Coffee and a read of the paper seem to intrinsically work together, however could changing media consumption affect your morning brew? When the Buggles sang “Video Killed the Radio Star” at the end of the 70s it did appear that video would surely outstrip radio as we knew it. Three decades later, however, both music videos and radio live on happily as two distinct sources of musical entertainment. The rise of Apple’s iPad and Android’s tablet computers now threatens to change the habit of combining your morning coffee with your morning newspaper. Instead of relaxing for 20 minutes sipping your favourite coffee blend while you check the news, the sport and the gossip, you will have to check that your tablet computer is charged sufficiently and able to connect with your nearest Wi-Fi signal. Things don't always change for the better Many people that have stopped buying books in favour of their e-reader. They are happy to share great joy when they tell you how much easier it is to access the books they wish to read because of increased availability and reduced prices. While most still purchase the occasional paperback, the majority of e-reader users will only be looking to upgrade their e-reader when the opportunity arises. The fact that an e-reader is a similar size to a paperback and weighs about the same gives a great advantage in changing the way we live. However, trying to read your morning newspaper on a tablet computer does not increase the experience. It proves that in many circumstances, change is not always for the better as people are forced into reading entire newspapers on a 7 inch or 10 inch screen. Many people cheered when the majority of newspaper proprietors changed to the tabloid format. This gave you a perfect match of size and usability. It's quite easy to hold a tabloid sized newspaper in one hand and sip your coffee from your favourite mug in the other. That was a feat that was almost impossible with the broadsheet newspaper format. In contrast, using a tablet computer to replace your newspaper will, in the long-term, either teach you to read minute fonts or trouble your eyesight. There are several advantages to increasing your news, sport and gossip intake by using your tablet computer, the Internet on your desktop computer or regularly updating yourself using your mobile phone. Newspapers, online, are able to update the information you read, by the minute. When you settle down to read your paper based newspaper, the news and information is already at least a day old and you may have seen updates on those same stories as you browse the web. Why your newspaper and coffee break might not change There are many reasons why you should continue reading your daily delivered newspaper with your favourite coffee. In today's modern hectic lifestyle, where work is no longer Monday to Friday and 9-to-5 (you are expected to be contactable 24/7 every single day of the week), your coffee and newspaper break gives you the opportunity to step away from your desk and give yourself a mental break. That 5 minutes to brew your coffee and 15 minutes to read your newspaper, will help you refresh and work better after you finish your intermission. The break allows you to scan your newspaper and see some of the smaller stories which you would probably miss, while on a tablet you may only see and follow the main headlines. Staying with a traditional newspaper will also mean that you won’t get distracted by Angry Birds and other games and apps. One thing that won’t change, even if you insist on changing from a tabloid to a tablet newspaper, is the coffee break itself. After all, it’s a tradition that has continued for over 100 years. Don’t forget that Eden Springs coffee machines can provide your morning coffee at the office. Image credit: nicksarebi/Flickr
