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The e-book revolution

The Hampshire Chronicle has published what it believes is Britain’s first e-paper.

The newspaper can be downloaded onto a pocket-sized computer in a matterof seconds.

However few people in Britain will be able to read the e-paper at themoment. The e-book revolution sweeping America won’t arrive in the UK untilpossibly early in 2001.

Alan Cleaver, editor of the Winchester-based Hampshire Chronicle, said: “At the moment only ex-pats and our internet readers in the States can read the e-paper but when the e-book launcheshere, the Chronicle will be ready.

“Publishers need to take the e-book very seriously. It has tremendouspotential and it’s encouraging that the few people in the industry I haveshown it to so far understand its implications. If it takes off inBritain it could mean selling papers without the cost of printing anddistribution. People just point their e-book at a terminal at the railwaystation, or newsagent, and it downloads the paper and debits their account.

“One communications manager I showed the e-book to looked at it for a fewminutes and just said: ‘Where can I get one of these by tomorrow?’!

“Anyone who has kept an eye on the American market will understand how e-booksare taking the market by storm and to be honest I’m not doing anything veryclever – it just happens to be first in the UK (I hope! I haven’t had anyoneargue with it yet!).

“E-books look sexy and I suspect will become the newYuppie toy in the UK. And if the next Harry Potter novel is only availableon e-book you can imagine what will happen to sales here in Britain!

“Britain is only lagging behind because the manufacturers of e-books aresorting out the problems (registering the e-book in the first place is stillquite a nightmare) before they launch in the UK. I suspect they weresurprised by the success in America. Britain has done well with the internetand will probably do well with other multi media.

“When I saw the worldwide web I thought, ‘Yes, this could revolutionisepublishing’. I look at the e-book and I believe it has to the potential to bean even bigger change – probably the biggest developement since Guttenbergpicked up a wine press and said: ‘Perhaps we could put type in this?’!

“Or it could all fall flat on its face. But I think in ten years’ time wheneveryone has an e-book in their pocket, we’ll look back and say: ‘Do youremember newspapers?'”

The e-book is a pocket-sized computer screen which can hold over 100 e-booksor hundreds of e-newspapers. Its user-friendly readable screen has made it ahuge success in America. Horror writer Stephen King, caused asensation earlier this year by publishing his latest novel only as ane-book.

Hampshire Chronicle publisher, Paul Kinvig, said: “We hope to be publishing the newsfor many centuries to come – be that on paper or on an e-book.”

It is expected e-books will retail at first at just over £100 but couldquickly fall in price.

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