Exclusive: SA business school looks beyond eBook hype with new research project
The University of Stellenbosch Business School has teamed up with online retailer Kalahari.net to investigate the impact and value of making content available in eBook format to academic institutions. The project aims to ensure that South African academic institutions base future decisions around the adoption of eBooks as a viable alternative to printed text on fact rather than hype. The project, details of which will be officially announced to the media on Monday, will seek... Read More
The rise of eBooks and the myth of affordability
Major drum roll from the guys at Amazon.com for their announcement that “Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books (eBooks) than hardcover books.” The group went on to claim that for every 100 hardcover books sold, it has sold 143 Kindle books. The statistics given out by the giant online retailer don’t look quite so amazing when put in proper context. In fact, quite a different story emerges that indicates the traditional publishing business is unprepared to embrace... Read More
Redesigning the web so consumers benefit
Broadly speaking, consumers find the online experience disappointing – embarrassingly so, according to Andy Budd, a founding partner and MD of UK-based user experience agency Clearleft. In fact, we only take the treatment we receive online as we do because we have come to expect so little, says Budd, who’ll be a speaker at the Tech4Africa conference being held in Johannesburg, 12-13 August 2010. Just think about the time and money most companies spend on crafting the... Read More
Paywalls an act of desperation
A move by Rupert Murdoch to stash the content of his global media empire behind a paywall, and the rather unseemly rush with which any number of publishers desperate for new revenue sources followed him, serves as but another indication that all is not well in the world of media. There have always been publishers who, with varying levels of success, have charged for their content. They tend to be specialist products, or offer high powered financial content like the FT.com or the... Read More
How the world cup came to redefine the Daily Dispatch
The 2010 FIFA World Cup threw up some formidable obstacles for editor Andrew Trench and his team at East London daily, the Daily Dispatch (owned by Avusa Media). Port Elizabeth, whose stadium played host to a number of world cup games, rests on the edge of the newspaper’s circulation footprint, and is also the home of rival The Herald (also published by Avusa). Residents of East London felt a keen sense of disappointment after having had to witness Buffalo City Municipality’s... Read More
