Mossberg on e-books for the iPhone, iPod Touch

Alexander Turcic · 01-15-2009, 06:19 AM

In yesterday's edition of his weekly column, the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg comments on two new e-book apps, Shortcovers and Iceberg, for the Apple iPhone and iTouch aimed at providing popular titles from major publishers.

Quote:

One, called Shortcovers, is from the large Canadian bookseller Indigo Books & Music. Due to show up in the App Store in the next few weeks, Shortcovers is a portal to sampling, buying and reading books, and will have a companion Web site. It will allow readers to get free samples of blogs, magazines and books -- say, the first chapter -- and then buy either the entire work or other individual chapters or sections, which the company calls "shortcovers."

Quote:

The second, called Iceberg, is from an iPhone application developer called ScrollMotion. Already available, Iceberg offers each book packaged as an individual stand-alone app, with rich navigation features.

Sure, Mossberg has a thing for Apple's gear, and he welcomes these two new apps, but ultimately, Walt says that dedicated e-book readers such as the Kindle provide a more "satisfying" reading experience.

Link: Shortcovers, Iceberg Put Latest e-Books On Your Cellphone (WSJ)

Related: Walt Mossberg reviews the Kindle

David Munch · 01-15-2009, 08:18 AM

Humm.. I could'nt read an entire book on such a small screen I guess... Anyone with experiences?

zelda_pinwheel · 01-15-2009, 08:25 AM

i don't have an iphone but on my LG Viewty (which has a similar size screen, i think) i read books packaged in java apps from booksinmyphone.com (currently reading Moby Dick). i ONLY read them on short trips in the métro / bus, never at home or for long periods of time ; it's my emergency backup reading when i've got nothing else. for those conditions, it's acceptable. it's not comfortable enough to read on for very long. however it's nice to know that i've got a half a dozen or more books available to me anytime i have my telephone with me (so, always, i think). if i had an iphone i would definitely use a reading app on it.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-15-2009, 08:52 AM

I read all my e-books on a 320x240 PDA screen, with no problems. I can read on it all day long (or at least as long as I can read paper before my eyes get tired). It's easy!

I notice Mossberg's article seems to criticize pre-Kindle e-books for PDAs and smartphones as being limited in current titles, as opposed to classics and older titles. I don't see a lack of "current" titles at all, just a noticeable lag before the big bestsellers arrive on e-book formats... pretty much like paperbacks.

Then, in describing these new iPhone services, he specifies that out of an available 200,000 books, only 50,000 are available as e-books (the rest are print), and only 30,000 of those are current titles. But he doesn't criticize this fact. If it wasn't good enough before iPhones... why is it good enough now?

As opposed to coming up with more new apps (and formats) to read e-books, more work should be put into adapting more of the existing formats (Mobi, ahoy) to iPhones. Seeing new additions to the format wars is only disappointing.

dgillette.rm · 01-15-2009, 09:23 AM

I have both a sony reader and an ipod touch. I keep a few favorite reads on my ipod with stanza for times when I have down time and am not carrying my reader. I could read from it all the time if I had to, but I really do prefer the sony for major reads. I am sure battery time will hit in here somewhere too

bwaldron · 01-15-2009, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Munch

Humm.. I could'nt read an entire book on such a small screen I guess... Anyone with experiences?

I had no problem at all reading very many books on PDA screens in the days before larger e-ink devices became available.

My problem with reading on my iPod Touch isn't so much the screen size as the fact that there are no buttons for turning pages -- I don't like having to tap or swipe the screen to do so. My older Sony Clie PDAs with their scroll wheels were ideal for portable one-hand reading.

Elfwreck · 01-15-2009, 05:50 PM

When I noticed I'd read over fifty novels in a year on my Clié, that was how I knew I was comfortable reading ebooks on a tiny screen.

In a lot of ways, I preferred it to the Reader I have now. Only took one hand, even on a crowded bus; fit in my pocket; could read in the dark, which was more important to me than "can read in full sunlight."

When all three of my Cliés died (one dead screen; two with battery problems) I decided to switch to currently-supported tech. I like the longer batter life on the Sony Reader (the Cliés kept dying on me mid-book), and I like the navigation better, but I can't say I actually care about the eInk screen or the page size. It's much better for images, and it's nice to have larger-font headers and smaller-font footnotes, but it's also more bulky, and I keep getting nervous about people reading over my shoulder.

