Things We Do Just Because We Can

E-books are weird. That was my initial thought several years ago when the phenomenon first garnered some interest from the public. While portable dvd and mp3 players make practical sense (you can't take a band or a movie theater with you on a road trip), books and magazines are already portable. Why, then, is text on a hand-held screen better than an actual book-in-hand? Apparently it isn't. At least, the public hasn't bought the idea--literally or figuratively. Sales for e-books have yet to reach a fraction of the heights that those of music files have.

Sony seems to think that this is because the idea simply hasn't been properly realized. They are banking on the supposition that e-book sales will skyrocket when the files are available on Sony's new "Portable Reader System." The little piece of machinery looks something like a Blackberry. Most of its front area is taken up by screen that is supposed to provide "technology that rivals text on paper."

The fact that iPod users already load audio books into their players does not seem to discourage Sony executives. Not only that, their foray into the field of electronic books will not come cheap to consumers. Sony hopes to get $350.00 a pop out of their new system. It should be interesting to see how the battle of hand-held books plays out over the next year or so. Will it be paper or plastic?