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Roger Fidler on Future of Tablet Technology
Joshua Fouts writes "Interesting story on the future of Tablet Technology on
OJR.org by
Roger Fidler, author of "Mediamorphosis: Understanding New Media."
Fiddler explores whether new products, such as the e-book
and the Webpad, will supplant newspapers and other print publications.
It's called The Pulse of Tablet Technology
"
But, I do also reconize that there have been some advances in the ability of these things to create less eye strain. I think very shortly I am going to look into getting some glasses. I have heard from several people that I work with (who don't where prescription glasses) that there is a great benifit to getting some special glasses for using the computer. Some kind of filtering and anti-glare stuff, and it reduces eye strain.
And, have you looked at some of the newer laptops lately? CRT displays still suck on eye strain, and these "tablet" devices still use really cheap LCD (and usually grey and black, not exactly high contrast). But some of the newer laptops are really making some great progress in displays, and eyestrain while using them is a lot less than it use to be.
I think that right now they are mostly working on the other end of technology, making progress in the software and the size and power consumption of the electronics... and somewhat neglecting the displays. When they get the other hardware down, then i think they will get around to reducing eye strain (clearer, sharper, brighter displays).
As for the keyboard, well, I for one can type WAY faster than I can write, and would really miss having a keyboard. But I could deal ok with a pointer or other mouse replacement.
I happen to agree with Fidler's hands-on comparisons (the sidebar). All of the attempts at electronic books that I've seen have suffered from the limitations that today's inexpensive display technologies do. They're either hard to see (gameboy-ish displays), or they're backlit and weigh too much and suck batteries. Neither is particularly appealing for reading a long passage of text.
:)
I don't necessarily agree that e-books must be all *that* different from (well-designed) "computers" to survive. People will get over their computer-phobia *eventually*. Besides, I don't think I could deal with an e-book that didn't have *some* buttons!
-- Rick
I am proud to have in my collection Several significant tablet-type computers: the GRiDPad, the GRiD 2260 and 2270 (aka Convertable), Amstrad PDA600, a Telepad 3, and (soon) a Linux Write-Top.
For more on the history of pen-computing, see:
While I love books, and have hundreds (if not thousands), I have long felt that the advantages of reading electronic-based information has definite advantages -- the same ones we have come to take for granted with the web and other electronic references. (Things like hyperlinks to related material, in-line definitions, multi-media, and so on.)
In addition, the easy, familiar format of things like the GRiDPad, CrossPad, etc. lend themselves to quick replacement of the traditional pad of paper for note-taking, surveying, and other data entry. The ease of integrating remotely gathered data into centralized databases/references will ultimately make such devices commonplace.
In short, technology such as the WebPad, e-books, and CrossPad will be augmenting more and more everyday tasks, from taking notes in meetings, to compiling grocery lists, from street corner surveys to reading the latest news while climbing the stairmaster at the gym.
P.S., if anyone has examples of early tablets (such as those from Go, Momenta, Motorola, AT&T, etc.) or other older portable computers they want to find a new home for, please feel free to contact me!
Stupid people will be persecuted to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Ouch. Then I guess there's no point.
The ebooks reviewed range from $500.00 to $1200.00. One can by a laptop for that kind of money.
I think Cyrix's web tablet has for more potential. They intend to give it away with the purchase of service provider contracts. In the same way you can get a DSS dish for free when you sign up for a year of service. The web tablet is wireless, you can view anything available on the web in color. Its a great idea which has far more potential than the current rounf of ebooks.
perl -e '$_=":: Qjvtug ZpQbjryy
Nice article, though nothing I haven't seen before.
This will all become more relevant when all those new display technologies he wrote about come of age... some of those new ultrathin plastic LCDs I can see in a nice letter-size webpad display.
The most imortant point he made was about not making a bunch of slimmed-down PCs. The idea is not tablet computing, but tablet media consumption. That's what worried me about the Cyrix WebPad-- which was pretty much a slimline PC.
Having thin tablets means not just physically: software and hardware-wise, too.
I don't like any of the proposed e-books - either they have proprietary formats so you cannot create your own material to read, or they are too bulky, or they have a short battery life... and they are all too expensive.
/. editor, it's inserting a space in the link - either remove the space or use the full text of link printed below), the list price is the same for hardcover and the RocketBook, but the actual prices render the hardcover version cheaper than the RocketBook!! I just chose that as the currently featured RocketBook. There's also examples like "The Heart of Darkness", which is $1 for a paperback and $5 for a RocketBook.
t s.asp?userid=2OBWQOS6R9&mscssid=1G964C49VJ SH2LGP00CGND08MP6TDX5B&pcount=0&title=Monica%27s+S tory
Some, like the RocketBook, are even more expesive than you might think. If you look at the comparison prices for the RocketBook version of "Monica's Story" at B&N (blast this
Why on earth should an electronic version of something cost even as much as a paperback version of a book? They should at least cost a bit less than the current printed version.
My dream machine is this - a Pilot like the Palm V, but with an attachable large format screen. You just dock the Pilot into the large fold-away screen for serious reading sessions, then whisk the screen into storage for normal on-the-go use. You could have all sorts of different sized displays for different uses...
Here's the "Monica's Story" link in full text:
http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/resul
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
will be the killer hardware (or rather "software") for this kind of stuff. Fold it up and stash it in your bag. Millions of little ink droplets in a matrix which can be manipulated to form an arbitary image. Now if only they can get it to market...
a wired article about Xerox's efforts
I seem to remember there was an MIT project too, but I can't find the link.
Shri
Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade-named-BOOK.
BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it. Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere-even sitting in an armchair by the fire - yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD- ROM disc.
Here's how it works:
BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKS with more information simply use more pages. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet.
BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, though, like other devices, it can become damaged if coffee is spilled on it and it becomes unusable if dropped too many times on a hard surface. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pin-points the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval.
An optional "Bookmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session - even if the BOOK has been closed. Bookmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single Bookmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOK markers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.
You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with optional programming tools, Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Styli (PENCILS).Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave
BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking to invest. Look for a flood of new titles soon.