Chocolate Forum

Chat => General => Topic started by: wjp666 on March 27, 2006, 02:26:39 pm

Title: electronic books
Post by: wjp666 on March 27, 2006, 02:26:39 pm

i know theres a lot of keen readers here, so i was just wondering if anyone's seen the new electronic handheld computer book (featured heavily on the news yesterday) and what they think of it. if you didn't know -  it's about the size of a book, but it's a computer screen. you download books and read them off the screen. the 'monitor' is desinged to even look like real paper (and is designed to take the usual 'glare' you get from pc screens away), the battery life last for a very long time, and there's a clool slidy-thing for your fingers to 'turn the page'. 


good or bad idea?



personally, i think its terrible - nothing worse than glaring at a computer screen for a long time... can't imagine it's that good for your eyes.

wjp66638803.5607523148
Title: electronic books
Post by: minty on March 27, 2006, 02:30:56 pm
.minty38937.7165856482
Title: electronic books
Post by: wjp666 on March 27, 2006, 02:32:05 pm
indeed. for me, it's right up there with the invention of ther Sinclair C5. (but i did actually want one of them at the time.)
Title: electronic books
Post by: kermie on March 27, 2006, 03:38:22 pm
can't read electronic in the bath?
Title: electronic books
Post by: chocolate chick on March 27, 2006, 03:45:59 pm
Good point Kermie!

I like the idea but how heavy is it and how much space does it take up? I read on the train so the smaller the book the better!

Title: electronic books
Post by: wjp666 on March 27, 2006, 06:10:17 pm
about the same size and thickness as a short paperback... and the same weight.
Title: electronic books
Post by: oldspice on March 27, 2006, 06:15:36 pm
So what's the point?
Title: electronic books
Post by: goldencup on March 27, 2006, 06:45:25 pm
They go in for these in a big way in Australia and I asked the same question. 
Title: electronic books
Post by: chocolate chick on March 28, 2006, 12:20:06 pm
I am guessing it would be like an iPod, you download the book you want without going to the shop and buying it?
Title: electronic books
Post by: wjp666 on March 28, 2006, 02:20:39 pm
but its got copy protection - so you cant share anything (a major plus of a regular book.)
Title: electronic books
Post by: chocolate chick on March 28, 2006, 03:15:16 pm
There are websites where you can share your music, I think it would be a good idea to share the books. 
Title: electronic books
Post by: wjp666 on March 28, 2006, 03:31:00 pm
most peer-to-peer music share sites are illegal though.
Title: electronic books
Post by: oldspice on March 28, 2006, 09:05:08 pm
You can share books. there is some sort of scheme where you leave a book you have liked for someone else to read and they leave one for you. i can't quite remember how it works.