computerworld.com— E-books, those flat electronic tablets designed for reading downloadable, software-based books, are often packed with advanced displays and other leading-edge technology.
Apr 28, 2007View in Crawl 4
I think e-book readers will start to put a serious dent in market when they're essentially a sheet of flexible, touch-sensitive electronic paper paper, probably with a wireless web browser integrated as well...
personally i don't have need for e-book readers. sure they are portable, but they don't stand up to the durability of paper. can't toss an e-book reader around like you would paper.also, many things are available in html or pdf formats, which work nicely on desktops and laptops.at my work we also deal with maps which are vector based and i'm guessing that e-book formats do not allow for this.
I've always been in love with the concept of e-books, and I'd be willing to spend some money to get a good one. Unfortunately, no current ebook reader is good enough to bother with even for free. We're apparently a LONG way from creating a compelling device with a usable UI: do none of the engineers ever read books anymore? The key is getting enough readers in use to be able to make them affordable and worth the effort of supporting and providing content. It seems that nothing but time is going to achieve that: I just don't see enough demand to get the process started, so we dawdle along, slowly improving the technology and producing limited run units that few find worth buying.I have no problem with the cost of e-books: so little of any value is being produced these days that I'd seldom buy one beyond the odd reference book. For that reason I definitely wouldn't be interested in a reader that I couldn't easily load old (i.e., Project Gutenberg) or technical documents onto, and that makes no one any money. Given convenient use of freely available material, I could even live with DRM on new Grisham or Turow or Frazier or Rice dreck.One dream I had was that widespread e-publishing, by eliminating most of the upfront costs of producing a book, might make it possible for more people to get into "print." What I've found with the internet, though, is that most online writing is even worse than what is printed: editors at publishing houses provide vital crap filtering. The unsolved problem is getting quality control without involving pointy haired illiterates in marketing that select amateurish garbage because they think it will sell.
e-Paper / e-Ink technology out there is not mature yet, although it is still usableI will say that e-Paper / e-Ink technology is mature when it is capable to reach a consistent 48Hz refresh rateCurrently, their fastest refresh rate is 1 to 2 seconds (already at their fastest, and it takes substantially longer to display more complex colorful pictures)Let's set aside readers' and publishers' obsession on paper-based books first:If e-Paper / e-Ink is really going to replace traditional paper use (as in office and in handouts at schools), it must also support digital inking. And in order to do the digital inking smoothly, the potential refresh rate (no refresh unless it is written / 'inked' on) has to reach 72+Hz for human eyes perceived smoothness
I've spent about $50 (Canadian) on two old Palm IIIX/IIXE's in the past two years - and just drop .txt files onto it using Dropbook. My 'e-book' library is now over 3 gigs worth of free/CC/open source literature and digital copies of 'dead tree' books that I own. Spending a bunch of money for hi-rez, colour, DRM'd ebooks and readers is ludicrous! I plan on snapping up these old pdas whenever I see them so I'll always have a couple around the house in years to come - and as time goes by they will only get better (higher capacity, better screens). I only wish I could find a tiny dynamo that I could hook up in parallel with the rechargeable batteries so I could run them by hand power, using only the battery for data retention when Idle.
The big selling points to ebooks will be adjustable font sizes and text to speech. It would have been great in college to be able to set some of my books in "read to me" mode when my eyes were too tired.
what is the matter with people? I've been reading books on palm pilots for years and years, ever since the palm III. It's more convenient because it's small enough to put in your pocket, has a backlight, you can set it to auto-scroll, batteries last weeks or more. i didn't think so at first but you get used to reading on a small screen within a minute or two. i've read probably 30-40 books on palm pilots (now an old sony clie) and I highly recommend them over paper books, although once in a while i read a paper book instead just to change it up. I usually end up finding the ebook version about half way through, though, and reading that instead. oh and any palm or windows mobile phone probably has an ebook reader available, so you can also read ebooks on phones.
It's of course fine that you prefer ebooks. I used to be a teacher, and I loved having books on CD for convenience purposes. But regardless, there are still some reasons that it's more convenient to use the textbook. For example, it's easier on the eyes, and it's easier to flip back and forth between pages for quick reference. But I still think the gist of the article is right: ebooks have failed to catch on, and his reasons are spot on: (a.) high prices, and (b.) it's not a book, it's a computer screen. Most people who read as a hobby, simply want to "curl up and read a book," just as the author said. Digg users are more technology-driven than most, and it's my opinion that we don't represent the majorty on this issue.Case in point: according to the International Digital Publishing Forum, all ebooks combined sold $11,875,783 in 2005.In contrast, the best selling traditional book of 2005, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sold over $12,000,000 in one day (over four million copies at $29.95 apiece). So, *one book* on *one day* outsold the entire combined e-book industry for an entire year. You can Google both facts I presented here to verify.Preferring ebooks is fine, but the author makes some good points. Ebooks aren't going away, and there are some advantages; most people just won't buy them right now.
kmyeApr 29, 2007
I think e-book readers will start to put a serious dent in market when they're essentially a sheet of flexible, touch-sensitive electronic paper paper, probably with a wireless web browser integrated as well...
beersApr 29, 2007
personally i don't have need for e-book readers. sure they are portable, but they don't stand up to the durability of paper. can't toss an e-book reader around like you would paper.also, many things are available in html or pdf formats, which work nicely on desktops and laptops.at my work we also deal with maps which are vector based and i'm guessing that e-book formats do not allow for this.
