eReader VS. eBook Reader

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

I'll happily back liseuse but only if the growing of beards is optional. I don't have one, they don't suit me, and there's not much money to be made these days as a bearded lady anyway...

Beard growing is optional and maybe swapped for 'the wearing of hats' at any time

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by eReaderPlanet

Being a new member, I guess I didn't know the forum's history on the subject.

One reason I tend to prefer eReader over eBook reader is that, eventually, I see these devices being used for much more than just books. Of course there are newspapers and magazines, but what about pictures, videos, Web pages etc? Maybe the term "reader" shouldn't even be included?

I completley agree, particularly, when they successfully manufacture the colored e-ink. It will open up any number of possibilities. As as educator, I can foresee a great many academic applications. I would love to have a class set of digital reading devices for my classroom and be able to have the textbooks loaded on a storage card that the kids could plug into their device. It would save so much space.

Originally Posted by ahi

I think the only lupine-safe term for a device with such broad utility (which would necessarily have to use the only REAL eBook format) would be:

PDF-viewing eReader

---

Having said that, I think you are correct that eventually these devices will become more than devices for reading novels... but since such a change would only be realistically possible with a PDF base (I suspect sometimes referred to in hushed tones as "the coming of the antichrist"), contemplation of such a future is not oft pursued.

Personally, I do not feel any of the current candidates are viable or even worthy.

An imperfect but still more suitable name I propose (for the eventual devices whose usability is greatly expanded, but would primarily be used for reading both books and other materials):

datapad

- Ahi

Hmm, for a minute there, I thought we were actually having a simpatico moment! I don't agree with the whole PDF thing. I really don't know what will happen with formats, but I don't think PDF is the answer. This industry is still in it's infancy, so we've got a long way to go before all the dust settles. I'm hoping that some ingenious person/company develops something even better than what's available right now. 30 years ago, when I started programming, I doubt very many people would have believed the level that electronic technology plays in our lives today.

As for what to call ebook readers, how about something simple like Digital Readers? Or maybe, Digital Display Devices (DDD's)? Although, I do like Liseuse, it has a little more romance to it.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Beard growing is optional and maybe swapped for 'the wearing of hats' at any time

Now that's something I fully support (even if I don't do it often enough)

[Lo Zeno]

Being fairly new and all, I'm wondering...
Why "liseuse"? what does it mean, actually? I don't know French, and from what little I know "liseuse" reminds me of a piece of cloth. Online dictionaries seem to agree with me, so I'm obviously confused.

Does it have another meaning?

[Jellby]

The problem with "liseuse" is pronouncing the "eu" without sounding like a pedant (for a Spanish speaker)

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Lo Zeno

Why "liseuse"? what does it mean, actually?

It's "reader" in feminine.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by Lo Zeno

Being fairly new and all, I'm wondering...
Why "liseuse"? what does it mean, actually? I don't know French, and from what little I know "liseuse" reminds me of a piece of cloth. Online dictionaries seem to agree with me, so I'm obviously confused.

Does it have another meaning?

From Wikipedia, because it puts it more succintly than I can at the moment:

The name comes from "liseuse" which is the feminine form of "liseur" in French. This is often translated as "reader" but it is used normally to describe a person who really likes to read, while a simple reader is called "lecteur" or "lectrice" in the feminine gender. This is one indication of who this type of desk was originally marketed to.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Lo Zeno

Being fairly new and all, I'm wondering...
Why "liseuse"? what does it mean, actually? I don't know French, and from what little I know "liseuse" reminds me of a piece of cloth. Online dictionaries seem to agree with me, so I'm obviously confused.

Does it have another meaning?

it's got at least 7 or 8 meanings so far, although a "piece of cloth" as far as i know is not in fact one of them. secretly i'm hoping to continue to add new meanings until i can express absolutely anything at all just with one word. (okay, the last part is not true.)

for the mobileread tradition behind the use of "liseuse" please see this thread.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

From Wikipedia, because it puts it more succintly than I can at the moment:

Originally Posted by Jellby

It's "reader" in feminine.

And Jellby puts it even more succintly than that

[Lo Zeno]

AH!
Thank you, now it makes sense

[ahi]

Originally Posted by kazbates

I really don't know what will happen with formats, but I don't think PDF is the answer.

For reasons I articulated elsewhere at length (and will try not to bore people with here), there is as much chance of PDF not becoming the primary eBook format as there is of water being replaced in the washing/bathing process.

The idea doesn't violate the laws of physics... but it is difficult to conceive how it could possibly happen, assuming you give thought to all the requirements and understand the principles of both bookmaking and typography, neither of which are any less relevant to eBooks than they are to paper books, and neither of which is possible to ignore for most publications the way it is (with horribly unaesthetic results) for uncomplicated novels.

But a disagreement on a specific issue should not altogether kibosh a nicely developing sympatico moment.

- Ahi

[slayda]

To this old Southern boy (who don't know French), "liseuse" looks too much like "less use!" which does not describe my reader.

[Moejoe]

I think it's really easy to decide. When I do a search for 'liseuse' on google images I get results such as Liseuse de Matisse (and lots of other beautiful paintings)
:



When I search for ereader there's nothing but boring and factual technical pictures. Dull, dull, dull, too dull to post here.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I think it's really easy to decide. When I do a search for 'liseuse' on google images I get results such as Liseuse de Matisse (and lots of other beautiful paintings) :



When I search for ereader there's nothing but boring and factual technical pictures. Dull, dull, dull, too dull to post here.

i suspect you will enjoy this thread in the french forum. for you non-francophones, the subject is "what is your perfect liseuse". don't bother reading the text, just scroll down the page a bit...

[Lo Zeno]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

it's got at least 7 or 8 meanings so far, although a "piece of cloth" as far as i know is not in fact one of them.

If you walk in a shop in Italy and ask for a "liseuse", they give you this:



I wouldn't be surprised if it would be a misuse of the word, though: it wouldn't be the first time that a foreign word gets a totally different and unexplainably new meaning in Italian.