Kindle replacing newsprint? Just say no!
June 24, 2008
Arik Hesseldahl with BusinessWeek reviewed the Kindle as a replacement to the four morning newspapers he reads each day. Short story long, he concludes the the Kindle saves him money over subscribing to the newspapers and it does save some trees and “it is a fair, but imperfect, replacement for the daily newspaper.”
Arik focuses on the readability of the text, the low quality photos, the battery life, the data vs data argument of e-newspaper and paper. But, the one HUGE thing he misses is the visceral experience that a newspaper brings to the reader; the crinkle of the newsprint, the smudging of the ink, the folding of the pages and yes, even the wind blowing the pages on a “breezy Saturday.”
Like a good, strong cup of coffee, the “experience” starts way before the warm, black liquid meets your lips and slides down your throat on it’s way to waking your cells up in the morning. It starts with the aroma of the beans in the grinder, the aromatic steam rising from the carafe. It continues on with the way your hands feel, cupped around your favorite mug, the first real morning breath leaning into the steam before you sip.
While you can get caffeine almost anywhere — just like you can get news from a Kindle — the experience of coffee and the rustle of the morning newspaper is priceless. Plain Joes will always read the morning news on paper, just like they will always drink coffee strong and black.
Sorry, Arik. While newspapers may shrink, become harder to find and may be more expensive to buy, Plain Joe believes the newspaper, like a good strong cup of coffee, will always be part of the early morning ritual.
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5 Responses to “Kindle replacing newsprint? Just say no!”
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While you may enjoy the ruslte of the page, the flimsy pages blowing in the wind, ink smudges, piles and piles for recycling, the requirment of two hands and lots of space, I find it a pain in the behind. It’s a lot easier and more practicle to tote the Kindle (or other ereader I suppose) around and thus I end up reading more of my paper than if I had to deal with the big flimsy paper version. Even sitting at home, inside at the breakfast table, the Kindle is easier to deal with. So while some will always love old things for the nostalgia factor the masses will move on when improvements are made. BTW, I brew my coffee at home strong and black and can easily do it while reading my paper in one hand thanks to the Kindle
John,
Impressive!!
But, I can brew coffee, PAGE THROUGH the Wall Street Journal with one hand, pet my dog Rufus and text message my son at college telling him he will have to make due with no more money this month
It is not an either-or technology world.. just need to stay connected with things that are simple and real.. like good, strong coffee, a strong dog, family and newspapers…
Wow, perhaps you should take up juggeling?
I’m not that coordinated or you simply have more hands than I do, lol.
I agree it’s not an either or thing. I still have many paper books and still buy new ones in paper as well as in electronic format. Ereaders simply don’t work well for graphic material yet. But for me, for newspapers, the e version is the only way to go. I actually had stopped subscribing to the paper for the last few years after having subscribed consistently for 10-15 years. The e version got me back to reading it.
Anyway you enjoy your paper version, I’ll enjoy my e version, and we’ll both enjoy our black coffee
I disagree. I began delivering newspapers 30 years ago and have always subscribed even when my cohort stopped doing so. I’ve had the Kindle for ten days and see the print media dying even quicker.
The Kindle allows such easy transprot relative to a newspaper (and book) that I don’t find the need for a print edition and already find myself ignoring the two home delivered newspapers.
The biggest grumble is the selection of paers and magazines is too small.
Oh, I know that newspapers will become as obsolete as buggy whips, but until they do, I will prefer to read a newspaper over a Kindle… not for the data, but the experience.