pauls101Apr 29, 2007
I've always been in love with the concept of e-books, and I'd be willing to spend some money to get a good one. Unfortunately, no current ebook reader is good enough to bother with even for free. We're apparently a LONG way from creating a compelling device with a usable UI: do none of the engineers ever read books anymore? The key is getting enough readers in use to be able to make them affordable and worth the effort of supporting and providing content. It seems that nothing but time is going to achieve that: I just don't see enough demand to get the process started, so we dawdle along, slowly improving the technology and producing limited run units that few find worth buying.I have no problem with the cost of e-books: so little of any value is being produced these days that I'd seldom buy one beyond the odd reference book. For that reason I definitely wouldn't be interested in a reader that I couldn't easily load old (i.e., Project Gutenberg) or technical documents onto, and that makes no one any money. Given convenient use of freely available material, I could even live with DRM on new Grisham or Turow or Frazier or Rice dreck.One dream I had was that widespread e-publishing, by eliminating most of the upfront costs of producing a book, might make it possible for more people to get into "print." What I've found with the internet, though, is that most online writing is even worse than what is printed: editors at publishing houses provide vital crap filtering. The unsolved problem is getting quality control without involving pointy haired illiterates in marketing that select amateurish garbage because they think it will sell.
menuhinApr 29, 2007
e-Paper / e-Ink technology out there is not mature yet, although it is still usableI will say that e-Paper / e-Ink technology is mature when it is capable to reach a consistent 48Hz refresh rateCurrently, their fastest refresh rate is 1 to 2 seconds (already at their fastest, and it takes substantially longer to display more complex colorful pictures)Let's set aside readers' and publishers' obsession on paper-based books first:If e-Paper / e-Ink is really going to replace traditional paper use (as in office and in handouts at schools), it must also support digital inking. And in order to do the digital inking smoothly, the potential refresh rate (no refresh unless it is written / 'inked' on) has to reach 72+Hz for human eyes perceived smoothness
shanealeslieApr 30, 2007
I've spent about $50 (Canadian) on two old Palm IIIX/IIXE's in the past two years - and just drop .txt files onto it using Dropbook. My 'e-book' library is now over 3 gigs worth of free/CC/open source literature and digital copies of 'dead tree' books that I own. Spending a bunch of money for hi-rez, colour, DRM'd ebooks and readers is ludicrous! I plan on snapping up these old pdas whenever I see them so I'll always have a couple around the house in years to come - and as time goes by they will only get better (higher capacity, better screens). I only wish I could find a tiny dynamo that I could hook up in parallel with the rechargeable batteries so I could run them by hand power, using only the battery for data retention when Idle.
bigslackerApr 30, 2007
The big selling points to ebooks will be adjustable font sizes and text to speech. It would have been great in college to be able to set some of my books in "read to me" mode when my eyes were too tired.
vlurkApr 30, 2007
A very promising product featuring Fujitsu "Electronic Paper" technology was diplayed at the last CEATEC: it's pretty much like Sony e-Ink except that it does have colors. Link: <a class="user" href="http://www.akihabaranews.com/fr/news-12521-CEATEC+-+Fujitsu+Electronic+Paper+e-book+reader.html">http://www.akihabaranews.com/fr/news-12521-CEATEC+-+Fujitsu+Electronic+Paper+e-book+reader.html</a> Oh, and it is touch sensitive also. ;)I read somehwere that the product has been released in Japan, although very expensive at the time being: <a class="user" href="http://blogs.pcworld.com/digitalworld/archives/2007/04/black_white_ebo.html">http://blogs.pcworld.com/digitalworld/archives/2007/04/black_white_ebo.html</a>It might be the product that geeks like us are waiting for. As it runs Windows CE 5.0, compatibility with a lot of ebook formats is already assured. Oh, and this thing has a wifi adapter too: it will probably replace cheap (not powerfull) tablet pcs very well. But who cares: most of us already own a powerfull laptop. ;)
foomojiveApr 30, 2007
what is the matter with people? I've been reading books on palm pilots for years and years, ever since the palm III. It's more convenient because it's small enough to put in your pocket, has a backlight, you can set it to auto-scroll, batteries last weeks or more. i didn't think so at first but you get used to reading on a small screen within a minute or two. i've read probably 30-40 books on palm pilots (now an old sony clie) and I highly recommend them over paper books, although once in a while i read a paper book instead just to change it up. I usually end up finding the ebook version about half way through, though, and reading that instead. oh and any palm or windows mobile phone probably has an ebook reader available, so you can also read ebooks on phones.
Closed AccountMay 2, 2007
It's of course fine that you prefer ebooks. I used to be a teacher, and I loved having books on CD for convenience purposes. But regardless, there are still some reasons that it's more convenient to use the textbook. For example, it's easier on the eyes, and it's easier to flip back and forth between pages for quick reference. But I still think the gist of the article is right: ebooks have failed to catch on, and his reasons are spot on: (a.) high prices, and (b.) it's not a book, it's a computer screen. Most people who read as a hobby, simply want to "curl up and read a book," just as the author said. Digg users are more technology-driven than most, and it's my opinion that we don't represent the majorty on this issue.Case in point: according to the International Digital Publishing Forum, all ebooks combined sold $11,875,783 in 2005.In contrast, the best selling traditional book of 2005, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sold over $12,000,000 in one day (over four million copies at $29.95 apiece). So, *one book* on *one day* outsold the entire combined e-book industry for an entire year. You can Google both facts I presented here to verify.Preferring ebooks is fine, but the author makes some good points. Ebooks aren't going away, and there are some advantages; most people just won't buy them right now.