What to call 'enhanced ebooks'

tomsem · 08-05-2010, 03:23 PM

It seems journalists are having some trouble in coming up with a concise term for 'enhanced ebooks', e.g.:

E-Books Fly Beyond Mere Text
The Two Minds of Amazon on eBooks

Let's help them out.

I propose the following acronyms/terms:
MEB - 'multimedia electronic book'
or perhaps
MEEB - 'media enhanced electronic book'

'meBook' seems to be taken already and is maybe too cute.

'electronic' is preferred to 'digital' because a vowel is required to make a pronounceable acronym that could morph into a real, uncapitalized new word that eventually you could use in Scrabble play (my hidden agenda

).

In any case I would make a distinction between enhanced ebooks that leverage existing ebook formats like ePub or mobi, and those that leverage multimedia platforms like Flash, or HTML5 (not to mention specific OS platforms).

But surely there are other possibilities? Let's hear your ideas!

Donnageddon · 08-05-2010, 04:04 PM

Digitally Advanced Multimedia Navigable Interactive Technology Book.

Or DAMNIT-Book

calvin-c · 08-05-2010, 04:06 PM

Call them all eBooks. With time (and time usually flies in the technology world) the enhanced books will become the standard so we might as well not worry about distinguishing them with a separate name-the distinction is just a passing fad, IMO.

delphidb96 · 08-05-2010, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsem

It seems journalists are having some trouble in coming up with a concise term for 'enhanced ebooks', e.g.:

E-Books Fly Beyond Mere Text
The Two Minds of Amazon on eBooks

Let's help them out.

I propose the following acronyms/terms:
MEB - 'multimedia electronic book'
or perhaps
MEEB - 'media enhanced electronic book'

'meBook' seems to be taken already and is maybe too cute.

'electronic' is preferred to 'digital' because a vowel is required to make a pronounceable acronym that could morph into a real, uncapitalized new word that eventually you could use in Scrabble play (my hidden agenda

).

In any case I would make a distinction between enhanced ebooks that leverage existing ebook formats like ePub or mobi, and those that leverage multimedia platforms like Flash, or HTML5 (not to mention specific OS platforms).

But surely there are other possibilities? Let's hear your ideas!

Garbaaaaage!

Derek

AlbertaCowboy · 08-05-2010, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calvin-c

Call them all eBooks. With time (and time usually flies in the technology world) the enhanced books will become the standard so we might as well not worry about distinguishing them with a separate name-the distinction is just a passing fad, IMO.

Become the standard? Good God I hope not! Video embedded within the text would be an absolute no fly zone with me! I read to get away from the damn TV!

Donnageddon · 08-05-2010, 04:57 PM

The book "Elements" as presented on the iPad is an excellent example of how an enhanced ebook can be advantageous. No real video, but it allows for 3-D presentations and interaction with Wolfram|Alpha—Computational Knowledge Engine.

For most fiction books, I do not see any need for enhancement, but for non-fiction, it seems a great fit.

foreverjuly · 08-05-2010, 05:04 PM

Genetically altered books? How about free-range books? Then there are organic books, low-pulp books, and soy books. The only similarity is that they're all so delicious.

Ben Thornton · 08-05-2010, 05:43 PM

They become apps? Where is the boundary between a book enhanced with additional functionality, and an app that tells a story (and a game)?

I'd suggest we would call them e-books, apps or games depending on how people interact with them.

Maggie Leung · 08-05-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

The book "Elements" as presented on the iPad is an excellent example of how an enhanced ebook can be advantageous. No real video, but it allows for 3-D presentations and interaction with Wolfram|Alpha—Computational Knowledge Engine.

For most fiction books, I do not see any need for enhancement, but for non-fiction, it seems a great fit.

