Frontline Perspectives

Yes, I mean vooks and not books.

I am a big reader. A couple of years ago, I got a Kindle as a gift (from my husband and two girls for Mother’s Day- good job guys!) For me, my Kindle is as addictive as chocolate. At any given time there are 4-6 books that I’m reading (most of them work-related these days). It goes on every trip with me, and for any appointments where I know I’ll be kept waiting. I am feeling a little outdated since I have version 1, and version 2 is really sweet. But I might wait a bit longer to get the next version because of something better that is coming out.

The new digital Vooks. Vooks are a combination of book and video/film. Imagine reading a book and then watching interviews instead of reading the case study. Or a video that actually walks you through the steps for how to do something.

Frankly, there have been many books I’ve read that could use this type of insert. The content can sometimes be dry, difficult to follow, or just plain poorly written. But with videos there is an opportunity to add dimension and life to these books. Imagine the author talking the foreword. Imagine the main characters acting out their backgrounds. Imagine the possibilities.

For me this would be huge – I would love to read and watch my books. I could take this another step and imagine digital company brochures with videos embedded, and instruction manuals, technical pieces, etc.

So, I’ll give this a little more time. I was going to ask Santa for the newest Kindle version, but since Kindle doesn’t support video….I may forgo that upgrade in favor of an iPhone since my BlackBerry doesn’t support vooks right now.

I’ll keep you posted.