Mobile Reader research paper

[serendipitynz]

Hi all, if you've read my new member intro you'll already know that I'm about to embark on a large research project. I'm an on campus/online lecturer at a New Zealand institute of technology, and in the interests of my students finances, plus sustainability, I am researching the possibilities of providing text books, lecture notes and other reading material in ebook format.

While many online courses provide lots of information via Learning Management systems like Moodle, Web CT, Compass or Blackboard, many students find it difficult to commit to the required hours in front of a computer screen, and more mature students have difficulty absorbing information from computer screen reading.

Many of my students prefer to buy text books and print out lecture notes to read at times when they don't have computer and/or Internet access, eg while waiting to pick up kids from school/sport practise etc, or if they are working, in lunch hour or break times.

In the interests of sustainability (ie saving the rain forests) and financial strains (ie having to buy $100 text books for each course they enrol in) I am embarking on a research project to assess how much money and paper we could save by supplying resources in ebook format, which can then be read anywhere, anytime.

So important points are:

• Price
• Available Formats
• Color vs Monochrome (important for some course material)
• Weight/portability
• Availability of textbooks in required format

So sorry for this long rambling post but I will be immensely grateful for any advice/opinions on where to start in this research and what devices I should test with my students.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by serendipitynz

In the interests of sustainability (ie saving the rain forests) and financial strains (ie having to buy $100 text books for each course they enrol in) I am embarking on a research project to assess how much money and paper we could save by supplying resources in ebook format, which can then be read anywhere, anytime.

So important points are:

• Price
• Available Formats
• Color vs Monochrome (important for some course material)
• Weight/portability
• Availability of textbooks in required format

So sorry for this long rambling post but I will be immensely grateful for any advice/opinions on where to start in this research and what devices I should test with my students.

First stop, the mobileread wiki, particularly
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_devices
and
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix

Currently, there's no good ebook reader with a colour screen. It doesn't seem likely that there'll be one in the next year or so future.

Most of the current eInk devices have a 150mm diagonal screen (90mmx120mm). This means the page size is a bit smaller than a mass-market paperback and considerably smaller than a typical textbook. They are best suited to reading text - diagrams are possible, but the small page size means they usually have to be adapted to fit.

[serendipitynz]

Does anyone know anything about the Fujitsu e book reader that was meant to be available late 2008, color screen and reasonable pricing was promised? Old link I know but have a look at this:
http://www.teleread.org/2008/07/15/f...ell-in-august/

[37lIUx7Yx4Y]

better choice
netbook : 300 USD
podcast lectures
non-DRM'ed HTML textbooks
JPEGs
STUDY & LEARNING AREAS NEED MAINS POWER FOR EACH USER

Monochrome LCD :
great readability in sunlight + roomlight but not dimlight
too bad OLPC has small keyboard

Availability of textbooks in required format :
ask previous students of similar local courses what e-books they use

$100 text books for each course :
unless content is creative commons , publishers will still demand the $100

paper books have great bandwidth

e-books have great search

Fujitsu color e-book uses e-paper: Still far short of perfection

google : Fujitsu FLEP

what are the learning scenarios ? ("use-cases")
reading expository text : palm IIIxe with plucker would suffice
interactive diagrams : firefox browser
lectures with diagrams : ipod .M4Bs

cheapest in analog paper : color pictures




FLEPia verification test at Cafe "Termina Kinshicho Fujiya Restaurant"

FUJIYA restaurant : Fujitsu FLEPia demonstration with iRex iLiad and DR1000S

[serendipitynz]

Hi all, thanks for your input, the Fujitsu looks good but I've been reading about it for at least 2 years now and it is still not released.
I've been told by the textbook publishers that the ebook version is quite a bit cheaper but still haven;t got a price :-(
I'm looking at the plastic logic reader which is promised for sometime this year, it is monochrome but in all other respects looks great and it can read heaps of different formats.
Thanks again

[jakes61]

Hi Serendipitynce and all other members,
Very interesting forum I found here. I'm from South Africa and is part of a company that publish books on the Java platform. All our books can be read on all cell / mobile phones and we have some of the largest publishers here on our client list. You can PM me if you are interest. To use the words of our CEO Pieter Traut in a recent newsletter:
"Invitation:
We are interested in starting community support initiatives where we can assist charities and NGOs to communicate with their benefactors and the communities they serve. Should you feel we could assist, please contact us with a brief description of your organisation and the proposed project."

Moderators please dont see this as advertising, but I think it is more help.
Jacques