Where's an iPod for text?

Brian · 10-13-2005, 07:34 PM

The website if:book has an interesting article by Bob Stein about the notable absence of an iPod-like device optimized for text. Using the iPod as an analogy for a mass market device for portable reading, and iTunes with music, videos and podcasts an analogy for digital text and a delivery mechanism, the author makes a very compelling case that consumers and the industry are ready for an "iPod for text". The author also cites a recent New York Times article titled Forget Blogs, Print Needs Its Own IPod about how such an iPod for text could be the answer for the magazine and newspaper industries, which are both suffering a rapid decline in readership as more people read content online and visual media becomes more popular.

What will an iPod for text look like, and who will make it? Will it be a dedicated device like a Librie for the rest of us, or will it be a converged device suitable for audio and video content in addition to text?

Read the full article here.

Related: E-books: Man's second best friend

10-13-2005, 07:34 PM	#1
Brian MobileRead Editor Posts: 447 Karma: 84 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Massachusetts Device: Treo 700p, Zodiac2	Where's an iPod for text? The website if:book has an interesting article by Bob Stein about the notable absence of an iPod-like device optimized for text. Using the iPod as an analogy for a mass market device for portable reading, and iTunes with music, videos and podcasts an analogy for digital text and a delivery mechanism, the author makes a very compelling case that consumers and the industry are ready for an "iPod for text". The author also cites a recent New York Times article titled Forget Blogs, Print Needs Its Own IPod about how such an iPod for text could be the answer for the magazine and newspaper industries, which are both suffering a rapid decline in readership as more people read content online and visual media becomes more popular. What will an iPod for text look like, and who will make it? Will it be a dedicated device like a Librie for the rest of us, or will it be a converged device suitable for audio and video content in addition to text? Read the full article here. Related: E-books: Man's second best friend