Quote:
Originally Posted by John F
The multimedia capabilities have been around for a long time, so why will interactive stuff catch on now?
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Simply because the technology has advanced to a point where it is easier, more accessible, and cheaper to do.
Someone mentioned multimedia CD-ROMs. I remember about 15 years ago when I got Microsoft's Cinemania CD-ROM. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. This was before most people had the Internet and when multimedia meant text, a few images, and about 15 short, low-resolution video clips. Now I can get better multimedia on my phone (in fact my phone has a higher screen resolution than probably any PC monitor I had up until a few years ago).
Until recently a multimedia book could only really exist on a PC. Even tablet PCs until recently were pretty crap for multimedia - size, technical limitations, battery power, etc.
The iPad (and the plethora of devices with a similar form factor) and the Kindle (et. al.) have put devices in our hands that have as much power as a PC had a few years ago. The capacitive touch screen has made touch control very popular, and removes barriers to multimedia manipulation. Battery technology has advanced enough that the iPad gets a solid 10 hours of use between charges. The Kindle has put portable electronic reading into the public consciousness. Smartphones have popularised portable computing and media use.
The line between mobile apps and books has already started to blur (the previously mentioned Alice in Wonderland app/book, the iPad periodic table app/text book thing, etc.).
Reading on PCs never took off because of their form factor. The Kindle is what effectively started people reading electronically in numbers. Now the renewed interest in tablets and mobile apps will cause authors and artists to find new ways to use the capabilities we can hold in our hands to create new hybrids and forms of media.
Perhaps one day people will think of text-only books as most people today think of black-and-white silent films.