Steve Jobs had an ability to tap into what his customers wanted when it came to producing computer products. Some would actually say that he was a genius at not only tapping into this "Knowledge" but also being able to tell his customer what they "needed" even before the customer could dream it up themselves. That is a gift that very few people possess, yet it is a trait that leads to survival in a competivtive field. Looking at the latest Apple "got to have" products, the iPad, there are many what ifs that come to mind when thinking about future applications of this little but mighty tool.
Going back a decade or so, there was chatter that the printed book would be on the way out the door. It would come as no surprise that Bill Gates and Steve Jobs both envisioned a world where computers would do everything, including replacing books. In this case, Jobs was more of a visionary than Gates. Industry leaders cointed the term "ebook" but it doesn't seem to fit the description of the product since it is not truly a book. It should be named for what it is: digital text. Which makes Jobs seem even more of genius for recoginzing that his product was not a book but a digital pad. Anyone who is familiar with the device knows that it not only downloads digital text of boos, it's also a tool for email, composing text, and surfing the web. Allaccessible by the touch of a fingertip. Using the iPad is also a Apps paradise. Everything one could ever want is available via an App. How wonderfully simple. So now what?
The iPad as a reader has several advantages that the traditional book does not. Easier to read with brighter text, vivid picture color, no "pages" torn out and the list can go on. Keeping this in mind, the question begs to be asked: what next? If reading the classic Pride and Prejudice, will music begin to play when Mr. Darcy first asks Elizabeth to dance? Will youngsters be able to smell strawberries during Story time when The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear is read to them ? For book discussion groups, will the iPad be able to facilitate a virtual book discussion where text is highlighted and comments from other readers about the book be heard, shared and responded to in a mere moments, as if everyone were on a telephone conference? Will books written in Italian, for example, be translated to English via an App that translates almost in an instant? If any of these ideas are in the works, it wouldn't be surprising. Apple, and Steve Jobs specifically, have been known to tweak technology to add a little more oomph and wow to everyday routines. It stands to reason that reading will also be "tweaked" in ways yet to be imagined.
All the possibilities that technology offers are wonderful and exciting. As a curious society driven on innovations, it would be silly not to think about what can happen next. However, it is a bit of a scary proposition that technology may take away a person's ability to enhance their imagination. The power of the written word may be at stake here and what will be left is the power of imagery, with vivid color and 3D capability which takes one to another reality. With technology trying to do one more next "best" thing, it would seem that Deep Space Nine's Holodeck might not be a thing of fiction. Perhaps, reading experiences could be replaced with this type of technology. Frankly, it will be much better if Holodeck remain fiction. If books will eventually become digital text, let's hope that this is not beginning of the end of the power and beauty of the written word.
Showing posts with label iPad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iPad. Show all posts
Monday, November 7, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
National Children's Book Week -- Going Digital!
In the article "Reaching the E-Teen" in Publisher's Weekly (February 21, 2011) Karen Springen explores how teens are adapting to e-readers. It may be surprising to learn that 80% of teens still prefer print copies of their favorite titles. In the age of texting, tagging and tweeting, one would think that e-readers would be the next big "thing" with teens. It's not. At least not for the moment. What is keeping teens from making that technological jump into the digital pool? The big five letter word that everyone wants more of but in a sagging economy, very few have a lot of it. MONEY.
With that said, will e-readers ever take off with teens or transitional generation? More than likely yes. More and more YA titles will become available in digital forms, not only that, as with all technology, there will be a time when the price of e-readers will go down and it will become more affordable. In a previous post, the suggestion that e-readers will be likely die off was met with strong comments to the effects that the post was not dealing with reality. The reality is this: as stated previously, if the e-reader is only going to allow for digital downloads from sites like, Overdrive and Amazon, then it will be the end of the e-reader. If however e-reader users will be able to use it socially or use the device for other uses like the iPad allows than there is a chance for survival. The Kobo e-reader's Reading Life allows users to post updates on what they are reading and share excerpts from the book with fellow Kobo users. Are we not that far long from conducting book discussions via e-readers? Not really. The technology is in place, now it has to bee tweaked.
