Quote:
Originally Posted by davidspitzer
but who is to drive improvements other than us? The manufacturers and publishers are not going to expend any effort unless they see commitment. Sitting back and complaining will not achieve this goal.
Adopting and using is not settling - the first men and woman who flew biplanes did it with zeal and excitement because they knew that the only way to drive improvement was with skin in the game. They did not sit on the sidelines and complain that the airframe was to weak and that that planes sucked because they were laden with flaws; no they jumped in and drove the improvements literally by sheer will and commitment
Those people did not compromise their standards and neither do we by trying to leverage this technology, even if it does have flaws. If you truly believe in its potential then you are either a bystander or flyer - I wish to be a flyer and I think the only way we are going to see quantum changes for the better is if we are willing to take some pain, work through the issues and show the hardware producers that it can work and that we want them to put more time, energy and money into this field.
Yes it's easier to read a paperbound academic book, yes its easier to print out a paper and read it rather then copy it to my ebook reader, but I do it because thats what we should be doing and like the early aviators, the fact that the technology is lacking in many ways will not detract me from doing it .
I must admit I am a little shocked and disappointed at the attitude displayed here and I'll be honest I hope you are in the minority, because if we, as early adopters and supposed pundents of this this technology can not rally support among our own ranks how do we expect others to do so. It should come as no surprise when we hear negative reports like the one from Princeton.
Is this the best enthusiasm we can muster? Has our attention span so waned nowadays that we are unwilling to work through any adversity? Have we degenerated to only gravitating towards instant gratification pursuing only the path of least resistance?
Where have all the barnstormers gone?
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Laptops are a better choice for this. Desktop computers are a better choice for this. etextbooks can develop for these platforms, while the ebook reader devices remain stagnant. Most ebook reading is still done on computer, mind you, not on the niche (but growing) devices that people like me like to disparage.
When ebook reader devices become more usable, then their adoption rates will be higher. That will be the result of market-driven innovation and competition. A forum of early adopters easily impressed and with a proclivity towards mediocrity will not dictate the market that much, or at least I hope.