Ned Roseday, the BBC's chief Charities correspondent, today hit out at Amazon who have launched the latest version of their Kindle electronic book. The book can hold electronic versions of up to 1500 titles.
"Charity shops exist almost exclusively on the trade of old dog-eared, second-hand paperback books," said Roseday, "and the Kindle threatens that."
Amazon were dismissive of the claim, suggesting that musty pulp fiction still had a place alongside the smart new device. "Although the Kindle is ideal for the traveller or someone who commutes to work on public transport," they said, "we think it is unlikely to replace the boxes of coverless paperbacks that sit outside charity shops enticing passers-by with the possibility of hidden smut for 10p."
