1 post tagged “iphone”

I think:

There are some really innovative elements. In particular the fact that it is hooked up to a cellular network so you always have access to download a book but that you DON'T pay a subscription model for the cellular connection. In a way it points to the proliferation of great new services and ideas that could eventuate if the network providers were forced to go 'open' and allow any device to run on their networks.

It is ugly. People have praised the great interface, but to me it looks ridiculously clunky and inelegant. The idea is that you conserve power by making the big screen non-interactive, but that is such a step backward in UI. The keyboard in particular is an odd choice - it takes up so much space in something that is meant to be a 'book' replacement. "Touch" would be a much better fit - slide your finger across the screen to 'flip' to the next page.

The premise of being able to carry all your books with you at once is cool. For a minority of the market it will be cool enough to require them to carry a dedicated device. Possibly a bigger opportunity lies in increasing the screen size, resolution etc of an iPhone type device to the point where e-books become easily readable. That way you're not carrying an extra device, it comes with built in access to the internet (and can thus purchase new books on the fly). The drawback may be that it needs to be charged more often, but you're used to charging your phone anyway.