Would you please provide more info about "Elements"? I searched on Amazon, iBooks and iPad apps for it, but found many variations. I love messing with WolframAlpha and would like to try such a book.

calvin-c · 08-05-2010, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertaCowboy

Become the standard? Good God I hope not! Video embedded within the text would be an absolute no fly zone with me! I read to get away from the damn TV!

I didn't say I was looking forward to it, just that I expect it to happen. So, hopefully, today I'm a pessimist!

Donnageddon · 08-05-2010, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

Would you please provide more info about "Elements"? I searched on Amazon, iBooks and iPad apps for it, but found many variations. I love messing with WolframAlpha and would like to try such a book.

Actually it is called "The Elements" a "dazzling, living book" by Theodore Gray.

Here's a review on Boing Boing

delphidb96 · 08-05-2010, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

Actually it is called "The Elements" a "dazzling, living book" by Theodore Gray.

Here's a review on Boing Boing

Really? So I can take a .45 to the store and plug a hole into the 'living book' and it will die??? Does that mean I can be charged with murder?

Derek

Donnageddon · 08-05-2010, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Really? So I can take a .45 to the store and plug a hole into the 'living book' and it will die??? Does that mean I can be charged with murder?

Derek

I assume you would have to aim directly at the zeros and ones that comprise the ebook.

Maggie Leung · 08-05-2010, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

Actually it is called "The Elements" a "dazzling, living book" by Theodore Gray.

Here's a review on Boing Boing

Thanks.

Ravensknight · 08-05-2010, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Garbaaaaage!

Derek

my thoughts exactly...

08-05-2010, 03:23 PM	#1
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,478 Karma: 26425959 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	What to call 'enhanced ebooks' It seems journalists are having some trouble in coming up with a concise term for 'enhanced ebooks', e.g.: E-Books Fly Beyond Mere Text The Two Minds of Amazon on eBooks Let's help them out. I propose the following acronyms/terms: MEB - 'multimedia electronic book' or perhaps MEEB - 'media enhanced electronic book' 'meBook' seems to be taken already and is maybe too cute. 'electronic' is preferred to 'digital' because a vowel is required to make a pronounceable acronym that could morph into a real, uncapitalized new word that eventually you could use in Scrabble play (my hidden agenda ). In any case I would make a distinction between enhanced ebooks that leverage existing ebook formats like ePub or mobi, and those that leverage multimedia platforms like Flash, or HTML5 (not to mention specific OS platforms). But surely there are other possibilities? Let's hear your ideas! Last edited by tomsem; 08-05-2010 at 03:30 PM.

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08-05-2010, 04:04 PM	#2
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	Digitally Advanced Multimedia Navigable Interactive Technology Book. Or DAMNIT-Book

08-05-2010, 04:06 PM	#3
calvin-c Guru Posts: 787 Karma: 1575310 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Moon+ Pro	Call them all eBooks. With time (and time usually flies in the technology world) the enhanced books will become the standard so we might as well not worry about distinguishing them with a separate name-the distinction is just a passing fad, IMO.

08-05-2010, 04:57 PM	#6
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	The book "Elements" as presented on the iPad is an excellent example of how an enhanced ebook can be advantageous. No real video, but it allows for 3-D presentations and interaction with Wolfram\|Alpha—Computational Knowledge Engine. For most fiction books, I do not see any need for enhancement, but for non-fiction, it seems a great fit.

08-05-2010, 05:04 PM	#7
foreverjuly Crank Up The Awesome! Posts: 315 Karma: 708054 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Japan Device: Kindle, Nook, iPhone	Genetically altered books? How about free-range books? Then there are organic books, low-pulp books, and soy books. The only similarity is that they're all so delicious.

08-05-2010, 05:43 PM	#8
Ben Thornton Guru Posts: 900 Karma: 779635 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3, iPad 2 (but not for e-books)	They become apps? Where is the boundary between a book enhanced with additional functionality, and an app that tells a story (and a game)? I'd suggest we would call them e-books, apps or games depending on how people interact with them.

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