Regardless, what's of most interest to me is how Amazon is actively trialing a social reading service connected to the Kindle brand. While Amazon owns the social reading service Shelfari, which it acquired three years ago, it hasn't integrated Shelfari in a deep way into Kindle. In this post, we review the features of Kindle Profiles and ask whether you'd want to use this over competing services like Goodreads or Library Thing.

Kindle Profiles comes in both private and public flavors. The private one, as you'd expect, has much more in it. But as Facebook has done over the past couple of years with its initially private service, over time Amazon will likely prompt and tease you to make your private content public.

Kindle Profiles isn't even the official name for this service. In its inimitably clumsy branding way, Amazon calls it "Kindle.amazon.com." The service aims to augment the reading experience by "bringing readers together and by helping them to learn more from the books that they read." In other words: it's social. You can follow people "to see their Public Notes and reading activities, and review your books, highlights, and notes."

The private profile lists out your Kindle booklist, which it gets from your Amazon profile (both purchased books and ones on your Wish List). Each book has a reading status and rating, which is populated from your Amazon profile if available.

How Your Kindle Profile Differs From Your Amazon Profile

At a high level, your Kindle Profile is focused on reading and your Amazon profile is focused on buying. Specifically, there are two main differences between your Kindle Profile and your Amazon Profile.

Firstly, Kindle Profile makes available your Kindle highlights and notes. Highlights are passages in a book that you literally highlight for later viewing. Notes are your own custom notations inside a book, much like scribbling in the margins of a paper book. Both highlights and notes are private by default, but you can make them public on a book-by-book basis.

Secondly, you can connect your Kindle Profile to your Twitter and Facebook accounts. As noted above, this causes the system to auto-follow users in your social networks who have a Kindle Profile, too. You can also manually follow users - here is my public profile if you're interested.

There is an option to auto-share your reading activity to Twitter or Facebook. Again the default is private, but Amazon puts the public option front and center. This only applies to the status of a public book, so it doesn't apply to books marked private or to Kindle highlights and notes.

Your private Kindle Profile comes in a handy 'homepage' like package, offering features such as a "Daily Review" (selected highlights from your reading), recent activity, popular highlights, stats and "highly followed people" (featuring the usual social media suspects, e.g. Kevin Rose and Seth Godin).

Will You Use Kindle Profiles?

One issue I had when playing with my Kindle Profile was that much of my data was out-of-date. Goodreads is my social reading service of choice and there is significantly more of my reading data in Goodreads than on my Amazon profile. There appears to be no way to sync the two. Since I don't feel inclined to keep two separate social reading services up-to-date, it's likely that I'll stick with Goodreads - since I enjoy that community and I have over three years worth of reading data there.

Overall, it's great to see Amazon making Kindle profiles social. Granted, it's far from perfect. The interface is a bit confusing, especially the different private and public profiles. There is also a lot more social connectivity that Amazon could enable, for example allowing you to send highlights automatically from your Kindle to Twitter, Facebook or even Google Plus.

However, the interface and additional social features will evolve over time. This is a good start by Amazon. Now the big question is: will you use it? As noted above, I'm inclined to stick with Goodreads for now. You?

Google finished off 2010 with the long-awaited launch of its e-book marketplace, "Google eBookstore". Beyond Google's already 6 million strong library of titles, its device-agnostic approach was seen by many in the industry as a threat to other, more solidified players in the industry, such as Amazon and its Kindle e-reader. Now, it looks like Google may be working to further its support of multiple devices with the acquisition of eBook Technologies.

The statement echoes the one on the company's homepage, which announces the acquisition and says that "Working together with Google will further our commitment to providing a first-class reading experience on emerging tablets, e-readers and other portable devices."

