Comments on: A few thoughts about e-books http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=511 Helping PC users make sense of Microsoft software since 1991 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:54:09 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Joe Wikert http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=511&cpage=1#comment-964 Joe Wikert Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=511#comment-964 Ed, your summary is much more effective than my original post. That's why you're the big name author and I'm just the grunt behind the scenes! Thanks for framing all this so effectively. Ed, your summary is much more effective than my original post. That’s why you’re the big name author and I’m just the grunt behind the scenes! Thanks for framing all this so effectively.

]]> By: Zaine Ridling http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=511&cpage=1#comment-965 Zaine Ridling Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=511#comment-965 Standardization would be the key, viz., format standardization, which is in part what crippled early efforts 5-6 years ago. Books are standardized on paper of course, and that worked for humans for centuries, even millenia for some ancient texts. Until "corporations" no longer seek profit from format, or restrictions to formats, then ebooks will be like solar heating (great idea in theory, but no one makes it work on a mass scale). Second is work for the authors and editors. A computer or trade book is nonfictional, mostly how-to content. Fiction writers rely on words for images and don't need, nay want, to turn their books into "DVD Special Feature" ebooks. Whatever the future holds for ebooks, it will only succeed on the practical idea of simplicity and a universally open format. Standardization would be the key, viz., format standardization, which is in part what crippled early efforts 5-6 years ago. Books are standardized on paper of course, and that worked for humans for centuries, even millenia for some ancient texts. Until “corporations” no longer seek profit from format, or restrictions to formats, then ebooks will be like solar heating (great idea in theory, but no one makes it work on a mass scale).

Second is work for the authors and editors. A computer or trade book is nonfictional, mostly how-to content. Fiction writers rely on words for images and don’t need, nay want, to turn their books into “DVD Special Feature” ebooks. Whatever the future holds for ebooks, it will only succeed on the practical idea of simplicity and a universally open format.

]]> By: Michael SJ Griffiths http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=511&cpage=1#comment-966 Michael SJ Griffiths Wed, 31 Dec 1969 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/wordpress/?p=511#comment-966 Heya Good points, all. However - what ever happened to the Microsoft Reader software? That's still floating around, is supported on Windows Mobile devices of all sorts, and has many of the features you mention. Plus, there's a free download to add a button to Word to export to Microsoft Reader Format. Heya

Good points, all.

However – what ever happened to the Microsoft Reader software? That’s still floating around, is supported on Windows Mobile devices of all sorts, and has many of the features you mention.

Plus, there’s a free download to add a button to Word to export to Microsoft Reader Format.

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