iPad is "The Future Of Reading"

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

I doubt if many people buy game machines to read on, but from the look of it, there are certainly a lot of us buying books for our game machines. Perhaps I've become a bit hyper-protective of my DS.

What it comes down to -- and what Ogg isn't getting -- is there is no one true way. If you want to read books on an iPad and I want to read books on a DS and someone else wants to read books on an ebook reader or a netbook or their desktop computer or the Jumbotron at the stadium, it's all good.

Now that's something I'd like to see ... ebook night from my local minor league baseball team. They could put some baseball-themed short story on the big display, hand out a collection of sample ebooks (I'm sure there are some local authors who would love to get involved) on CD (gotta be cheaper than those bobbleheads!), all kinds of stuff. I think they did a kids' book night -- time for one for the grown-ups!

Ah, for The Kid Who Batted 1.000

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

I found the hyperlinked endnote method a bit irritating, so I made genuine footnotes for my PDF copy of Unseen Academicals. Tricky as the first page has quite a doozy of a footnote, but in my opinion worth the hassle.

I only clicked on a few. After that I ignored them. To me, they just disappeared from that point on. I don't remember them being very large on my reader though.

I don't think most books would need them. I do like the built in dictionaries because I don't need to significantly interrupt my reading to check an unfirmilier word.

Something similar for pictures could be done. Say your reading a book that mentions hoplite armor and you haven’t a clue what a hoplite is, never mind hoplite armor. Simply select the word in such a way as to pull up a picture instead of a definition.

[SameOldStory]

Originally Posted by dogsballs

how much water do you actually need to bath a cat?

It takes a lot of water to bath a cat.

I haven’t done it for a VERY long time (and intend to NEVER do it again). But I do remember the cats flying all over the place. The trick is to swat it out of the air and back into the tub. And don't forget the Band-Aids.

There are much better methods to control fleas though.

[wgrimm]

Originally Posted by oggelbe2007

The idea of reading actual books or technical articles is not a very good revenue stream. You're spenting too much TIME reading and not buying anything. AT&T isn't getting any of your cash from download charges.
You aren't reading any flashy magazine content from monthly subscription paywalls with ads for still more flashy subscription content.
Or rehashed works with added animation widgets also from subscription portals.

I don't know what the iPad was intended for but it 's not a reader.

Maybe it's not what it was intended for, but it makes a very good reader. I have owned many ebook readers, rocketbook, reb 1100, 2 sonys, a kindle dx, a hiebook, palms, and iPods and an iPad. My favorites are the dx, iPod touch, the rocketbook and reb, and the iPad. I use both my dx and my iPad all the time for reading these days. If I am outside, it's the dx, inside, it is usually the iPad.
The iPad is a little heavier, but the screen is very nice. I can synch up books between the two if I am using the kindle reader software on the iPad. I can also read in bed with the iPad, without a light on. And it's easy to take a break and check email on the iPad. I suppose I could do that on the dx too, at least on email with a web interface, but viewing websites on the dx really sucks.
Both are nice devices. I suspect that amazon has little to worry about from apple in terms of ebook sales. Seriously, how many people do you know that spend a lot of times buying from the iTunes store actually read books?
But I think this deal about embedding video in books is bogus. When I read I do not want to take time out and watch a video. I have the apple ebook program, and it's prettified and you can watch slick animations of pages turning, but seriously, the amazon iPad software is at least as good.
Whoever can bring rational pricing to the ebook market will corner the market....oh yeah, that is what amazon is trying to do .

[wgrimm]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

It takes a lot of water to bath a cat.

I haven’t done it for a VERY long time (and intend to NEVER do it again). But I do remember the cats flying all over the place. The trick is to swat it out of the air and back into the tub. And don't forget the Band-Aids.

There are much better methods to control fleas though.

Well, I give our cat a bath every month or so, just like the dog. The trick is to fill the tub up, then dunk him in quickly. Once he is all wet, he's not worried about getting wet, and calms down considerably.

[wgrimm]

Originally Posted by oggelbe2007

I guess if the weight of the device doesn’t bother you, or the screen glare which forces you inside doesn’t bother you, or if you don’t mind the long recharge times, or you like greasy finger prints on your screen, and you like buying from a single bookstore. Then you have found your PERFECT reading device. However, you could have bought an old Fujitsu tablet off Ebay with those same features for $100 (with a free bumper case). Plus you could annotate and sync your PDF’s along with many other things your iPad can’t handled.

