• Welcome
  • Community
  • Blogs
  • Photos
  • Join
  • Log in
Follow MNN    
MNN - Mother Nature Network - Envrionmental News
improve your world
Friday, February 10, 2012
  • Earth Matters

    Browse All » Animals Weather Energy Politics Space Translating Uncle Sam Wilderness & Resources

  • Health

    Browse All » Allergies Fitness & Well-Being Healthy Spaces

  • Lifestyle

    Browse All » Arts & Culture Travel Natural Beauty & Fashion Recycling Responsible Living

  • GREEN TECH

    Browse All » Computers Gadgets & Electronics Research & Innovations Transportation

  • Eco-Biz & Money

    Browse All » Green Workplace Personal Finance Sustainable Business Practices

  • Food & Drink

    Browse All » Beverages Healthy Eating Recipes

  • Your Home

    Browse All » At Home Organic Farming & Gardening Remodeling & Design

  • family

    Browse All » Babies & Pregnancy Family Activities Pets Protection & Safety

Tweet
Pin It
Email Bookmark and ShareShare
WorldShares lets you earn donations for your favorite nonprofit. Earn up to 20 points now.
Learn More

Earn Points
What's this?
MNN.COM›

MNN BLOGGERS

Karl Burkart

Amazon's controversial Kindle 2 ships this month

The long-awaited digital book reader is ready to ship, but many complain about Amazon's killer device.

Thu, Feb 12 2009 at 2:32 AM EST

 
There is no doubt, digital books are here to stay. The original Kindle, which started shipping in November 2007, was a wake up call to the publishing world. Amazon's innovative product emulated real paper using 4 shades of grey, and unlike a computer or cell phone display, the "e-paper" does not emit light so it won't strain your eyes.
 
What the iPod did for CD's, the Kindle may well do for books -- that is, destroy them. The era of the paper book may largely be over.
 
As you can imagine, this is good news for the environment. Digital readers like the Kindle and the Sony Reader use very little power, and could theoretically replace the estimated 30 million trees which are cut down every year in the US for the publishing industry. Though US forests are typically well-managed, significant carbon dioxide emissions are associated with the harvesting, shipping and processing of trees to make paper. 
 
But there are complaints. Some say Amazon is being too controlling by not allowing people (like the original Kindle) to swap in their own memory cards or replace the battery. Others have more serious concerns...
 
The Kindle forces users to buy through Amazon, essentially eliminating the need for smaller booksellers or even Barnes & Noble for that matter. Even iTunes will allow you to pull in media purchased form other sources. But Amazon, it seems, wants to own the market in its entirety.
 
Though it lacks the slickness of the Kindle 2, Sony has taken a much more open approach to the issue of digital books. The Sony Reader allows you to download books from a variety of sources. This gives smaller book retailers the opportunity to create their own select stores and publish special interest books.
 
Nevertheless, it will be hard for Sony to steal Kindle 2's thunder, with its slick design and great features, including:
 
  10 oz, lighter & thinner

  16 shades of grey, ultra-crisp

  2G storage holding 1500 titles

  Wireless - 60 second downloads

  230,000 titles to choose

  $10 per bestsellers

  Subscribe to newspapers

  Wifi Wikipedia access, 1000 blogs

  Digital text-to-speech audio

  Read word docs

 

At $359, it is still at the luxury price point, but it is only a matter of time before prices come down, forcing many book retailers to face a serious downturn in business. One of those examples, where an eco-gadget, while great for the environment, will not be creating any green jobs in the near future.

 

CLOSE link:
Previous Post
Google announces gadget for 'smarter power'
   Next Post
FUEL: the untold story
You might also like:
Related Topics: Forests & Trees, Green Electronics, Kindle

Comments

Follow this conversation
Add your comment
View:
  • All (1)

anonymous
Guest 02/12/2009 16:13 PM

Polymer Sciences is an innovative green technology oriented company in Atlanta Georgia, we are one of the few companies in the U.S. capable of reprocessing Styrofoam into usable material for industry and keeping it our of landfill. Our dream is to expand our operations to include consumer pickup locations and make Styrofoam (EPS) recycling easier for consumers. Please visit our website and find out how you might become a part of our effort and participate in what we hope to be a National.... More

  • |
  • Reply
  • report this post 

Add your comment

Sign in with one of these accounts or just add your comment below.
    Log in or
    create an account
     
    Login
Used only for emailed comments and will not be displayed with your post
Notify me with an email when other people comment on this article.
The posting of advertisement, profanity or personal attacks is prohibited.
Click here to review our Terms of Use

tease to ecollywood

tease to squatter

tease to toxic plants for cats

ADVERTISEMENT

TOP MEMBERSJoin Now
  • poland.jr
    21026 points
  • ecomainegirl
    9359 points
  • achase
    9323 points
  • LauraB
    5049 points
  • Momof2
    4514 points
All members

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH MNN

Follow @twitterapi
 Tumblr
 Google +
FROM OUR SPONSOR
TRANSFORMING BUSINESS
Reducing Waste One Innovation at a Time
Have you ever known someone so obsessed with reducing waste that they bring... more >
Giving cell phones new life
See the typical life cycle of the over 5 billion cell phones in existence. more >
Meet the Possibility Economy
There’s a new economy taking root in America. more >
Project Hyperion: A Blackberry in space
What can a team of innovative Civil Air Patrol cadets with $300, an AT&T... more >
Redefining sustainability: A look at AT&T’s broad perspective
What does sustainability really mean? Well, for AT&T, it’s a broad... more >

ADVERTISEMENT



Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Advisory Board
  • Editors' Blog
  • Press
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Service
  • WorldShares

MNN Tools

  • Advice
  • Blogs
  • Day in History
  • Eco-glossary
  • Infographics
  • Lists
  • Photos
  • Videos

Connect

  • Community
  • Contact Us
  • Contests
  • Idea Lab
  • Mixed Greens
  • Newsletters
  • Polls
  • RSS

Channels

  • Earth Matters
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Green Tech
  • Eco-Biz & Money
  • Your Home
  • Family
  • State Reports
 

Copyright © 2012 MNN Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Website by GLICK INTERACTIVE | Powered by CIRRACORE
 
SPONSORS