Archive for August 9th, 2007

I think that when we talk about e-books in our daily conversations, we need to simplify the definition.  I define e-books simply as digital text.  It can be a book, but it can also be an article, an email, RSS feed, even a web page. When I approach someone about e-book technology their immediately reaction is that they could never read off a PC screen.  But they do.  Every morning they download their email and sit in front of their PC and read.  I know no one that prints out all their emails then take them to read later during a break.  I can’t think of anyone that has not read a pdf file on a computer.  These same people sit for hours and read blogs, RSS feeds, and keep up with their friends on places like My Space, then complain that reading an e-book would be too much eye and neck strain.  Unbelievable, since I have already heard them complain that being on the computer makes their eyes, back, and neck hurt.  Another statement is that they need to feel and smell the paper when reading.  I can understand that, but I have never heard a soldier complain that his wife’s email didn’t smell like perfume.  He may not have been able to hold the paper, but he could enjoy her video message.   Another complaint I hear is that the PC already isolates users from others since they must sit in one place.  This is when I tell them that they are already reading digital text, why not move it to a portable screen and take it with them and leave the eye, back, and neck pain behind.  Their answer is usually that nothing like that exists, but if it did, they’d be first in line to buy it.  That’s when I hand them my e-book.  I love it when I see the lights come on.  See they were e-booker’s all along and just didn’t know it.