Feb
24
The Etch-a-Sketch for Grown Ups…
February 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
It’s time to legitimize my eBook complaints and praises. I’ve finally, actually read some things on both the Kindle and the Nook. I was really surprised by the “etch-a-sketch” technology on the reading surfaces of both of these eReaders (this ingenius black-and-white display technology was developed by E Ink.) As a result, reading on them does not have a computery-pixel feeling. Who wants to relax with pixels after a long day pushing them at work? I can sort of imagine owning one of these devices now that I’ve seen how they don’t light up or function using anything that is any more eye-straining than a printed page. The Nook is my favorite, mainly because the reading screen seems larger (it’s actually the same as the Kindle: six inches), and there is a touch screen area near the bottom for browsing book covers (similar to Apple’s Cover Flow interface). The Nook also uses Google’s Android mobile operating system, meaning that someday it may run additional applications; it has an open platform (a nifty book-sharing function too); and via the Google Book Project, it offers many free books. The Kindle only functions with Amazon titles. Also, the Kindle utilizes up/down buttons for scrolling and seems in general to be more archaic than the Nook design-wise. I hear it has better battery life than the Nook, which is a big thing – the idea of having to plug in yet another thingy makes my sockets hurt.
Regardless, I am going to wait to buy one of these monsters until someone offers a good one with touch screen tech and that good old “etch-a-sketch” tech from E Ink. In other words, the whole reading surface and keyboard/scroll should have a touch interface so that one is able to “turn” pages with a finger and the reading surface needs to not be a glaring pain in the eye. The touch screen part of the equation is already available via the iPad and a few others – though the iPad is not exactly a refined tool for book reading – the whole light up screen issue is a deal breaker for me. The no glare e-paper feeling of the Nook and the Kindle is the saving grace for eReaders, plain and simple. My sense is the iPad is trying too hard to be too many things, like those old fax/printer/Zerox gizmos that never really did any part of their job perfectly. Then again, I’ve never even been in a room with one. So much for legitimizing my claims!
My unsolicited advice to the industry is: Create a light weight, long battery life, open platform e-paper reader (E Ink), with a full touch screen, book sharing ability, and cover flow interface (for book cover junkies). I’m waiting!