Google supports a number of devices, from Android and iOS smartphones to any e-book reader that supports the Adobe e-book platform to any device with a Javascript-enabled browser. As the Consumer Electronics Show pointed out to everyone paying attention last week, though, there is an onslaught of tablets, superphones and other mobile devices on the horizon. Could this acquisition have to do with this explosion of devices? Or, as TechCrunch's Jason Kincaid suggests, could it have to do with the "distribution technology" referred to on the company's site?

A key feature of the eBook platform and, a breakthrough for both avid readers and professional customers, is the ability to purchase and/or access reading materials anywhere and at any time. Instantaneous access to content is enabled through a built-in modem, USB, or Ethernet connection on the eBook device. Once connected to the ETI eBook Network via the Internet, customers can browse, select, access and optionally purchase eBook content from an eBookstore.

We reached out to Google for comment on the situation, asking how the slew of new devices changes Google's plans for approaching e-books, but received the same comment. Got a better guess?

Another market where eBooks have a lot of potential is education. It too is at an early stage, but there are many benefits to students accessing their text books electronically. Shared highlights, margin notes, search - to name a few. Surprisingly though, it's not iPad and eReaders that are driving the eTextbook market - but PCs and netbooks. The iPhone and Android are making some in-roads, however. We spoke to one of the leading eTextbook services, CafeScribe, to find out more about the emerging eTextbook market.

Hinds told us that CafeScribe is mostly used on PCs, Macs and netbooks. She cited pricing issues for iPad (students can't afford them) and the relative lack of functionality in current eReaders. Specifically, she cited color, pagination and illustration as features that the current crop of eReaders don't do well enough for the eTextbook market. This echoes our conclusions from over a year ago, when we analyzed why Kindle wasn't a good choice for eTextbooks.

How CafeScribe Works

Students buy an eBook either on CafeScribe's online store or in its offline store. They then read it via a PC and Mac software program called MyScribe.

CafeScribe Features

Notes in MyScribe are done as overlays, so that they stay in context. Notes can also be shared, including in groups, which according to Isabella Hinds means that students can "have a dialog about the book while they're reading."

Groups may be created not only inside the classroom environment, but as part of the purchase of an eBook. The buyer can see who else purchased that same eTextbook, and choose to create or join a group around the book. Follett has observed that many students are creating study groups around books.

Groups are also very useful for instructors, who can create a group for their class. Hinds told us that this enables instructors to "enrich the core book with content or comments that they find valuable." They can also better engage with students and ascertain whether students are really learning the material. Teachers can encourage students to ask questions, via the notes feature.

One of the main features of MyScribe that Hinds pointed to is maintaining pagination, which helps in group collaboration and also syncing eBooks with paper books.

eTextbook Market & Future

Currently there are about 10,000 books available in CafeScribe. Hinds said that Follett represents all of the major Higher Ed publishers, including the 5 largest.

The product is being used today by about 400 education institutions across the US. Some are using the product heavily, while others have just a few courses that utilize it. The product is currently being introduced in Canadian stores, but there are no plans to extend outside of North America.

As for its future, CafeScribe is making a push towards mobile - in particular the iPhone, Android, and iPad. It recognizes that students use a variety of devices nowadays, so it wants to go beyond the PC market. Whether CafeScribe can tackle eReader devices will, as noted above, depend on iPad pricing going down and eReader functionality going up.

Other companies in the eTextbook market include CourseSmart (which we reviewed last August) and VitalSource.

Students & Teachers: Are You Using eTextbooks?

A study in May by OnCampus Research showed that 74% of students still prefer to use a printed textbook when taking a class. The Seattle Times also reported in May that eTextbooks are "flunking." So clearly, eTextbooks have a long way to go. On the other side of the coin, eTextbooks are expected to 1 in 5 textbooks by 2014.

Much of the problem at present seems to be that eReaders are either too expensive (e.g. iPad) or not functional enough (e.g. Kindle). Those issues certainly seem solvable by 2014.

If you're a student or teacher, we'd love your input in the comments about your use of eBooks - or if you don't use them, why not?

