Re: E-Textbooks

[Pete Goldie <pg@lbin.com>]

At 06:06 PM 9/7/00, Buzzy wrote:
>Everyone talks about ebooks and  then a few weeks ago yet another hardware
>reading device was announced, the goReader, for reading e-textbooks.  Well,
>I had never conceived of such a thing and ignored it.  However I finally got
>off of my fanny, went over to take a look, and the result is up in my column
>at http://www.eBookAd.com/.  I learned a lot of what they claim it can do
>and it gave some handy notions of where they can take it but that remains to
>be seen.
>
>Buzzy
>http://www.BookAd.com/

Like many, I've a strong interest in handheld reader technologies.  I must
criticize your "review" of this product still in development.  One glaring
omission from your review *and* from the goreader.com website, is any
information whatsoever about the contents format the reader requires.  
PDF?  XML? HTML? a new proprietary-format?  Praising their crackerjack
management team does little to inform us.

I believe everyone will agree that the success of a handheld reader depends 
upon simultaneously solving the following functions:

excellent graphical display
lightweight
long battery life
large content capacity
fast content download
uses interchangable content formats
sensible copyright protection
mass-market affordability

Until a manufacturer can solve these very complex and competing 
requirements, we will continue to be teased with promises never met.


***********************
* Pete Goldie, Ph.D.
* President
* Lightbinders, Inc.
* 2325 Third Street - Suite 324
* San Francisco, CA  94107
********************************************
* Internet: pg@lbin.com   http://lbin.com
*************************************************
* Voice: 415-621-5746    Fax: 415-621-5898
*************************************************