5 ms·

I wouldn't have expected this result necessarily but it is interesting how with eReaders, you completely lose that spatial memory that you get from reading trad

I wouldn't have expected this result necessarily but it is interesting how with eReaders, you completely lose that spatial memory that you get from reading traditional paper bound books. I bet you could approximate where a passage you remember is without knowing the page # after reading a traditional book. Of course, eReaders have the advantage of being able to search for text so finding passages isn't really a problem.

thirdtruck 12y ago
I would love it if eBooks supported custom, programmable side-bars, one where the layout designer could add a "map" of the book that was more unique and memorable than the percentage tracker of, e.g. the eInk Kindle.
- zokier 12y ago
  A significant strength of Kindle is its distraction-free nature. While a progress-bar might be good, I don't think anything more complex than simple line would be suitable. Also its natural place would imho be the bottom edge.
  - dmd 12y ago
    The kindle already has this.
    - majormajor 12y ago
      The Kindle had one. One of the things I miss from upgrading from a Kindle Keyboard to a 2013 Paperwhite, where I can't figure out any way to get the bottom progressbar back.
      - zokier 12y ago
        Thank you. I thought I was missing something because I have Kindle (paperwhite) in front of me, and it certainly doesn't have any progress bars.
      - dmd 12y ago
        Huh, wow. I never even noticed it was gone until now.
  - thirdtruck 12y ago
    I thought I agreed (and even disabled said progress bar a couple weeks ago). However, the research suggests that there's a counter-productive degree of "distraction free" and that some eReader interfaces pass that threshold. As a side note: I know that my expectations for a book change depending on my current position. I notice this every time I think I have a large amount of the story left, only to find myself unpleasantly surprised when it ends "abruptly" and that the next half is actually another story bundled with the first in a single file.
    - hackuser 12y ago
      > the research suggests that there's a counter-productive degree of "distraction free" Very interesting. What research? What does it say?
      - thirdtruck 12y ago
        Turns out I'd just assumed the article I read was linking directly to research: http://blog.pickcrew.com/reading-retention/ http://blog.pickcrew.com/reading-retention/. And here's a more detailed article that they were referencing, two steps removed (haven't read it myself): http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-scre....
- thirdtruck 12y ago
  Oh! I could apply this to my own novel by prepending or appending a map charting my characters' travels to each chapter.
  - Terr_ 12y ago
    Like http://xkcd.com/657/ http://xkcd.com/657/ ?
    - thirdtruck 12y ago
      Possibly for later novels. The one I have in mind (Planet Oz) keeps the focal characters in close proximity, at least compared to the scale of their travels, so a geographic map could suffice.

thirdtruck 12y ago

I would love it if eBooks supported custom, programmable side-bars, one where the layout designer could add a "map" of the book that was more unique and memorable than the percentage tracker of, e.g. the eInk Kindle.

zokier 12y ago
A significant strength of Kindle is its distraction-free nature. While a progress-bar might be good, I don't think anything more complex than simple line would be suitable. Also its natural place would imho be the bottom edge.
- dmd 12y ago
  The kindle already has this.
  - majormajor 12y ago
    The Kindle had one. One of the things I miss from upgrading from a Kindle Keyboard to a 2013 Paperwhite, where I can't figure out any way to get the bottom progressbar back.
    - zokier 12y ago
      Thank you. I thought I was missing something because I have Kindle (paperwhite) in front of me, and it certainly doesn't have any progress bars.
    - dmd 12y ago
      Huh, wow. I never even noticed it was gone until now.
- thirdtruck 12y ago
  I thought I agreed (and even disabled said progress bar a couple weeks ago). However, the research suggests that there's a counter-productive degree of "distraction free" and that some eReader interfaces pass that threshold. As a side note: I know that my expectations for a book change depending on my current position. I notice this every time I think I have a large amount of the story left, only to find myself unpleasantly surprised when it ends "abruptly" and that the next half is actually another story bundled with the first in a single file.
  - hackuser 12y ago
    > the research suggests that there's a counter-productive degree of "distraction free" Very interesting. What research? What does it say?
    - thirdtruck 12y ago
      Turns out I'd just assumed the article I read was linking directly to research: http://blog.pickcrew.com/reading-retention/ http://blog.pickcrew.com/reading-retention/. And here's a more detailed article that they were referencing, two steps removed (haven't read it myself): http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-scre....
thirdtruck 12y ago
Oh! I could apply this to my own novel by prepending or appending a map charting my characters' travels to each chapter.
- Terr_ 12y ago
  Like http://xkcd.com/657/ http://xkcd.com/657/ ?
  - thirdtruck 12y ago
    Possibly for later novels. The one I have in mind (Planet Oz) keeps the focal characters in close proximity, at least compared to the scale of their travels, so a geographic map could suffice.