New ebook reader -Simplicit.E.reader

[Angst]

@rana - I almost broke my screen trying to squash that little bug!


Too bad the Simplicit.E.reader is not e-ink. I love the minimalist design. Too many readers are oversized with too many functions.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Harmon

These just off the top of my head. Imagine what someone who was paid to think about it could come up with!

My experience is that people who are paid to think about these things often have a different agenda.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by wodin

My experience is that people who are paid to think about these things often have a different agenda.

Ummm...to make nice things so people will pay money for them?

[pking36330]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It appears to have a 16:9 aspect ratio screen (for video use, presumably), which is not ideal for books.

Ah, but a 9:16 aspect ratio is perfect for books.

[scveteran]

Originally Posted by Harmon

I certainly agree, and add that this would be good for newpapers as well. Essentially, any reading matter that involves making selections would benefit from having one screen devoted to the table of contents, and the other for the selected content.

But two screens would also be handy for other reading, particularly if you could park two different items on the screens. And in all instances, think "touchscreen" and "hyperlink."

Here goes:

Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace, involves the need to constantly refer to the endnotes. I have a pbook copy, and two bookmarks, one for where I am in the novel, and the other for where I am in the endnotes. But with two screens on an ereader, I would be able to keep both my reading spot and the endnotes on screen. With touchscreen & hyperlink, I'd touch the endnote number, and it would appear on the other screen. Without, I'd scroll down on the other screen to the next note.

Same for footnotes.

And for those who like having a dictionary handy, the book on one screen, the dictionary on the other. Touch the word, & the definition shows up on the other screen. Without touch, you could still locate words & definitions.

How about books in foreign languages: original on one screen, parallel translation on the other. Or touch on screen one, & the translation of the word shows up on the other.

Books with pictures, graphs, and other non-text info. Text on one screen, other info on the other - perhaps sized differently where necessary, as with maps.

Cookbooks: ingredients on one page, instructions on the other.

Dictionary, Thesarus: word on the left, definitions &c on the right.

Comic books...uh...I mean, graphic novels: full page layout on the left, specific panel on the right. Reverse for manga.

These just off the top of my head. Imagine what someone who was paid to think about it could come up with!

Those do sound like good reasons for a second screen. Do you feel that some of those could be handled by windows on the one screen? For instance, you tap on the word, and the screen opens a window with the definition?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Actually the newest Sony might argue that point. 16:9 is the most economical choice available these days. It is used by all the portable DVD players, netbooks, many digital frames, even GPS devices. This multiple use drives the price down considerably.

I really doubt if it will detract from the reading experience much, just more lines before you have to change the page and probably better integration of text and images due to more room on the page for text to coexist with full width images. Landscape mode could provide multicolumn as Sony does.

However, clearly the big deal will likely be multimedia, images, video, music audio, eBook reading. It all depends on how well the software works.

Dale

I just took a paper book (happened to be a Daw Pocket) and the ration is pretty near 16/9. It was 1.65 so it is approximately 16/9.7 so 16/9 seems to be very book like.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tompe

I just took a paper book (happened to be a Daw Pocket) and the ration is pretty near 16/9. It was 1.65 so it is approximately 16/9.7 so 16/9 seems to be very book like.

It just looks "wrong" to me. Perhaps I've been reading eBooks on 4:3 aspect ratio screens for too long .