This is a technology blog. However, in order to highlight how far eBooks have to go until they seriously challenge for the hearts and minds of book lovers, we present here a list of reasons why paper books are still better than eBooks. We'll also speculate about how eBooks might match each feature that paper books currently have over them.

1. Feel

Paper books just feel good in your hands - even the best designed eReader is a cold, lifeless steely contraption by comparison. Paper books are also seen as "more personal," which was a comment that a number of people made on the previous post. You can become attached to a copy of your favorite novel, or a well thumbed book of poetry. I own a worn copy of the novel 'Catch-22,' which I have read a number of times since my University days - and no eBook could ever replace the memories it evokes whenever I pick that book up.

How can eBooks match this in the future? They may never do, but perhaps we will find that the features I listed in my previous post assume greater nostalgic significance instead: highlighted text, notes that you made back in your University days, and the ability to search and find all of this very easily.

2. Packaging

I bought a poetry book for Kindle on iPad last week, but it turned out that the eBook was missing half of the image of an obscure painting that adorned the front and back covers of the paper edition. The eBook just had the front cover art, not the back cover art. This is one small example of how paper books can have a more beautiful package than eBooks.

We could similarly point to book binding and typeface, both often carefully selected by publishing companies for their paper editions. It can make a big difference to one's reading experience.

If eBooks are to challenge this feature, it will need to be with something unique and native to the electronic format. For inspiration, we can look to what Arcade Fire did with the electronic release of its latest album. As a way to try and match the album art and booklet available on CD, Arcade Fire came up with an artistic package it called "synchronised artwork." This enabled listeners to access imagery, lyrics and links on their iPod or iPhone while listening to the album. Some might say that it still isn't as good as a CD package, but this is the challenge for electronic mediums - to come up with alternatives that offer something equally compelling, perhaps even more so.

Skip Knox summed it up well in a comment: "We need a new generation of authors and publishers who will create new art forms around the technology. We're still at the point analogous to the early years of movies, when all they could think to do was essentially film a stage play."

3. Sharing

I noted in the last post that receiving marked up books from a friend is something that can't be duplicated by eBooks - yet. Also, you can't lend a copy of an eBook to someone else. DRM (Digital Rights Management) or incompatible eBook formats prevent that.

However, I have to think that both of those features - personal notes and sharing eBooks - will get figured out by eReader manufacturers sooner or later. There is no technological reason it can't be done, it's more a matter of navigating the always murky DRM waters and people getting used to new kinds of 'reading' functionality. Just as we DM people on Twitter or send email, sending messages or notes to another person via an eBook is a feature that would be useful and eventually well used.

4. Keeping

On the topics of DRM and eBook formats, not only is this an issue for sharing - but for your own future accessibility of books. As Adrian Lafond eloquently noted, "If I "buy" an e-book, read it, put it in storage, and try to re-read it in 10 years (since I "own" it) it's anybody's guess whether there will exist a platform or device on which that will be possible for that particular e-book format and DRM scheme."

Gwyn Headley added, a little cynically, that eBooks are great for books "you know you will never want to read again."

To be frank, I think the same risks apply to paper books too. I have misplaced favorite books over the years or lent them to people and not had them returned. However, eBook and eReader manufacturers certainly need to address this issue before consumers are truly comfortable buying them over paper books.

5. Second-hand books

A few people noted that eBooks are still too expensive and that you can't get cheap second-hand copies. Or for that matter, expensive first edition copies.

Similar to previous points, eBooks won't necessarily be able to match this 'feature' of paper books. However, the price of eBooks will likely drop over time and become more flexible. Indeed, I picked up a copy of the full works of Emerson and Thoreau this week for a few dollars - cheaper (and much lighter) than I could've gotten anywhere else for a paper copy. We'll see more of this type of pricing as the eBook market ramps up.

