Reading the Kindle with Your Morning Coffee

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Visual Concerns

What's missing are some of the visual conventions of the printed page. Headlines on the articles of Kindle-ized newspapers are all the same size, and so they lack the emotional punch conveyed by big, screaming 80-point type. When reading a newspaper on the Kindle, the first thing you see is a list of front-page stories from that day's printed edition, but there's no visual representation of the front page itself. Pictures are also a problem. More often than not, no pictures whatsoever accompany stories, and when they do, they don't register well on the Kindle screen.

Visual concerns aside, I found that more often than not I was willing to read stories on the Kindle for reasons I might have otherwise overlooked. I found I methodically paged through each newspaper section and read more stories as a result. Another added benefit: The Kindle is easier to read outdoors on a breezy Saturday for the simple fact that it doesn't rustle with a strong wind.

But the device does require a power cord and a regular charge. A few times during my test period, I was annoyed to discover I had neglected to charge the Kindle, and so I had to charge it before downloading the day's editions. The charge usually didn't take more than a half hour, and downloads were snappy. But in three centuries no one has ever had to plug in a newspaper.

Making Sense

During my trial I put the subscriptions to my four newspapers on hold, and so had only the Kindle to feed my habit. I have to say—pictures aside—for the most part I didn't miss the paper edition. Perhaps this had mainly to do with some self-satisfaction that I was consuming less paper while getting my daily dose of news. To that end, I enjoyed it and have no trouble recommending a newspaper subscription to any Kindle owner. Additionally, if you're uncertain about buying a Kindle, its availability of newspapers goes in the "plus" column.

It also makes financial sense. A combined year's subscription to the Times and the Journal costs about $880. The combined purchase price of the Kindle, plus a year's worth of subscriptions to the Kindle editions—granted, not quite an equal product—amounts to a total of only $647, a savings of $233 in the first year. Assuming all the prices stay the same, the savings climbs to more than $500 in the second year. Plus, there's no delivery person to tip at the end of the year.

Amazon may be on to something here, and should the Kindle prove popular—the company doesn't disclose sales—it should consider embracing the product aggressively. But I'd encourage Amazon to get together with its partner newspapers to find a way to present stories in a more newspaper-like manner than they do today. Improvements to the digital-ink display technology that the device uses will help. But so will finding a way to stay true to the traditions of the newspapers, many of which are under attack from forces both technological and economic. There are, sad to say, not enough newspaper-loving people like me.

Hesseldahl is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com.