It has long been accepted that with the emergence of new technologies (like the Internet and cell phones) comes an inevitable decline in the "traditional newspaper's" role.
This article, however, showed a new idea that just might work. The Plastic Logic company is trying to develop an "e-newspaper" - a device (the size of a paper) that would allow readers to pay for a subscription to their favorite newspaper and receive updated versions on their device. It would have wireless capabilities, enabling it to download any breaking news stories throughout the day.
Yes, people can already access news stories from their cell phones or PDA's. But the goal of this new invention is to retain the actual "look" of a newspaper page on a larger device. "We are hopeful that we will be able to distribute our newspaper content on a new generation of larger devices sometime next year," said Kenneth Bronfin, president of Hearst Interactive Media.
Not surprisingly, Europe is already ahead of the game on this one. The iLiad is an electronic reader that lets users access newspapers from France and the Netherlands. The technology works for them.
The only problem that's keeping this trend from going huge?
Money.
In Holland the iLiad costs $855, and after a year, it costs $270 annually to subscribe to the newspaper. This is obviously not wildly popular among a generation that is so accustomed to getting free information. We merely log onto any computer, type in a news website, and instantly we have access to everything we want. The sticker shock of this new device poses a real problem.
But what's new? Computers certainly were not affordable when they first came out. Neither were cell phones or DVD players. I remember, as a kid, when my dad first bought a strange new novelty called a "laptop". The prices back then were enormous, thanks to the newness of the technology.
So maybe, just maybe, if these "e-newspapers" can be made cheaply... they might stand a chance.
I know that I personally would have to warm up to the idea. I'm used to getting my news online, for free, whenever I'm at a computer. It seems to me like much of my generation has grown up with this "free information" mentality as well. That's why I think it would be exceptionally hard to market this product.
However, I'm not saying it can't be done. If its created in a user-friendly way, and if it establishes some "perks" that online news sites can't offer (like personalized news stories, absence of ads, etc.), then it may stand a chance as the next huge thing to hit our market.
What do you think?
