Thursday, December 31, 2009

E-Readers: A Hallmark Transition To The Information Age

We are truly getting entrenched into the information age.

Aside from the dramatic transformation of communication devices and the advent and growing ascendancy of computers into our lives, even books today are turning digital. And its not just about the disruptive innovation based technology but how these are being facilely assimilated by society.

In short, our lifestyle is increasingly becoming electronically based, prompted by innovation emanating from the adoption of freer markets (globalization) worldwide.


This from The Economist, (bold highlights mine)

``CONSUMERS are beginning to warm to the idea of viewing their novels and news on plastic tablets, thumbing buttons instead of flipping pages. E-reader sales have been gathering momentum since Amazon launched the Kindle in 2007. In 2009 falling prices, combined with a flurry of deals, announcements and technical upgrades, primed the market for a vast expansion. There are about 5m e-readers in circulation worldwide and double that amount will be sold in 2010, according to iSuppli, a market-research firm. Apple, with its record of improving upon existing technologies and triggering mass adoption, is expected to shake up the business by launching a tablet-style computer—which would make an ideal e-reader—in 2010."

Like most of technological innovations, as seen in the tremendous success of wireless or mobile phones, falling prices-not from debt deflation but from productivity based deflation- have been the key reason for "mass adoptions".

In the Philippines, there are more mobile phone users than there are bank depositors. And technology based mass adoption phenomenon will likely continue to accelerate overtime over an expanded or larger spectrum of u
tility.

And since it has been a goal of mine to become more mobile-than being always stuck in one corner of the room-Kindle or the coming Apple e-book would be part of my wishlist for 2010.


Happy New Year!

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