Pull the wool over your own eyes - the iPad is not a reader.

Sorry, but the iPad is a very good reader. I have the kindle software on it, so I can synch up between my dx and my iPad, and I can also easily buy from the kindle store and download from my bookshelf there. And I have several programs that let me set up a server on my pc or Mac and download books wirelessly. If I really was bothered by the inability to access the iPad filesystem and copy books over directly, I would just jailbreak it like I did my iPod touch.
The iPad is a great little device, so is the kindle dx. Just do not try Internet browsing on the dx because it really sucks for that.
You will see many ipads being sold, because this is the first time anyone has developed a really good tablet device. My guess is there won't be much competition for the iPad until android based tablets come out. Windows sucks so bad and requires so much hardware to run well- and even when you have decent hardware it sucks. Take a look at the HP Slate, which several reviewers called an ugly baby.....

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by wgrimm

Well, I give our cat a bath every month or so, just like the dog. The trick is to fill the tub up, then dunk him in quickly. Once he is all wet, he's not worried about getting wet, and calms down considerably.

Worked for me as well. In addition, we used to wrap the cat in a towel before putting him in the bath. Then after he's calmed down (or given up struggling), carefully unwrap him and give him a wash.
Same way on the way out, pick him out of the bath in the same wet towel, then transfer into a dry towel.
This technique has been perfected over the years, at a cost of many scratches and cuts. And I'm not only talking about the cat either

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by wgrimm

Sorry, but the iPad is a very good reader. I have the kindle software on it, so I can synch up between my dx and my iPad, and I can also easily buy from the kindle store and download from my bookshelf there. And I have several programs that let me set up a server on my pc or Mac and download books wirelessly. If I really was bothered by the inability to access the iPad filesystem and copy books over directly, I would just jailbreak it like I did my iPod touch.
The iPad is a great little device, so is the kindle dx. Just do not try Internet browsing on the dx because it really sucks for that.
You will see many ipads being sold, because this is the first time anyone has developed a really good tablet device. My guess is there won't be much competition for the iPad until android based tablets come out. Windows sucks so bad and requires so much hardware to run well- and even when you have decent hardware it sucks. Take a look at the HP Slate, which several reviewers called an ugly baby.....

I'm looking forward to better tablets, but I'm loving iPad meanwhile. I'm not technical and don't care which companies succeed or survive. All I care about is that iPad lets me read what I want without coverting or other hokey pokeying. Earlier tonight, I read a story in the NYT, in which a hedge fund guy mentioned a book that shaped his outlook. I googled it, found it in public domain, then downloaded from Feedbooks to Stanza within a minute and started reading. It was all free and painless, and I did it all on iPad and have already finished the book. Yeah for iPad. When other hardware makers get around to delivering a usable product, I can always upgrade.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

I'm looking forward to better tablets, but I'm loving iPad meanwhile. I'm not technical and don't care which companies succeed or survive. All I care about is that iPad lets me read what I want without coverting or other hokey pokeying. Earlier tonight, I read a story in the NYT, in which a hedge fund guy mentioned a book that shaped his outlook. I googled it, found it in public domain, then downloaded from Feedbooks to Stanza within a minute and started reading. It was all free and painless, and I did it all on iPad and have already finished the book. Yeah for iPad. When other hardware makers get around to delivering a usable product, I can always upgrade.

Wise words, Maggie Leung...
"What's good today may not be tomorrow."
This is why I thought the title of this thread to be presumptuous.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

Wise words, Maggie Leung...
"What's good today may not be tomorrow."
This is why I thought the title of this thread to be presumptuous.

For me, tablets are the present and future, till something better comes along. Dedicated e-readers are of very limited use to me.

On a tablet, I can read all the online news I like, watch related multimedia and buy books from a variety of sources without the hassle of converting. As with the NYT story I mentioned above, iPad let me:

* Read on NYT.com.
* Watch a related video, on which a hedge fund guy, a Nobel winner and a Spanish finance official discussed the Greek economic fiasco.
* Google for a book mentioned in the NYT story.
* Download from a book site to the Stanza app, on which I can adjust a bunch of formatting, font and brightness settings to my liking.

I used to read news and books on netbook and Kindle. For me, a tablet is the best combination of form factor and wide access to content. Yeah for lots of choice. It'll be even better when other tablet makers start delivering.

