Tech Blog

[#1]

Readers of this Techblog or of my personal blog will know that I'm a fan of eBook technology. I love the idea of being able to take my personal library with me anywhere, to read at any time.

Recently I had the opportunity to try out one of Sony's new eBook Readers, the Sony PRS-600 Reader Touch Edition, for a couple of weeks.

But before I get started on this unit, I'd like to direct you to my previous review of a similar Sony Reader as a starting point...no need to summarize, this is the web after all. Read it and come back, I'll wait:

• Hands on with a Sony eBook Reader

Ok, all caught up? Excellent.

It's all in the Touch
The big deal about the Touch Edition is obviously the touch screen technology. In the above mentioned article I griped about the placement of the page-turn buttons. The fact that the interface used button technology to navigate around the screen and around the book was a problem for me -- I'm used to reading my ebooks on a touch screen, have been since the Apple Newton and Palm Classic days. So for me, it's all about the ability to interact with the text on the screen in a meaningful way. We don't need no steenkin' buttons!

I want to touch it
Let's look at the act of reading for a moment. What do you do with a paper-based book. You read it by turning the pages. You make notes (in the book margins) about the content. You fold the page to bookmark your location. You look up (in a glossary or in an external dictionary) words you don't understand. You get your hands slapped for breaking the spine.

On better eBook readers, all these functions are available in the device, except for the breaking the spine bit. The Sony Reader PRS-600 has the following features:

• 6 inch eInk display
• 512MB onboard memory
• SD and Memory Stick PRO Duo memory expansion slots
• Built in dictionary
• Touchscreen highlighting and annotating
• Built in audio player (unsecured MP3 and AAC)

But these are pretty much inline with Sony's other units in the Reader line. The two standout differences are the button placement, and the touch screen interface.

This unit has far fewer buttons, as the touch screen is now the interface. I like this. It gives the Reader a much cleaner and sleeker look. You can still use the buttons to flip pages, but you can also simply swipe your finger or the stylus across the screen to turn pages.

Touch it, how 'bout I read it
When it comes down to it, all these features are meaningless if they get in the way and keep taking you out of the story to figure out where the button to jump back a page or two is.

Not on this unit. I spent about a week with it, reading between 1-2 hours an evening, and after an initial period of adjustment; determining best grip for page-turning and comfort, the device/interface vanished for me. I became more involved in the content of the story I was reading, than I was in the process of displaying and manipulating that content.

My primary gripe from the previous Sony Reader review had vanished -- no more button mashing.

It became natural to 'swipe' the screen to turn the page, though I did have to learn the 'right' pressure needed to turn the page.

But, unfortunately, one secondary problem still remained. When jumping between chapters or manipulating the menu, the screen refresh rate is slower than I'd expect, resulting in a 'flash' as the screen rebuilt itself.

Also, in some lighting conditions, the glare off the screen was noticable, especially when compared to a glossy iPod Touch under the same lighting conditions.

But curiously, I found that in low light conditions, say a bedside reading lamp, readability of the page actually improves. The larger screen and scalable font size make reading in low light conditions possible.

And, since the Reader used eInk technology which doesn't require a backlight, there's much better readability in bright or direct sunlight than you'd get on the iPod Touch. Also, no backlight means much longer battery life -- Sony says up to two weeks. And again, I do like the crisp text produced by the eInk display. It's really very easy to read for an extended period of time.

But overall, it's really the addition of the touch screen technology that really makes this unit a reader worth reading -- pushing buttons to change the page just seems so 20th century.

Message Edited by bgrier on 10-05-2009 11:57 PM

[#2]

Just say no to useless gadgets that answers a need no one really demanded.

The cheapest Sony ebook at futureshop is $260+tax. What happens if I drop or lose it? With a book it will simply bounce off of the floor or at worst I'm out ~$20. An eBook? Cracked screens, issues with the display, high cost to replace (because no one really repairs electronics any more), etc.

Can I goto my local library and check out a copy of the latest best seller for free?

Is there an electronic braille edition?

Can I freely lend or borrow a copy of my e-novel after I purchase it?

Can I sell my e-novels after I'm done with it?

What happens if I lose my eBook - can I easily replace the contents of my purchased books? 

Can I go on vacation and not worry about carrying another set of charging adapters and sync cables?

As for "saving the trees", how toxic are the batteries in this unit? What about the manufacturing process of the circuitry, the plastic elements, and the eInk itself? Books may have chemicals in the paper process, but at least I know trees can be replaced. Can't say the same about lithium leeching out of batteries which are thrown in land fills.

Gadgets are nice toys, but let's not discount the simpler/cheaper/reliable technologies of old just yet. 

[#3]

@MrDisco, thanks for the insightful comments!

I don't think that 'nobody demanded' the product, I just think the audience for eBook readers is small, but growing. There are now more makers in the marketplace, and now larger US-based online/brick & mortar stores are developing hardware it'll be an interesting time for tablet and eBook developers.

There are many advantages of eBooks over traditional paper-back books, but yet, the eBook won't replace the book in every situation. I can't see pouring over detailed architectural photography in an ebook -- the image just isn't as good as it would be in a traditional book of photography.

Where an eBook really shines is in it's ability to take common mass-market text or reference material and compress it into a handy, portable device. A portable library, as it were.

I recently attended a conference where the audience was primariarly writers, and a large number of them brought their eBook readers with them. Yes, a specialized audience, but one with a need that the device fills.

As with any new and emerging technology, especially one that changes the rules of traditional use or consumption, adjustments in the marketplace will have to be made, by both the consumer and the content owners / publishers / rights holders..etc. But progress is being made.

At least in Edmonton, and depending on the type of eBook reader you have, you can check out eBook compatible novels.

Re: lending, in some cases, again DRM. hardware and format, dependent, I believe so.

Re: selling, probably not

Re: Losing, it depends on the device, DRM and any accounts or backups you may have -- as with any digital data.

Re: Charging - yep, most ebook readers, including the Sony mentioned above, charge via standard USB connector, so if you're taking your laptop (as I always do) the cable is always there.

 Re: recycling, I would assume that when the electronic device has reached it's end of life, it would be taken to an electronics recycling depot (all major cities have them now) for responsible disposal.

Sorry for the long response, but you've raised some valid and interesting points that do impact usage of the technology. No, an eBook reader isn't for everyone, but the audience is growing, and in many cases (Student textbooks for example) it's a cheaper and more viable alternative to traditional books.

Just found an article I read over the weekend -- looks like eReaders could be the 'go-to gift this holiday season', according to Reuters: http://ow.ly/sYKV

Message Edited by bgrier on 10-06-2009 10:29 AM