Steve Jobs on the "iPod of reading" - Page 9

nekokami · 01-18-2008, 12:10 PM

yvan, I read about that weird limitation in notes. Maybe you're right.

I think they'd be nutty not to support as many media as possible, but perhaps there is some back-room deal we don't know about that prevents them from getting into books.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-18-2008, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

What's despicable is that he's taking that decision for 'The Rest of Us'. If you remember that add campaign.

Well, it's not as if you have to buy his stuff. Vote with your wallet.

snookums · 01-18-2008, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdrianWerner

Well..99% of people don't use Apple computers

Actually I've heard everywhere from 4-8% market share for apples computers. As an operating system that's not much, but if you compare them to pc computer manufacturers, they are on par with fujitsu or hp I think.

I agree with your point though. Jobs is just doing his usual downplay and deny it until I make one routine. If there is a market big enough for the Apple TV, there's one big enough for eBook readers.

yvanleterrible · 01-18-2008, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

yvan, I read about that weird limitation in notes. Maybe you're right.

I think they'd be nutty not to support as many media as possible, but perhaps there is some back-room deal we don't know about that prevents them from getting into books.

aPple's been in bed with mIcrosoft (Who's got a reader) for eons. Who knows what's under the covers. (pun intended)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Well, it's not as if you have to buy his stuff. Vote with your wallet.

Too late, I started buying his stuff in 85 and the latest in 07. I've always been a design fan of theirs. All I'm asking is the same as neko; a simple software patch to allow text.
I mean, kids need some kind of a cheating edge don't they.

yvanleterrible · 01-18-2008, 01:55 PM

@neko
Didn't you say you got your daughter a Nano? Just have a look under 'extras' and then 'Notes', it'll give you an idea of what little is available.

nekokami · 01-18-2008, 01:57 PM

My daughter has a nano -- I didn't get it for her. (The grandparents got together and did that.) Anyway, there's plenty of information about this limitation on the web.

rmeister0 · 01-18-2008, 02:34 PM

Apple's market share dipped into the 2% range during the worst of the late 90s, and is estimated at 7-8% today. Either way, their market share has been growing. When you buy a Mac at the Apple store, they ask you if it is your first Mac, and 50% of the time they reported as saying "yes". So to say that 99% of people don't use Macs may be true, but to say that 99% of people who use computers don't use Macs is mathematically untrue. Please don't spread FUD.

Once the SDK is released in February, I doubt it will be too long before an ebook reader is written for the platform. Heck, there's already one out there now if you're willing to hack. What I suspect is really wanted here is that one of the major formats (eReader, MobiPocket, LIT, et al) gets ported, and that is a question for those format's owners, not Apple.

A heck of a lot of software that runs on the Mac platform is not made by Apple; if somebody decides to use the SDK to write a book reader app and sell compatible books on line, there's not much they can or would want to do to stop them.

Jerry Pournelle made the point that if a good reading option were available for a device you already own, the mass market paperback market must just collapse. I think he's overstating, but while most people won't pay $400 for a dedicated book reader, they will pay $5 to download a book onto a device they already own and use for other purposes.

DaleDe · 01-18-2008, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

@neko
Didn't you say you got your daughter a Nano? Just have a look under 'extras' and then 'Notes', it'll give you an idea of what little is available.

There is an article in the wiki on using notes on the iPOD. While it only reads text in 4K blocks there was a mechanism designed in to allow a way to progressively read 4K blocks as if they were pages of text.

Dale

yvanleterrible · 01-18-2008, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

There is an article in the wiki on using notes on the iPOD. While it only reads text in 4K blocks there was a mechanism designed in to allow a way to progressively read 4K blocks as if they were pages of text.

Dale

Yes, I use it frequently. Have a look here. Especially the links provided.

DaleDe · 01-18-2008, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

Yes, I use it frequently. Have a look here. Especially the links provided.

I really wish there was a way to increase the font size. The nano has a really small screen.

Dale

yvanleterrible · 01-18-2008, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

I really wish there was a way to increase the font size. The nano has a really small screen.

Dale

Yeah, quite small! But then again I only use it in emergencies. Last week I went into an office for a meeting and wound up waiting 1 1/4hours. The Nano was in my pocket, all loaded.

snookums · 01-18-2008, 04:18 PM

They need to increase the iPhone's pdf support as well.

DaleDe · 01-18-2008, 09:05 PM

Here is some data on reading habits of US citizens.

charts of reading habits

snookums · 01-18-2008, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Here is some data on reading habits of US citizens.

charts of reading habits

They seem to be implying with that chart that the younger generation doesn't read as much because the 15-35 group is on the lower end. I'm sure that there is some truth to that. People aren't reading as much today as the older generations, but it could also be that those years are a time in people's lives when reading is a lower priority. The 18-25 years cover that span of most people's lives when they are striving to make something of themselves. It's not big surprise that people who are retired read more. Just a thought

AdrianWerner · 01-18-2008, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snookums

Actually I've heard everywhere from 4-8% market share for apples computers. As an operating system that's not much, but if you compare them to pc computer manufacturers, they are on par with fujitsu or hp I think.

To be precise they have 7% of US market share and 3% of worldwide share (somewhere around Fujitsu numbers, but HP has over 20%, they dwarf Apple, Macs aren't in top5 most sold computers in both despkops and laptops).

But less than 2 billion people use computers at all, so overall less than 1% of worldwide population uses Mac computers.
So I would have to ask mr.Jobs why does Apple bother making software for it then?

01-18-2008, 09:05 PM	#133
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	NEA - to read or not to read Here is some data on reading habits of US citizens. charts of reading habits

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01-18-2008, 12:10 PM	#121
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	yvan, I read about that weird limitation in notes. Maybe you're right. I think they'd be nutty not to support as many media as possible, but perhaps there is some back-room deal we don't know about that prevents them from getting into books.

01-18-2008, 01:55 PM	#125
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	@neko Didn't you say you got your daughter a Nano? Just have a look under 'extras' and then 'Notes', it'll give you an idea of what little is available.

01-18-2008, 01:57 PM	#126
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	My daughter has a nano -- I didn't get it for her. (The grandparents got together and did that.) Anyway, there's plenty of information about this limitation on the web.

01-18-2008, 02:34 PM	#127
rmeister0 Addict Posts: 270 Karma: 298 Join Date: Mar 2005	Apple's market share dipped into the 2% range during the worst of the late 90s, and is estimated at 7-8% today. Either way, their market share has been growing. When you buy a Mac at the Apple store, they ask you if it is your first Mac, and 50% of the time they reported as saying "yes". So to say that 99% of people don't use Macs may be true, but to say that 99% of people who use computers don't use Macs is mathematically untrue. Please don't spread FUD. Once the SDK is released in February, I doubt it will be too long before an ebook reader is written for the platform. Heck, there's already one out there now if you're willing to hack. What I suspect is really wanted here is that one of the major formats (eReader, MobiPocket, LIT, et al) gets ported, and that is a question for those format's owners, not Apple. A heck of a lot of software that runs on the Mac platform is not made by Apple; if somebody decides to use the SDK to write a book reader app and sell compatible books on line, there's not much they can or would want to do to stop them. Jerry Pournelle made the point that if a good reading option were available for a device you already own, the mass market paperback market must just collapse. I think he's overstating, but while most people won't pay $400 for a dedicated book reader, they will pay $5 to download a book onto a device they already own and use for other purposes.

01-18-2008, 04:18 PM	#132
snookums Connoisseur Posts: 81 Karma: 100 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Kindle	They need to increase the iPhone's pdf support as well.