Jesse Hirsh is a broadcaster, researcher and internet consultant based in Toronto. He appears regularly on CBC Newsworld and CBC radio, writes for CBCNews.ca and hosts an interfaith TV show called 3D Dialogue for OMNI/Rogers.

• Video: Jesse Hirsh on Amazon Kindle (Runs 4:35)

While music and video have both found a profitable place in the internet economy, electronic versions of books have been slow to catch on. Can Amazon.com's new e-book reader, the aptly named Kindle, fan the flames of interest around e-books?

The problem with e-books has been both cultural and technical, as book readers have yet to find a device or reason to upgrade from the perfectly functional paper-based technology derived from the work of our friend Gutenberg. Amazon's Kindle is attempting to change this and bring the concept of a digital reader to the network age, providing a ubiquitous connection to not only books, but all sorts of digitized information that previous electronic book readers were unable to access.

Amazon has also created the device as an extension of its successful online retail store. This draws the inevitable comparison with the iPod and iTunes service, a pairing that allowed Apple to develop and prosper from the expansion of the online music retail industry.

While listening to music (and downloading it) was a reasonably easy sell, the reading of books in electronic format is still something that people have resisted — digital music comes out of the same familiar speakers and headphones, whereas leafing through paper pages and reading a digital book are different physical experiences. This new easy-to-use device could go a long way towards generating interest and encouraging adoption. However, it may not be user-friendly enough to win over the hardcore bibliophiles who enjoy the aesthetic of opening a book and turning its pages.

The problem with existing e-books and digital readers is the need to connect them to a computer in order to add content. Unfortunately, many users have had difficulty configuring new devices to work with their computers, and this has been cited as a major reason for the failure of the e-book platform to catch on.

The Amazon Kindle on the other hand comes with a built-in wireless broadband (high-speed) internet connection that is always on, and it does not cost the user any additional fees. Rather, the cost of this connection is embedded in the price of the products made available for download. The device is therefore comparable to a cellphone, as it uses EVDO technology to maintain a constant internet connection. However, unlike a phone, it does not require a long-term contract with a service provider to maintain the data connection.

As a stand-alone device, the Kindle does not require any computer in order to use and download new content. Users can purchase and download content for the device directly from Amazon, upload their own content via a USB cable or use a unique e-mail address that will automatically upload any attachment it receives directly to the device (at a cost of 10 cents per message).

Financial boon for bloggers?

Amazon is also using this service as a means of monetizing internet content that has so far been difficult to sell. For example, Kindle owners can subscribe to blogs and other internet-specific content for a small price ranging between $1 and $3 a month. While it may seem silly paying for content that is otherwise free, this nominal fee covers the cost of regularly downloading the data, while also giving 30 per cent of generated revenue to the bloggers, creating a potential new source of subscriber revenue.

In addition to books, the service will also sell subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals that previously may not have been accessible in digital format due to concerns of lost subscriber revenue.

This raises perhaps the most significant feature of the Kindle compared to a traditional printed book or magazine, that being the power of search. We take for granted our dependence on search technology to find content on the internet, and applying this ability to books and periodicals enables an efficient means of conducting research and organizing information. There's also a keyboard for note taking, and the current memory allows for up to 200 books to be stored. This will be expanded with future models, the company says.

The device itself is about the weight and size of a large paperback book, making it small and portable compared to older digital readers. Despite its name, the Kindle also generates little to no heat, avoiding what is a big problem with laptops. It also has an incredible battery life, with upward of 30 hours of operation before requiring a two-hour recharge.

Making e-books more attractive

The Kindle also uses a technology called E-Ink that allows the screen to appear and mimic the visual qualities of a printed page. This allows the device to be used and read in full sunlight, evoking the image of enjoying a nice relaxing read on the beach.

Certainly this image speaks to why e-books and digital readers have been unpopular, regarded more as a concept waiting for content and consumer demand. This has been due in part to clunky and unfriendly technology, but also a culture amongst book lovers that values the tangible and low-tech culture of the book.

One of the problems with e-books has been the price, and with this announcement Amazon has lowered the prices of e-books so that they are now either on par with printed books, or even cheaper.

As well, even though the $399 US price of the Kindle is a bit more than other digital readers, the fact that the wireless connection is free (or subsidized by content purchased) may help persuade reluctant users to try out the new medium and continue using the technology once the novelty has worn off.

Personally I've grown up in houses that are filled with books, and at home my wife and I have three rooms filled with them — with more stored in boxes down in the basement. The thought of having to move houses terrifies me, and I still have bad memories of lugging boxes and boxes of books during past moves. I love the idea of being able to have all this knowledge and literature digitized in a device that fits in my hand, and that I can carry with me on vacation or when moving homes.

Over the past few years, the iPod has evolved from a fairly basic music device to a full multimedia mini-computer that drives a multimillion-dollar online retail juggernaut. In this case we see the reverse, an online retail giant introducing a device to further expand its sales and product inventory.

The insight or lesson to learn from the iPod example is one of evolution. This first version of the Kindle, which took three years to develop, may not demonstrate the full capability of this service. However, backed by the power of Amazon's online outlet, it has the opportunity to evolve with consumer demand, creating and capturing a new market for digital content. The device already has a basic web browser, can play MP3 files and can display images. Expect future versions to expand this ability to surf the web and play multimedia.

However, unlike Apple, Amazon has zero experience in either the computer or mobile device industry. Therefore to be successful, it will need to partner with and garner support from the broader industry, especially given how quickly technology changes.

Expect a company like Google or even Microsoft to step in at an early stage if this platform shows any signs of success. Instead of the Kindle doing for books what the iPod did for music, the Kindle could evolve to compete head on with the iPod/iPhone to be the multimedia computer in your pocket.

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