SpiderMatt · 01-15-2009, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

and I keep getting nervous about people reading over my shoulder.

Is that really a big concern? This could happen with any paper book or newspaper. And if a person is looking directly over your shoulder, he could probably see what you're reading no matter what the device is. Doesn't seem like it's anything to be concerned or embarrassed about unless you're reading some shoddy piece of literature like Twilight.

Speaking of which, I did read Twilight on my iPod Touch after my Sony Reader screen broke and before I had my Kindle. I used the eReader app and it wasn't bad. The reading experience, that is. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the actual book. It saddens me that the Meyer's series actually took the top four slots of the best seller list for last year.

Alisa · 01-15-2009, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

In a lot of ways, I preferred it to the Reader I have now. Only took one hand, even on a crowded bus; fit in my pocket; could read in the dark, which was more important to me than "can read in full sunlight."

I'm fond of reading outdoors so it's actually a big deal to me that e-ink is good in sunlight. I often read at night but if I'm up later than DH, a booklight is simple to clip on and I find the light more pleasant than the backlit screen.

Still, my HTC-6800 is way easier to hold one handed. Sadly my battery runs down fast and then I don't have a phone.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 01-16-2009, 09:04 AM

I can read my PDA in full sun... as long as the sun's not directly on the screen. Being in shade, or facing the sun, works just dandy. And as it turns out, I do most of my reading indoors (or in trains, busses, etc), and the PDA screen is perfect for that.

I generally only read an hour or so at a time (too much else to do to read for a longer period than that!), but for those who read longer, maybe it would be worthwhile to invest in one of those plug-in battery extenders that let you use AA or AAA batteries for power. (I have a solar-powered extender for my PDA, which so far has only been used on the beach... but boy, was it used!).

pagansoul · 01-16-2009, 12:34 PM

I read off my iphone all the time. Stanza is great.

hybernation · 01-18-2009, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Munch

Humm.. I could'nt read an entire book on such a small screen I guess... Anyone with experiences?

Yeah, to get a font size I can live with on my iPhone, I'm paging forward about every 3 seconds or something :-)

Once you read on an e-ink screen (I have the Sony PRS-505) it's pretty hard to read for any length of time on the iPhone. Still, I load many of my current reads on both devices in case I'm stuck somewhere without my Sony Reader (always have the iPhone with me you know)

kevinpars · 01-18-2009, 10:34 PM

I recently traveled to London from Atlanta and decided to just go with my Iphone for reading and used Stanza. It helped that Random House released about 8 free books a week before I left, but I also had some Dickens and other classics. It worked out very well, and I was able to read for long stretches with minimal eye strain.

Is it for everybody? No. But with all that I had to keep track of on a trip overseas, I just didn't want to bring my Kindle. My wife, however, brought hers and was glad to have it.

I would not want something that small as my main reading device, but I think in the future I will have at least a book or 2 on it as a backup.

Elfwreck · 01-18-2009, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpiderMatt

Doesn't seem like it's anything to be concerned or embarrassed about unless you're reading some shoddy piece of literature like Twilight.

Or books about witchcraft, the occult, and entheogens, with recipes for various psychotropic herbal mixes that enhance spiritual revelations if used properly.

Or explicit slash fanfic, involving Harry Potter and several of his peers in more-than-compromising positions. And the "secret lives of Wayne & Kent, and my-oh-my let's talk Kryptonian stamina."

Being seen to read trashy pop fiction is the least of my worries. I'd never fret about being seen reading anything that can be bought at Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks. However, with the Reader, I get people glancing over saying, "oh, is that one of those ebook things? I've been wondering about them? Do they work okay?"

I can't very well turn to them and say, "Oh yes, looks just like paper, see..." and show them a page out of "Harry Potter And The Bound Prince."

Enraptured · 01-19-2009, 05:33 AM

I think I'd have trouble reading on such a small screen. Plus, the eInk screen is one of the major reasons I like having a dedicated reader. I think it's good that people are starting to read on their iPhones though - the more ways there are to read ebooks, the more people will read them.

01-16-2009, 12:34 PM	#11
pagansoul Fanatic Posts: 509 Karma: 1098204 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Earth Device: iPhone5, iPad Gen3, Kobo, Kindle Fire, Kobo Vox. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7	I read off my iphone all the time. Stanza is great. Attached Thumbnails

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01-15-2009, 08:18 AM	#2
David Munch Scholar Posts: 1,009 Karma: 3999312 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kobo Libra H2O + iPad Air 4	Humm.. I could'nt read an entire book on such a small screen I guess... Anyone with experiences?

