WSJ writes about Microsoft’s efforts:
Microsoft unveiled programs under development that will make newspaper articles as clear and easy to read on a computer screen as in the paper. With the new software, newspapers will deliver information and services like video messaging and bill payment to readers across a variety of computer-like devices.
Publishers who continue to view their Web sites as a side venture for their print editions are ignoring the next generation of readers, warned Mr. Gates. “We see the online newspaper as one where it takes all the strengths [of current newspapers] … and then adds in new capabilities,” he said.
The idea is to both duplicate the reader’s experience from the printed publication to the computer screen and allow for extra features, said Gregg Brown of Microsoft’s e-periodicals team. Not only will people be able to read about an upcoming concert, but they will have the ability to hear audio clips and even purchase tickets, he said.
