Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
wrong with physical books — except maybe that paper, over the long term, is fragile, and paper
books tend to be weighty, a potential impediment for travelers.
On the other hand, when asked why he prefers paper books, Bob likes to drop one from shoulder
height and ask, “Can your iPad (or Kindle) do that?”
Having said that, though, now consider the electronic advantages:
No more weight or bulk constraints:
You can cart a whole bunch of e-books around when
you travel, without breaking your back. To the avid bookworm, this potentially changes the
whole dynamic in the way you read. Because you can carry so many books wherever you go,
you can read whatever type of book strikes your fancy at the moment, kind of like listening to
a song that fits your current mood. You have no obligation to read a book from start to finish
before opening a new bestseller, just because that happens to be the one book, maybe two,
that you have in your bag. In other words, weight and space constraints are out the window.
Feel like reading a trashy novel:
Go for it. Rather immerse yourself in classic literature? Go
for that. You might read a textbook, cookbook, or biography. Or gaze in wonder at an illus-
trated beauty. What's more, you can switch among the various titles and styles of books at will
before finishing any single title.
Flexible fonts and type sizes:
With e-books, or what Apple prefers to call
iBooks,
you can
change the text size and fonts on the fly — quite useful for people with less than 20/20 vision.
Get the meaning of a word on the spot:
No more searching for a physical dictionary. You
can look up an unfamiliar word on the spot.
Search with ease:
Need to do research on a particular subject? Enter a search term to find
each and every mention of the subject in the book you're reading.
Read in the dark:
The iPad has a high-resolution backlit display so that you can read without
a lamp nearby, which is useful in bed when your partner is trying to sleep.
See all the artwork in color:
Indeed, you're making no real visual sacrifices anymore. For
example, the latest iBooks software from Apple lets you experience (within certain limits) the
kind of stunning art book once reserved for a coffee table. Or you can display a colorful chil-
dren's picture book. And some iBooks are come alive in ways a physical book never could,
with the addition of sound, animation, and video.
Truth is, there are two sides to this backlit story. The grayscale electronic ink displays found on
Amazon's Kindle and several other e-readers may be easier on the eyes and reduce fatigue, espe-
cially if you read for hours on end. And although you may indeed have to supply your own lighting
source to read in low-light situations, at least on some of the devices, those screens are easier to see
than the iPad screen when you're out and about in bright sunshine. And some newer E Ink-type read-
ers include displays that actually do light up.
