Silicon Valley Rethinks The eBook

Bloomberg:

The company created a proposal for e-readers called "The Future of the Book," showing how the devices could tap wireless Internet access, location services and social networks to help readers interact and get more involved in novels. In September, the ideas were presented to publishers in New York, including McGraw-Hill Cos. and Random House.

Read the whole story: Bloomberg

Comments

[PPatt]

09:12 PM on 11/23/2010

I'm skeptical. There are many such companies, each with its own unique vision.

All are computers having the same basic capabilities so it is the software that differentiates. While lower-tech "laypersons" (including users/consumers here) are so often fed hype on silver bullets or what constitutes an incremental, paradigm-shifting breakthrough this is much more rare than a given company would have you believe.

Take, for example, the first wave of E-Books, which weren't very user friendly and seemed to be a result of rush-to-market. My first-generation Nook allowed note taking and highlighting but had a bizarre design by which you could not review notes -- you had to remember note page number to go view it....a next-to-useless feature. Other manufacturers devices had similar nuttily poor function leaving one to ask "Just what were those designers thinking?"

It will be less a matter of who cobbles together bits of functionality already in use on PCs in a way suitable for 8" screens but rather the company with the perserverance to get all the little things right.

The leaders will be smaller companies distinguished by how well they listen to users. Many read a book to get off the beaten path and away from the chat rooms, social networks. Current e-book form factor makes for a woefully inadequate browser.Let's not forget that a design house is a business intent on selling itself. I remain skeptical of the hype of self-promotion.