At the MacWorld Expo today, Steve Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air, which is - along with everything else Apple came out with - the best piece of technology they’ve ever made. After extolling the virtues of the MacBook Air, Jobs then said a lot of things about the competition, which wouldn’t have raised any eyebrows if he had not said that the Amazon Kindle is pretty much doomed to failure.

According to Jobs, “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore. Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year. The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don’t read anymore.”

This comment initially pissed me off, seeing that I’m a voracious book reader myself, but come to think of it - Steve Jobs may actually be right. Not everyone can appreciate books the way other people can. Others who do read are interested in information and you don’t need an e-book reader for that; most information on the Internet is free. I suppose Jobs made that comment from the point of view of a businessman. Why create a standalone e-book reader when you can create an iPod that will grab the attention of a bigger market and gain you significant profitability?

Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not defending the guy. I’m saying that his cockiness has some basis. A very depressing basis. It’s sad how people would rather tune out on the world with their little white earbuds instead of reading books for enjoyment (yes, you CAN read books for fun!) and self-improvement.

[via new york times]