EmPRINT

Steve Outing has reviewed the Columbia Missourian's EmPRINT trial. EmPRINT is a new electronic newspaper format. It's an important component for newspapers to consider in future planning - and there have been a number of attempts at it. But Outing has reservations:

"I'm not sure this advances newspapers much. But it certainly could be the future of magazines. This is the pleasurable printed-magazine reading experience modernized for the portable digital tablet. I do most of my professional reading online these days (Web, e-mail, RSS), but I enjoy the experience of reading print editions of magazines I subscribe to for pleasure. For the latter, I can envision replacing that with the improved digital experience of tablet magazines.

If forced to make a prediction, I'd say that this format of newspaper won't be that popular -- but that the concept has promise for some magazines and futuristic books."