Could this be Ebooks, 3 Years from now? - Page 2

nekokami · 01-09-2008, 08:35 AM

@Steve, could be. Apple has been so rabid about avoiding anything even remotely resembling the Newton that I'd given up hope on a device like this, but you're right, the magazine market would be worth going after, and could be the foot in the door to print.

I'd still like to see Apple do a deal with eReader, though. I think it would give another huge boost to the visibility of ebooks, at very little cost or risk to either Apple or eReader.

igorsk · 01-09-2008, 10:01 AM

Morticity just sold eReader.com to Fictionwise.

AnemicOak · 01-09-2008, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igorsk

Morticity just sold eReader.com to Fictionwise.

No wonder Fictionwise is now labeling eReader as their "recommended" format. I was wondering why they were doing that. They also moved it to the head of the list when listing available formats, it used to be last.

yvanleterrible · 01-09-2008, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

@neko: Funny, you don't look that wild.

My take*: Apple won't take that step until (and unless) they create an "iNewton" device, significantly larger than the iPhone and iPod. Then they will go after magazines, not books, to take advantage of their color screens, and to go for lucrative subscription-based content. Their touch system would prove very attractive for clip-and-save, archiving and "scrap-booking" magazine content, and those glossy magazine photos would look great.

Books will come after the iNewton proves to be so incredibly popular among the younger generation that it begins to rope the elders in, too.

*You gotta have a dream. If you don't have a dream... how you gonna have a dream come true?

Beware of sleeping cats!

My take on it all... Apple is working on an other computing revolution in relation to interface and is waiting for technology to pick up. The touch interface si one step probing for popular approval. Better stuff is to come. Patience.

An other observation that may weigh in the scale is that as far as I know, Apple prefers to stand clear of format wars. That's the experience of having been marginalised for so long because of their proprietary operating systems. When the MP3 format was unmistakably crowned, they jumped to nearly total control with the iTunes/iPod success. It would be my inkling that they would try the same process with any types of mediae, the same way that their survival was maintained so long by the fantastic evolution that the laser printer put on the publishing market. Without desktop publishing we wouldn't have Ebooks. Movies have had mitigated success so far because other players have sensed the same marketing thought process and agressively participated to the game.

The ebabel crisis we tread through has to be resolved before we see any positive step from Apple to commit themselves. Remember that Apple is still second, on a popularity scale, to Windows; any decision has to be deftly measured.

nekokami · 01-09-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by igorsk

Morticity just sold eReader.com to Fictionwise.

Yeah, I just read that. Well, I'm not surprised that eReader was bought, and I guess I'm not that surprised that it was eBookwise, consolidating their inventory. An interesting question is whether eBookwise will want to port the eReader software to more platforms.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-09-2008, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

The ebabel crisis we tread through has to be resolved before we see any positive step from Apple to commit themselves. Remember that Apple is still second, on a popularity scale, to Windows; any decision has to be deftly measured.

That would be smart on their part... wait until the waters calm, then jump in when you can see enough to avoid the rocks.

Course... they may be waiting a loooong time...

yvanleterrible · 01-09-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

That would be smart on their part... wait until the waters calm, then jump in when you can see enough to avoid the rocks.

Course... they may be waiting a loooong time...

Yeah! Especially since every manufacturer around ebooks seems intent on creating their own loop market.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-09-2008, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

Yeah, I just read that. Well, I'm not surprised that eReader was bought, and I guess I'm not that surprised that it was eBookwise, consolidating their inventory. An interesting question is whether eBookwise will want to port the eReader software to more platforms.

I just hope eBookwise proves better at proofing e-books than the last 2 eReader books I bought...

yvanleterrible · 01-09-2008, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I just hope eBookwise proves better at proofing e-books than the last 2 eReader books I bought...

This "not proofing" ebooks is a weird phenomenon.

My mother is a local history writer and published seven times to this date. After having sold her to the benefits and advantages of ebook reading devices, a task of a year may I add, she finally gave in and authorized her publisher to put up two of her works over internet. Instead of asking her for the desktop publishing CD files, they just scanned the paper books, OCR'd them and put them up with all the mistakes; without a simple check! Can you believe that?

I guess this story must repeat itself more often than we think.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-09-2008, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

This "not proofing" ebooks is a weird phenomenon.

My mother is a local history writer and published seven times to this date. After having sold her to the benefits and advantages of ebook reading devices, a task of a year may I add, she finally gave in and authorized her publisher to put up two of her works over internet. Instead of asking her for the desktop publishing CD files, they just scanned the paper books, OCR'd them and put them up with all the mistakes; without a simple check! Can you believe that?

That makes me officially, legitimately, undeniably scared. (Especially since I'd swear that's what they must have done with the last book I bought.)

AnemicOak · 01-09-2008, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I just hope eBookwise proves better at proofing e-books than the last 2 eReader books I bought...

Is this a problem to blame on eReader (or Sony or Mobi oe anyone like that) or should it be blamed on the publisher?

tompe · 01-09-2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Is this a problem to blame on eReader (or Sony or Mobi oe anyone like that) or should it be blamed on the publisher?

Isn't it the shop that are responsible for what they are selling? I the shops continue to sell bad product there is never going to be any feedback to the providers.

TallMomof2 · 01-09-2008, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I just hope eBookwise proves better at proofing e-books than the last 2 eReader books I bought...

I belong to a Fictionwise email group and there was a recent discussion that *implied* to me that Fictionwise does not edit the books. The DRMed books are downloaded from one or two feeds and Fictionwise then converts them into the DRMed formats.

Actually, the eReader books I've purchased from Fictionwise have had fewer typos and OCR errors than many other books I've purchased in other formats. From my personal reading, DRMed Fictionwise books seem to be better edited than the non-DRMed books. They're also more expensive.

AnemicOak · 01-09-2008, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

Isn't it the shop that are responsible for what they are selling?

Yes, they have a responsibility, but how much.

If I was a publisher however I sure wouldn't want anyone doing any editing to my publication (even if it needed it). I was under the impression the publisher is the one who produces the ebook. It's then the publishers ultimate responsibility for the quality of their publication.

Most stores don't even host the files themselves, but have them served through distributors like Lightning Source.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-09-2008, 03:35 PM

Well, all I can say is somebody ought to be concerned with document quality here!

The incredible errors I encountered in my last purchase (and in not mentioning the book here, I'm just being polite) would never have made muster in print form, not even in cheaper paperback formats. It doesn't matter who does it, it just needs to be done, or you're not going to see people flocking to e-books, not even the people who already read them.

Lack of quality has been the biggest complaint about e-books since the beginning, and if the industry can't get past that, it doesn't have a chance.

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01-09-2008, 08:35 AM	#16
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	@Steve, could be. Apple has been so rabid about avoiding anything even remotely resembling the Newton that I'd given up hope on a device like this, but you're right, the magazine market would be worth going after, and could be the foot in the door to print. I'd still like to see Apple do a deal with eReader, though. I think it would give another huge boost to the visibility of ebooks, at very little cost or risk to either Apple or eReader.

01-09-2008, 10:01 AM	#17
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Morticity just sold eReader.com to Fictionwise.

01-09-2008, 03:35 PM	#30
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Well, all I can say is somebody ought to be concerned with document quality here! The incredible errors I encountered in my last purchase (and in not mentioning the book here, I'm just being polite) would never have made muster in print form, not even in cheaper paperback formats. It doesn't matter who does it, it just needs to be done, or you're not going to see people flocking to e-books, not even the people who already read them. Lack of quality has been the biggest complaint about e-books since the beginning, and if the industry can't get past that, it doesn't have a chance.