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