Amazon.com recently released an electronic book reader, the "Kindle." The concept of the E-book has tempted consumer electronic makers for years. The benefits of the E-book are substantial: a limitless library of downloadable books, all the advantages of HTML including hyperlinks, bookmarks, version control, commentary options, etc.
The manufacturers' efforts have stumbled repeatedly as their products were unable to match the plain old book in price, visual clarity, weight, size, and ease of use. The interesting thing about the E-book failures are how they expose the overlooked strengths of paper books. In the case of the Kindle, this blogger notes his wife's disappointment in losing a sense of place from holding a book.
When we hold and read a book, we receive many types of feedback. The reader can tell how far into the book they are and essentially how much of the story remains. I assume the Kindle interface identifies current page number and pages left, however, I doubt these cues match the subconscious feeling one gets from holding a book and feeling that there are fewer pages left than those that have been read.
When confronted with anecdotes of new technologies not matching the older technologies they intend to replace, I sometimes wonder whether a younger user of the product would have different feelings on the matter. For example, my father and many from his generation strongly prefer to read their news in a newspaper rather than on the screen. I strongly prefer to read my news from the screen. I prefer speaking on the phone while younger friends prefer SMS'ing. Certainly preferences change based on past experiences and powerful new features may be unable to tempt people away from comfortable, old technologies.
The manufacturers' efforts have stumbled repeatedly as their products were unable to match the plain old book in price, visual clarity, weight, size, and ease of use. The interesting thing about the E-book failures are how they expose the overlooked strengths of paper books. In the case of the Kindle, this blogger notes his wife's disappointment in losing a sense of place from holding a book.When we hold and read a book, we receive many types of feedback. The reader can tell how far into the book they are and essentially how much of the story remains. I assume the Kindle interface identifies current page number and pages left, however, I doubt these cues match the subconscious feeling one gets from holding a book and feeling that there are fewer pages left than those that have been read.
When confronted with anecdotes of new technologies not matching the older technologies they intend to replace, I sometimes wonder whether a younger user of the product would have different feelings on the matter. For example, my father and many from his generation strongly prefer to read their news in a newspaper rather than on the screen. I strongly prefer to read my news from the screen. I prefer speaking on the phone while younger friends prefer SMS'ing. Certainly preferences change based on past experiences and powerful new features may be unable to tempt people away from comfortable, old technologies.
Labels: user experience
posted by Shawn Elson on Friday, January 11, 2008
Comments:
Certainly people who post about the Kindle should actually own one with at least some experience in using it before telling others about it -- with the many errors I have seen in such cases.
For example, this writer worries bout reader knowing how far he is into reading a book, which he tells by the thickness of the pages already read vs. those not yet read. But the Kindle has what I call a "thermometer" at the bottom of the page with little dots moving across it from the left as that many relative pages have been read. When these dots reach the end of the line, you are finished.
The Kindle does not give page numbers, since it uses line wrap technology to allow a reader to set the size of the type being read to accomode the user's ability to read small type. or needing large type -- there are six different sizes to select from. As a result, pages do not mean anything to a Kindle reader. Instead there is a count given which can be used to go directly to that point if desired, and the total count is also provided so you can also know from that how far you are in a book. But since the Kindle remembers where you left off, I haven't needed that feature.
Personally I love my Kindle, and I take it everywhere I go - to the john where I get reading done while otherwise indisposed, to bed with me as it is the only "book" I have ever been able to read in bed, and of course anywhere I happen to be.
I don't buy many books from the Kindle store, but prefer to download them for free from the many sources of out-of-copyright books, for which many thousands are available. My interest is in the older classics anyway -- books which are long out of print, and mostly not even available even in a library. In short, I am having a ball reading clasics which I thought I would never see again in this lifetime. Kindle -- I love you.
Charles Wilkes, San Jose, Calif.
Here is a good review of the Kindle by smart guy, Ben Rosen.
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