Papyrus e-Book device

pilotbob · 04-18-2008, 05:32 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/18/p...m-at-students/

http://www.thegreenergrass.org/2008/04/papyrus.html

Seems like plans for new eBook/eInk devices are comming out left and right these days.

(Which is good.)

BOb

Gideon · 04-18-2008, 05:54 PM

Seems a little pie in the sky to me.

I'll believe it when I see it.

pilotbob · 04-18-2008, 05:54 PM

I just wanted to coment a bit on this.

First, it says the device will be inexpensive "for the student" about $100 because of the subscription model. Who is paying the subscription? I assume it would be the schools since they are already paying for text books. I also assume the are talking about primary and secondary public schools.

What about for college students. Who would pay for that subscription? If the college then they would only add this as a student fee anyway. Although, it if is cheaper than buying college textbooks I am all for it. then again, if you want to keep your text books... well who keeps there college textbooks except for maybe Drs. and Lawyers?

Others have put up the concept of a subscription based eBook service for fiction books too. Similar to a cell phone you could pay $49 bucks and get a Sony or Cybook or $100 for an iLiad in addition to maybe $19/mo all you can eat subscription to books. Would people pay that? Seems like it might work. How much are people paying for books a month now?

BOb

Shenzhov · 04-18-2008, 06:03 PM

I place this right up there with the $399.00 Mac clone that's been all in the news this week, and next to the Ford-Cheyvolt-Toyoprius Hybrid just about to come out, if you can wait for just one more month, that gets 3000 miles on a single jar of Tang.

axel77 · 04-18-2008, 06:41 PM

Do I get this right, they argue this device is right, because students are afraight to directly talk to the teacher, so they offer him a device to send him messages within a class room?

Hmm, when I don't understand something wrong, this you get when you let people with schizoid personality design/market a device

Might instead work on the cause why people are afraight (grammar school?) instead of the symptom.

Also the "screenshots" I see are in color. WTF? Are they completely off, or are they really wanting to do a *color* eInk for 100$?

soilwork · 04-18-2008, 06:53 PM

It seems to be based more on hopes rather than actual cost or limitation of e-ink technology. Thus, it may be a long time (if ever) before we can land our hands on an actual product. Since it is another 'concept' ebook device, I think it is alright to be removed from reality in some way. Who knows, it may come into existence earlier than we think when the right technology comes along.

m-reader · 04-18-2008, 07:28 PM

This device only exists as a product proposal developed by the Kaleidoscope product development consultancy (sponsors of The Green Grass website).
I don't exactly know where they got the $100 a unit and the pretty images show on their website ... However, if they can get somebody to buy the concept from them and actually produce and market the device, then I can't see how it could be a bad thing for schools ...
There are many initiatives out there to get schools on the "information super-highway", "e-age" (insert your own favourite cliché here). For example here in Australia the new Labor government has a pre-election promise to put computers to every classroom. Now if I was a company planning to produce these kinds of devices, I'd certainly be in Canberra doing a bit of lobbying and dropping a few proposals off.
There's money to be made there people...

vivaldirules · 04-19-2008, 10:05 AM

It's a concept car. It would seem to me to be a great idea to stimulate people to think about directions for future designs. Without them, people would just plod along. Just how many more incremental "improvements" to Windows do people really want from Microsoft, for example? (Those guys need to get out more.) Without concept ebook reader designs, we could be in the same boat in the future. But it's ridiculous to tout a concept, based on technologies that do not presently exist, as a product and then cite an expected price.

Shenzhov · 04-19-2008, 10:21 AM

"It would seem to me to be a great idea to stimulate people to think about directions for future designs."

I think we already have this concept in place, it's called Science Fiction. I hate companies that try to toot their own horn by pulling out stuff like this. Microsoft and IBM are two of the worst at this. Companies come out with a press release about a great new device, or thingy and tell us just how great our lives are going to be because of it. Then at the end of the announcement they let us know that if they are lucky, stay on course, have no unforeseen setbacks, and the planets align just right, we can expect to see some test ready units available sometime around 2025.

I try and run the other direction from those types of companies, making a mental note to try and never buy anything from them. One thing I admire about Apple Computer, love or hate them, is the fact they usually just keep quiet about what they are doing and only announce something when it's very close to release. The secrecy drives the press nuts as well as the fan base.

DaleDe · 04-20-2008, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I just wanted to coment a bit on this.

Others have put up the concept of a subscription based eBook service for fiction books too. Similar to a cell phone you could pay $49 bucks and get a Sony or Cybook or $100 for an iLiad in addition to maybe $19/mo all you can eat subscription to books. Would people pay that? Seems like it might work. How much are people paying for books a month now?

BOb

the eBookwise-1150 is already available for free with a one year subscription for $19 a month or so. You get two books a month for that price.

