Comments on: Rupert Murdoch knocks the Kindle as a news reader—even though the Wall Street Journal is now on the K machine http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/rupert-murdoch-knocks-the-kindle-as-an-e-reader-even-though-the-wall-street-journal-is-now-on-the-k-machine/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:28:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Steve Jordan http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/rupert-murdoch-knocks-the-kindle-as-an-e-reader-even-though-the-wall-street-journal-is-now-on-the-k-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-1148473 Steve Jordan Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:47:19 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/11/05/rupert-murdoch-knocks-the-kindle-as-an-e-reader-even-though-the-wall-street-journal-is-now-on-the-k-machine/#comment-1148473 Murdoch could have as easily said: The newspaper format isn't much of an experience for e-book readers." But then he'd have to come to grips with the fact that the newspaper format is suited only for newspaper. To properly deliver news content to an e-book reader, the content should be formatted and organized to fit the device, not, as he suggests, the other way around. But committing to that would require time and money Murdoch doesn't want to spend. I'll <i>bet</i> he hopes someone will create a reader with a huge screen, so he doesn't have to alter his content one iota. If Murdoch was smart, he'd be converting his newspapers to a reader-friendly format that would <i>make</i> them a good experience, instead of griping that his size-elevens don't fit in a size-nine shoe. Murdoch could have as easily said: The newspaper format isn’t much of an experience for e-book readers.”

But then he’d have to come to grips with the fact that the newspaper format is suited only for newspaper. To properly deliver news content to an e-book reader, the content should be formatted and organized to fit the device, not, as he suggests, the other way around. But committing to that would require time and money Murdoch doesn’t want to spend. I’ll bet he hopes someone will create a reader with a huge screen, so he doesn’t have to alter his content one iota.

If Murdoch was smart, he’d be converting his newspapers to a reader-friendly format that would make them a good experience, instead of griping that his size-elevens don’t fit in a size-nine shoe.

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