In summary, there are pros and cons for both paper books and eBooks. The eBook market is ripe for innovation and breakthroughs in how we read, so eBooks will only improve over the coming years.

In the final analysis though, the real value of any book - whether read via paper or electronically - is in the words.

Image credits: cindiann, Ben+Sam, practicalowl, jbonnain, ulle.b

I should note that I wasn't a hold-out on eBooks for moral reasons. I simply couldn't access them until recently. Amazon's Kindle, Sony's Reader and Barnes & Noble's Nook have all been either unavailable to people outside the US, or the eBook stores to populate them have been inaccessible. However with the Kindle for iPad, I've finally been able to enjoy the forbidden fruit of eBooks.

Being able to highlight quotes and passages and easily find them again is a key feature that eBooks have over paper books. This activity can also be social - Audrey Watters pointed me to an Amazon Kindle page featuring the most highlighted passages of all time.

I must add that one thing I miss about paper books is the personal touch, for example receiving a book from a friend with their marked up highlights. By contrast, there's something a bit impersonal about electronic highlighting. But perhaps eBooks will evolve to enable more personal sharing of highlights, perhaps even mimicing your hand writing style.

2. Notes

The ability to create and then easily display archived notes is a big plus for eBooks. Instead of scribbling in small writing in the margins of a paper book, you can type a clear note in your eReader.

3. Look-up of words

I recently bought a few books of poetry in the Kindle Store. Readers of poetry will know that modern poets like to use big and esoteric words. So one feature I have really enjoyed over the past week is tapping a word and having the definition displayed below. Very helpful and something that made me thankful I had the eBook version of the poetry.

4. Ability to Tweet & Facebook quotes

@Tooq commented via Twitter that he/she likes the ability to tweet or send to Facebook quotes from books, on the Kindle. This feature was introduced to Kindle 2.5 at the end of April.

5. Search

You can search for topics or keywords inside your eBook, or out on the Web. Similar to the word look-up feature, this is something that augments the reading experience.

Most of these features are just the tip of the iceberg of what eBooks are capable of. As ReadWriteWeb's Curt Hopkins opined yesterday, "the e-book format has inherent multimedia possibilities: trailers, background and reference materials, interviews, actors reciting the poems the book contains."

Those multimedia features probably need to come from publishers, rather than eReader manufacturers.

In the meantime, let us know in the comments what your current favorite eBook features are. Or are you still a paper book hold-out?

One of the main reasons why Forrester is correcting its forecast is the fact that prices have come down (and this report was actually written before the Amazon announcement). In addition, Forrester also sees increased consumer awareness thanks to the current media buzz around eReaders. While the Kindle was mentioned 8,680 times in news stories in 2008, it has been mentioned over 15,700 times in 2009 already (including the month of September). In addition, the fact that more content is now available and that manufacturers like iRex and Sony are backing the open ePub standard is also opening up the market to buyers who previously weren't interested in Amazon's closed Kindle ecosystem.

Outlook for 2010: Even Better

For next year, Forrester expects that Barnes & Noble will become serious competition for Amazon. With the iRex Digital Reader 800 and the forthcoming Plastic Logic reader, B&N will be able to offer its customers a lineup of eReaders that can easily challenge Amazon's Kindle - though not in the international market that Amazon just entered yesterday.

Forrester also expects that Apple's mythical tablet could become a major force in the eReader market, though for the time being, the Apple tablet is obviously nothing more than a rumor.

Clearly the eReader market is growing at a rapid pace. Just yesterday, when Amazon unveiled the reduced prices for its Kindle 2 and the launch of the AT&T-powered "U.S. & International Wireless" version of the Kindle 2, Amazon's CEO and founder Jeff Bezoz pointed out in an interview with the New York Times that whenever Amazon offers both a Kindle and paper version of a book, 48% of total sales now come from the digital Kindle edition. In May, this number was 35%. While Amazon doesn't release sales numbers for the Kindle, these numbers are only possible if Amazon has sold a lot more Kindles than most analysts previously thought.

As Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps point out, iRex has to overcome some challenges because its brand is relatively unknown in the US. According to the New York Times, iRex wanted to release a Barnes & Noble branded version of the DR800SG, but those negotiations apparently didn't go very far. At the same time, though, iRex also has some advantages, especially in Europe - a market that other vendors have mostly ignored for now.

At this point, however, it's not even really about the launch of yet another eReader anymore - with Amazon, Sony, Asus, iRex, Plastic Logic, Coolreaders, and a growing number of other contenders, the market is now wide open and competition is already bringing prices down. Prices now start at $149 for refurbished 1st generation Kindles and go up to $489 for the Kindle DX, with Amazon's competitors hitting every price point in between. For most consumers, any price over $99 is still too high for an eReader, but then, hardware prices always come down sooner or later and it is only a matter of time before somebody is going to release a decent $99 eReader.

At $399, the new iRex reader is obviously one of the more expensive readers on the market right now, though its price is in line with competing wireless eReaders like the Sony Reader Daily Edition. Sony, however, offers a real touchscreen on some of its high-end readers though, something iRex has disavowed for now because it reduces the contrast of the screen.

Getting eReaders Into the Marketplace

Another important aspect of this announcement is that Best Buy will now set apart some space in its stores to feature eReaders. Until now, Best Buy only sold eReader on its website. Even though public interest in eReaders is high, only a relatively small number of people have actually held one of these devices in their hands.

LCD Screens for an eReader?

The dual-screen display and the price seem to be the major draws that brought a lot of attention to this story this morning. The price, assuming this rumor is true, is obviously very good and the idea of having two screens is also attractive - though it might not be as practical as having a single, larger screen. In reality, though, it is hard to imagine that an eReader with an LCD screen will be able to conquer the market. Unlike e-ink screens, LCDs need a lot of energy. While you can read a few books on a Kindle without recharging, a dual-screen LCD eReader will need to be recharged far more often - unless Asus weighs it down with a large and heavy battery pack.

One advantage of using LCDs is that they basically turn the device into a small computer. According to the Times, Asus even plans to add a webcam and Wi-Fi to at least the high-end model, though the price of this device will most likely be considerably higher than $150.

$99 Is the New $199

In an earlier report, Rotman Epps argued that breaking the $199-barrier would be a major breakthrough for the eReader market and would allow these devices to become mainstream. Now it looks like $99 might actually be the point where eReader would become an impulse buy for the majority of consumers.

The good news for eReader manufacturers, however, is that those who intend to buy an eReader within the next six months are willing to pay up to $159 and those who actually already own one are even willing to pay over $250. A bargain price for eReaders for both of these groups would around $100, though.

Price Inevitably Comes Down

When it comes to consumer electronics, prices always come down in the long run, and we will surely see a similar trend for eReaders. For now, manufacturing costs for eReaders are still relatively high, but publishers could subsidize eReaders through a subscription model, for example.

It is clear, though, as Rotman Epps points out, that most consumers don't put a lot of value on these devices yet and that prices will have to come down substantially. Even then, Rotman Epps argues, eReaders will never be as popular as MP3 players because the majority of consumers "don't care enough about reading or technology to invest in this type of single-purpose device at anything close to realistic prices."

In his remarks, Clancy stressed that he doesn't believe that brick and mortar book retailers will die anytime soon. He did, however, argue that book retailers will have to adapt to the changing environment and start to offer digital copies of books in addition to regular print copies. In Clancy's vision, Google will "syndicate for our partner program all of the books we sell that are new, so that any bookstore can sell a Google edition and find a way that people can buy them in brick and mortar stores as well."

Clancy did stress, however, that books will always be stored in the cloud, so we are not quite sure if this means that users will basically only buy access rights to a book but won't be able to store a copy on their devices for offline reading. As most book publishers are still extremely nervous about the potential for piracy, cloud storage might indeed be a way to alleviate some of these fears for Google.

