Read it and weep: why eBooks must change the record

Few media companies now believe they can survive the digital revolution without adapting.

That’s why Amazon’s Kindle (pictured), an eBook reader launched just before Christmas, has gained so much attention. It uses eInk, a new kind of screen technology that makes digital book pages appear just like printed ones, without the glare that causes so much discomfort when reading large chunks of text on a mobile device. Weighing in at less than a pound, the Kindle can carry up to 200 books, display documents and read digital editions of newspapers. A wireless modem lets the customer connect to the Amazon eBook store where they can purchase and download more than 90,000 titles, which usually cost around a dollar less than a physical copy.

While the Kindle – which is yet to be released in Europe – is an impressive first try, it is beset by problems that will prevent it from securing mainstream success. Most serious of all is its $399 (£204, e272) price (far too high for a device with a single function) and terrible design; its beige and boxy casing is sure to turn customers off.

Amazon’s decision to tie the Kindle so rigidly to its own eBooks website is also a poor move. The online book giant is trying to ape Apple’s strategy of making iPod customers download their music from its iTunes store but consumers are growing impatient of these so-called walled gardens which limit competition and choice.

Sony has been using the eInk technology in its own eBook reader for over a year, recently launching a second version which, at $299, is cheaper than the Kindle; unsurprisingly, it’s also more stylish. Although Sony’s Reader Digital Book lacks the wireless capability of Amazon’s solution – instead downloading eBooks through a PC – the firm is following a similarly protectionist approach by tying customers to its own downloads store, Sony Connect.

When the price of eBook readers falls, consumers will read digital books more frequently, but they’re unlikely to accept the emerging status quo without a fight. Pricing, which is controlled by publishers, is far too high for a product that costs virtually nothing to distribute; a copy of Ian McEwan’s Atonement, for example, can be had in paperback for around $9 from Amazon but costs exactly the same on Sony Connect.

Book publishers are also insisting on using restrictive DRM (digital rights management) technology, a decision that should be revisited urgently. Although they’re scared that eBooks, which are smaller than audio and video files, will be easy to share illegally, DRM is not the solution. Real pirates always find a way of bypassing the technology while honest customers end up with a raw deal.