Digital Marketing - Development of e-Readers

The idea of 'reading' has always been central to any digital marketing idea of merging technology with publishing. Book-type metaphors have always been popular with product developers, from Vannevar Bush's 1945 vision of the 'memex', to Ted Nelson's hypertext project 'Xanadu', to Bolter and Joyce's 'Storyspace' hypertext platform. Even when it comes to the Internet, bookish terms have constantly been developed to describe various things, such as browsing, reading, pages, Facebook, bookmark and so on.

However, unlike a book that can be held close and read, Internet browsing can only be done from a certain distance. While web browsing is more interactive than television, it requires a physical interface consisting of a monitor, keyboard and mouse, to enable one to read a digital marketing article or e-book. Even those who use laptops for reading digital marketing e-books do not find them as personal as a book, magazine or newspaper. This all changed when the e-book revolution began, with the launch of Amazon's 'Kindle' in the digital marketing market.

The Kindle made it easy for readers to consume long-form digital content. While the Kindle did not resemble a book, it was the same size as a paperback book, which allowed it to easily fit into the hand of the reader. The only un-bookish thing about it was the physical buttons required to navigate through a digital marketing e-book. Most readers usually forgot about this problem, after using the product for some time. With the launch of the Kindle, it became possible for text-based digital content to become personal. Readers could hold it close, just a book made from paper. It also did not require other devices like a keyboard, mouse or wires to function.

Digital marketing professionals who have ever owned a Kindle will be able to say that the product gave them a good picture of how a book could be digitalised. However, no matter how much of an intimate experience Kindle provided, it was not until the iPad was launched that the idea of personal digital content was realised. The iPad got rid of all barriers like keyboards and wires, between a reader and digital marketing content. The display and shape of the device was also better, allowing readers to curl up and read a book, watch a movie or play a game, in a way that previously wasn't possible.

Qudos Digital is a leading digital marketing agency and can be contacted on 020 8891 2077 or info@qudosdigital.co.uk.

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