The Verge: Sorry iBooks, paper books still win on specs

[Kris777]

Interesting point of view

http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/20/27...l-win-on-specs

....
The specs of a paper book
If you take a moment to think about a paper book as the technological object that it is, you can quickly see plenty of advantages over e-readers. The list of "specs" for your standard paper book gets surprisingly long when you expand your definition of technology to include elements that don't require a computer chip.

•Readable with any form of light
•Very high contrast display
•Requires no battery power
•Depending on model, lasts anywhere from five to five thousand years or more
•Immersive and non-distracting user interface
•Offers a spatial layout for immediate access to random information
•Conforms to the standardized "page number" spec for easy reference
•Supports direct interaction via pen or highlighter
•DRM-free for easy lending and resale
•Standards-based system not controlled by any single corporation or entity
•Crash-proof and immune to viruses (though vulnerable to some worms)
•Easy to learn user-interface consistent across most manufacturers
•Supports very large number of colors and also black and white images
•Compatible with a wide variety of note taking systems

These features and specs are either unmatched or poorly matched by most current e-reader technology. While e-readers obviously offer many advantages over paper books, I would argue that most of the above specs are essential to how most people think of the act of engaged, active reading
...

[carpetmojo]

A host of reasons, with present and foreseeable future technology, that all add up to being less harmful for the environment ..... and,if you pushed it to the extreme, society ?

Sorry to be a party pooper....

[AJ Starr]

Limitations:

Only able to carry a limited number with you at the same time.
No internal dictionary/thesarus

[athlonkmf]

blabla. Deja vu.
Ebooks vs deadtree once again.

[Ekaros]

I do have certain issues reading with hard UV and Gamma and on other hand microwaves and radio waves also make reading quite imposible ;D

Page numbers standard, try that with bible...

Also there is certain issues with waterproofeness and updating factual and typografical errors, meaning replacing certain part of product is hard...

[miguel1626]

eBook supporters fight the luddites back:

1. built-in search capabilities: try doing this on a paper book.
2. built-in dictionary lookup.
3. eInk devices also have high contrast, and non-distracting interfaces.
4. eInk screens are readable with any form light, and backlit LCD can be read in a dark room without upsetting your sleeping partner.
5. There are workarounds for DRM, or you can buy only DRM-free books, so you can take your books with you anywhere (not to mention long-term storage in an open format).
6. Annotations can be exported, manipulated and printed.
7. If your Standard is HTML, no corporation owns you.
8. No cracked spines in big hardcovers. No cheap MMPB coming apart after a lot of use.
9. Page number standards? Tell me, what's the "true" page count for "The Stand"?
10. no shelf space required for thousands of titles. no cardboard boxes required when you move.

That's just from the top of my head. I'm pretty sure ebook addicts will have plenty more

[Alohamora]

Instantly adjustable font sizes.

[sabredog]

ebook required bookshelf space = none

[Dylrob]

Standardized page numbers? Heh, I remember a number of occasions where my teachers inadvertently gave us the wrong page numbers because the curriculum had been written for an earlier edition of the textbook.

[Dylrob]

Well this could help solve the interface limitations:

[carpetmojo]

Luddite's ?

I still use my feet, admittedly....
But I haven't yet smashed up any reader construction machinery...

And I thought of another, fairly obvious, plus for the book - far superior robustness and likely lifespan!
I haven't yet heard of a reader that's survived a 100+ drop onto tarmac yet. I speak from personal experience with aforesaid book.
[And a friend once found a book printed in Arabic from the shoeline near Land's End !]]

"athlonkmf blabla. Deja vu.
Ebooks vs deadtree once again."

Perhaps that's because it is a discussion worth having now and then, for no other reason that there may be contributors who haven't had the advantage of reading earlier discussions on the topic. An
I do note with interest the apparent lack of interest in the environmental issues.
Surely we're not in denial ?

[VicLavigne]

I'm surprised no one pointed out for ebooks:
- no wear/tear of pages
- can have multiple copies across devices
- lost your ebook? Just restore your backup.
- buy it once, keep it forever
- packing for trips faster and less weight

Vic

[patrickt]

I began to refute the original post for it's innaccuracies but decided it wasn't worth the trouble. I'm sure the monks with illuminated scrolls and books did the same thing for the printed book.

And, the results will be the same.

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Well this could help solve the interface limitations:
***/Video/***

"However, navigation on a E-book is normally heavy, tiresome, and distracting from reading task."

Yes, because pushing a button with my thumb is just so heavy and tiresome. I oftentimes lose my concentration when pushing that button with just how ever-so distracting it is to tap that button. Thank the FSM for paper books and giving my shoulders something to do when reading! /snark

That video was actually pretty cool, though. I really liked the transitions and the page-flipping to get deeper into a book/magazine quickly.

[piper28]

I will admit one thing that I've found somewhat annoying with ebooks. Some of the books I read will have maps at various points in the book, and every now and then I'd like to flip back to refer to them. For whatever reason, I've found that significantly more of a pain in an ebook than I do in a real book. I am learning, by adding bookmarks, but it's still somewhat clunky to me, and I never remember to mark the spot until I realize that I wanted to go back there.

Oh, and for all those that keep bringing up the built-in dictionary: how many people really use it? I honestly think I've used it once, and that was more by accident than for really wanting to use it. I can't say that in my normal reading I generally find that I have a real need for a dictionary. I honestly can't see that I'd miss it if I didn't have it.