Transbook - Finally a Term For an Ereader that we can all pronounce

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

I know what people call the ebook devices now. You ignored my qualifier stating a device that is capable of more than just reading low quality books. I was merely willing to challenge the notion of the device as a simulated book...which is not an uncommon tendency at this stage. These things are still pretty poor books, and their saving grace will probably be diversified media.

Most people I show it to feign amazement at first, and then reveal disappointment once I explain it to them and show them the quirks and display problems. The things really aren't that good. Did you go see the proposed reader by 誠品 and 遠傳 some months back? More of the same, really. Still not particularly good, especially for Chinese if you want decent text quality. I always keep some Chinese books and typeface tests on mine just to show people.

No, I didn't see those readers. And I agree with you that no high quality typesetting effect is possible on those readers. But it can easily match the standard paperback fare that is available here -- not exactly high quality. My wife (a local, an avid reader and anything but a gadget freak) is quite happy with my reader for simple, straight reading and her friends all feel the same. Don't forget that you are setting the bar for the visual experience extremely high, in my experience to most people my Sony looks as good as paper. And I see little difference in the display quality of English and Chinese text. At least in the files I have used. Still, for reading local books, financially it is not worth getting a reader at this time, I use mine for English and German books, only the occasional Chinese classic (which can be awfully tough, anyway!).

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by ekaser

I'm not losing sleep over WHAT you call these things, because "these things" are EXTREMELY transitory. In 5 years (10 tops), people will laugh at the thought of having a device that does NOTHING except READ BOOKS.

I disagree. It's possible that ebook readers will become a (lucrative) niche product. But you can still get a variety of devices that "just" plays radio stations, or "just" displays video signals, or "just" takes pictures, or "just" plays video games, and so forth. Not every device ought to be integrated into a multifunction device, and not every such integration eliminates single-purpose devices.

[wayrad]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

"In literary terms it's a transbook, by which I mean that it is the book which can contain all books."

That may be what he means (I'm reminded of Humpty Dumpty here), but when I saw it I just went "Across-book? Hunh?"

PS. Maybe we should call them portmanteaus...

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

I disagree. It's possible that ebook readers will become a (lucrative) niche product. But you can still get a variety of devices that "just" plays radio stations, or "just" displays video signals, or "just" takes pictures, or "just" plays video games, and so forth. Not every device ought to be integrated into a multifunction device, and not every such integration eliminates single-purpose devices.

Right on, Kali Yuga. In this digital age people are not laughing at books, are they? People are not laughing at computers (my phone can do anything my computer does). They are not laughing at TV's, I can watch TV on my computer or my phone. Did/do you laugh at ipods (I always used my phone for that)? I agree that some day (still quite a few years off) multipurpose devices will be as convenient for reading as today's readers are now. But by then they will quite possibly also replace today's computers, TVs, phones, and more.

And people keep forgetting one major problem with multifunction devices, if they go down, you can't do anything.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by wayrad

That may be what he means (I'm reminded of Humpty Dumpty here), but when I saw it I just went "Across-book? Hunh?"

PS. Maybe we should call them portmanteaus...

Better than 'iBrary or something equally gimmicky...

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by ekaser

I'm not losing sleep over WHAT you call these things, because "these things" are EXTREMELY transitory. In 5 years (10 tops), people will laugh at the thought of having a device that does NOTHING except READ BOOKS. Once the devices start adding features (and if you don't think they will, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you...), the name will become generic, like tablet, slate, computer, etc.

Yeah, I mean why have a wristwatch?

only thing it does it tell you the time..

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yeah, I mean why have a wristwatch?

only thing it does it tell you the time..

Perhaps we should add book reading capability to our microwaves and VCRs then? My air conditioner remote and rice cooker too...

And perhaps we should just put a Kindle on a wrist strap and see how much folks love the convenience of checking a chapter of their 2nd favorite novel (because their favorite may well be unavailable).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

Transbook - I don't think so. What's wrong with e-reader?

e-reader is no good since it's pronounced the same as eReader.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Better than 'iBrary or something equally gimmicky...

People would think it's a device by Apple.