Google Editions: Readable on Any Device

Clancy also stressed that these "Google editions" should be readable on any device, including laptops, phones, and dedicated eReaders. In addition, Google wants to work with any publisher that is willing to work with Google to offer books in the Google cloud.

Of course, Google's relationship with publishers is rather rocky, so it remains to be seen how many publishers would really want to sign on to this program. At the same time, though, most publishers also aren't exactly happy with Amazon either. What is clear, though, is that Google plans to create its own cloud-based alternative to eBooks stores from established retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Thanks to E.E. Boyd from MediaBistro for transcribing Clancy's remarks.

We tested the iPhone app yesterday, and it is indeed a very capable eReader app. It especially stands out because it gives users the ability to customize everything from background and text colors, to what gesture users prefer to switch pages (swipe or tap), as well as line spacing, font size, and margins. The desktop app, which we tested on a Windows PC, is also very usable and customizable, but doesn't feel quite as elegant as the iPhone app.

While the apps are good, though, the B&N eBook store will only be able to really live up to its potential once the company starts to sell the Plastic Logic eReader. While the Kindle is a great device, there can be no doubt that the design is a bit clunky. The Plastic Logic reader, however, looks quite slick, and thanks to its touchscreen, it also offers a sought-after capability that the Kindle currently doesn't offer. In order to compete with Amazon, though, B&N will have to sell the Plastic Logic reader at a price that compares well with Amazon's Kindles.

Wireless Store?

One feature that makes the Kindle stand out from its current competition is the ability to buy and download books wirelessly directly from the device. According to Plastic Logic, the company's eReader will also be able to transfer information wirelessly, though it is not quite clear if this will mean that B&N will partner with a wireless provider, yet. If B&N and Plastic Logic decide against this, though, this could give users an important reason to shun B&N's eReader/eBook store combo.

Can Barnes & Noble Compete with Amazon?

In the perfect world, it wouldn't make a difference whether you prefer a Plastic Logic reader, a Sony Reader, a Kindle, or an iRex iLiad. The Kindle has shown (and so did the iPod before it) that having full control over the hardware and content typically results in a more convenient and attractive package for consumers. In the long run, this will probably (hopefully?) change, but for now, we think B&N is doing the right thing by copying this model for its eBook store, though we will have to wait until the roll-out of the Plastic Logic eReader and how consumers react to it before we can really render a final verdict.

As B&N decided not to compete on price (it sells most eBooks for the same $9.99 as Amazon and also offers free samples for every book, as well as a selection of books for under $5), the quality of the hardware, the number of available books, the openness of the store, and the quality of B&N's service in general will be the areas where the company will have to stand out. Given what we have seen so far, we think that Barnes & Noble might indeed be able to challenge Amazon's position in this market, especially given that we are still in the early days of the eBook and only a few consumers have picked sides at this point, and even fewer have actually bought an eReader yet.

Unlike other eReader vendors, iRex made the decision to focus almost exclusively on the B2B market early on and focused on this market instead of going directly after consumers. As Brons told us, part of the reason was that the price for first generation eReaders was simply to high for consumers, and in order to jumpstart the business, going after the B2B market was simply a strategic decision. IRex's eReaders, are, for example, often being used as Electronic Flight Bags by private pilots. Brons also stressed that there is a huge market for books for professionals, including manuals, guides, and similar texts.

Today, iRex is also looking into the textbook market and electronic newspapers, though for the time being, the company is still focusing more on the professional market than on the consumer market.

Taking Notes

We think iRex's top-of-the-line Digital Reader 1000 devices are especially interesting because they actually feature the ability to take notes directly on the screen (with a pen - no touchscreen yet, but the company is working on this). When we looked at the Kindle DX and its role in the textbook market, we noted that the absence of easy to use note-taking features made the Kindle less useful in a school setting than Amazon made it out to be.

