Michael Sauers Technology Innovation Librarian Nebraska Library Commission Eastern Library System 12 February 2008

Michael Sauers Technology Innovation Librarian Nebraska Library Commission Eastern Library System 12 February 2008

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zilpho/164291155/ Sony CEO Howard Stringer introduces the Reader at CES 2006

eBooks are heavy eBooks can’t store much No room for expansion eBook battery life sucks Backlit displays They don’t support multiple formats You can’t read them at an angle eBooks aren’t books Books as physical objects are works of art and should be cherished!

eBooks are heavy

eBooks can’t store much

No room for expansion

eBook battery life sucks

Backlit displays

They don’t support multiple formats

You can’t read them at an angle

eBooks aren’t books

Books as physical objects are works of art and should be cherished!

Long battery life Light-weight Expandable storage Supports multiple text formats Text zooming Read from almost any angle

Long battery life

Light-weight

Expandable storage

Supports multiple text formats

Text zooming

Read from almost any angle

6.9" x 4.9" x 0.5" 8.8oz In comparison: Rocket eBook Pro 5" x 7.5" x 1.5" 22oz

6.9" x 4.9" x 0.5"

8.8oz

In comparison: Rocket eBook Pro

5" x 7.5" x 1.5"

22oz

Display eInk / non-backlit 800x600 resolution Rotatable 4-level grayscale Three text sizes 64MB built in storage SD/Memory Stick card slot USB data transfer Approximately 7,500 page turns per charge

Display

eInk / non-backlit

800x600 resolution

Rotatable

4-level grayscale

Three text sizes

64MB built in storage

SD/Memory Stick card slot

USB data transfer

Approximately 7,500 page turns per charge

Content is not drawn, but “charged” 170 Pixels Per Inch (PPI) Newspaper quality Does not need power to hold a display, only to change it.

Content is not drawn, but “charged”

170 Pixels Per Inch (PPI)

Newspaper quality

Does not need power to hold a display, only to change it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spirit635/479810101/

USB Type-B mini DC in 5.2v 8mm headphone jack SD/Memory Stick slot

USB Type-B mini

DC in 5.2v

8mm headphone jack

SD/Memory Stick slot

On/off sliding switch Page forward/back (two sets) Size (3 available settings) 10 numbered keys (1-0) Bookmark Menu Small joystick/enter Volume control

On/off sliding switch

Page forward/back (two sets)

Size (3 available settings)

10 numbered keys (1-0)

Bookmark

Menu

Small joystick/enter

Volume control

Continue Reading Books By Author By Date Collections All Bookmarks Now Playing Audio Pictures Settings

Continue Reading

Books

By Author

By Date

Collections

All Bookmarks

Now Playing

Audio

Pictures

Settings

Default list is alphabetical by title

Default list is alphabetical by title

Continue Reading Begin End Bookmarks Table of Contents History Info Utilities

Continue Reading

Begin

End

Bookmarks

Table of Contents

History

Info

Utilities

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zilpho/164288637/

Orientation Screen Lock Slideshow About Restore Defaults

Orientation

Screen Lock

Slideshow

About

Restore Defaults

RSS limited to built-in feeds & do not auto-update Native-format titles must be purchased via Sony ® eConnect (no third-party vendors) Not all PDFs display well (need to be reformatted for smaller display) Audio playback severely impacts battery life Non-color display Pricey No indexes Can’t read during takeoff and landing Using in the tub is a bad idea

RSS limited to built-in feeds & do not auto-update

Native-format titles must be purchased via Sony ® eConnect (no third-party vendors)

Not all PDFs display well (need to be reformatted for smaller display)

Audio playback severely impacts battery life

Non-color display

Pricey

No indexes

Can’t read during takeoff and landing

Using in the tub is a bad idea

Speed up page turns Reduce instances of ghosting Whiter background Allow for sale of eBook by other vendors Full-text searching Improved battery life when using storage cards (The first two can be solved immediately but only by reducing battery life.)

Speed up page turns

Reduce instances of ghosting

Whiter background

Allow for sale of eBook by other vendors

Full-text searching

Improved battery life when using storage cards

(The first two can be solved immediately but only by reducing battery life.)

Rearranged controls 8-level grayscale Added ProDuo card slot

Rearranged controls

8-level grayscale

Added ProDuo card slot

Same eInk technology as the Sony Reader $399 10.3oz Books generally cheaper than those through Sony. ($9.99)

Same eInk technology as the Sony Reader

$399

10.3oz

Books generally cheaper than those through Sony. ($9.99)

I’m paying 40-80% of list price of a book but not getting a physical object. In other words, I’m paying for the “right to read” a title. If I just wanted to read a title yet not own the book, I’d get it from the library for free? If the Kindle dies so go my books. With the Sony Reader you can still read them on your computer. The Kindle is not “library friendly”. EVDO network hardly complete. A serious problem if you don’t live in Lincoln or Omaha. (Or on I-80.)

I’m paying 40-80% of list price of a book but not getting a physical object.

In other words, I’m paying for the “right to read” a title.

If I just wanted to read a title yet not own the book, I’d get it from the library for free?

If the Kindle dies so go my books. With the Sony Reader you can still read them on your computer.

The Kindle is not “library friendly”.

EVDO network hardly complete. A serious problem if you don’t live in Lincoln or Omaha. (Or on I-80.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shifted/1240167805

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shifted/2050405275/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jblyberg/2073940586/

Michael Sauers [email_address] http://travelinlibrarian.info/

Michael Sauers

[email_address]

http://travelinlibrarian.info/