Picture books have made their way to the iPad with much success. These books suffer the same fate as the Young Adult titles. While most parents believe it is a good idea to purchase new technology which will prepare their child for the school years to come, the thought of spending $499 dollars for one device makes it a luxury not a need for most households. Working with the iPad's digital picture book is a treat because the colors are indeed vibrant. However, the print version of the books are just as vibrant as the digital. Sharing the e-reader is difficult, but not impossible. Most librarians have found that the e-readers are easier to hold up when reading stories to a group. However, for one on one reading, it is not as easy as sharing a print copy. (On a side note, for disabled children, this device may be perfect for them in that it is easy to turn the page, and the bright colors attract their attention. This is a discussion for another day.) Perhaps, this is one of the many reasons why publishers will be offering all types of formats for the growing readers to choose from in the years to come.
In the future, National Children's book week will still be around to celebrate great children's literature and authors. However, it just may be that the book of tomorrow will be digital with the "feel" of a traditional book. That should take the guilt away from teens who feel its "sacrilegious" to read off of a e-reader, (see PW article mentioned above). Which ever way children read books in the future, the main objective will remain "every child a reader" This is why we celebrate this week. Reading is too important of a skill to take for granted. As for this librarian, this week's celebration will include sharing a new favorite with little ones. Carroll's The Boy and the Moon is a delightful read and at the moment not available in digitally. That's okay, I'm sure the children won't mind a bit!
With that said, will e-readers ever take off with teens or transitional generation? More than likely yes. More and more YA titles will become available in digital forms, not only that, as with all technology, there will be a time when the price of e-readers will go down and it will become more affordable. In a previous post, the suggestion that e-readers will be likely die off was met with strong comments to the effects that the post was not dealing with reality. The reality is this: as stated previously, if the e-reader is only going to allow for digital downloads from sites like, Overdrive and Amazon, then it will be the end of the e-reader. If however e-reader users will be able to use it socially or use the device for other uses like the iPad allows than there is a chance for survival. The Kobo e-reader's Reading Life allows users to post updates on what they are reading and share excerpts from the book with fellow Kobo users. Are we not that far long from conducting book discussions via e-readers? Not really. The technology is in place, now it has to bee tweaked.
Picture books have made their way to the iPad with much success. These books suffer the same fate as the Young Adult titles. While most parents believe it is a good idea to purchase new technology which will prepare their child for the school years to come, the thought of spending $499 dollars for one device makes it a luxury not a need for most households. Working with the iPad's digital picture book is a treat because the colors are indeed vibrant. However, the print version of the books are just as vibrant as the digital. Sharing the e-reader is difficult, but not impossible. Most librarians have found that the e-readers are easier to hold up when reading stories to a group. However, for one on one reading, it is not as easy as sharing a print copy. (On a side note, for disabled children, this device may be perfect for them in that it is easy to turn the page, and the bright colors attract their attention. This is a discussion for another day.) Perhaps, this is one of the many reasons why publishers will be offering all types of formats for the growing readers to choose from in the years to come.
In the future, National Children's book week will still be around to celebrate great children's literature and authors. However, it just may be that the book of tomorrow will be digital with the "feel" of a traditional book. That should take the guilt away from teens who feel its "sacrilegious" to read off of a e-reader, (see PW article mentioned above). Which ever way children read books in the future, the main objective will remain "every child a reader" This is why we celebrate this week. Reading is too important of a skill to take for granted. As for this librarian, this week's celebration will include sharing a new favorite with little ones. Carroll's The Boy and the Moon is a delightful read and at the moment not available in digitally. That's okay, I'm sure the children won't mind a bit!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Cell Phones Are Not the Libraries' Enemy!
Sh! No cell phones in the library! That's what we say now, but for how much longer? In these digital and quick response times we live in, cell phones do a lot more than make the traditional phone call. The capabilities are endless, from texting to surfing the web to responding to emails. How cool is that to do from the palm of one's hand? Could we have envisioned this future on our own? If library patrons are on the move with their devices then libraries will have to find a way to keep pace.
This is he era of communication and technology. Nothing stays the same it seems for even a month, let alone a year. New versions of Blackberry and iPhones seem to come out just when everyone has just gotten over the excitement of the latest version. Mobile devices have changed the information highway into the information speedway. DSL is no longer fast enough, people want their information, whether it's for business or pleasure, faster. Don't look now, but there are mobile devices that have the capabilities of an iPad, iPhone and laptop all rolled into one. What will libraries say to these devices? No you can not use them in OUR library. Instead of saying that, place a sign outside the library stating: "While the rest of the world enjoys living in the 21st Century, we prefer living in the dark ages." If libraries want to be relevant, essential and in the game it's time toss out cell phone rules. Librarians rev up your engines, the race is about to start.
