Every April I read The Great Gatsby. The tradition started the April of my junior year at Wheaton College, when I took my copy of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece (the most perfect American novel, IMHO) to Adams Park, laid down on the newly warm grass and read through the whole book in one sunny afternoon. It was bliss.

This year, as an experiment, I decided to buy Gatsby on Kindle and read it on my iPad. I’ve hitherto been loathe to enter the world of e-books, but I figured I better not knock it until I’ve tried it. A few weeks ago at Biola’s Imagination Summit, a discussion on “the future of books” with Moe Girkins (former CEO of Zondervan) and Jason Illian (CEO of e-book upstart ReThink Books) got me thinking about the topic. E-books certainly seem to be the future. Physical books, Borders, libraries… all of that will likely become outmoded. But is that a good thing?

The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's new iPad newspaper, was launched today, offering iPad users a way to get their news from a completely digital newspaper…minus the paper.  It is offering stunning graphics, video, animations, up-to-the-minute news, celebrity news, and more.  Mr. Murdoch believes that the iPad is a game changer with regard to how people consume their information.  He feels that we are entering a new day of content delivery as more and more tablet computers come to market.  The iPad is hot today, but tablet PC’s aren’t limited to the iPad, there are many Windows 7 based tablet PC’s either on the market now or coming very soon.  Some of these newer devices will have lower prices as well. 

So how will the Daily affect eBook reading?  eBooks are still relatively new; people are still getting warmed up to the idea of reading digitally, and using a device of some sort to do that reading.  It is interesting to note that, every day, people all over the world are consuming content digitally from their computers, iPads, other tablet computers, and smart phones.  Reading a book digitally really isn’t a stretch because all of us are reading a great amount of content in digital form right now.  As digital publications like The Daily come to market, more and more people are being introduced to consuming their content digitally using a digital reading device of some sort.  The convenience of digital becomes apparent, and people are more likely to embrace other forms of digital content, like eBooks.   

Even before Apple pulled back the curtain on its new iPad--the iconoclast himself holding the brand new device and calling it "a truly magical and revolutionary" product--the anticipation for the Apple Tablet was enormous. The publishing world in particular was gaga in the days leading up to the announcement, a lot of industry leaders wondering whether or not the Apple tablet will revolutionize the distribution of newspapers, magazines, and books in the same the iPod transformed the music industry.

Whether the iPad ends up revolutionizing the way we buy and consume digital content of all kinds remains to be seen. But at first blush I do believe Steve Jobs has once again done something extraordinarily well. He hasn't just created a device; he has tapped into our imaginations. By calling the iPad "magical" rather than "useful" or "universal," Jobs has soared above the ordinary by placing this device--and let's face it, the iPad is just a device--into the realm of wonder rather than utility. If Steve Jobs is to be believed, the iPad isn't a device to merely help you do things more efficiently. It is device that will help you dream of doing things better.