As we’ve all been reading (hearing and seeing as well, no doubt), there’s a lot of anxiety about the future of the publishing industry. Yeah, the recession hurt publishers (and other people) but they have also suffered for more specific reasons: their audience is migrating to digital editions and ad sales have decreased.

But here at Mygazines, we believe in the written word, not necessarily on the printed page. And we are excited to see how companies are developing hardware (e-readers, tablets…) where to upload written content, ‘iPods’ for publications. Of course, content will always be king, but up until some months ago there was no device to deliver it, at least not according to the new trends.

Looks like 2010 will be the year for the tech revolution in the publishing industry. E-readers, tablets and other gizmos are about to start a war. Here’s a list of the (big) ones that are already fighting:

• Amazon Kindle ($259) Pro: Automatically connects to a free network (3G) so you can buy books, newspapers and magazines on the go. Cons: Not very good for multimedia content. So far, it’s the device to beat.
• Sony Reader Touch Edition ($299.99) Pro: Has a touch screen that allows you to navigate menus, add notes and turn pages with a finger swipe. Con: Needs a PC or Mac to download books and articles from the web.
• The Nook ($259) Pros: Also comes with a 3G connection. It has a black and white screen for reading and a narrow colour touchscreen for browsing and buying. Con: Only available in the US.
• iPhone E-readers. Pro: Apple’s device has apps to process digital editions. Stanza, eReader and the Barnes & Noble app are popular and free to download. Con: Small screen.
• Laptop E-readers. Pro: Portable, great for rich content (videos, photos, sounds). Con: Limited battery life and weightiness. That could change year. Keep an eye on the (rumored) Apple tablet.

So, which one will win? We bet for any device that allows you to read a digital edition with a big enough screen, fast internet connection and mimics the experience of web-based digital edition like Mygazines’.

Do you agree? Any additions to the list?

Photo Credit: AdvogadaOnline

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