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Nice idea, but the problem for me would be the screen. I used to spend hours staring at my textbook back in the day. Hours spent staring at a backlit screen l

by acabal 15y ago

Nice idea, but the problem for me would be the screen. I used to spend hours staring at my textbook back in the day. Hours spent staring at a backlit screen like a laptop would give me a headache (and does today, when I spend hours programming). But the e-ink offerings aren't there yet in terms of usability for textbooks. They're great for novels, where progress is linear, and bookmarks are search are rarely needed. But for a textbook, where I'm often flipping to the index, back and forth between subsequent pages rapidly, need color diagrams or big tables and diagrams (600x800 is often not enough room for a large table or diagram), or flipping to one of the hundreds of bookmarks that I've color-coded, e-ink and specifically the Kindle UI just can't do it. Tablet-type hardware might have a better chance, but at the cost of the backlight. So if I was back in college, even though today I do all of my pleasure reading on a Nook Simple Touch, I would still buy paper textbooks.

Ronkdar 15y ago
My problem is that I can't write on my reader. All my textbooks are filled with highlighted sentences, penned in notes, and black marker through every distracting fluff sentence. I will continue to buy paper books until I can achieve this functionality easily in digital form.
kellishaver 15y ago
My problem is the exact opposite. I can't see to read unless I'm looking at a back-lit screen. For this reason, all of my books for the past year and a half have been ebooks, read on an iPad. I'm not sure what I would have done in college had I had the problems reading then that I do now. At the time, my only option would have been a book on tape, which is an absolute nightmare for random access and complex subjects, or braille, which I don't know (though, admittedly, should probably learn). Not that any of that is to discount what you're saying at all. I guess more than anything i just wanted to share my experience. I can certainly see the appeal of having a physical book over a digital copy, and that may well be the preferred choice for the average person, but for a certain demographic, just having the option of a digital version can be an almost life-changing experience. I remember the first night I got my iPad, after a year of not being able to read a book unless I was tied to my computer/desk. I sat comfortably on the couch and read a novel. I cried, I was so happy.

by acabal 15y ago

Ronkdar 15y ago

My problem is that I can't write on my reader. All my textbooks are filled with highlighted sentences, penned in notes, and black marker through every distracting fluff sentence. I will continue to buy paper books until I can achieve this functionality easily in digital form.

kellishaver 15y ago

My problem is the exact opposite. I can't see to read unless I'm looking at a back-lit screen. For this reason, all of my books for the past year and a half have been ebooks, read on an iPad. I'm not sure what I would have done in college had I had the problems reading then that I do now. At the time, my only option would have been a book on tape, which is an absolute nightmare for random access and complex subjects, or braille, which I don't know (though, admittedly, should probably learn). Not that any of that is to discount what you're saying at all. I guess more than anything i just wanted to share my experience. I can certainly see the appeal of having a physical book over a digital copy, and that may well be the preferred choice for the average person, but for a certain demographic, just having the option of a digital version can be an almost life-changing experience. I remember the first night I got my iPad, after a year of not being able to read a book unless I was tied to my computer/desk. I sat comfortably on the couch and read a novel. I cried, I was so happy.