Skeuomorphism: Apple gets design patent for virtual page turns

[fjtorres]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57...turning-pages/

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week granted a rather noteworthy design patent for the digital equivalent of the page turn (PDF), that time-honored tradition of flipping pages while looking through a book, a magazine, or other stack of bound paper.

I approve of this patent.
I hope they never license it.
I hope they sue anybody that tries to do virtual page turns in a reading app in any way, shape or form.

That would be because I *abhor* skeuomorphic pretend-paper in all its forms.
And now (hopefully) Apple will have it all to themselves.

eBooks have been around more than long enough that wasting resources and breaking immersion with unnecessary "artistic touches", as if ebooks were imitation pbooks instead of a narrative distilled to its essence; words before your eyes.

(For the record, I prefer my reading app be totally devoid of progress bars, page numbers, everything. Just words on a screen...)

[fratermus]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

(For the record, I prefer my reading app be totally devoid of progress bars, page numbers, everything. Just words on a screen...)

Given the ludicrous state of software patents, one could probably patent the plain page and sue everyone.

[wyndslash]

I don't like virtual page turns either. If I wanted that, I'll just read a real book.

[Ekaros]

Prior-art exists.

United State American your patent system sucks...

[Kumabjorn]

My understanding is that Sir Ive abhors skeuomorphism and wants to get rid of it from Apple's design catalogue. In all likelihood this patent is moot even before it is registered.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by fratermus

Given the ludicrous state of software patents, one could probably patent the plain page and sue everyone.

I don't know about a "plain page" but putting ink on the page should be fair game for them.

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

I hope they sue anybody that tries to do virtual page turns in a reading app in any way, shape or form.

That would be because I *abhor* skeuomorphic pretend-paper in all its forms.
And now (hopefully) Apple will have it all to themselves.

Couldn't agree more. I don't need a silly cutesy graphic eating battery time up, I want to read, not stare at pointless animations. And since I own nothing to do with Apple and never plan to, I should be safe from having to put up with it.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Ekaros

Prior-art exists.

It's a *design* patent...
...for a specific look and behavior.
Microsoft has one in process from their Courier effort that predates Apple's application.
So "prior art" would have to look exactly the same.

My whole point is skeuomorphic ebooks and reading apps need to die.
(That extends to the whole "wooden bookshelf" look-n-feel, too.)

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

My understanding is that Sir Ive abhors skeuomorphism and wants to get rid of it from Apple's design catalogue. In all likelihood this patent is moot even before it is registered.

Like the MS Courier page-turn patent application.
But if it scares even one developer into sanity, it will have served a purpose.

[sun surfer]

I love the bookshelf graphics such as the first Kindle Fire had, and I especially love animated physical book page turn graphics. I've been wishing ever since I got an e-reader that I could get one that has page turn graphics like that. In fact, I think when I first started posting here, in the "which e-reader should I get?" questions forum, one thing I may have listed in wanting in an e-reader was the page turn graphics. More important considerations won out though and unluckily the e-readers I've gotten so far don't do it.

[Ekaros]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Like the MS Courier page-turn patent application.
But if it scares even one developer into sanity, it will have served a purpose.

How much does one patent application cost to file? And how close is the desing parameters? So how many desing patents one needs to get all variations covered?

Just for interest...

Design patents combined with the justice system that currently seem to exist is quite problematic, at least from some viewpoint...

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I love the bookshelf graphics such as the first Kindle Fire had, and I especially love animated physical book page turn graphics. I've been wishing ever since I got an e-reader that I could get one that has page turn graphics like that. In fact, I think when I first started posting here, in the "which e-reader should I get?" questions forum, one thing I may have listed in wanting in an e-reader was the page turn graphics. More important considerations won out though and unluckily the e-readers I've gotten so far don't do it.

After a few thousands paged and those tens, hundred or few hundred milliseconds lost whit each turn is it worth it? It's one of those small details that do look good, but get in the way of usability eventually.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

In fact, I think when I first started posting here, in the "which e-reader should I get?" questions forum, one thing I may have listed in wanting in an e-reader was the page turn graphics. More important considerations won out though and unluckily the e-readers I've gotten so far don't do it.

You want an *eink* reader that does skeumorphic page turns?
Its doable. Easy, too.
Just remember that eink animations are far from pretty...
All you need is either a Sony T2 or Nook STR/Nook Glo. Hack'em and install Aldiko.
It defaults to wooden bookshelves and animated page turns.
(To their credit, you can turn the animations off.)

[LovesMacs]

I like skeumorphic page turns, but I don't agree with the patent.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by LovesMacs

I like skeumorphic page turns, but I don't agree with the patent.

Apple spent a great deal of time and money getting those animations to look just right. They deserve to be protected from having all that investment and corporate knowledge ripped-off.
Anything that keeps other companies products from looking or acting *anything* like Apple products is a great thing.

Diversity is good.
Efficiency is even better.
That is two reasons right there to hope Apple keeps their commitment to skeuomorphism instead of diverting resources into voice-recognition, machine vision, real-time translation, or mission-critical OS security.

That way Apple has their market and the rest of us get products *we* like.

[LovesMacs]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Apple spent a great deal of time and money getting those animations to look just right. They deserve to be protected from having all that investment and corporate knowledge ripped-off.
Anything that keeps other companies products from looking or acting *anything* like Apple products is a great thing.

Careful what you wish for. Didn't Apple seek a patent on the shape of a rectangle with rounded corners for mobile phones? That shape is very common in the marketplace, and with good reason: it's a comfortable, efficient design. I don't agree with a patent like that either. It's far too general in what is covered.

I disagree with the page turn patent because I'm fairly sure that page turn implementations existed before iBooks. Didn't Stanza predate Apple's software? Didn't something else come before either of those?

It is evident that you don't like Apple products. That's fine. Diversity is good. And despite my name, there's a lot I don't like about Apple.