MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - What Additional Function would you like to see in your reader?

brecklundin · 10-22-2009, 02:14 PM

I am gonna add this again...these devices need weather/environmental sealing. Not in order to use your reader while snorkeling but rather to protect against spills, splashes (pool side or in the tub reading), drops in the sand on the beach as well as the accumulation of dust inside the device. Also the ability to run a light stream of water over the reader should it get saltwater splashed on it (dried salt water is about as corrosive a thing as you might want and needs rinsed off before it dries on the device) or even chlorine rich "clean pool water".

This means proper port covers (or doors with seals covering multiple ports in addition to silicon-rubber seals around all seams/joints. Readers with user replaceable batteries, could have a natural place for replacing or adding a memory card. Buttons are trivial and easier than people might thing and membranes for just this sort of thing have been around for a long time.

And yeah, this is the sort of thing that could add $20-$30 to the price of a reader but also it would be a nice marketing feature setting a given device family apart from the others.

I for one like to take a reading device with me when I go out on hikes or just go site by the pool or on the beach...knowing my reader device has an added bit of protection from the environment would really be nice.

I think most readers are pretty close to such sealing already but need a few refinements to get there completely.

Another feature I have pondered would be something for times when one cannot hold the reader but if using an easel to hold the reader, a simple CHEAP tiny remote control would be super. For example many digital camera makers have small, I mean small like the size of a quarter or even a couple of Sony Memory Sticks stacked on top of each other. They are simple IR remotes, cost under $10 each but would be nice for the times a person might need them. I consider this idea will not meet with much appreciation, until a person stops to think about the times when holding a book was impossible or just uncomfortable...but of you could somehow mount a reader or position it where it can't move or fall. just being able to turn pages would be super. More complete sets of function control like menu navigation, searching, on screen keyboard use, highlighting and/or dictionary look-ups and such would be possible but might make the remote impractically large....buuuut, ya never know it would be really nice to have that level of control.

Now here is another idea...what about hooking your device up to an external display device, anything from a simply monitor or even a big screen for slide show type use, or even to display novels or papers in a classroom setting. These would maybe include the remote control but could also work in a simple tethered situation, but wireless might be nice and use less power. And yeah, I know existing portable and desktop PC's have this ability, but expanding a reader device in this way could let profs/instructors carry lesson plans, examples, what not for all their courses each semester easily in a SMALL device compared to the weight and other usage issues of desktop/laptop/tablet PC's. Even color content should be doable on the external display.

Anyway, those are a couple things I could find useful over time. I feel all could be done quickly enough, though not instantly of course, but the most important to me is weather/environmental sealing.

10-22-2009, 02:14 PM	#78
brecklundin Banned Posts: 1,906 Karma: 15348 Join Date: Jun 2007 Device: mine	I am gonna add this again...these devices need weather/environmental sealing. Not in order to use your reader while snorkeling but rather to protect against spills, splashes (pool side or in the tub reading), drops in the sand on the beach as well as the accumulation of dust inside the device. Also the ability to run a light stream of water over the reader should it get saltwater splashed on it (dried salt water is about as corrosive a thing as you might want and needs rinsed off before it dries on the device) or even chlorine rich "clean pool water". This means proper port covers (or doors with seals covering multiple ports in addition to silicon-rubber seals around all seams/joints. Readers with user replaceable batteries, could have a natural place for replacing or adding a memory card. Buttons are trivial and easier than people might thing and membranes for just this sort of thing have been around for a long time. And yeah, this is the sort of thing that could add $20-$30 to the price of a reader but also it would be a nice marketing feature setting a given device family apart from the others. I for one like to take a reading device with me when I go out on hikes or just go site by the pool or on the beach...knowing my reader device has an added bit of protection from the environment would really be nice. I think most readers are pretty close to such sealing already but need a few refinements to get there completely. Another feature I have pondered would be something for times when one cannot hold the reader but if using an easel to hold the reader, a simple CHEAP tiny remote control would be super. For example many digital camera makers have small, I mean small like the size of a quarter or even a couple of Sony Memory Sticks stacked on top of each other. They are simple IR remotes, cost under $10 each but would be nice for the times a person might need them. I consider this idea will not meet with much appreciation, until a person stops to think about the times when holding a book was impossible or just uncomfortable...but of you could somehow mount a reader or position it where it can't move or fall. just being able to turn pages would be super. More complete sets of function control like menu navigation, searching, on screen keyboard use, highlighting and/or dictionary look-ups and such would be possible but might make the remote impractically large....buuuut, ya never know it would be really nice to have that level of control. Now here is another idea...what about hooking your device up to an external display device, anything from a simply monitor or even a big screen for slide show type use, or even to display novels or papers in a classroom setting. These would maybe include the remote control but could also work in a simple tethered situation, but wireless might be nice and use less power. And yeah, I know existing portable and desktop PC's have this ability, but expanding a reader device in this way could let profs/instructors carry lesson plans, examples, what not for all their courses each semester easily in a SMALL device compared to the weight and other usage issues of desktop/laptop/tablet PC's. Even color content should be doable on the external display. Anyway, those are a couple things I could find useful over time. I feel all could be done quickly enough, though not instantly of course, but the most important to me is weather/environmental sealing.