It’s true, though: The Kindle Fire will undoubtedly rock the publishing world once again. 7” touch screen. Easy access to every Kindle ebook. Movies, music, the Internet. Oh, and it only costs $200.
That last bullet point is probably the most important one.
Amazon has also lowered the price of their standard Kindle (sans keyboard) to $79, not quite fulfilling the Ancient Prophecy Of The Free Kindle, but nonetheless causing print publications to once again reach for a bottle of aspirin.
I remember when I was younger seeing various exhibits of special “paper” that would display moving images or update text wirelessly. I suppose, back then, everyone was blind to the fact that inevitably paper -- real or synthetic -- would go out of style completely.
We’re not there yet, of course. I still read books. Schools, for the most part, still require textbooks (though that has been slowly, slowly changing recently). There are those of us who grudgingly cling to our newspapers and magazines, reluctant to let go of the familiar turn of a page.
But the change has been steadily taking effect, and as companies like Amazon continue to push new, lightweight technologies at highly competitive prices, sooner or later the end will come.
It’s like a version of Richard Matheson’s novel I Am Legend, only the “vampires” are e-readers and Robert Neville is a dusty paperback fighting for survival.
Inevitably, the old ways become legend, as a new generation rises to take their place.
