E-Paper for Esquire

jst5150 · Jul 31, 2008

Thought this belonged here since is one of the harbingers of the future for print products. Esquire is pushing its 50th anniversary issue out with an e-Paper cover, the same "paper" used by the Amazon Kindle. The words and images can change on the cover. Not much else. However, it's a first. Here's the link:

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/07/30/esquire-to-geeks-hac.html

Discussion is simple: where are you with e-Paper? Where are you with advancing the books beyound pulp? And finally, how does the marketplace change with such flexible means of changing content? Certainly, contracts, rights and other money-making aspects of the venture wil have to changed.

if all this is too mcuh for you on a Thursday, we can just talk about the Queen's bloomers being sold at auction:

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/30/queen-victorias-unde.html

Soccer Mom · Jul 31, 2008

Excellent. Now if the Kindle would just come down in price. I love buying ebooks, but I can't afford to shell out $350.

Kitty Pryde · Jul 31, 2008

That's cool! I want one!

But seriously, my prediction is that these epaper books won't really catch on until publishing companies figure out how to make them smell and feel like paper books! I've read novels on a computer as well as on a PDA, and it's doable, but it feels like something is lacking. I really need that old paperback smell to enjoy myself.

As far as the market and copyrights and getting paid for your work goes, we are already in awful shape with online file-sharing, DRM, and various lousy schemes to protect copyright. We aren't even close to sorting those issues out. Once we do, we will be in a much better position regarding e-paper as well. Because really, the tech is different, but it's not much different from having a novel or other copyrighted material on your mobile phone or your laptop.

E-Paper for Esquire

jst5150

Vorpal Comics. Weekly Podcast. Twitch Artist. Vet

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

Kitty Pryde

i luv you giant bear statue