replace the kind of revenue that advertiser-paid print was bale to generate.

Indeed, I can't see any particular advantage an outfit like the NYT derives from its size in this new environment other than the brand value. This is not insignificant, but it may also be insufficient.

Interesting review of the online Detroit Free Press

Read about the episode here: http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/03/review_detroit.html

Then consider this fact. That same morning I reached over to my Kindle, turned it on, made one click and I could start reading that morning's New York Times while still in bed. Much more user friendly than her odyssey.

You tell me which one you think represents the future? I know where I'd place my bets.

Kindle and coffee

For most newspaper readers, the morning paper is part of their regular routine. Maybe they pick it up off the porch in their bathrobe while their morning pot of coffee brews. Or perhaps they pick it up at the newsstand on their way to work. Or maybe it's waiting for them at the office and they start the workday by catching up on the news as they drink their coffee.

Well, I can already see that my Kindle can fit very comfortably into any of those routines, or even a new one. Most days I start off flicking on the TV to CNN to see what the big news of the day might be. But now I can just reach over to the night table and open my Kindle to the morning's New York Times -- not just delivered to my door, but delivered to my bed!

This is the real future for newspaper-style news organizations. Yes, being on the Web is important, but the Internet does not play to the strengths of the newspaper journalist. You're just a voice in the crowd.

What you need to be is the first voice in the morning, and that will comes from a Kindle-like device in the future.

Got my Kindle

I'm checking it out. I started with a subscription to the New York Times site. My very first impression of the Kindle is very good, less so about the NY Times site which doesn't seema s easy to use as it should be.

After the weekend I'll remark more about both once I determine how much is operator thickheadedness and how much is platform deficency.