Once libraries have embraced mobile devices of all types, the next step will be to discover ways of offering new services to patrons on the move. A starting point could be as simple as an App to allow access to the library's catalog. This is a huge time saver for someone who is constantly on the go and does not have the time to stop at a library to see if a certain book is available. Not only that, if the library has services such as Overdrive, the desired piece of information could be downloaded straight to their device. Is this a bad thing that the person has not even stepped into the library to retrieve information? Not at all. Giving patrons what they want and in a timely manner, is enough
of an incentive to draw them in on a lazy Saturday or Sunday.
Another step in providing mobile service is using SMS, Short messaging Services, which allows the libraries to communicate to patrons where ever they may wander. These messages could alert patrons that a book is ready for pickup, program registration confirmation or change in the library's hours. Taking it a step further, these messages may also allow reference librarians to answer questions quickly. Recently, a patron left a message on the library's voice mail asking what was the magnitude of the earthquake in Japan. Knowing that he would not be home when the library might be returning his call, he instructed for the information to be emailed to him. This began the process of What ifs in this librarian's mind? What if libraries could provide a link on their website for FAQ about current events? What if libraries used SMS or RSS to inform patrons of latest news development that affect everyone locally and nationally. What if there were an SMS Reference desk dedicated to providing quick answers for the mobile patron? The possibilities are endless!
Finally, librarians are in the people and information business. Perhaps the reason why many librarians try to buck the technology trends is because of the fear of losing the connection with the patrons. There is only one way to squash those fears: Embrace technology. Offering mobile services will not mean the end of the librarian/patron relationship. It's actually the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The once "evil" cell phones who dared to distract the silence of hallowed libraries are now offering a unique opportunity to gain, if not keep, patron loyalty. Let's face it, loyal and devoted patrons are not only desired but needed for the survival of libraries.
This is he era of communication and technology. Nothing stays the same it seems for even a month, let alone a year. New versions of Blackberry and iPhones seem to come out just when everyone has just gotten over the excitement of the latest version. Mobile devices have changed the information highway into the information speedway. DSL is no longer fast enough, people want their information, whether it's for business or pleasure, faster. Don't look now, but there are mobile devices that have the capabilities of an iPad, iPhone and laptop all rolled into one. What will libraries say to these devices? No you can not use them in OUR library. Instead of saying that, place a sign outside the library stating: "While the rest of the world enjoys living in the 21st Century, we prefer living in the dark ages." If libraries want to be relevant, essential and in the game it's time toss out cell phone rules. Librarians rev up your engines, the race is about to start.
Once libraries have embraced mobile devices of all types, the next step will be to discover ways of offering new services to patrons on the move. A starting point could be as simple as an App to allow access to the library's catalog. This is a huge time saver for someone who is constantly on the go and does not have the time to stop at a library to see if a certain book is available. Not only that, if the library has services such as Overdrive, the desired piece of information could be downloaded straight to their device. Is this a bad thing that the person has not even stepped into the library to retrieve information? Not at all. Giving patrons what they want and in a timely manner, is enough
of an incentive to draw them in on a lazy Saturday or Sunday.
Another step in providing mobile service is using SMS, Short messaging Services, which allows the libraries to communicate to patrons where ever they may wander. These messages could alert patrons that a book is ready for pickup, program registration confirmation or change in the library's hours. Taking it a step further, these messages may also allow reference librarians to answer questions quickly. Recently, a patron left a message on the library's voice mail asking what was the magnitude of the earthquake in Japan. Knowing that he would not be home when the library might be returning his call, he instructed for the information to be emailed to him. This began the process of What ifs in this librarian's mind? What if libraries could provide a link on their website for FAQ about current events? What if libraries used SMS or RSS to inform patrons of latest news development that affect everyone locally and nationally. What if there were an SMS Reference desk dedicated to providing quick answers for the mobile patron? The possibilities are endless!
