Where would you start in explaining ebooks to a non-techie total newbie?

[ficbot]

A few women on another board I frequent have become interested in ebooks after seeing the Oprah show about the Kindle. A few of them have dispatched husbands to look into the matter for them

A few days later, someone finds out about the Sony and posts a link asking if anyone has seen that one. So I posted about my ebookwise which is cheaper still and this was the reply:

'So, we're up to THREE of these now? Oh dear...'

Obviously, these are total non-techie newbies. Any ideas on how to explain/where to start without freaking them out?

[Gibbo]

Originally Posted by ficbot

A few women on another board I frequent have become interested in ebooks after seeing the Oprah show about the Kindle. A few of them have dispatched husbands to look into the matter for them

A few days later, someone finds out about the Sony and posts a link asking if anyone has seen that one. So I posted about my ebookwise which is cheaper still and this was the reply:

'So, we're up to THREE of these now? Oh dear...'

Obviously, these are total non-techie newbies. Any ideas on how to explain/where to start without freaking them out?

Don't tell them about the prices yet

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by ficbot

A few women on another board I frequent have become interested in ebooks after seeing the Oprah show about the Kindle. A few of them have dispatched husbands to look into the matter for them

A few days later, someone finds out about the Sony and posts a link asking if anyone has seen that one. So I posted about my ebookwise which is cheaper still and this was the reply:

'So, we're up to THREE of these now? Oh dear...'

Obviously, these are total non-techie newbies. Any ideas on how to explain/where to start without freaking them out?

Try going to the Amazon.com page and clicking on "Kindle"....watch the first informational video. If that doesn't explain to their satisfaction, I don't know what would.

For the others, I couldn't tell you.

[pthwaite]

As good a place as any:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book
but often you have to describe it more in terms of a computer as that's what they can compare it to.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by ficbot

Obviously, these are total non-techie newbies. Any ideas on how to explain/where to start without freaking them out?

I'd probably liken it MP3 players and music, but for reading books.

I think until some-one really showed an interest I'd keep away from the different formats and DRM though...

[Lemurion]

I'd go mp3 or iPod for books.

If you have an iPhone/iTouch it should be easy to explain.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by ficbot

Obviously, these are total non-techie newbies. Any ideas on how to explain/where to start without freaking them out?

I don't have the great solution but what I do is tell the non-tech newbies to think of the ebook devices as just another paperback book except sturdier and with the ability to carry dozens of books simultaneously. My limited experience has been that once they can visulaize/think of the device as just another paperback book, they quickly get over their uneasiness.

One other thing that I have noted is that when I show them that to use my Sony all they have to do is turn it on, pick a book, a read, they are delighted. They tend to lose their fear because it is an easy experience.

They sometimes stumble a bit over how to pick a book, but even that is overcome quickly. The real tricky part, whcih is getting a book on to the Sony, we never seem to get to, but there it would be easy to say let spouse/child do it for you. I suspect that the Kindle would be more daunting, regardless of ease of use, because the keyboard is more reminiscient of a computer.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by rhadin

I don't have the great solution but what I do is tell the non-tech newbies to think of the ebook devices as just another paperback book except sturdier and with the ability to carry dozens of books simultaneously. My limited experience has been that once they can visulaize/think of the device as just another paperback book, they quickly get over their uneasiness.

One other thing that I have noted is that when I show them that to use my Sony all they have to do is turn it on, pick a book, a read, they are delighted. They tend to lose their fear because it is an easy experience.

They sometimes stumble a bit over how to pick a book, but even that is overcome quickly. The real tricky part, whcih is getting a book on to the Sony, we never seem to get to, but there it would be easy to say let spouse/child do it for you. I suspect that the Kindle would be more daunting, regardless of ease of use, because the keyboard is more reminiscient of a computer.

