So, I just had a chance to try the Nook for the first time at Barnes & Noble, and I have previously used The Kindle, as well as Kindle for the iPhone. Actually, since Kindle came out with their App I have begun reading quite a bit more, since my books are so much more accessible.

Well, anyway back to my point at hand the Nook - how haphazard and confusing. Do I press the arrows on the side or use the graphical icons on the touch screen, but I can’t touch the e-ink screen, right? Wow just poor UI development & implementation.

But despite the design flaws - as early adopters; what have Amazon & Barnes & Noble done well? They have educated and primed the reading public for what e-books could be, offered us a taste of how accessible and easy it could be to have our favorite newspapers delivered electronically, or to immediatly download a best-seller.

Well, if past experiances are anything to go on, then Apple owes the two retailers a huge Thank You. Why? Because they have done a tremendous job in letting the public know what the e-book is and how it works. And while Apple will have forgone any sort of first-mover advantage, when their iBooks store debuts in a few short days, the hard work will have been done and we’ll know what to expect. Further, we can bank on the fact that Apple will bring their signature touch to UI to books, which will ensure an ease of use for just about anyone. Coupled with the versatility of the iPad, Apple will have helped build-on and championed the revolution of another industry. Now, I recognize that not everyone is a fan of e-books and that’s fine; there will always be a place for print editions just like there are Tellers & ATMs.

Another sign of trouble for B&N’s Nook and the opportunity that lies ahead for the iPad; I have typed this entire post from my iPhone using AT&T’s free in-store hot spot service.

Both leading up to, and of course, after Apple’s January 27th iPad announcement the interwebs were, and have been, a buzz about the tablet device that will now debut in less than a week.  It’s certainly been an interesting development to observe, and follow, as the implications could potentially run far and wide - both for the computing industry, as well as those in the content creation business.

Personally, I think the iPad taps into the power of the iPhone platform but serves it up in an even more tangible size and for that matter a size that will likely in time become more palatable to a wider breath of audiences.  The iPad unlike the iPhone will have no expensive cellular contract or service usage agreements, it will simply work on any WiFi connection, or those users that wish can opt in to a month-to-month data service with AT&T.  In terms of the interaction, since the web’s introduction it has been a point & click type of world, but the iPad will change that it, and it will morph into a hands-on environment.  We’ll be able to look past the device and become fully consumed with our music, movies, and of course text-based content - or more poignantly those delineations are going to continue to become harder to make.  We’ll see magazines with embeded Podcasts, and electronic books that offer videos about their subject matter, and newspapers that will strike us more as the local television channel than the traditional paper.

In the process, this iPad-ization of content is going to further drive consumption, alter the media landscape, and change the dynamics of how we navigate and interact with this mass of content that is now before us on the internet.  This change is also going to have a profound effect on how, and where, ad dollars are spent…adding bonafide and beautiful digital versions to popular publications such as Wired, ESPN The Magazine, GQ among others.  Already, there has been some discussion as to the number of adverstisers that have signed on with the likes of Time Magazine and The Wall Street Journal to take out full-page ads in the upcoming digital editions.  So, effectively what this means is that advertisers will now have a broader spectrum to choose from when building their marketing mix; now the options will include outdoor & event-based, traditional broadcast & print (national, regional, & local), web (banner & text), and now graphical digital editions of mainstream publications.

Beyond advertising, more importantly for communications professionals this move toward tablet computing continues to break down the traditional barriers to sharing and distributing a story, a spokesperson, or a campaign message.  Further, as the computer shifts from weighty laptop or stagnant desktop, the power shift for content distribution and consumption continues as platforms like the iPad will make accessing content easier, more intimate, and ubiquitous.  The iPad and its successors will ultimately become yet another powerful avenue for our clients to consider when planning their campaigns, to target their message and showcase their unique content. For instance, this is an avenue whereby a client can develop and publish an App that showcases their brand and messaging, or simply develop their own unique audio and video content that the consumer can access from their device.

Of course, as this trend continues we’ll be monitoring it here at The Media Backpage.  The question, however that remains, is how will you leverage The iPadization of Content for your clients?

Amidst the latest news of impending tablet like devices, including Apple’s newest creation, lies a new and important path for communications campaigns and the practitioners that coordinate these efforts.

First, in terms of the technology, the day of the E-Reader is upon us. Both the Amazon Kindle & the Barnes and Noble Nook experienced extremely successful holiday sales to wrap up 2009. While 2010 is staring off with numerous competitors announcing their own E-Reader efforts at the annual Consumer Electronics show, and mounting speculation as to what Apple will unveil in this space later this week.

The growth of this “reader” type of device in an arena already crowded by Notebooks, Netbooks, iPhones, & Blackberries is interesting; and yet it is an evolution of those devices. The e-reader, despite its name, I believe will extend beyond just electronic forms of books. This type of device, when done correctly will allow for easy consumption and navigation of content on a sizeable screen, in a format that is easier on the eyes (no backlight or optional backlight) and unites a variety of content types including audio, video, & text.

Specifically, with the web’s maturation we are now observing two different types of internet audiences… the first being the desktop/laptop space in which you interact with the web, collaborate with colleagues and essentially get work done. For most of us, that categorizes the vast majority of our day…but the second audience is more concerned with consuming content that is available online from the comfort of their family room, or along their commute. We saw the early evidence of this type of behavior with the iPod and subsequent similar devices; but the shift that has been observed in the past several weeks suggests that we are about to head in a direction that revolutionizes this media consumption in an easier to use and more portable format that that of a 13” or 15” laptop. This new type of device will make it easier to spend that down time “away” from the computer consuming any type of content that you can imagine.

All of that said, this technological shift simply underlines the importance for communications campaigns to seek to disseminate and Touch customers in any number of ways. While the devices continue to evolve and offer each of us new ways to be entertained, with the old phrase in mind “content is king,” it is increasingly important for those of us in the communications business to be content-minded. In doing so, we will be able to use these new types of outreach tools to produce content that can accompany our PR & Marketing campaigns and capitalize on these technologies to reach broader audiences.

MediaBack Page’s Quick Hits for March 23rd :

• The Associated Press: Adam Carolla goes from canceled to podcast king -
• How the iPhone 3.0 Will Create a New Mobile Economy -
• Social Media Marketing Budgets on the Rise -
• Newspapers fold as readers defect and economy sours - CNN.com -

MediaBack Page’s Quick Hits for March 18th :

• Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0 and the unannounced Podcast features -