Transcript E-Readers: the future of reading or short-lived gadget? Isabel McMann & Hilla Wait Nov 2010

E-Readers:
the future of reading or
short-lived gadget?
Isabel McMann & Hilla Wait
Nov 2010
What is an e-Reader?







A device to display electronic texts in certain specific
formats
Generally using ‘e-ink’ reflective rather than transmissive
screen technology
May have wireless link to allow download/upload of texts
direct from/to e-book shop or other sources
New Amazon Kindle model allows web browsing
May allow upload of files in pdf, txt or other formats,
including sound and image formats (but not movies)
May have touch screen or navigation keys/keyboard
I-Pad is the exception
What formats do e-Readers
support?
The Tower of e-Babel: WikiPedia lists 25
different formats for e-book publishing
 Most readers support only a few
 Most e-books only available in a few
 Different formats support different
features
 EPUB (International Digital Publishing
Forum (IDPF )) may become standard

So

Your choice of e-reader determines:



the range of content available to you
the way that content is displayed
the ways you can interact with that content
(annotations etc)
Choices
Dedicated e-readers – Kindle, Sony etc.
 Netbooks/laptops
 PC’s
 Smartphones
 And now the iPad – and future tablets

FAQs
Can I search text?
 Can I cut-and-paste?
 Can I print?
 Can I load pdf’s?
 Can I download OU e-books?
 Where can I buy e-books?
 Where can I get free e-books?
 I want an e-reader, but which one should I
buy?

How to choose your e-reader




Budget
Purpose
Range of sources available
Dealbreakers







Real page numbers
Display preferences
Formulae, graphs and diagrams
Options for importing texts
Ease of use
Speed reading
Try out a Kindle or Sony at the RSL
Kindle 2 Sony Touch Ipad

Text loading


Screen








Manual P or L
6 sizes (not pdf’s),
Text-to-speech
Annotation






Keys
Keyboard
NO PAGE NOs



Via keyboard, not pdf’s
Formats
Kindle (AZW)


7 days (current models) 

Charge via mains or usb
Weight/Screen Size




10.2 oz /6 inches

/e-reader-comparison-chart/

Via virtual keyboard or
handwritten with stylus
Any document
Formats
 EPUB, PDF, JPEG etc
Battery

http://paidcontent.org/table
5 sizes–not pdfs)
No text-to-speech
Annotation

Battery
Manual P or L
Zoom


Keys
Touch screen
Virtual keyboard
‘Real’ page nos.
Orientation


8 shades grey
No backlight
Navigation



Usb only : from PC; uses
Adobe Digital Editions
7,500 page turns
Charge via mains or usb
Weight/Screen Size

12.75 oz./7.1 inches
Text loading


Screen

Zoom



Orientation

Text loading

16 shades grey
No backlight
Navigation


Wireless (Amazon only),
usb (Windows/Mac)


Screen






EPUB; Audible; Kindle;
PDF etc.
Battery



Touchscreen keyboard
Separate notes app
Formats


Includes PDFs
Text-to-speech
Annotation


Auto P or L
Zoom


Touch screen
Virtual keyboard
‘Real’ page nos.
Orientation


Backlit IPS Colour
Navigation


Wi-fi download
Transfer from PC
Uses I-tunes
11 hours
Charge via mains
Weight/ SCreenSize

1.5 lbs./9.7 inches
ROAD TEST AN E-READER!
Amazon Kindle 2
Sony Reader Touch
[PRS-600]
Kindle 3
Read in bright sunlight
 Improved, built-in PDF Reader
 Free 3-G wireless
 Support for non-Latin characters
 Faster page-turning

Now lending e-readers at RSL
Ask at Enquiries
 Details:


www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/science/services/ereaders
Loan period 1 week
 May be a waiting list!
 E-Reader survey


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z55LBVN
I-Pad: the best of both worlds?
Stanza
How to get content for your ereader

Buy through your supplier or bookseller


Amazon, Apple I-Store; Waterstone's; WH
Smith
Download from Bodleian Libraries via
OxLIP+


Now: PDF journal articles; Oxford Scholarship
On-Line chapters;
Soon: EBL e-books; Oxford’s Google Collection
Read On-Line- IPad; PC or Laptop
 Download free content

Downloads from Oxford
Scholarship On-Line
Public libraries and e-books
Free content for E-readers




Project Gutenberg
Google Project
Internet Archive
Intute
peer-reviewed
Other internet resources
 Not peer-reviewed
 Basic scanned older editions
 Not always legal in the UK



Sample chapters
Internet Archive
Finding a book in the IA
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Public libraries and e-books
Further information

[email protected]