When I headed out of London for my summer break this year I was conscious of being far less burdened than in previous years. Instead of a selection of large paperbacks and too-heavy hardbacks my single backpack carried a select change of clothes and my increasingly indispensable eBook reader.
When I sat in to observe and report on a potentially controversial meeting at London’s City Hall I was able to plan-ahead and download the bulky reports and agenda to the reader, saving myself carrying the papers when returning to the office when I’d inevitably need them for later reference.
That incident came to mind when I first heard of Plastic Logic’s ‘designed for business’ eBook readers. Netbooks and laptops are great for light working on the move, but few executives have room for one in their briefcase, on the other hand an eBook reader easily slips into a case, reducing the weight of papers and increasing the productivity of staff who can read key documents on the move.
History tells us that when big business adopts a technology concept general availability increases and prices fall – eBooks are going to be no different.