Absolutely not. If you can type, its not a problem at all, and when you realize all you are using the keyboard for is searching, life is good. (I don't use the basic web except for books and keeping an eye on whats going on here......)
I had never held on in my life, of any brand, until I got the Kindle. Found it very intuitive to use, and simple reading of the directions made it even easier. being able to download books from Amazon.com, immediately, getting my favorite magazines downloaded monthly, using the built in dictionary, all just added to the experience.

[Over]

I only talk about e-ink ereaders. Usually I say you can read the docs in your computer in this portable device, with the advantage that it's like reading paper, it doesn't hurt your eyes like a CRT or LCD monitor.

Then I add they can carry their whole library in that device (although currently there's still lots of titles that don't exist in ebook form, but that's something that is already changing).

In my country, I don't talk about it to almost anyone. There's no portuguese ebooks, so only english reading people would be able to apreciate thse ereaders in this age.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by ficbot

A few women on another board I frequent have become interested in ebooks after seeing the Oprah show about the Kindle. A few of them have dispatched husbands to look into the matter for them

A few days later, someone finds out about the Sony and posts a link asking if anyone has seen that one. So I posted about my ebookwise which is cheaper still and this was the reply:

'So, we're up to THREE of these now? Oh dear...'

Obviously, these are total non-techie newbies. Any ideas on how to explain/where to start without freaking them out?

Point them to our wiki - perhaps the general eBook page.

Dale

[Falbe Publishing]

Dispatching husbands to look into the matter???? How will they find anything out that way?

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by Falbe Publishing

Dispatching husbands to look into the matter???? How will they find anything out that way?

That was my first thought. If they can't do their own research, how do they 'think' they need a Kindle?

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by rhadin

One other thing that I have noted is that when I show them that to use my Sony all they have to do is turn it on, pick a book, a read, they are delighted. They tend to lose their fear because it is an easy experience.

However, too simple can sometimes be a bad thing. In talking about ebook readers to various people I've been asked why I picked the Kindle over the Sony quite a few times. The first thing I mention is lack of dictionary support. Every single person I've mentioned that to was aghast it didn't have such a simple thing. How could you have a little computer that displays books that doesn't have such basic features like a dictionary or the ability to search your books for a word? Sometimes people assume that a feature they think should reasonably be there must be there.

As for talking about formats with newbies, we had somebody in here a few weeks after the Kindle came out who had bought a Sony Reader and was shocked to find out he couldn't buy books from Amazon. Same sort of idea. He thought of course he could just buy an ebook and read it on an ebook reader. Seems simple and straight forward, no? Except that's not the way it works and folks who are new the ebook world won't necessarily get that. I've found that it's not too hard to explain to folks the proprietary format thing even if they're not technical and sadly they do need to at least know that they can't read all books on all devices.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by ficbot

A few women on another board I frequent have become interested in ebooks after seeing the Oprah show about the Kindle. A few of them have dispatched husbands to look into the matter for them

A few days later, someone finds out about the Sony and posts a link asking if anyone has seen that one. So I posted about my ebookwise which is cheaper still and this was the reply:

'So, we're up to THREE of these now? Oh dear...'

Obviously, these are total non-techie newbies. Any ideas on how to explain/where to start without freaking them out?

These are also people who probably do not need an ebook reader of any kind. I would hazard that the only (repeat ONLY) reason that they even think they need one is because it was recommended by Oprah.

I suggest that they stick with what they know, which is regular old books, until they are willing to do their own research into the matter, find out if they actually need to be reading ebooks, and what kind will best suit their needs.

Dispatched their husbands indeed!! What, are they completely brain dead? Do they have to have a man do everything for them?

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

These are also people who probably do not need an ebook reader of any kind. I would hazard that the only (repeat ONLY) reason that they even think they need one is because it was recommended by Oprah.

I suggest that they stick with what they know, which is regular old books, until they are willing to do their own research into the matter, find out if they actually need to be reading ebooks, and what kind will best suit their needs.

Dispatched their husbands indeed!! What, are they completely brain dead? Do they have to have a man do everything for them?