Comments on: more on the future of the book http://www.pzed.ca/words/2007/01/22/more-on-the-future-of-the-book/ what do you read, m'lord? Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:35:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: mjb http://www.pzed.ca/words/2007/01/22/more-on-the-future-of-the-book/comment-page-1/#comment-659 mjb Mon, 22 Jan 2007 23:23:08 +0000 http://www.pzed.ca/words/archives/2007/more-on-the-future-of-the-book/#comment-659 The benefits of an improved handheld computer optimized for reading are really obvious... you can see them working in so many situations. On the other hand, the paper book has some really attractive features which are going to make it nearly impossible to kill. 1) Low power requirements and durability. I'm not kidding. There aren't any technological devices for the mass market which you can take to the beach, step on, grind in the sand, splash with water, and still use after 50 years. Digital formats have such short lifetimes... print is a real "keeper" of info. 2) Inherent linearity. This is a <strong>feature</strong> for many applications, not a drawback. Obviously reference materials are nonlinear... that's why the hyperlinked nature of the internet and wikipedia are so attractive. But when it comes to storytelling, whether it's fiction or nonfiction, people still crave linear narrative experiences. There's something magical about just being swept away in a story, and NOT interacting with it. Films are still very popular, and they are the ultimate in linearity... in a theater you can't hit rewind, pause, or fast forward. I think books, especially paperback narratives which are so easy to take around, are gonna stick around for the long haul. The benefits of an improved handheld computer optimized for reading are really obvious… you can see them working in so many situations. On the other hand, the paper book has some really attractive features which are going to make it nearly impossible to kill.

1) Low power requirements and durability. I’m not kidding. There aren’t any technological devices for the mass market which you can take to the beach, step on, grind in the sand, splash with water, and still use after 50 years. Digital formats have such short lifetimes… print is a real “keeper” of info.

2) Inherent linearity. This is a feature for many applications, not a drawback. Obviously reference materials are nonlinear… that’s why the hyperlinked nature of the internet and wikipedia are so attractive.

But when it comes to storytelling, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, people still crave linear narrative experiences. There’s something magical about just being swept away in a story, and NOT interacting with it. Films are still very popular, and they are the ultimate in linearity… in a theater you can’t hit rewind, pause, or fast forward. I think books, especially paperback narratives which are so easy to take around, are gonna stick around for the long haul.

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