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Researchers Demo Flippable-Page E-book Reader

Posted by timothy on from the penny-gadget-would-like-royalties dept.

holy_calamity writes "E-readers are getting better but still limit users to keyboard-style interaction. Researchers at Berkeley and Maryland Universities have changed that with a reader that has two 'pages.' The two displays can be moved like a real book's pages to leaf through a document, or detached to compare and share virtual pages. If they are folded back to create a tablet with displays on each side, you can turn it over to flip pages. A video shows it in action." You may be reminded of the promised second-generation OLPC device, which looks somewhat similar.

5 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. Why? by electricbern · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Mimicking real paper takes away focus that could be spent in developing novel ways of using the available technology.
    There are so many more interesting things you can try to develop.

    --
    alias possession='chmod 666 satan && ls /dev > il && tail daemon.log'
    1. Re:Why? by AKAImBatman · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I disagree. One of the key reasons why I like reading eBooks is that I DON'T have to flip pages. I can use a scroll wheel or a button to flip, instead. I've found that it's many times more comfortable than holding a paperback in the center, then having to move my thumb and other arm to manage a page flip.

      The reason why paper has defeated eBooks to date is because you don't have to invest in a $$$ reader ahead of time and the paper is of a much higher resolution than an eBook reader. (1200dpi prints put eBook readers to shame.) Not in a million years would I have thought that the lack of "page flipping" was a significant barrier to eBook adoption. In fact, adding page flipping would probably become an ADDITIONAL barrier to eBooks as users would be unfamiliar with how to operate the electronic device.

      --
      Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
    2. Re:Why? by Joebert · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This makes it much more appealing to a broader (read: older) audience who don't want to "learn something new".

      If they don't want to learn something new, my first piece of advice would have to be quit reading books.
      --
      Wanna fight ? Bend over, stick your head up your ass, and fight for air.
  2. Re:Interesting but... by nuzak · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Actually the best potential feature of a two-page reader is that the alternate screen could refresh while I'm reading the current one. eBook readers do a nasty all-black flicker before refresh.

    Of course the whole point of an eBook reader is to have a nice form factor, which is really defeated by doubling the size and weight for a screen you'll only pay attention to half the time. I suspect the research will simply go into e-Ink displays with better refresh times.

    --
    Done with slashdot, done with nerds, getting a life.
  3. eh? by bigdavex · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is like a car that you can whip to make it go faster.

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    -Dave