Another new eBook Reader misses the mark
I missed the AHEAD conference this year due to many many balls being juggled at once and a plate that simply is not big enough. Not sure how much I missed, however, as all of the conference handouts are available on the site. I spent my time working on a home improvement project that started as a simple kitchen refacing and has since developed into a major overhaul of not just the kitchen but the adjacent half-bath as well. I will spare the details - but must point out my new love of both Lowe's and PEX for plumbing!
I have also been so busy with this project that I have neglected my e-mail for a while. I have to sort through some of that as well. Anyway -- it is time to get back to blogging.
First up -- from the University of Maryland newspaper the Diamondback -- Researchers at the UofM and UCAL-Berkeley recently released a prototype of a new e-book reader aimed to revolutionize how people read and study.
Just another spark from the festering fire of digital text. How often in the past couple of years have we witnessed conflicting reports along the continuum from e-books being the greatest invention since sliced bread to students disliking digital textbooks and the publishing industry getting nervous. Here is a nice blog entry that sums up many e-book points and provides some food for thought: The eBook Problem and The eBook Solution.
Unfortunately, conversations on about and invloving eBooks continue to skirt around (or simply ignore) the issue of accessibility and, perhaps more important, ease of use (including ease of access). Meanwhile, organizations such as ATHEN, AHEAD, EASI, APH and others continue to plod along with the development and dissemmination of accessible e-text (as opposed to eBook) technologies and information. Sooner or later the various constituencies will cross paths and realize that each has something to offer to the larger picture. It's going to be one of those "your peanut butter hit my chocolate..." moments. In the meantime we may have to put up with flashy (literally) exploitative commercial uses of E-Ink by such esteemed publications as Esquire Magazine. Hey -- whatever catches the public eye and gets them interested -- right?
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