Today’s the day. The music industry had theirs’ when Apple unveiled iTunes; now the publishing industry’s turn is up and there’s LOTS of debate about what the Apple tablet means for authors, publishers, and consumers. For all of the buzz and debate I can’t help but think that most of the naysayers are getting it wrong. They remind us that tablets have been tried before…and failed. They remind us how Bill Gates tried to revolutionize personal computing with a switch to tablets…and failed. But all of that misses the point in my opinion. Why?
Because the introduction of an Apple tablet isn’t about revolutionizing hardware (though I think it will certainly fuel innovation and do that just like the iPod did); it’s about revolutionizing content. I, too, love the feel and smell of paper. I like having books on a shelf in my office. We like book covers as much as we do the words they wrap around. They’re iconic and evoke a sort of nostalgia. Just last night my writer’s group talked about our favorite stories, some of which were published in the 1800′s. We like stuff we can touch.
But, I have to say (again) that stories unleashed are always better than stories contained. Paper books will always be around. I think that’s a given. What we’re on the edge of right now will throw open the gates for creatives to tell stories in ways that were never available before. And that, friends, is the real game changer. Imagine reading an interactive story that incorporates 3-D technology in your hand as you read it. Or a Choose Your Own Adventure style story that is a hybrid book/video game/movie. For the first time in history, the only real limit is how far your imagination will or won’t stretch. Think about that.
I’ll leave you with this: Avatar just became the highest grossing film of all time. It took James Cameron an estimated 15 years to make it, partially because the technology had to be created to pull it off as he envisioned it. Everyone decried the death of 3-D. Everyone thought he was crazy. We know how that turned out. True genius is the ability to see the future before it becomes obvious to everyone else.