One thing Hans Brons stressed during our interview was that iRex puts a premium on the brightness of its screens. Adding a touchscreen would mean adding an additional layer over the actual screen, which would reduce brightness.

Brons also told us that iRex has approached (and has been approached by) a number of newspaper companies that are looking to provide their readers with eReaders. iRex is not ready to announce any new deals in the U.S. just yet, though the company is working with a number of large European newspapers already, and the Washington Post and USA Today are also available through iRex.

Color

IRex made a bit of a splash a few weeks ago when it announced (PDF) that it was working on full color readers. Brons told us that iRex was getting ready to commercialize color readers, but that this was indeed a hard problem to solve as iRex doesn't want to sacrifice screen brightness for color, which isn't necessarily a feature that most users would need.

Services for Publishers, But no Store

Brons also told us that iRex is providing publishers with a full range services to get their books onto the iRex platform, though iRex itself is not looking into starting its own store.

We think there is a chance that iRex is missing some opportunities here, though. Publishers might be able to put their books up in an iRex powered store on their sites, but consumers don't go to publisher sites to buy a book. After all, who knows (and wants to know) whether their favorite book was published by a Random House imprint like Knopf or Crown, or by Penguin (itself a part of Pearson)?

Brons acknowledged that Amazon's size must have surely helped it to gather (force?) publishers around its eBook offering, and the integration between the store and the hardware device, bundled with the Kindle's wireless capabilities, surely helped the company to make eBooks and eReaders more palatable for consumers.

It is important to note, too, that the Kindle and Amazon's eBook store isn't currently available in Europe, where iRex has its headquarters and its strongest presence. If iRex could gather enough publishers around its platform and set up a large store, the company would definitely have the potential to challenge Amazon in this market when and if it decides to bring the Kindle to Europe.

The digital PC Magazine magazine, which you can download a free sample of at Zinio, employs Flash technology and opens in a web browser window. We perused the June edition, but didn't see a lot of interactivity. Also many of the hyperlinks simply opened up pages in PC Magazine's website. A letter from a reader in the feedback section of this issue noted how he likes to print out parts of the digital PC Magazine. That implies to us that PC Magazine hasn't fully escaped the shackles of print. In fact it seems very much like the print magazine simply transplanted into an eBook. The magazine has plenty of fans, and is known for its reviews, however, it still has a few tricks to learn about digital magazines by the look of it.

Back in December 2006 we reviewed a new online magazine that impressed us with its flashy design: Avantoure. It's still going strong 2.5 years later. With the tagline "life is a game," Avantoure features rich media such as animations, interactive content, music, audio interviews, movie clips and TV commercials. The May-June 09 issue is as visually stunning as ever, using Flash as its format. It's presented online, within the browser, but is also available as an offline Flash file. The magazine costs £25 for 6 issues, or £4.50 for one issue. Generally speaking Avantoure is what PC Magazine should be aspiring to be.

So to answer the question that headlines this post: has the time of digital magazines arrived? Most people would agree that reading a magazine should be a relaxing, pleasurable experience. However if you're reading a digital magazine on your computer, chances are that you aren't especially relaxed. The savior of digital magazines though will be the increasing market penetration of eBook Readers, such as Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader device. With those devices, you will be able to read magazines in a relaxing manner on the plane and on your sofa.

R.U. Sirius, who edits a new digital magazine called h + Magazine, recently blogged that he didn't take to the digital format immediately. He wrote that he first tried the flash digital magazine format out "when I was in a hurried and impatient mood... and it confounded and irritated me." Later the same night, he returned to it "in a relaxed mood" and he found it "very very very quite readable." Of course he would say that, but it does reinforce that digital magazines need to be a relaxing read for people to truly enjoy them.

Let us know in the comments which online magazines you're reading at the moment, we'd love to find out some new ones.