Mossberg: Don't expect Apple tablet to be a 'dedicated reader'
While recent rumors have focused on Apple's long-rumored tablet device as a newspaper and book reader, columnist Walt Mossberg said he wouldn't expect a potential device to focus on only one function.
In his latest Q&A column, Mossberg, who writes for The Wall Street Journal, addressed a reader's query about a potential competitor Amazon Kindle competitor from Apple. He responded by saying he has no reason to believe Apple is making a dedicated e-book reader, nor does he have any evidence that the rumored 10-inch, touchscreen device would serve primarily as an e-book reader.
"The iPhone and iPod Touch already can run a free Kindle app from Amazon that allows you to read Kindle e-books on those devices without needing to own a Kindle itself," he said. "And Barnes & Noble, which has also announced a dedicated e-reader, has a similar iPhone app. So I assume that any general-purpose Apple tablet would likely be able to run such an app as well and function as an e-reader?along with performing other tasks."
He went on to say that it's possible Apple could enter the e-book business, but he has "zero hard evidence" to suggest it will actually happen.
In his latest Q&A column, Mossberg, who writes for The Wall Street Journal, addressed a reader's query about a potential competitor Amazon Kindle competitor from Apple. He responded by saying he has no reason to believe Apple is making a dedicated e-book reader, nor does he have any evidence that the rumored 10-inch, touchscreen device would serve primarily as an e-book reader.
"The iPhone and iPod Touch already can run a free Kindle app from Amazon that allows you to read Kindle e-books on those devices without needing to own a Kindle itself," he said. "And Barnes & Noble, which has also announced a dedicated e-reader, has a similar iPhone app. So I assume that any general-purpose Apple tablet would likely be able to run such an app as well and function as an e-reader?along with performing other tasks."
He went on to say that it's possible Apple could enter the e-book business, but he has "zero hard evidence" to suggest it will actually happen.
Comments
I wonder if Mossberg reads AI.
If it isn't e-ink it won't be a reader at all. It'll be a multi=purpose tablet computer, which isn't for reading book in my opinion. Despite how they try and market it, to read a book you need either book or an e-ink book reader displayed device.
To read a book that is a large novel yes you need E-Ink with todays displays. That however should not imply that future tech might invalidate that. The changes in display technology are extremely rapid.
However E-Ink is less than ideal for many publications, books and journals. That simply due to the lack of color. E-Ink also dramatically limits just what sort of media can be incorporated into a publication. These reasons and others disallow the movement to electronic publishing forms on E-ink devices. Let's face it E-Ink devices can't even do gray scale really well right now, much less motion or color.
The important traits in future devices is the ability to display sharp color images of text and graphics. Along with this the display needs to be fast enough to handle video well. It will be very interesting to see how future display tech like OLEDs, TMOS and other tech actually are recieved by users of these devices as E-Book readers.
Dave
TThe important traits in future devices is the ability to display sharp color images of text and graphics. Along with this the display needs to be fast enough to handle video well. It will be very interesting to see how future display tech like OLEDs, TMOS and other tech actually are recieved by users of these devices as E-Book readers.
Dave
I can see Apple getting in bed with the magazine makers. Having a paid subscription that is auto-cownloaded like a Podcast. The pages would be numbered chronological with a mutl-itouch swiping action to change pages would be the most natural feeling I can thing of.
Textbooks could work the same way but they would ened to have elements from Preview as an optional overlay so that hghlighting, underlyings, crin notes and whatever else you do with a textbook could be in this book. The original would still be retained, like with an edited iPhoto photo, but the data could be printed out and remain with that page.
Newspapers are trickier. Their sizes leave something to be desired. I don?t have to have to do massive scrolling to find a page that late has me go to a different page on a different section to access. It will need to be more like a magazine in setup, but with a tablet at the front show me quick access to sections.
Also, it needs to know if you have read a page yet. A way of auto-bookmarking. Maybe eveb the last time you were on the pages.
If it isn't e-ink it won't be a reader at all. It'll be a multi=purpose tablet computer, which isn't for reading book in my opinion.
I bought me a Sony Reader and filled it with a billion books to take on holiday.
The Sony Reader has an e-ink display.
The screen displays black-on-light-grey print-like images. The contrast is poorer than real print but very readable in available light. There is no backlight because that is not how e-ink works.
The resolution is also fine. I found the 6" screen-size to be a little cramped.
The speed of screen updates is very poor - it takes about a second to turn a page. More if the document contains graphics. Navigating a book, or quickly scanning to the right place is painful.
The slowness of E-ink offers no possibility of animation, fast UI or anything like that.
E-ink is quite poor in strong direct sunlight. Refreshing the screen in strong sunlight causes a faded-ink look.
All in all I don't agree that a backlit LCD device would be automatically worse as a reader.
The LCD would be worse outdoors. But I don't read a lot outdoors. And battery performance on the LCD device would also be worse.
But I would be gaining a device with colour, the ability to watch movies, look at websites and the ability to have a fast fluid user interface. Navigation and speed really matter.
In terms or reading a book or a magazine, I'd welcome the speed and colour of LCD.
C.
...........
The slowness of E-ink offers no possibility of animation, fast UI or anything like that.
E-ink is quite poor in strong direct sunlight. Refreshing the screen in strong sunlight causes a faded-ink look.
This is what kills E-Ink on tablet devices. Even for reading simple text. However it might be possible to overcome that speed issue. Right now though there are no commercial screens that do.
All in all I don't agree that a backlit LCD device would be automatically worse as a reader.
That will depend very much upon the quality of the LCD and the users expectations. I know that for magazine articles it will be fine. Plus an electronically delivered magazine allows for new concepts and media. Movies have been suggested as a possible new content but let's not forget 3D drawings and pics.
[quote]
The LCD would be worse outdoors. But I don't read a lot outdoors. And battery performance on the LCD device would also be worse.
[quote]
Yes right now for shipping LCDs that is an issue. There are companies working on that though, even one spun off from the OLPC project.
But I would be gaining a device with colour, the ability to watch movies, look at websites and the ability to have a fast fluid user interface. Navigation and speed really matter.
Color (good quality color) is huge with respect to many publications. Many publications simply can't transmit to a monochrome display well. This revolves around simply getting similar content to what you see on paper. Frankly the average magazine has higher quality pics than some of the better web sites out there.
This highlights an important element of such a device. The software supporting magazine subscriptions needs a bachground download mode. This so that magazines are delivered just like their paper equals in one big bock. This will keep the experience fluid and magazine like. In otherwords a magazine or book becomes a big bundle that is delivered in bulk to you to read as you care.
In terms or reading a book or a magazine, I'd welcome the speed and colour of LCD.
C.
I'd welcome it too but in my case I see it as a requirement. Mainly because of what I want to see on it. I don't expect to be reading novels on it in a regular sense. What I will read requires a color platform. It also requires a platform that reproduces much of the functionality of the Touch devices we currently have. Actually the device needs to go beyound current capabilities of Touch, but that is another response.
Dave
Either that company is apple, or apple will wait for LED screens to come down in price point. The power savings are so incredibly worth it at greater than 50% efficiency.
This category has to be all things to all people in some ways. The only way to achieve that is new technology like Pixel Qi, OLED and better batteries on the hardware side. All those products exist and are in the pipeline. Pixel Qi purposely made a product that can be mass manufactured on existing LCD lines. This will allow for fast adoption and cheap prices.
YouTube Pixel Qi.