E-books are, in both price and size, still in their hardback stage. Author, blogger and all-round clever thinker Seth Godin thinks it’s time for a “paperback” e-reader, a cheap Kindle which would be completely bare bones but also put e-books into the hands of just about anyone who can read.

Godin suggests that Amazon forget about a touchscreen and 3G connectivity and instead make a mass-market Paperback Kindle, a device so simple that it could be sold for just $50. Who wouldn’t buy that? Especially if it was made without that giant, ugly chin for the keyboard and instead was small enough to fit in a back pocket like a real paperback.