Kindlerama

You’ve probably heard by now that Amazon is holding a press conference in NYC this coming Wednesday, May 5th. Although there’s no guarantee, most media sources are saying it will be to announce a large-format ebook device, suitable for reading newspapers and textbooks on. It may even announce some sort of content partnership or even–wait for it–device subsidy (much like what cellular carriers do with phones) with The New York Times, which is not entirely far fetched considering:

1. Newspapers are hurting badly in this economy, and the New York Times is in some pretty serious financial trouble;
2. The NYT and other papers have been making serious noise lately about finding new distribution channels and revenue streams. Direct distribution via an ebook device is exactly the sort of new channel they’ve been reported as considering.
3. It may, in fact, be cheaper for a large newspaper to subsidize an ereader for subscribers than it is to distribute the old-fashioned paper route.
4. The New York Times already has had substantial success with subscriptions on the Kindle.
5. It’s speculated (completely unscientifically) that a high number of current Kindle owners are over 40 years of age, hinting that a significant portion of the demographic that will adopt ebook technology may overlap with the demographic that reads (and subscribes) to newspapers.

We’ll find out in about 48 hours. In the meantime, amuse yourself with these news stories about the possible device, beginning with the one in the New York Times that started the whole media flurry today. Here’s an excerpt:

But it is Amazon, maker of the Kindle, that appears to be first in line to try throwing an electronic life preserver to old-media companies. As early as this week, according to people briefed on the online retailer’s plans, Amazon will introduce a larger version of its Kindle wireless device tailored for displaying newspapers, magazines and perhaps textbooks.

An Amazon spokesman would not comment, but some news organizations, including The New York Times, are expected to be involved in the introduction of the device, according to people briefed on the plans. A spokeswoman for The Times, Catherine J. Mathis, said she could not comment on the company’s relationship with Amazon.

[...]

Perhaps most appealing about this new class of reading gadgets is the opportunity they offer publishers to rethink their strategy in a rapidly evolving digital world. The move by newspapers and magazines to make their material freely available on the Web is now viewed by many as a critical blunder that encouraged readers to stop paying for the print versions. And publishers have found that they were not prepared to deal with the recent rapid decline of print advertising revenue.

Publishers could possibly use these new mobile reading devices to hit the reset button and return in some form to their original business model: selling subscriptions, and supporting their articles with ads.

“Looking to Big-Screen E-Readers to Help Save the Daily Press” [New York Times]
A whole bunch of related stories via Google News