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12/18/09
12/18/09
The only reason I'm (technically) not allowed to make my own damn digital copy of a movie is because of a paradox in the law. The movie's already digital.
But yes, of all the Blackberries I've had the displeasure of using, I can agree....I don't think a single one of them would be good for reading for any period of time comfortably.
12/18/09
Therein lies the reason that e-readers' days are numbered. We, as a culture, are moving past the point where people are going to accept a one-use device. I can read most books on my Kindle, but I can't do anything else, at least not well. I don't have the time, space, or patience to deal with carting multiple devices around. I know that sounds whiney and unrealistic, but it's really not. Look down at your iPhone; it's just the tiniest taste of where we're headed. I think Amazon sees this, and that's why we're going to see more Kindle software than Kindles.
12/18/09
The convenience of reading on a phone is always welcome, but it's a ridiculously annoying format both in size and format. Nobody would choose to read that way over a full-size page, except in a pinch.
The convergence of devices has to have a limit, and that limit will be defined by usability. Nobody wants an e-reader to be as small as a phone, and nobody wants a phone to be as big as an e-reader.
That said, I think flexibility is key. Amazon is smart to get its books on as many devices as possible, and to let the user decide the best way to read them. That's where I think the future lies -- technology with sufficient cross-compatibility that everybody gets to decide how to make it work best for them.
12/18/09
Excellent point. I figure we'll all just use our Starfleet badges to communicate, though.
12/18/09
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12/18/09
So the point is that devices will always change and grow, and that no device will ever cover all functionality that we need. And dedicated devices will always be better at what they do than anything that tries to be everything. The other point, which seems to be missed in all this ranting about ebook readers, is that like it or not books are going digital and yes, there are going to be a lot of devices that are going to be able to read those books. So like it or not, ebook readers are here to stay, whether they look like the Kindle or the PADD of Star Trek in the future we don't know, but one thing is sure; there are going to be a lot fewer paper books.
12/18/09
However, the Convergence Myth really isn't a myth. Let's go back to an easy example, the iPhone. If people had told me 10 years ago that you could read, call, surf the web, shop, listen to music, watch movies, game, manage finances, run much of a business, text, email, and shoot quality video+photos from one device, there's no way I would have believed them. It's a convergence of at least eight devices that, 10-15 years ago, only existed as standalone objects, and it's just the beginning.
Will one future device meet every need for every human at all times? No. It's a logical impossibility. We will, however, continue to cram more and more functionality into single devices.
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The camera analogy is similar in that you're still dealing with hardware limitations. Putting the optics and sensor you would need to get a really good picture on a phone makes the phone too big. However, compact point and shoot cameras are losing ground to phones. DSLRs and the more advanced point and shoots are not. It's hard to see convergence there because the hardware is so far away from being at any level where you could get good imaging on a tiny sensor and lens. Who knows if we will ever be able to do so.
12/18/09
I think people should be able to read on whatever device they find convenient and comfortable. I've read books on my PDAs and phones since the age of the Palm III, and I'm not alone. So it seems like a pretty smart move for Amazon to put their reader on as many platforms as possible. And I'm sure that Kindle owners who also have Blackberries will appreciate the WhisperSync - I know I do.
12/18/09
Reading on a larger touchscreen, such as an iPhone, Android or the HD2 is fine, that I have no problem with.
Digital copies given away with paperbacks is the way forward, as long as users are able to load it onto any device - not necessarily an ereader, it can be on a netbook, laptop or phone too. It's the idea of ereaders which I find redundant, not necessarily ebooks. I recognise that people are buying ereaders (someone must be inflating Amazon's wealth) and are quite happy with them, but I just don't see these stand-alone devices actually sticking around for long.
12/18/09
You also seem to want to continue to insult anyone who does anything differently than the way that you do it, calling them stupid and suggesting that the should be mugged and laughed at. I don't see it that way. Someone people might think it's silly to read a book on a computer, others think it's silly to read it on an iPhone, still others (like yourself) apparently draw the line when the screen size drops down to 3" or some other arbitrary measure. I say whatever people want to read their books on, that's fine by me. Because you see it's not the device that matters, it's the reading. Which is why when you say that ebook readers aren't going to be around very long I think you've got it exactly backwards; it's the paper book that is the transitional technology.
PS The offer still stands - I will loan you my Kindle for a week and I'll even buy you a book of your choosing as an x-mas present if you want to experience what it's like to actually life with one of these devices for awhile. I think it might change your mind.
12/18/09
I'm not calling people who read ebooks stupid, I said that the Kindle app for BlackBerry is stupid. I've already outlined why I think that. Of course, if you read an ereader in public, you're going to be a target for muggers - the same way if you use an iPod, mobile phone or laptop. Perhaps you live in a safer area than I do, the crime rate's pretty high here in London where I live. You seem to be very quick to take my word for truth - when actually you can't cut through the humour to get to the point I'm trying to make.
And thanks for the offer, but I've had a Kindle for a while now actually. I'm currently reading Twilight (heaven forbid) because when I searched for Bret Easton Ellis, Irvine Welsh, Haruki Murakami, Audrey Niffenegger and even JK friggin' Rowling I couldn't actually find any books from any of them.
Now, back to work. Thank you for your comments and eagle-eyed criticism.
12/18/09
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At least they are in the UK anyway. If the situation is similar in the US they probably don't have the resources to bring out competition.
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