E-Books and the Future of Reading
Information Appliances
E-Books and the
Future of Reading
M
any of us who work in both the research and the design communities try to assess future directions for technology as part of our day-to-day occupation (or perhaps preoccupation).
With the new millennium here it seems particularly appropriate to take a moment to consider where we’ve been and to speculate on what lies ahead. One key area of potential innovation is information appliances. My own interest, previously at Xerox PARC and most
E-books serve the needs of recently at SoftBook Press, has focused on trying to understand the people reading text future of reading and what role ebooks might play in that arena. I am information in digital involved in this as both a research scientist and as a product designer. formats. This article looks at
You might well ask what is behind recent e-book media releases and technology trends, current what indicators suggest this as a promising area. A number of trends design issues, and future in information dissemination, ecommerce, secure electronic distriprospects for e-books. bution, and technology suggest that publishers, corporations, governments, and readers alike strongly support this movement. People of all ages commonly browse the Web for information and products. However, the costs of delivery and of warehousing physical products are significant. The associated— annoying—delays don’t fit a world now operating on
“Internet time.”
Documents, books, magazines, and newspapers almost all start their lives as electronic material subsequently printed and distributed. Publishers, booksellers, and retailers (or e-tailers) are strongly motivated to look for ways to expedite their sales and delivery using Webcommerce-based systems while still honoring readers’ expectations of a comfortable and convenient reading experience. Such a reading experience isn’t likely to take place sitting in front of a computer, typing at a keyboard.
E-Books and the
Future of Reading
M
any of us who work in both the research and the design communities try to assess future directions for technology as part of our day-to-day occupation (or perhaps preoccupation).
With the new millennium here it seems particularly appropriate to take a moment to consider where we’ve been and to speculate on what lies ahead. One key area of potential innovation is information appliances. My own interest, previously at Xerox PARC and most
E-books serve the needs of recently at SoftBook Press, has focused on trying to understand the people reading text future of reading and what role ebooks might play in that arena. I am information in digital involved in this as both a research scientist and as a product designer. formats. This article looks at
You might well ask what is behind recent e-book media releases and technology trends, current what indicators suggest this as a promising area. A number of trends design issues, and future in information dissemination, ecommerce, secure electronic distriprospects for e-books. bution, and technology suggest that publishers, corporations, governments, and readers alike strongly support this movement. People of all ages commonly browse the Web for information and products. However, the costs of delivery and of warehousing physical products are significant. The associated— annoying—delays don’t fit a world now operating on
“Internet time.”
Documents, books, magazines, and newspapers almost all start their lives as electronic material subsequently printed and distributed. Publishers, booksellers, and retailers (or e-tailers) are strongly motivated to look for ways to expedite their sales and delivery using Webcommerce-based systems while still honoring readers’ expectations of a comfortable and convenient reading experience. Such a reading experience isn’t likely to take place sitting in front of a computer, typing at a keyboard.
References: 1894, also in Scribner’s Magazine, Vol. 16, 1894, pp. 221231 (in English). 4. M.A. Tinker, The Legibility of Print, Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, 1963. No. 10, 1992, pp. 1297-1326. Computer Human Interaction (CHI) 98, ACM Press, New York, 1998, pp the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 42nd Ann. Meeting, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Santa Monica, Calif., Oct. 1998, pp. 527-531.