Are Books Dead?

This is Kindle. Amazon's new wireless reading device. Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos describes it as a "revolutionary electronic-paper display which provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper." It seems simple enough to use with no wires or need to sync to a computer. You simple turn on your Kindle and with wireless connectivity you connect to Amazon.com and shop the Kindle Store, which has more than 90,000 books available, including 100 current New York Times® Best Sellers for $9.99, unless marked otherwise. The Kindle can currently auto-deliver wirelessly top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post and top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes. The Kindle is lighter and thinner than a typical paperback. It weighs only 10.3 ounces. It can hold over 200 titles at any time. It has a long battery life. You can leave the wireless device on and recharge it approximately every other day. You can turn the wireless device off and read for a week or more before recharging. The Kindle fully recharges in 2 hours. The Kindle costs $399.00 with no monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments. Newsweek recently wrote an article regarding the Kindle, entitled The Future of Reading. The cover states "Books Aren't Dead. (They're Just Going Digital.)" What do you think: Are books dead? Is this technology the latest craze? Will it stand the test of time?

Images taken from Amazon.com