Finally, librarians are in the people and information business. Perhaps the reason why many librarians try to buck the technology trends is because of the fear of losing the connection with the patrons. There is only one way to squash those fears: Embrace technology. Offering mobile services will not mean the end of the librarian/patron relationship. It's actually the beginning of a beautiful friendship. The once "evil" cell phones who dared to distract the silence of hallowed libraries are now offering a unique opportunity to gain, if not keep, patron loyalty. Let's face it, loyal and devoted patrons are not only desired but needed for the survival of libraries.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Teens, Technology and KISS (Not the Rock Band)
Simple minds, simple pleasures. That is the theory that has explained many situations in my career. it seems that the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) rule does apply in just about everywhere I look. Except one area of working in the library: Teens. Need I say more? Don't get me wrong, I love working with the teens. They are a fascinating group that views the world in ways I would have never dreamed. In other words, they keep me young. Except, when it comes to technology. I'm not a dinosaur by any stretch of the imagination. I'm hip. I can use an iPod or iPad. Cell phone with texting, yeah it's fun but I like human voices. I tweet, blog and catch up with friends on Facebook. Email, is so yesterday! So why does KISS rule not apply with teens? They take technology and multitasking to a whole new level.
On any given Saturday, when most teens come into the library to do homework, it is an amazing site to see how things get done in the realm we call Teens. A snapshot of what I typically see is this: teen sitting at table with homework. Between the books and laptops is the cell phone. Mighty important because it is ready to receive the next important text from friends. In the ears are earbuds attached to the MP3 player of choice. When walking pass the table, a glimpse at the laptop reveals that three screens are open, one for Facebook, one for their email account and finally Google page for quick searches. I get exhausted just thinking about doing all these tasks. Yet, there they are reading, texting, listening, updating, and researching all in a single bound. My concern: With so much distraction while they are working, how are they analyzing information? Are they absorbing the information or are they going through the motion of completing homework without thought to what they are learning?
This is a question that all educators, librarians and parents should be asking themselves. It is after all our duty to ensure that teens will be ready for the challenges they will face in the future. Our challenge is how to teach teens to KISS without sounding like we are technophobic. I'd like to suggest that the first step begins with teaching them the art of communication. Now, I know that teens can communicate with their friends quite well, but let's face it when they get into the workforce they will have to know how to communicate with people of all ages. In a world of abbreviated words such as ttyl, btw or lol, there seems to be little time to have a meaningful conversation. Challenge your teens at home or in the library to join you for chat time at least once a week. Make it an appointed time and place where they know they are welcome to drop in anytime. The stipulation to joining this chat: no cell phone allowed. Once you've got their attention, let the conversation flow naturally, allowing them to talk about their world. What could be a more interesting topic to them?
Once teens begin to learn the art of communicating the next step of keeping it simple stupid should be easy to take. Honing their concentration skills. Teens often tell me they concentrate just fine even with a million other things going on around them. My response has been that I am glad they feel that way because the next time they need major surgery (knock on wood that does not happen anytime soon) I hope that they are okay with the surgeon receiving sending texts during the operation. Better yet, listening to hard rock music, singing along, catching up on the Tigers baseball game via Google and updating his FB status with "Hey, dude just closing up the guy I'm working on. I hope I didn't forget to take out the appendix. lol" . Yes. I get the look that tells me I'm nuts. They don't tell me that directly, but they will say, "Mrs.Nowc that will never happen." Maybe, but wouldn't you want to have your surgeons' full attention? Shouldn't your homework get your full attention? The reality is, they don't want to admit I'm right. To prove the point about concentration, challenge teens to complete two simple puzzles. Both 48 piece puzzle that is easy enough for a 5 year old and they will be timed to compare how "quickly" they complete each puzzle. The first puzzle must be done with all the distractions they like, including texting, ipods, anything goes in this game. The second puzzle should be done without any distractions at all. No phones, no ipods, nothing. The objective here is to prove how much quicker things get done when teens are concentrating on one task.
Most importantly when teaching teens the KISS rule, it's wonderful that they have the ability to do everything at once. However, remember that its not only important to find information, its equally important to be able to understand, use it and apply it in the right way. it is one of my greatest fears concerning teens and their use of the internet. The can understand how to find information, but what to do with it or how to evaluate it is another story all together. In essence, they are skipping over the most important part of research. As educators, if we allow this to happen we are sabotaging the teens' future. We are sabotaging our future. Teens must be given the knowledge on how to properly use and apply the tools given to them. The Internet made research a wee bit easier and made this generation a wee bit lazier. Using KISS should make it easier to teach teens on the awesome capabilities of technology and using it wisely.
