It might have taken the technology a few years to become popular, let alone noticed, but it is no doubt that one of this holiday season’s hottest gift to give or receive is the eBook reader. Whether you’ve sided with Amazon, Sony, Barnes & Noble, or none of the above, you’ve got to admit that there’s definitely something to all the commotion. The three aforementioned brands are considered to be the leaders this season, with many more intriguing participants promised to come out of the wood works, in 2010. So what is the deal with these devices and why are they so popular now? Much of it may be due to hype and marketing, however it seems that these devices are starting to actually offer something much greater to society. In-fact, the eBook reader is getting us one step closer to completing the digital lifestyle.
All the hype seems to be around the newest and arguably, best of these devices available on the market this holiday season. On October 20th, Barnes & Noble surprised many of us by releasing their own eBook reader device, called Nook. The Nook quickly caught everyone’s attention as some of it’s features threaten the Amazon Kindle’s place on the thrown in the world of eBook reader devices. The Nook starts with its more Apple-style industrial design. It is much cleaner and more simplistic, void of any visible surface buttons, as opposed to the Kindle’s full face qwerty keyboard and multiple function buttons. Nook features two screens. The first is a 6” E Ink® Vizplex™ electronic paper display. Below that is a 3.5” TFT color LCD touch screen, used for navigation, and text entry. The Nook is also the first reader device built on google’s Android mobile operating system. These two features give Barnes & Noble’s device the same advantage Apple’s iPhone had over other phones when it was first introduced; The Nook’s software can be infinitely updated and improved. This is also grabbing much attention from the tech/geek community, providing and auspicious platform for software development. A few other benefits of the Nook, is it’s ability to read PDFs and MP3s, for other documents and audio files you wish to carry with you. This goes hand in hand with it’s Micro SD slot, for memory expansion. The reader also includes 3G and Wifi capabilities for shopping for eBooks wirelessly, receiving your daily blogs and magazines, as well as for “lending” your eBooks (a new feature, exclusive to the Nook.) None of this information is particularly new so why bring it up?
The Nook has gotten me excited for what this means for my digital lifestyle. It is done in the same way the MP3 player, the smartphone, and even the notebook computer, have revolutionized the way I interact with my media. iPods got rid of the need to carry around bulky CD players, CD libraries, and not to mention spare batteries. The iPhone, got rid of the need for constantly needing a laptop to check e-mail, contacts, calendars, or looking up directions to the restaurant you’re supposed to be at in 20 minutes. The nook is the next revolutionary product class, that will help create a more efficient life. When I receive my Nook, this Christmas, I’ll be able to purchase and read the books I want. Even if the Nook could only hold one book at a time, and it was it’s only feature, it would already be an improvement over books. The Nook weighs a mere 11.2 oz. which is considerable less than the latest bestseller hardback. It’s dimensions are 7.7”x4.9”x.50”, making it about the same size as a standard paperback or journal. Luckily it can do much more than that. I can load it with many books, to read over longer trips back home. I also plan on loading it with maps and programs of all the exhibition halls I’ll be going to on my convention circuit, for easy access and reference. I will also load my working scripts onto the Nook, allowing me to review them, without wasting ink on printing dozens of pages, or having to deal with eye-strain, or power outlets, from using my laptop. And this is what I’ve thought of, before even getting my hands on it.
All this allows for a more efficient, and organized life, by giving me immediate access to what I need, when and where I need it. With it’s size, there is nowhere I can’t take my Nook. The Book, as we knew it, has finally caught up to my pace of life, set by an increasingly automated, intelligent, and fast-paced digital lifestyle. This is great news for those excited for our society’s technological and creative advancements. These are all topics now brought to light, thanks to the recent popularity of eBook readers, and have opened up many fascinating and productive topics to explore in digital culture. However these topics span from absolute adoration and hope, to a much deeper paranoia and distaste towards the very notion. More on those on another day.
*Photos courtesy of Barnes & Noble.
Nice to be returning to this blog again, it has been ages since. Well this post that I have been waiting for so long. I need this information to finish my college assignment, as it is a similar topic to this post. Thanks you, great share.
Its good to have you back. This blogs topic has been stirring up inside me for some time. After I finished writing it, i realized I didnt even get to the meat of what I wanted to discuss. The seconds part will delve more into the whole concept of humanity’s future in relation to digital media.
Good read Ali. Kinda makes me want to get one…and I don’t even read (that much)!
Hey, Evan. Good to see ya. The beauty of it is that I didn’t read much either until I knew I was getting one. I figure if anything will get me to read more, it’s a shin\y new piece of tech.