Digital book cuts out the paper

The online retailer Amazon has launched its first electronic reader which the company hopes will drag printed books into the digital age.

Amazon's new device, called Kindle, can hold more than 200 titles from best-selling books to the latest edition of newspapers such as The Washington Post. Only available in the US it costs $399.

The hand-held device tries to copy the experience of reading a book printed on paper. It has no back-light, making it more comfortable to read than a traditional computer screen. Kindle is the same size as a paper-back novel but at 290g it is lighter than many ordinary books.

Kindle isn't the first e-book on the market. Companies such as Microsoft and Sony have tried to persuade book buyers to abandon print, but with only modest success.

Amazon's chief executive, Jeff Bezos, seemed to admit the difficulty of the task, saying: "Books have resisted digitisation and I think there is a very good reason for that. The book is so suited to its task that it's very hard to replace."

Amazon believes its device has one big advantage. It has wireless capability, which allows books to be downloaded "on the go" without plugging the reader into a computer. Amazon has tied up with US mobile phone company Sprint and connection charges are included in the price of the books and subscriptions.

Users can subscribe to newspapers and magazines and have the latest edition beamed directly to the device. Subscription range from $14.99 a month for the only German-language paper available - Frankfurter Allgemeine - to $5.99 for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Some analysts are not convinced. Philip Makinson of Greenwich Consulting, said: "Do not get me wrong, it's a very nice bit of kit but what need is it fulfilling? Books are portable, cheap and universally available already."

Lesson Plan

Tell students they are going to read an article about Kindle, a new hand-held device for the digital age that has recently been launched. Pre-teach the phrases stressed above - 3 mins

Put students into small groups with a copy of the photo accompanying the article (minus headline). Ask students: What can you do with this new electronic device? Students speculate in groups. Class feedback. STudents justify their answers. Then show the headline "Digital book cuts out paper" to confirm/disprove their ideas. - 7 mins

Write up the specifications of Kindle below, Tell students that it contains seven mistakes. Go through the information as a class and check unknown vocabulary. Students then read the article to identify mistakes. - 10 mins

Pair check. Class feedback.

Look back at the article as a class. Ask: Why does Bezos think that the book is hard to replace? (suited to its task). According to Philip Makinson what are the main advantages of books? (portable, cheap, universally available). - 3 mins

In pairs students discuss the following questions - 12 mins

• What would you prefer to read - Kindle or an ordinary book? Why?
• What are the advantages of Kindle over a book? What disadvantages does it have?
• Will Kindle be a success? Why/Why not?

Put students into small groups. Ask them to devise a television advert for Kindle aimed at 20-30-year-old young professionals. They must highlight its key features and develop a memorable marketing slogan. Students take it in turn to perform their adverts in front of the class. Class feedback. Which one would be the most effective? - 25 mins