[wayrad]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Better than 'iBrary or something equally gimmicky...

I was kidding of course, but honestly, "transbook" is a terrible coinage. I imagine he is trying to suggest it transcends ordinary books, but just "trans" simply means "across" and makes little sense when grafted onto "book". Unless you think of an ebook reader as a cross-book hardware platform, which is really reaching.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

e-reader is no good since it's pronounced the same as eReader.

Does that matter? Many words are used as nouns and verbs at the same time, like "fly." The Chinese use "electronic book" to mean the reader and what's read. Doesn't seem to affect the world adversely.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

People would think it's a device by Apple.

Apple didn't invent putting a single letter/syllable in front of a generic word. And it makes little difference who they think made the device(s), the same as if they start calling all devices "Kindles."

(You'll notice, I'm not at all strained using the words "device" and "hardware" when talking about readers, so I don't care if everyone else wants to call them "Elmo.")

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Better than 'iBrary or something equally gimmicky...

Oh no! You leaked the name of the upcoming Apple tablet.

[astra]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

Transbook - I don't think so. What's wrong with e-reader?

I don't like transbook, but e-reader? How would a person who doesn't know you are talking about ebook reader know what you are talking about?
The term e-reader, suggests that you are talking about some sort of electronic device that is capable of reading of some sort of electronic information. Maybe it is a gadget that measures amperage on your power line, or could read data packets sent over network cable, or cull some sort of electronic data from telephone line? You never know. So, although ebook reader might be one of the many gadgets that fall into e-reader category, when you say simply e-reader it doesn't necessary imply you are talking about ebook reader. In every day life it is even more important because people who do not read mobileread forum have no clue what is e-reader/ebook/ebook reader. However, when they hear the word "book", it might help them to attune their brains to the right direction.


Personally, for me, it is going to stay ebook reader for now. Just like hoover....is nice but not good enough and people start to realise it nowdays and call vacuum cleaner - vacuum cleaner.

[kazbates]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

I disagree. It's possible that ebook readers will become a (lucrative) niche product. But you can still get a variety of devices that "just" plays radio stations, or "just" displays video signals, or "just" takes pictures, or "just" plays video games, and so forth. Not every device ought to be integrated into a multifunction device, and not every such integration eliminates single-purpose devices.

Exactly. I few years ago, I won a television with an integrated DVD player. It seemed like the best of both worlds until the DVD player stopped working and the repair shop told me it would be cheaper to buy an external DVD player and plug it in to the tv rather than fix the original. The same could be said for any number of multiple uses home/kitchen appliances that I've purchased over the years. They work fine until one part of the "multi-use" no longer works and I have to buy a replacement for just that section leaving me with a big hulking appliance that only does part of the job.

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yeah, I mean why have a wristwatch?

only thing it does it tell you the time..

What's really sad is wearing a wristwatch, but checking the time on my Pre. I'm such a slave to e-gadgets!

[Lemurion]

As far as names go, I like ebook reader - just like I consider the kids' iPods to be mp3 players. They're descriptive names that work. As for transbook, I find it only slightly better than liseuse - which is to say not very much at all. Despite the possible issue of confusion with the format, e-Reader or ereader is actually a pretty good word. It's easy to say and fairly simple to understand.

I'm not quite so sure that multi-function devices will overtake dedicated readers the way some think they will, though. It's a nice idea, and sometimes it happens - the smartphone basically ate the PDA - but the computer hasn't done the same to the TV.

The problem is that device convergence only really works when the functional requirements are compatible. Adding phone capability didn't take away from any of the basic uses of a PDA. Unfortunately, when it comes to most convergence devices, the biggest draw for an ebook reader - the large screen - is a detriment. Handheld multi-media devices need to be small and portable because they're taken with you and used when you don't have access to your normal home entertainment gear. Ebook readers are about the same size as books - and many consider the screens already too small.

This isn't to say there won't be large color tablet devices - that's a natural progression - but that the devices which really take over the ebook reader market will be designed for similar use cases - and those aren't necessarily the same use cases that have driven things like smartphone/PDA convergence.