The Electronic Book and PDA
Looking Beyond the Physical Codex
By Bradley F. James - SciNet
We live in an age of information; billions of pieces of information about any topic
imaginable are as near as the closest Internet connection. With the proliferation of the
Internet in the 1990s, information storage and retrieval has quickly become bound to the
digital universe of hard drives and servers. It is no longer a question of whether we have
entered a new punctuation in the history of the book; it is a question of how long old
technology (mainly referring to the codex) will dominate, and in what ways electronic
media will ultimately manifest itself.
The origins of the electronic book can be traced as far back as 1946 when
ENIAC (electronic numerical integrator and computer), the first computer, came online. Developed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, ENIAC stored information and ran programs using 19,000 vacuum tubes, 1,500 relays, and hundreds of thousands of resistors, capacitors, and inductors. Over the next thirty years, the computer continued to advance in execution rate, memory capacity, and processing power, all while becoming smaller in size and easier in use. By 1971 powerful new microprocessors were introduced that could do nearly all the basic computations of modern computers. The new processors were able to facilitate Project Gutenberg that entailed the conversion of many classical texts, including The Oedipus Trilogy, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, and Treasure Island, into electronic form. About 25 years later, over 250 different titles had been transcribed and made available on the newly accessible Internet. The Internet, much like the computer, would aid in the proliferation and mass availability of data, as well as revolutionize the idea of the electronic book in the last decade of the 20th century.
The Internet as we know it today is quite different from its beginnings. In 1962, out of a need by the U.S. Air Force to maintain control over its missiles and bombers
following a nuclear attack, a switched network was developed by Paul Baran that linked
several computers over a network. The network, although primitive by today's
standards, allowed messages to be sent from one computer to another, similar to an early
electronic mail (E-mail) system. In 1969, a network was set up linking the University of California at Los Angeles to the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the University of Utah. Finally, in 1973, a group headed by Vinton Cerf from Stanford and Bob Kahn from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) began developing a protocol, later to be called TCP/ IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). TCP/ IP allowed different computer networks to interconnect and communicate with one another. Throughout the rest of the 1970s, and into the 80s, the Internet grew steadily, incorporating an ever-increasing number of computers and networks. It gradually became more standardized, incorporating the familiar concepts of domain names (such as the .com, .net, and .org) and hypertext, which allows one website to link to another. Today the Internet is a massive web of millions of computers and computer networks, transmitting and storing billions of pieces of information, a truly international library of nearly limitless capacity.
The most popular form of the electronic book today is the e-book as a component of the Internet, rather than a physical device. If the Internet is thought of as a giant library, storing all types of information, then websites are the individual books and magazines in all their varying sizes and content. Websites may include information, pictures, and links to other websites, much like the pages of codices contain printed text, pictures, and perhaps even references to other pages or books (such as footnotes). Not all websites are designed to be used as a book; there are websites utilized as online shops, discussion boards, and even games. However, millions of websites, such as online dictionaries and encyclopedias, are designed and utilized much like a book or other printed media. In this way, certain websites and online databases are often seen as electronic books in their own right.
Comparable to their codex ancestors, websites are designed and constructed with both mechanics and aesthetics in mind. Almost all websites are created utilizing a common language, which allows a great deal of uniqueness as well as standardization.
Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML, is the coding language that is most commonly used to "write" websites. To write HTML, a web-publisher uses an HTML editor that displays webpage files as a page of code, easily manipulated to add pictures or text.
Once written, webpages are then uploaded to a server that hosts them under a specific domain (such as truman.edu). The individual webpages, of which there may be one or hundreds, are collectively termed a website if they are present under a single common domain, or sub-domain. Webpages are connected by hypertext links, linking each page to any number of additional pages. The result is a massive network of webpages and websites linked in an impressive tapestry of information.
In addition to websites, there are also more traditional e-books directly transcribed from modern codices, easily uploaded and downloaded from the Internet in a variety of formats. For example, an Internet company called toExcel, publishes novels online that are free to read. Another site, netLibrary.com, offers 37,000 e-book titles, most of which are only accessible through affiliated libraries. Other online companies sell downloadable books in pdf form that can be read using a program known as Adobe Acrobat Reader. Similar to most computer text programs, Adobe Acrobat allows readers to scroll up or down vertically, bringing one page into view after another. Such a method is oddly reminiscent of reading a papyrus scroll, although reading off a computer screen undoubtedly requires less effort on the part of the reader.
Electronic books, from websites to acrobat files, represent an easy means of storing and viewing information. However, they lack a certain physical appeal that codices and other tactile media posses. As described by Frederick Kilgour, "the unacceptability of the present electronic book is often expressed in what has come to be known as the 'can't curl up in bed with it' syndrome, closely followed by the 'can't read it at the beach' complaint." In order to overcome these inadequacies, a few pioneering companies are designing and producing lightweight, paperback-sized electronic devices that are intended to replace the codex, not only in content, but in physical form as well. Nuvomedia, for instance, is currently developing a device that resembles a miniature laptop. The device, called the Rocket e-Book, has easy-to-use buttons, an LCD screen, and multiple print sizes. It also allows the reader to annotate and search the text, as well as look up unfamiliar words using an integrated dictionary. Unarguably the best quality of such a device is the ability to, "take it anywhere, read in bed, at the beach, on the subway, at breakfast, and so on." Nuvomedia claims that it will have several hundreds of newly published titles available for download once the Rocket e-Book is released.
