Today on the flagship podcast of what the future of Kindle turns out to be: We’re once again trying out a couple of our favorite new show formats. In Version History, we talk through the whole story of Quibi, from its early days as NewTV to its extremely ill-timed launch to its ultimate demise. Next, we try out our as-yet-untitled debate show. The Verge’s Kevin Nguyen and Alex Cranz take on a surprisingly contentious topic: is the future of books print or digital? Later, producer Andru Marino answers a question from The Vergecast Hotline about a very unusual shopping situation for MP3 players. Further reading: Quibi Has Raised $1.75B After Closing $750M Round to Fund Launch: https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/quibi-750-million-funding-investment-mobile-video-1203523586/ Jeffrey Katzenberg’s NewTV Closes $1B, Major Studios Among Investors: https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/newtv-jeffrey-katzenberg-meg-whitman-1-billion-funding-1202897529/ Quibi’s CES 2020 launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8uW12uKoDQ Quibi versus the world: https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/8/21056315/quibi-ces-2020-launch-meg-whitman-jeffrey-katzenberg-turnstyle-technology-shows-preview Quibi app review: short-form streaming in a shifting landscape: https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/6/21208932/quibi-app-review-price-short-form-video-content-features-streaming-rotation Steven Spielberg is writing a horror series you’ll only be able to at night: https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/10/18660125/steven-spielberg-quibi-horror-show-after-dark-streaming-jeffrey-katzenberg-meg-whitman Quibi’s Super Bowl 2020 commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auWUTVU6I0c Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman Struggle With Their Startup—and Each Other: https://www.wsj.com/articles/quibi-katzenberg-whitman-streaming-startup-11592157291 How Quibi imploded less than six months after launch: https://www.theverge.com/21559189/quibi-final-days-streaming-platform-coronavirus 11 reasons why Quibi crashed and burned in less than a year: https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21528404/quibi-shut-down-cost-subscribers-content-tv-movies-katzenberg-whitman-tiktok-netflix The Boox Palma is an amazing gadget I didn’t even know I wanted: https://www.theverge.com/24184777/boox-palma-e-ink-smartphone-reader Kobo’s great color e-readers are held back by lock-in: https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/4/24158251/kobo-libra-clara-colour-e-reader-review How the Kindle Became a Must-Have Accessory (Again): https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/who-are-all-these-20-somethings-buying-a-kindle-339a30c5 NW-E394 Walkman Digital Music Player: https://electronics.sony.com/audio/walkman-digital-recorders/walkman-mp3-players/p/nwe394-b 00:00 Introduction and vacation update 01:39 Version History: Qubi 13:43 The impact of COVID-19 on Quibi 34:18 Rebooting Quibi in 2024 37:27 Quibi in the Version History Hall of Fame? 39:49 Verge Debate: ebooks vs. printed books 01:04:10 Vergecast Hotline: Modern MP3 Players Subscribe: http://goo.gl/G5RXGs Like The Verge on Facebook: https://goo.gl/2P1aGc Follow on Twitter: https://goo.gl/XTWX61 Follow on Instagram: https://goo.gl/7ZeLvX Follow on TikTok: http://bit.ly/42VeCVU The Vergecast Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/vergecast Decoder with Nilay Patel: https://link.chtbl.com/decoder More about our podcasts: https://www.theverge.com/podcasts Read More: http://www.theverge.com Community guidelines: http://bit.ly/2D0hlAv Wallpapers from The Verge: https://bit.ly/2xQXYJr If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may receive a commission without exerting any influence on editorial content. For more information about our ethics policy, visit: https://bit.ly/3P4bJgz