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