reading declines, amazon introduces new device

On the day when the Boston Globe article digests a report on how reading is declining amongst the nation's youth, Amazon introduces a new reading device. The report incorporates national studies that have been carried out since the NEA's 2004 report, "Reading at Risk," found that literary reading - fiction, poetry, and plays - had crashed over 20 years among adult Americans. The new report, titled "To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence," focuses on reading in general, and it reaches down to younger age levels. While not all studies are exactly comparable in some details (such as time spans), overall they trend in the same direction. To obtain the full report or executive summary, go here. I won't rehash the basic features of Kindle, but I will try to compare it with the Sony Reader--now in its second generation and Kindle's primary competition. I will also talk about what I see as the strong and weak points of the Kindle design. Disclaimer: This is all based on what I've seen and read. I haven't seen a Kindle in person. Yet. Read CNet's review by Peter Glaskowsky comparing the Kindle and the Sony Reader here. Will Amazon's device help increase readership? How can we help increase reading? Updated: Forbes has a good article here Seth Godin has his reasons