On any given Saturday, when most teens come into the library to do homework, it is an amazing site to see how things get done in the realm we call Teens. A snapshot of what I typically see is this: teen sitting at table with homework. Between the books and laptops is the cell phone. Mighty important because it is ready to receive the next important text from friends. In the ears are earbuds attached to the MP3 player of choice. When walking pass the table, a glimpse at the laptop reveals that three screens are open, one for Facebook, one for their email account and finally Google page for quick searches. I get exhausted just thinking about doing all these tasks. Yet, there they are reading, texting, listening, updating, and researching all in a single bound. My concern: With so much distraction while they are working, how are they analyzing information? Are they absorbing the information or are they going through the motion of completing homework without thought to what they are learning?
This is a question that all educators, librarians and parents should be asking themselves. It is after all our duty to ensure that teens will be ready for the challenges they will face in the future. Our challenge is how to teach teens to KISS without sounding like we are technophobic. I'd like to suggest that the first step begins with teaching them the art of communication. Now, I know that teens can communicate with their friends quite well, but let's face it when they get into the workforce they will have to know how to communicate with people of all ages. In a world of abbreviated words such as ttyl, btw or lol, there seems to be little time to have a meaningful conversation. Challenge your teens at home or in the library to join you for chat time at least once a week. Make it an appointed time and place where they know they are welcome to drop in anytime. The stipulation to joining this chat: no cell phone allowed. Once you've got their attention, let the conversation flow naturally, allowing them to talk about their world. What could be a more interesting topic to them?
Once teens begin to learn the art of communicating the next step of keeping it simple stupid should be easy to take. Honing their concentration skills. Teens often tell me they concentrate just fine even with a million other things going on around them. My response has been that I am glad they feel that way because the next time they need major surgery (knock on wood that does not happen anytime soon) I hope that they are okay with the surgeon receiving sending texts during the operation. Better yet, listening to hard rock music, singing along, catching up on the Tigers baseball game via Google and updating his FB status with "Hey, dude just closing up the guy I'm working on. I hope I didn't forget to take out the appendix. lol" . Yes. I get the look that tells me I'm nuts. They don't tell me that directly, but they will say, "Mrs.Nowc that will never happen." Maybe, but wouldn't you want to have your surgeons' full attention? Shouldn't your homework get your full attention? The reality is, they don't want to admit I'm right. To prove the point about concentration, challenge teens to complete two simple puzzles. Both 48 piece puzzle that is easy enough for a 5 year old and they will be timed to compare how "quickly" they complete each puzzle. The first puzzle must be done with all the distractions they like, including texting, ipods, anything goes in this game. The second puzzle should be done without any distractions at all. No phones, no ipods, nothing. The objective here is to prove how much quicker things get done when teens are concentrating on one task.
Most importantly when teaching teens the KISS rule, it's wonderful that they have the ability to do everything at once. However, remember that its not only important to find information, its equally important to be able to understand, use it and apply it in the right way. it is one of my greatest fears concerning teens and their use of the internet. The can understand how to find information, but what to do with it or how to evaluate it is another story all together. In essence, they are skipping over the most important part of research. As educators, if we allow this to happen we are sabotaging the teens' future. We are sabotaging our future. Teens must be given the knowledge on how to properly use and apply the tools given to them. The Internet made research a wee bit easier and made this generation a wee bit lazier. Using KISS should make it easier to teach teens on the awesome capabilities of technology and using it wisely.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Death of the eReader!
Finally, I win the argument! All my techie Geeks friends can now bow to my enormously large ego and tell me that "Mrs. Nowc, Librarian at Large, was right as always." Now, normally I do not gloat like this in a public forum. I'm a pretty humble person if I may say so myself. However, after reading an article in MaximumPC (Jan 11), I was validated about my views of the eReader. It seems that the esteemed periodical, MaximumPC has identified twelve pieces of technology that are on the way out. As in will be extinct soon. One of the first pieces of technology to be named by the editors is the Kindle and its ilks. My heart raced, as I began to think that my precious hard copies of books will be spared an untimely death! Excuse me while I get a hankie to dry my tears.
