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From Neil Gaiman - Disposable Books on Tape
No, really! "The first self-playing audiobook" (read: you can't upload to it or download from it, you can just listen to the single title burned on it.)
I can think of a dozen problems off the top of my head, starting with them being more expensive than a regular book on tape and ending with the ability to load 10 books on one iPod for the price (but 1/10th the space) of 10 PlayAways. On the other hand, if the price drops, they're not a bad idea - good for luddites who don't want to learn a full MP3 player device or don't have a computer, and those big simple buttons would be excellent for the vision impaired or blind. The earphone plug is sized for universal jacks; this can be used with not only any earphones but also with cassette adaptors in the car.
Since the website itself suggests ways of trading and passing them on, I can see PlayAway clubs springing up if these things catch on - and since they're available at Borders, they will be seen and have a chance to catch on.
Gaiman has licensed his Anansi Boys to one of these devices, as have David McCullough, Dan Brown, Stephen Hawking, and John Grisham, so there are some good geek titles in among the popular pap (Busting Vegas, Getting Things Done, 7 Habits, etc.) So far, only copyrighted books are available, which makes sense... but if you really want those things to fly off the shelves, I'd think they'd use the time-tested bestsellers (which conveniently don't need copyright fees) - Pride & Prej, Great Expectations, and most certainly the Bible. If there's one thing that would REALLY take off in that format, it would be the Bible!
ETA: The more I think about this, the more I realize that they're going about their marketing all wrong. They need to do two things, and I swear these would take off like a rocket:
1) DROP THE PRICE!
2) Market Bible versions to churches - I can't count the number of people I know who would love a stand-alone audio Bible - and market literary classics to schools and colleges. I think it would be a lot easier for students to get through the recommended "reading" when they can listen to unabridged classics as they commute, walk around campus, exercise, eat, etc. While I'm all for the love of the printed word, sometimes it's just easier to find time to listen. Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, Great Expectations, Pride & Prejudice - those school standards would make up enough bulk sales to float the rest of the line. (And the students would have something that they could sell back, a la used texts, at the end of the year. "Gimme $5 and put a battery in it, it'll be fine.")
I can think of a dozen problems off the top of my head, starting with them being more expensive than a regular book on tape and ending with the ability to load 10 books on one iPod for the price (but 1/10th the space) of 10 PlayAways. On the other hand, if the price drops, they're not a bad idea - good for luddites who don't want to learn a full MP3 player device or don't have a computer, and those big simple buttons would be excellent for the vision impaired or blind. The earphone plug is sized for universal jacks; this can be used with not only any earphones but also with cassette adaptors in the car.
Since the website itself suggests ways of trading and passing them on, I can see PlayAway clubs springing up if these things catch on - and since they're available at Borders, they will be seen and have a chance to catch on.
Gaiman has licensed his Anansi Boys to one of these devices, as have David McCullough, Dan Brown, Stephen Hawking, and John Grisham, so there are some good geek titles in among the popular pap (Busting Vegas, Getting Things Done, 7 Habits, etc.) So far, only copyrighted books are available, which makes sense... but if you really want those things to fly off the shelves, I'd think they'd use the time-tested bestsellers (which conveniently don't need copyright fees) - Pride & Prej, Great Expectations, and most certainly the Bible. If there's one thing that would REALLY take off in that format, it would be the Bible!
ETA: The more I think about this, the more I realize that they're going about their marketing all wrong. They need to do two things, and I swear these would take off like a rocket:
1) DROP THE PRICE!
2) Market Bible versions to churches - I can't count the number of people I know who would love a stand-alone audio Bible - and market literary classics to schools and colleges. I think it would be a lot easier for students to get through the recommended "reading" when they can listen to unabridged classics as they commute, walk around campus, exercise, eat, etc. While I'm all for the love of the printed word, sometimes it's just easier to find time to listen. Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, Great Expectations, Pride & Prejudice - those school standards would make up enough bulk sales to float the rest of the line. (And the students would have something that they could sell back, a la used texts, at the end of the year. "Gimme $5 and put a battery in it, it'll be fine.")