iThis, eThat... enough already!

            I’ve come to accept the fact that I live in a world that is ever-changing, becoming more advanced, more connected than ever before. I will begrudgingly admit that I will probably let my kids get cell phones before they are 16 (back in my day, kids had to wait until they could drive to get a cell phone…), and worse yet, that I may break down and embrace the smart-phone craze - Although, I refuse to join the cultish following of iPhone users (sorry Dr. Walls). I haven’t quite decided why I am resisting this change. Am I an idealist? Do I fear a 1984-esque Big Brother? Am I simply stubborn in my ways? Maybe it is a combination of them all…

            The budding technology that I refuse to dismiss as my stubborn nature is that of electronic books. I understand the advantages, small as they may seem in my eyes, but I am utterly opposed to this movement towards electronic books, or eBooks as the hip kids call them. Before I move on, let me explain my concerns. I am a man who enjoys collecting a library. Something about having a shelf of books exudes class. Whereas, collecting files on an e-reader just becomes a liability (you can lose your entire library under a seat cushion!). I am also a man who enjoys making annotations. Some e-readers have addressed this, but none can compete with a paper book and a pen. I am a man who can never see himself smoking his pipe and reading a Kindle. I am a man who loathes having his English textbook on a website (no hardcopy alternative even… wildly frustrating). I am a man who rather enjoys the act of licking my fingers and flipping to the next page, rather than pressing the “next” button. I have many reasons for resisting this change, but ranting could be time-consuming.

            Although I enjoy the idea of being a unique individual, I find it difficult to believe I am the only consumer against eBooks. This intrigues me to try to fully understand the market of eBooks: who’s buying? Who isn’t buying? Who are the e-reader companies trying to reach? What strategies are they using to reach said audience? I am very interested to see if I can discover the origin of this movement and the catalyst that led to the materializing of the idea. Was this just an acceptance of a movement towards a more electronic world driven by i-this and e-that, or did someone genuinely seek out customer insights and find a worthwhile need for this technology. Short of predicting the future, I am interested to see how popular this product will become. There is also a strict distinction, in my mind at least, as to the pros and cons of eBooks in the contexts of educational versus recreational reading. My reasons for and against each context are specific to the purpose of why I am reading, so how does that influence the role of marketers creating and tailoring the product towards consumers? I am also interested in this subject due to its possibility of leading to a fad-movement, somewhat indicative of Malcolm Gladwell’s “Tipping Point.”

            To look at this product from another paradigm, what does Barnes and Noble think about it? Is Borders shaking in its boots thinking about a movement to eBooks? I would like to know if renowned bookstores are embracing this technology, opposing it, or being forced to accept it. Even if they embrace the technology, these companies also have to face the possibility of diminishing profit margins as eBooks are selling for such lower prices than their equivalent hardcopies.

            I believe this topic has a vast potential to be highly relative to the material of our class thus far. Specifically, I hope to find information on the customer research that went on before the creation of e-readers. This seems like a great opportunity to observe consumers’ reactions in experiments with both hardcopy books and eBooks. I am very intrigued to see if there are more articles on findings from focus groups that like found in “Exploring Faculty Experiences With E-Books: A Focus Group.” This was an article that discussed the opinions of many professors on the use of eBooks, whether for personal use, for class preparation, or even for their students to use. Results were highly varying as many different professors had unique opinions on the use of eBooks. More interestingly, depending on the subject that each professor taught, they were more or less likely to have a certain opinion on eBooks. In other research, marketers may have even implemented a simple-survey method, although no one asked my opinion… Which I would still gladly give. From the customer’s view, what is the experience like with the differing reading styles? What aspects of the customer experience are most important to these consumers?

            Ultimately, I hope to either be completely convinced of the usefulness of eBooks while learning more about how they are becoming a force in today’s literary world, or I want to find a flaw in them so large that I can completely eradicate their existence. Ok fine, maybe I am an idealist…