Now I know my techie geek friends are all laughing at me as I get emotional over the topic but hear me out as I try to drown out their chuckles. Let me begin by reminding techies that the eReader can only preform one simple task. Technology is all about convenience and when thinking about an eReader one is reminded of a PDA. Remember those? The Personal Digital Assistant has been replaced by cell phones that can do everything except chew your food for you. With the introduction of the iPad, the ease of having it all in one place is too tempting. As a matter of fact, experts are predicting that the iPad will indeed take over the eReader market.
In every decade there are fads. Pet Rocks, Rubic Cube, PDA, iPods and the list goes continues to the beginning of time. Kindle was lucky enough to come along with a new gadget that struck a cord with consumers. Once other companies started to produce their own version of "Kindle", the "newness" of the technology faded. Sure it cool to be able to say you have your "entire library with you" when you go on trip. Practically, unlike an iPod, where having all your music with you is an advantage, carrying an entire personal library of books is not needed when reading one book. One hard copy of a tome is all this avid reader needs.
The ease of using a print copy of any title will always be appealing. It's like all things that are old and comfortable. Sometimes the simple things are the ones that are hardest to give up. They are also the ones that don't die off quickly. Don't get me wrong, it would be woefully ignorant of me to believe that digital forms of books will disappear off the face of the earth if Amazon and Sony stopped production of eReaders. It just seems to me that technology has a way with creating something one day and the next day there is something better to take it's place.
Now that I've had my "I told you so" moment, I can go back to reading my old worn out copy of Doctor Zhivago. One thing that does concern me is that computers are becoming more compact, faster and hold more data. My worry is that it will also be easier to lose! However, that is a topic for another day.
Now I know my techie geek friends are all laughing at me as I get emotional over the topic but hear me out as I try to drown out their chuckles. Let me begin by reminding techies that the eReader can only preform one simple task. Technology is all about convenience and when thinking about an eReader one is reminded of a PDA. Remember those? The Personal Digital Assistant has been replaced by cell phones that can do everything except chew your food for you. With the introduction of the iPad, the ease of having it all in one place is too tempting. As a matter of fact, experts are predicting that the iPad will indeed take over the eReader market.
In every decade there are fads. Pet Rocks, Rubic Cube, PDA, iPods and the list goes continues to the beginning of time. Kindle was lucky enough to come along with a new gadget that struck a cord with consumers. Once other companies started to produce their own version of "Kindle", the "newness" of the technology faded. Sure it cool to be able to say you have your "entire library with you" when you go on trip. Practically, unlike an iPod, where having all your music with you is an advantage, carrying an entire personal library of books is not needed when reading one book. One hard copy of a tome is all this avid reader needs.
The ease of using a print copy of any title will always be appealing. It's like all things that are old and comfortable. Sometimes the simple things are the ones that are hardest to give up. They are also the ones that don't die off quickly. Don't get me wrong, it would be woefully ignorant of me to believe that digital forms of books will disappear off the face of the earth if Amazon and Sony stopped production of eReaders. It just seems to me that technology has a way with creating something one day and the next day there is something better to take it's place.
Now that I've had my "I told you so" moment, I can go back to reading my old worn out copy of Doctor Zhivago. One thing that does concern me is that computers are becoming more compact, faster and hold more data. My worry is that it will also be easier to lose! However, that is a topic for another day.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Ebooks Versus Books: A Book Lover's Dilemma
I am amazed at the many changes in technology during my own lifetime. Growing up in the 70's and 80's who would have even thought of sending someone an e-mail or texting a friend via a cell phone? It seemed virtually impossible. Especially when considering an cell phone in the 80's was about as big as a shoe box. At graduation in 1992 from Wayne State University, the hype was the internet and how it would change libraries forever. Indeed it has, some for the good and some for the bad. Let's be honest, I wouldn't be here pondering this question if it were not for the ease of communicating through a blog. While libraries have gone through major changes it seems that books are on the verge of a tipping point. That is the moment when the world changes with the birth of a technological advance. The news last week was buzzing with excitement over the new iPad. this product will rival the Kindle II, the Sony reader and the Nook. Versions of different types of electronic books. Now the race is on to see which will dominate the field. Personally, I'm not quite sure that any of them will be able to replace my need for a good book.