01-15-2009, 08:25 AM	#3
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	i don't have an iphone but on my LG Viewty (which has a similar size screen, i think) i read books packaged in java apps from booksinmyphone.com (currently reading Moby Dick). i ONLY read them on short trips in the métro / bus, never at home or for long periods of time ; it's my emergency backup reading when i've got nothing else. for those conditions, it's acceptable. it's not comfortable enough to read on for very long. however it's nice to know that i've got a half a dozen or more books available to me anytime i have my telephone with me (so, always, i think). if i had an iphone i would definitely use a reading app on it.

01-15-2009, 08:52 AM	#4
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I read all my e-books on a 320x240 PDA screen, with no problems. I can read on it all day long (or at least as long as I can read paper before my eyes get tired). It's easy! I notice Mossberg's article seems to criticize pre-Kindle e-books for PDAs and smartphones as being limited in current titles, as opposed to classics and older titles. I don't see a lack of "current" titles at all, just a noticeable lag before the big bestsellers arrive on e-book formats... pretty much like paperbacks. Then, in describing these new iPhone services, he specifies that out of an available 200,000 books, only 50,000 are available as e-books (the rest are print), and only 30,000 of those are current titles. But he doesn't criticize this fact. If it wasn't good enough before iPhones... why is it good enough now? As opposed to coming up with more new apps (and formats) to read e-books, more work should be put into adapting more of the existing formats (Mobi, ahoy) to iPhones. Seeing new additions to the format wars is only disappointing.

01-15-2009, 09:23 AM	#5
dgillette.rm Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 10072 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: sony	I have both a sony reader and an ipod touch. I keep a few favorite reads on my ipod with stanza for times when I have down time and am not carrying my reader. I could read from it all the time if I had to, but I really do prefer the sony for major reads. I am sure battery time will hit in here somewhere too

01-15-2009, 05:50 PM	#7
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,187 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	When I noticed I'd read over fifty novels in a year on my Clié, that was how I knew I was comfortable reading ebooks on a tiny screen. In a lot of ways, I preferred it to the Reader I have now. Only took one hand, even on a crowded bus; fit in my pocket; could read in the dark, which was more important to me than "can read in full sunlight." When all three of my Cliés died (one dead screen; two with battery problems) I decided to switch to currently-supported tech. I like the longer batter life on the Sony Reader (the Cliés kept dying on me mid-book), and I like the navigation better, but I can't say I actually care about the eInk screen or the page size. It's much better for images, and it's nice to have larger-font headers and smaller-font footnotes, but it's also more bulky, and I keep getting nervous about people reading over my shoulder.

01-16-2009, 09:04 AM	#10
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I can read my PDA in full sun... as long as the sun's not directly on the screen. Being in shade, or facing the sun, works just dandy. And as it turns out, I do most of my reading indoors (or in trains, busses, etc), and the PDA screen is perfect for that. I generally only read an hour or so at a time (too much else to do to read for a longer period than that!), but for those who read longer, maybe it would be worthwhile to invest in one of those plug-in battery extenders that let you use AA or AAA batteries for power. (I have a solar-powered extender for my PDA, which so far has only been used on the beach... but boy, was it used!).

01-18-2009, 10:34 PM	#13
kevinpars Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 509166 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Kindle	I recently traveled to London from Atlanta and decided to just go with my Iphone for reading and used Stanza. It helped that Random House released about 8 free books a week before I left, but I also had some Dickens and other classics. It worked out very well, and I was able to read for long stretches with minimal eye strain. Is it for everybody? No. But with all that I had to keep track of on a trip overseas, I just didn't want to bring my Kindle. My wife, however, brought hers and was glad to have it. I would not want something that small as my main reading device, but I think in the future I will have at least a book or 2 on it as a backup.

01-19-2009, 05:33 AM	#15
Enraptured Connoisseur Posts: 55 Karma: 262 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Nook Touch	I think I'd have trouble reading on such a small screen. Plus, the eInk screen is one of the major reasons I like having a dedicated reader. I think it's good that people are starting to read on their iPhones though - the more ways there are to read ebooks, the more people will read them.

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