Dale

Alisa · 04-20-2008, 01:18 PM

Do they offer any other plans? I don't think two books a month would be that attractive to people who read enough to want to buy a reading device. I might do something Netflix-like. Unlimited books, no time limit, but they're borrowed rather than owned. You could vary the price based on how many books people wanted out at a time.

DaleDe · 04-20-2008, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alisa

Do they offer any other plans? I don't think two books a month would be that attractive to people who read enough to want to buy a reading device. I might do something Netflix-like. Unlimited books, no time limit, but they're borrowed rather than owned. You could vary the price based on how many books people wanted out at a time.

I am not sure what the plan is after the first year that includes the free Reader. You can check their site. http://www.filamentbooks.com/scripts...exe/eBookstore

Dale

04-18-2008, 05:32 PM	#1
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Papyrus e-Book device http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/18/p...m-at-students/ http://www.thegreenergrass.org/2008/04/papyrus.html Seems like plans for new eBook/eInk devices are comming out left and right these days. (Which is good.) BOb Last edited by pilotbob; 04-18-2008 at 05:39 PM.

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04-18-2008, 05:54 PM	#2
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	Seems a little pie in the sky to me. I'll believe it when I see it.

04-18-2008, 06:03 PM	#4
Shenzhov Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle 2	I place this right up there with the $399.00 Mac clone that's been all in the news this week, and next to the Ford-Cheyvolt-Toyoprius Hybrid just about to come out, if you can wait for just one more month, that gets 3000 miles on a single jar of Tang.

04-18-2008, 06:41 PM	#5
axel77 Fanatic Posts: 584 Karma: 914 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: iliad	Do I get this right, they argue this device is right, because students are afraight to directly talk to the teacher, so they offer him a device to send him messages within a class room? Hmm, when I don't understand something wrong, this you get when you let people with schizoid personality design/market a device Might instead work on the cause why people are afraight (grammar school?) instead of the symptom. Also the "screenshots" I see are in color. WTF? Are they completely off, or are they really wanting to do a color eInk for 100$?

04-18-2008, 06:53 PM	#6
soilwork useR! Posts: 299 Karma: 651 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NY Device: Onyx Boox Max 2, Kobo Libra H2O, iRiver Story HD	It seems to be based more on hopes rather than actual cost or limitation of e-ink technology. Thus, it may be a long time (if ever) before we can land our hands on an actual product. Since it is another 'concept' ebook device, I think it is alright to be removed from reality in some way. Who knows, it may come into existence earlier than we think when the right technology comes along.

04-18-2008, 07:28 PM	#7
m-reader Guru Posts: 785 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-300. PRS-650, PRS-900, iPad2, Iconia A500, Irex Iliad (sold)	This device only exists as a product proposal developed by the Kaleidoscope product development consultancy (sponsors of The Green Grass website). I don't exactly know where they got the $100 a unit and the pretty images show on their website ... However, if they can get somebody to buy the concept from them and actually produce and market the device, then I can't see how it could be a bad thing for schools ... There are many initiatives out there to get schools on the "information super-highway", "e-age" (insert your own favourite cliché here). For example here in Australia the new Labor government has a pre-election promise to put computers to every classroom. Now if I was a company planning to produce these kinds of devices, I'd certainly be in Canberra doing a bit of lobbying and dropping a few proposals off. There's money to be made there people...

04-19-2008, 10:05 AM	#8
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	It's a concept car. It would seem to me to be a great idea to stimulate people to think about directions for future designs. Without them, people would just plod along. Just how many more incremental "improvements" to Windows do people really want from Microsoft, for example? (Those guys need to get out more.) Without concept ebook reader designs, we could be in the same boat in the future. But it's ridiculous to tout a concept, based on technologies that do not presently exist, as a product and then cite an expected price.

04-19-2008, 10:21 AM	#9
Shenzhov Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle 2	"It would seem to me to be a great idea to stimulate people to think about directions for future designs." I think we already have this concept in place, it's called Science Fiction. I hate companies that try to toot their own horn by pulling out stuff like this. Microsoft and IBM are two of the worst at this. Companies come out with a press release about a great new device, or thingy and tell us just how great our lives are going to be because of it. Then at the end of the announcement they let us know that if they are lucky, stay on course, have no unforeseen setbacks, and the planets align just right, we can expect to see some test ready units available sometime around 2025. I try and run the other direction from those types of companies, making a mental note to try and never buy anything from them. One thing I admire about Apple Computer, love or hate them, is the fact they usually just keep quiet about what they are doing and only announce something when it's very close to release. The secrecy drives the press nuts as well as the fan base.

04-20-2008, 01:18 PM	#11
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	Do they offer any other plans? I don't think two books a month would be that attractive to people who read enough to want to buy a reading device. I might do something Netflix-like. Unlimited books, no time limit, but they're borrowed rather than owned. You could vary the price based on how many books people wanted out at a time.

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