Do not make the mistake that I am like the Unabomber who maintained that a techno-industrial society would take away one's freedom I like technology because it has made many of the things I use to do manually easier. For example, typing. When I was in high school I used so much whiteout that the company who made the product should have made me their poster child r given me shares in the company as a reward for being their best customer. I still own a typewriter but give me my Mac when it comes to typing up letters, articles and so forth. Technology changes an idea or product because there is a need for a change. Typewriter to computer made a lot of sense to me. Books to a electronic reader? The need for change did not present itself to me immediately. Even now, the question of why still lingers.
Making a list of pros and cons of a an ereader, the pros are strong for certain types of formats or sources of information. For example, ereaders should be good for newspapers and magazines. It would be nice not to have a stack of newspapers waiting to be recycled every week. The ereaders would make a wonderful substitute to the heavy backpacks that students carry filled with books of forty pounds or more. It will be interesting to see if Professors will be able to highlight information that they deem important and sync it to their students’ ereader or iPad. That would be wonderful. so there is value in an ereader.
However, when it comes to leisure reading, this is where the problem creeps in for me. I love my books. They are like security blankets. Everything else in my life has gone digital. Can’t there be one thing left untouched? It is very difficult for me to conceive of getting all warm and comfy with an ereader, with my tea and begin a great story that will allow me to drift away for hours. Novels and books are personal to me because I get involved in the lives of Doctor Zhivago and his true love Larissa. or Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. These characters’ lives with all their trials and triumphs warms the spirit. To think that they will now be on a flat screen which may look like a book but it can not replace the textual feeling of the book. As a matter of fact, it seems computers are devoid of humanity. Literature is full of humanity and it is as if the computer will snuff out the humanity. It seems silly to say I know, but perhaps when radio plays were replaced by television the audience felt the same way I do about books. Once the words were joined with picture, the audience lost the use of imagination. The tube took away the intimacy of the voice. Will the ereader take away the intimacy of the printed word? There is a possibility that it will. Leaving a terrible void for those who love to read but can’t find the joy of the intimate connection with the characters. The only way to find out is to check out a Kindle II at my local library.
Do not make the mistake that I am like the Unabomber who maintained that a techno-industrial society would take away one's freedom I like technology because it has made many of the things I use to do manually easier. For example, typing. When I was in high school I used so much whiteout that the company who made the product should have made me their poster child r given me shares in the company as a reward for being their best customer. I still own a typewriter but give me my Mac when it comes to typing up letters, articles and so forth. Technology changes an idea or product because there is a need for a change. Typewriter to computer made a lot of sense to me. Books to a electronic reader? The need for change did not present itself to me immediately. Even now, the question of why still lingers.
Making a list of pros and cons of a an ereader, the pros are strong for certain types of formats or sources of information. For example, ereaders should be good for newspapers and magazines. It would be nice not to have a stack of newspapers waiting to be recycled every week. The ereaders would make a wonderful substitute to the heavy backpacks that students carry filled with books of forty pounds or more. It will be interesting to see if Professors will be able to highlight information that they deem important and sync it to their students’ ereader or iPad. That would be wonderful. so there is value in an ereader.
However, when it comes to leisure reading, this is where the problem creeps in for me. I love my books. They are like security blankets. Everything else in my life has gone digital. Can’t there be one thing left untouched? It is very difficult for me to conceive of getting all warm and comfy with an ereader, with my tea and begin a great story that will allow me to drift away for hours. Novels and books are personal to me because I get involved in the lives of Doctor Zhivago and his true love Larissa. or Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. These characters’ lives with all their trials and triumphs warms the spirit. To think that they will now be on a flat screen which may look like a book but it can not replace the textual feeling of the book. As a matter of fact, it seems computers are devoid of humanity. Literature is full of humanity and it is as if the computer will snuff out the humanity. It seems silly to say I know, but perhaps when radio plays were replaced by television the audience felt the same way I do about books. Once the words were joined with picture, the audience lost the use of imagination. The tube took away the intimacy of the voice. Will the ereader take away the intimacy of the printed word? There is a possibility that it will. Leaving a terrible void for those who love to read but can’t find the joy of the intimate connection with the characters. The only way to find out is to check out a Kindle II at my local library.
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