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by m-reader

Worked for me as well. In addition, we used to wrap the cat in a towel before putting him in the bath. Then after he's calmed down (or given up struggling), carefully unwrap him and give him a wash.
Same way on the way out, pick him out of the bath in the same wet towel, then transfer into a dry towel.
This technique has been perfected over the years, at a cost of many scratches and cuts. And I'm not only talking about the cat either

Most of the time, for both my current and previous cat, I just take mine into the shower with me, apply the shampoo once he's wet, rinse with the spray shower, and grab his towel first when I get out. Save water, shower with your cat! (I recommend claw clipping first, just in case he feels like he's slipping and applies all 18 claws to your leg; if you've got a cat with steel-like claws, an emery board on the rough edges after the clipping helps too)

This turned out to be a bad idea the other day when I realized I'd packed the cat's towel (I'm moving) and I wasn't about to give him mine. I should have ... even though I squeezed as much water out of his fur as I could before I set him down, there was still probably a quart left, and of course the first thing he did was shake. Did you know that one cat can carry enough water to totally soak the typical bathroom? My towel included.

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

What it comes down to -- and what Ogg isn't getting -- is there is no one true way. If you want to read books on an iPad and I want to read books on a DS and someone else wants to read books on an ebook reader or a netbook or their desktop computer or the Jumbotron at the stadium, it's all good.

That's blasphemy! What are all the people who's only contributions on here seem to be attempting to perpetuate some sort of (imaginary) fued between devices/technologies supposed to do if everyone becomes as enlightened as you?

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

For me, tablets are the present and future, till something better comes along. Dedicated e-readers are of very limited use to me.

On a tablet, I can read all the online news I like, watch related multimedia and buy books from a variety of sources without the hassle of converting. As with the NYT story I mentioned above, iPad let me:

* Read on NYT.com.
* Watch a related video, on which a hedge fund guy, a Nobel winner and a Spanish finance official discussed the Greek economic fiasco.
* Google for a book mentioned in the NYT story.
* Download from a book site to the Stanza app, on which I can adjust a bunch of formatting, font and brightness settings to my liking.

I used to read news and books on netbook and Kindle. For me, a tablet is the best combination of form factor and wide access to content. Yeah for lots of choice. It'll be even better when other tablet makers start delivering.

It's also a matter of underlying assumptions. I, for example want portability. Not just physical portability, but informational portability. I may be where there is no urban data feeds (an airplane, out on a lake, middle of nowhere, Texas). Therefore I want to have the download now (as available), consume later model. And I may not have access to electrical outlets, so battery life is of paramount importance. That's why a tablet is a dead-end for my reading purposes. Now if the Mirasol display ever comes out, (same power usage as e-ink, but color and fast page turns), I might re-evaluate, but for now, the iPad is a gadget for urban hepsters. Not my lifestyle (though that's not a judgement. There's nothing wrong with the urban lifestyle.)

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

It's also a matter of underlying assumptions. I, for example want portability. Not just physical portability, but informational portability. I may be where there is no urban data feeds (an airplane, out on a lake, middle of nowhere, Texas). Therefore I want to have the download now (as available), consume later model. And I may not have access to electrical outlets, so battery life is of paramount importance. That's why a tablet is a dead-end for my reading purposes. Now if the Mirasol display ever comes out, (same power usage as e-ink, but color and fast page turns), I might re-evaluate, but for now, the iPad is a gadget for urban hepsters. Not my lifestyle (though that's not a judgement. There's nothing wrong with the urban lifestyle.)

No assumptions made. I speak only for myself and my preferences. I would expect any consumer to look out for his own interests and to logically not assume that everyone's needs are identical. I'm happy to read the way I like, and cheers for you finding something you like, too.

By the way, even a non-techie like me has figured out how to download and consume later without a connection on iPad.

[soup]

I think that apple are going to prove themselves to be evil and that the iPad is no more innovative than the network activated lamp (easily done, just nobody else could be bothered going to the effort first), besides, the iPad is nothing more than an iPod you can't fit in your pocket.

putting that aside, I think that video in text will be a great thing, if you'll excuse the childish attachments to the usage, look at the "harry potter" series of movies, where the newspapers and scrolls contain a repeating video image to further increase the purpose of the image itself, video is nothing of not simply an enhanced still image.

I think a blending of any arts can only open a greater avenue for creativity.