e-reading
22.09.08
backstory
At the turn of the century I stumbled upon E Ink, an intriguing type of ink that can be reoriented to refresh a page with new information. “Minority Report” exemplified the concept with a future world where cereal boxes play short animations.
It wasn’t until 08.05.08 that I saw E Ink in person. The Sony Reader (PRS-505) had come to Canada. I walked away impressed.
By that time, I was aware of the Bookeen’s Cybook 3, with better Mac support than Sony. And of course there is the iLiad. With WiFi, a Wacom stylus, and an SDK, the iLiad is a geek’s dream. A very expensive dream.
library
The majority of my reading is on computer programming, web development, and design. Lately, I have been trying to buy PDF e-books more often, though I still have many paper books.
Up until this point, I refuse to purchase DRM infested books. Publishers that I approve of include The Pragmatic Programmers, O’Reilly, Manning, No Starch Press, SitePoint. Password protected PDFs annoy, but I still buy books from Apress (including friends of ED) and Packt Publishing. The InformIT imprints use DRM, but their books can usually be read on O’Reilly Safari instead.
Don’t ask me how many of the 50-some e-books I’ve actually finished! Some of that is due to swaying interests, but eye strain certainly contributes.
digital reader for pdf
Today, 22.09.08, iRex announced a new Digital Reader series targeted at the business sector. The device features a 10.2″ E Ink display suitable for viewing PDF documents. Perfect!
An article in the EETimes suggests that this update is more significant than a larger screen. Thanks to new performance characteristics of the device, the interface should be much more interactive than prior E Ink devices.
Before spending all that cash, I’d like to see some more reviews, learn about Mac support, WiFi uses, and the SDK.
a new paradigm
Like the iPhone, these devices force software developers to think in new ways. While iPhone interfaces need to be “finger compatible”, E Ink interfaces need to suit the paper motif.
Windows, dialogs and scroll bars all feel out of place. I can’t help but want to use the stylus like an HB pencil, to scribble in a radio button.
Books and journals could contain an index at the back, as with Circus Ponies’ Notebook. Which isn’t to say that we shouldn’t have searching too.
While I may never learn enough Linux and GTK to become a developer, at least it opens the door to third-party software. For the iLiad, Adam B. has already ported a PIM and is working on a web browser he calls Midori. Hopefully the Digital Reader will receive similar treatment.
If I end up ordering a Digital Reader, I’ll let you know…
Update: This article was originally written on 29.08.07. I have condensed it significantly, and updated it to reflect the release of the new iRex Digital Reader series.