E-newspapers for the future

Often on the cutting edge in getting new technology, managing editor Gary Graham brought in a new gadget to share at the news meeting. About the size of a paperback book, the Amazon Kindle is a reading device for books, newspapers and blogs . He uses it to view electronic copies of nonlocal newspapers such as the New York Times. The unit is completely wireless and costs about $400.

A lot of the curiosity at the table today - folks wondered if this is a viable substitute for ink and paper - “It seems sterile,” said senior innovation editor Carla Savalli, who asked if there’s any loss in the experience of reading.

“It’s fine,” Graham said, and that the only thing he misses is not being able to see and sense his exact spot in a book. The unit seems designed for mostly text, as his e-newspapers include the headlines, summaries and full text of the day’s edition - less emphasis on images and graphics.

Asked how he got this gadget, Graham said it was Mrs. Graham’s idea. “I think she had seen it on Oprah.”