eink: have ebooks finally arrived?

Michael Sauers

Technology Innovation Librarian

Nebraska Library Commission

Eastern Library System12 February 2008

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Michael Sauers

Technology Innovation Librarian

Nebraska Library Commission

Eastern Library System12 February 2008

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5http://www.flickr.com/photos/zilpho/164291155/

Sony CEO Howard Stringer introduces the Reader at CES

2006

eBooks are heavyeBooks can’t store much

No room for expansioneBook battery life sucks

Backlit displaysThey don’t support multiple formatsYou can’t read them at an angle

eBooks aren’t booksBooks as physical objects are works of art and

should be cherished!

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Long battery lifeLight-weightExpandable storageSupports multiple text formatsText zoomingRead from almost any angle

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6.9" x 4.9" x 0.5"8.8oz

In comparison: Rocket eBook Pro5" x 7.5" x 1.5"22oz

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DisplayeInk / non-backlit800x600 resolution Rotatable4-level grayscaleThree text sizes

64MB built in storageSD/Memory Stick card slotUSB data transferApproximately 7,500 page turns per charge

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Content is not drawn, but “charged”

170 Pixels Per Inch (PPI)Newspaper qualityDoes not need power to hold a display, only

to change it. 11

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USB Type-B miniDC in 5.2v8mm headphone jackSD/Memory Stick slot

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On/off sliding switchPage forward/back

(two sets)Size (3 available

settings)10 numbered keys (1-

0)BookmarkMenuSmall joystick/enterVolume control

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Continue ReadingBooksBy AuthorBy DateCollectionsAll BookmarksNow PlayingAudioPicturesSettings

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Default list is alphabetical by title

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Continue ReadingBeginEndBookmarksTable of ContentsHistoryInfoUtilities

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OrientationScreen LockSlideshowAboutRestore Defaults

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RSS limited to built-in feeds & do not auto-update

Native-format titles must be purchased via Sony ® eConnect (no third-party vendors)

Not all PDFs display well (need to be reformatted for smaller display)

Audio playback severely impacts battery lifeNon-color displayPriceyNo indexesCan’t read during takeoff and landingUsing in the tub is a bad idea 45

Speed up page turnsReduce instances of ghostingWhiter backgroundAllow for sale of eBook by other vendorsFull-text searchingImproved battery life when using storage

cards

(The first two can be solved immediately but only by reducing battery life.)

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Rearranged controls8-level grayscaleAdded ProDuo card slot

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Same eInk technology as the Sony Reader$39910.3ozBooks generally cheaper than those through

Sony. ($9.99)

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I’m paying 40-80% of list price of a book but not getting a physical object.In other words, I’m paying for the “right to read” a

title.If I just wanted to read a title yet not own the book,

I’d get it from the library for free?If the Kindle dies so go my books. With the Sony

Reader you can still read them on your computer.The Kindle is not “library friendly”.EVDO network hardly complete. A serious

problem if you don’t live in Lincoln or Omaha. (Or on I-80.)

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63http://www.flickr.com/photos/jblyberg/2073940586/

Michael Sauersmsauers@nlc.state.ne.us

http://travelinlibrarian.info/

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