Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Borders Goes Online While Amazon Goes To Digital

Borders Books is back.

At least back on the Web. Seven years after merging much of its online operation with Amazon, the brick-and-mortar bookstore announced it would one again try to compete in the online market.

After giving its competitor a seven-year head start. Now Borders is offering an online experience that is just a few years (about seven) behind Amazon.

Last year, I sent Web billionaire Mark Cuban a basic outline for how technology could -- and should -- change journalism. I was really excited and hoped Cuban would be as well. His response was short and to the point: you haven't actually offered anything different than what is already happening, he said. You've just dressed it up with a neat interface.

In other words, my first idea was a complete failure in his eyes. Early review of Borders offers a similar critique: neat design, but where's the beef?

While Borders attempts to make up ground, Amazon continues its expansion into the digital realm, dropping its price on the Kindle, a hardware device that stores newspapers, magazine and books.

The online retailer has struggled to keep up with demand, which is counter-intuitive with the price drop. But the company is likely trying to corner the market as quickly as it can (before say Apple can create an iBookReader in nine different colors).

If the Kindle and other hardware devices take off, it could create a new digital design market.

Zinio creates digital replications of magazines, for instance, that allow customers to "experience" a magazine online in the same manner as they would with paper. The pages flip. The pictures are better quality.

On the Web, those aren't qualities people generally want. If they were, Google would be in a ton of trouble. Devices like the Kindle though could allow for both searchable content (the benefit of digital technology) and the aesthetic feel of paper.

So while Borders attempts to play catch up, Amazon is looking towards what's next.

Posted By Brad at 12:59 AM
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