Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Most of the current batch of eBook readers are intended for reading cover-to-cover fiction. They are not at all good for reference books, where you generally want to flip through it at random or search for specific items.
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I agree. The tech books I have that are even available electronically are PDFs, too, which often don't do well on the smaller screens. Even the ones where the text reflows well, the tables and graphics often do not. At least with the Kindle I can search, though it could be more efficient.
I think for ebook readers to really hit it big, they need to get a good textbook reader going. That will get the technology into enough hands to normalize it. However, to be successful at that we need a larger screen and likely color with better search and annotation features than we see now. Iliad appears to be trying to get there but still has a way to go. It's a bit counterintuitive because it would seem cheaper, consumer-oriented readers would broaden the market but I think the big jump will happen when schools start using them. Of course, by then the screen prices may have gone down enough where the prices won't be too bad.