| Why are people so dense? Why won't they
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| | laptop or desktop computer, I can
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| do what's good for them? Men in white
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| | download just about every book that
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| coats have been sweating in labs for many
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| | wasn't written yesterday, but there is a
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| years to invent the perfect e-book
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| | problem: the computer screen. A screen
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| reader, so why aren't they everyhwere?
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| | isn't as easy to carry round in my pocket
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| Why can't people just ditch those smelly,
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| | as a book. Compare the situation on a
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| crumbly, rotting woody things called
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| | crowded commuter train, early in the
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| 'books' and start living in Century 21?
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| | morning. People with paperback books can
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| Ask author Mike Scantlebury and see if he
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| | read them in any corner, whether squeezed
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| has any suggestions.
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| | against the door or hanging on to a
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| The e-book has been a long time in
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| | dangling support. The person with the
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| coming. Way back in the 1980s, when the
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| | laptop needs a table, or even a seat, but
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| Personal Computer was in its infancy, we
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| | room to move their elbows. Ah, but that's
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| were told that the logic was inescapable:
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| | why someone invented the PDA, you say.
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| now that ordinary people could read text
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| | You can download your text onto your
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| on a screen, then the days of the printed
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| | little pocket machine and scan the words
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| page were numbered. There was a better
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| | in any tight corner. But when you start
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| way. After all, the Personal Computer
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| | listing the attributes of a PDA, you come
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| we were assured would soon be in every
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| | to a very strange conclusion. The
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| office, in every home, and it would give
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| | hand-held device is portable, handy, will
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| everybody access to the biggest library
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| | fit in your pocket and can be carried
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| in the world, in digital form. In the
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| | around. Can be accessed anywhere and
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| future, so the story went, you would walk
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| | shared with friends. It's small, friendly
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| into someone's new house and the most
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| | and human sized. In fact, it's exactly
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| striking feature would be that there
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| | like a book! There are only two
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| would be no bookshelves. There would be
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| | differences, one good, one bad. One is
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| no need for any! All data would be stored
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| | that you can store more than one book on
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| on disks, out of sight.
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| | it at any one time. Wow, you're saying
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| That first myth is the easiest to deal
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| | that a device the size of a paperback
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| with. People still have shelves, but
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| | book can actually store dozens of
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| they're not necessarily groaning under
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| | paperback books inside itself. It's
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| the weight of books, no. But they
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| | almost like a fairy tale: imagine a book
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| probably contain other media, such as
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| | that had blank pages and every day you
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| CDs, DVDs, videotapes (since people
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| | could wish for a new story and it would
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| haven't all moved on yet) and, even,
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| | show you it. Then it would blank its
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| surprise, surprise, that throwback to the
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| | pages until tomorrow, when a brand new,
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| 1970s, the cassette tape. Well, cassettes
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| | undiscovered story would appear. What
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| are considered a bit old-fashioned now,
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| | could be better than that? Well,
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| and many home entertainment centres don't
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| | something that was actually readable.
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| include a means to play them, like they
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| | Printers have been working for years to
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| used to. But people like cassettes. They
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| | discover fonts that are easy on the eye
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| are small, convenient, easy to carry
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| | and readable in all lights. The PDA has
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| around in your pocket, and could be
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| | to try and duplicate the sheer joy of
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| played anywhere in the home, the office
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| | black writing on a white background, a
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| and your car. Yes, but CDs are better, we
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| | trick that can fail in poor ambient light
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| are told. Better sound quality, better
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| | or when the batteries are low. In fact,
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| Hold on, they aren't better. As many a
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| | the problem for hand-held devices is
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| computer nerd knows, a round plastic disc
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| | exactly that. They can't deliver a
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| is not more convenient than a small
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| | printed page, it's just a pretty average
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| plastic box. The disc rolls off the desk
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| | copy of one. That's their weakness.
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| or table, it gets scratched, it slips
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| | Still, the market progresses and every
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| down the side of things and can't be
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| | year 'the e-book' we are told is upon us
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| retrieved. Also, it doesn't do well what
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| | and finally delivered to our
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| people actually want. In the days of
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| | specifications. Unfortunately that means
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| vinyl when cassettes were invented,
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| | if you go to the web again and look for
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| ordinary residents found a terrific use
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| | e-books to read that they are
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| for the cassette. You could borrow your
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| | downloadable in a variety of confusing
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| friend's record, tape it at your house,
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| | formats as machines vie to become the
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| give it back and have a workable copy.
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| | new, universal standard. Perhaps it will
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| No, that's not happening now: CDs don't
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| | happen. Perhaps, even now, the hand-held
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| do that well. Even without 'borrowing'
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| | device is being developed that will
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| your pal's music, and using access to the
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| | become the new, acceptable alternative to
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| internet and download sites, the problem
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| | the novel in pocket form. But the test is
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| is that some CD players refuse to play
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| | back here in reality, not in the
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| 'home made' disks, for whatever reason.
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| | laboratory. Just like 'the paperless
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| So you can't slip your favourite tracks
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| | office', it's a promise that hasn't
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| in your pocket and carry them round and
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| | delivered, a vision that hasn't become a
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| play them anywhere ah, but that's why
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| | reality. For some reason some annoying,
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| someone invented the i-Pod, you say. Yes,
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| | illogical, all too human reason the
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| that does do the trick of storing music
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| | people who actually enjoy reading are, as
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| from anywhere you are lucky enough to
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| | yet, addicted to the touch, the feel and
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| find it the web, your friends',
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| | maybe even the smell, of the printed
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| something someone gave you for Christmas
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| | page. They stuff books into their pockets
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| but it adds a layer of technology, the
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| | in the morning, and read printed novels
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| computer. If you look at a friendly old
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| | in their spare moments and lunch hours.
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| cassette recorder now, the most important
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| | Not yet will they pull out of their
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| thing was how simple it was to operate,
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| | pockets their small electronic friends in
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| how few controls. Compare that to the
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| | order to indulge in stories, tall tales
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| laptop computer. Ouch, there's no
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| | and inventions. Why not? We can only
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| comparison. Saving and storing music is
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| | speculate. It's frustrating for the
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| now more flexible, people will tell you.
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| | marketing manager, but interesting for
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| Yes, but nothing like as downright
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| | the sociologist. The e-book is here, they
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| simple!
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| | cry, so why won't people just co-operate
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| Back to books. I can load up text on my
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| | and start using them?
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| laptop. If I have access to the web on my
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