Magazine and newspaper publishers Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corp. and Time Inc. announced a joint venture to create open standards for new electronic devices that display publications in color and use video, games and social networking to create a superior experience to existing e-readers, including Amazon.com's Kindle.
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"For the consumer, this digital initiative will provide access to an extraordinary selection of engaging content products, all customized for easy download on the device of their choice, including smartphones, e-readers and laptops," said John Squires, the venture's interim managing director. "Once purchased, this content will be 'unlocked' for consumers to enjoy anywhere, anytime, on any platform."
Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corp., has been public about his unhappiness with the Kindle device. According to an Associated Press report, Mr. Murdoch said, "Kindle is a fantastic invention for reading books. It is not much of an experience for newspapers."
Not everyone is sure that all the bells and whistles promised by the publishers will make sense for consumers. James McQuivey, a media and technology analyst with Forrester Research, told the AP, "It takes more time to make that kind of content in an environment where people are paying less."
Sports Illustrated is providing a demo of the SI Tablet on its website. (Click to view...)
Discussion Questions: Will the new e-reader joint venture succeed? Where do you see the line coming down between features such as color screen, video, games, etc. and cost in the decision-making process for most consumers? How do you think this new system will affect consumer advertising?