Quote:
Originally Posted by LDBoblo
I'm a bit surprised people think that once most people try an ebook reader device, they'll be hooked on it. Since they're not typically sold in Taiwan and need to be imported, people always are interested in looking over my shoulder at the reader. When I let them try it out however, they often find it maddeningly primitive and inferior for pretty much any of the things they envisioned it could be used for. A close look at the e-ink screen and its pixels reveals to a lot of folks "well crap that's just like a cheap old LCD isn't it?"
A lot of people like the idea of the reader devices, and many people can even see the potential for wide applications, but then the actual experience with the device leaves a sour taste in their mouths. I'm quite positive trying out a PRS-505 has turned a lot of my colleagues and students off enough to avoid ebook reader devices until at least the next generation, and they'll be leery about them even then.
It's not that these people don't read either...they just wouldn't invest in a toy that mimics a book as badly as the reader devices do. One of my colleagues in his 60s appreciated the text resizing, but that was about the most positive comment that came about. No "oooh just like paper" or any of that rot once they looked at it closely. Most of what they knew originally was hype from the Kindle marketing wave in tech magazines, but the real devices are quite a let-down for many.
I think a lot of people who have seen these devices in action don't want them because they are what they are. The ones who like the specialization don't want them because they are pretty embryonic devices that reek of unused potential, and the rest don't want them because they're not versatile enough to justify the prohibitively high cost of admission.
I rather doubt it's a matter of a lack of education or a lack of experience that is causing hesitation. Had I the opportunity to play with one extensively before buying one, I would have not bothered. Unfortunately my reader is a bit too fragile and the corner got a bit deformed by rubbing against some cotton or something (ok it bumped into a plastic pen inside the cotton) and the chrome painted plastic corner by the power switch deformed enough that I can't sell it like new for half what I paid. 
Sooo, I'll use it for my disposable indulgent novel reading that doesn't justify ownership of the actual text, and I'll continue to get stares for it and people will continue to be disgusted at its interface and usability, and I'll continue to justify it to them with statements like, "yeah as long as I only use it for novels that I don't have to navigate in, it's not too bad".
Great idea, but I think a surprisingly large number of people have the common sense to wait for something good to actually be released. |
I actually had the opposite experience. Everybody asks and is quite surprised how good the text looks. It just seems to be me that you had unrealistically high expectations -- or read material that is not suitable. If you just like to read the text then it is a very positive experience. And for an expat financially it is a no-brainer. You can get very few books here, what you get in HK is totally overpriced, now I can get everything instantly. No more books piling up, no more mailing charges, etc. I saved a lot more than 300$ in a very short time. But even my wife, who is a local, has fought me over it to read some classic books.
No, the current readers are not 100% like a paper book. Most of your points are valid, but I don't feel they are important for the actual reading experience for text in books, only for books with lots of pictures. But they are so much more convenient to read, to store, to buy, or to download old books. Navigation on the Sony is very intuitive and quick. Page turns are not immediate, but faster than on a real book. Holding the reader is much better than holding a paper book. And when I am actually reading I often tend to forget I have an eboook, not a "real" paper book.
Of course, when it comes to news, PDF files, etc -- then reading on the 6 inch screen and navigating is torture.