Amazon.com CEO Declares Books Outdated Technology

In a conversation with Steven Levy at Wired’s Disruptive by Design conference, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos expressed his annoyance with the products his company is known for selling. Carolyn Kellogg at the LAT blog Jacket Copy transcribes the Bezos’ words from a video of the conference-

Levy: For a special book, do you still want to read the physical book?

Bezos: No. No, in fact, I now … I kind of am grumpy when I am forced to read a physical book. Because it’s not as convenient. Turning the pages … I didn’t know this either, until I started using the Kindles a couple months ago, I mean a couple years ago, I didn’t understand all of the failings of a physical book, because I’m inured to them. But you can’t turn the page with one hand. The book is always flopping itself shut at the wrong moment. They’re heavy. You can only take one or two of them with you at a time. It’s had a great 500-year run. [Audience laughter.] It’s an unbelievably successful technology. But it’s time to change.

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