Electronic reading devices (or ERDs), like the Rocket e-Book, are currently being divided into two main types: the personal digital assistant (PDA) and the dedicated ERD. The PDA is designed to be a multi-functional device, run using either the Palm operating system or the Pocket PC operating system. Although PDAs have varying amounts of memory, they have an almost instant start-up. In fact, they are often considered "lite" computers, being faster and smaller than laptops, yet retaining nearly the same amount of features. PDAs can be used as organizers with such functions as a calendar, address-book, memo lists, and a calculator. Many PDAs are also designed to download and display e-books in a few particular formats.
In contrast, the primary purpose of dedicated ERDs is to display, download, and store electronic books, rather than mimic the functions of a computer. Some may also offer a few of the options available on PDAs; however they are only secondary to the e-book functions. Dedicated ERDs are usually slightly larger than PDAs. This allows for a more extensive viewing screen, and thus a larger reading surface. Many of the new dedicated ERDs provide the reader with the ability to rotate text by 90 degrees, allowing the display of longer lines. Both the PDA and dedicated ERD require a computer to download and upload e-book files, which is a major limitation of these devices.
Although the e-book may very soon overcome the deficiencies of a physical nature, there are other obstacles it will have to overcome in order to claim dominance over the traditional book. Hand-held ERDs, for instance, need to be cheap and widely available. Nuvomedia's Rocket e-book is planned to be priced around $500, which is simply too expensive for most consumers. Desktop computers are not portable, and laptop computers are considerably more expensive than desktops. They also have a limited battery life and are still too heavy to carry around as easily as most regular books. Individual novels, downloaded into the e-book, will have to be less expensive than traditional books in order to gain a respectable following.
Another major issue with the electronic book is piracy and readability. In an attempt to protect their property, content owners and authors provide e-books in specific formats that are designed to reduce piracy. These formats are only readable using certain software or hardware platforms. Thus, even if you have the money to purchase an electronic reading device you may only be able to read some of the e-book novels available. The lack of a universal e-book file format compatible with a wide range of devices will continue to severely limit the desirability of portable electronic books.
In addition to technical issues, there is also a social attachment to the traditional book. People enjoy sharing, or even showing off, the types of books or other materials they like to read by reading them in the presence of others or displaying them in their home. This social aspect of sharing and enjoying books is perhaps one of the major contributors to the rise of the coffeehouse/bookstore. Michael Goldhaber elucidates this idea by stating that, "the social mixing that goes on at bookstores may become a thing of the past. If you want others to be impressed with the book you are reading … the e-book will deny you that chance, forcing you to either give up false modesty and proclaim your interests in your own voice, or give up any identity through your reading."
Webpages as electronic books also have drawbacks. Because the Internet is so vast, and the information so scattered, worthwhile and meaningful information is sometimes difficult to find. Internet connection speed has also been a factor limiting the usefulness of Internet resources. Today, DSL (or Digital Subscriber Lines) and cable modems are allowing very quick and efficient dissemination of data for those who can afford it. Once information is easily available, however, there is still a question of that information's quality and validity. On the Internet, anyone can claim to be an expert on any given topic, dispensing knowledge or advice that may not be based on proof, expertise, or any other "well-grounded" literary sources. For this reason, the Internet is an electronic library full of potentially incorrect, or misleading, information.
There is also an Internet-related issue concerning the servers that store and transmit the digital data of websites and electronic books. Servers use the same means of storing information as regular computers: magnetic hard drive disks. It is possible that data contained on these disks may become corrupt and therefore unstable, or may simply be deleted altogether. If a company contains a database of new books, that data may be irreplaceable if the storage device suffers permanent damage. In addition, with software platforms and coding methods constantly changing, there is no guarantee that electronic book files produced today will be compatible with reading devices of tomorrow.
The e-book also holds many advantages for the reader as well. E-books allow faster availability of novels since they do not have to be printed or shipped. In fact, with the necessary technology, books can be downloaded from anywhere at anytime. The wireless networks that already allow the service of cellular telephones could easily be used by readers to access databases of electronic books. There would no longer be a concern that certain books would go out of print, since maintaining book files online or over a wireless service would be very inexpensive for publishers.
Perhaps most importantly, electronic books contain many unique features that regular books do not. They offer a variety of fonts, text searching, as well as back-lit screens designed for reading in the dark. Yet the most distinguishable feature of the electronic book is its multimedia capabilities. From hand-held ERDs to desk-top computers, the interface of electronic books allow stories to come alive with animated graphics and video, in addition to regular static pictures. Written text and vivid illustrations can be used in any combination, giving the author additional means of artistic expression, and readers a more lively reading experience. These features will not be useful for every novel, and some readers prefer to have text only. However, for other readers, especially children, multimedia graphics provide visual and audio feedback, increasing the interactivity and enjoyment of books.
Libraries may also benefit from the advent of the electronic book. Fully digital libraries do not have to concern themselves with packing and unpacking, shelving, physical circulation, or overdue books. In fact, electronic libraries would require fewer employees; perhaps only one individual to maintain and update the collection. There would be little need for a large physical space, as the shelving of books would no longer be necessary. Librarians of the future would be similar to today's technical support, teaching library patrons how to utilize the new layout and informational interfaces. Eliminating clerical positions and large physical spaces, as well as not having to deal with the import and export of physical books, would be an attractive proposition for library administrators running low on funds.
Over the next few decades, the success of the electronic book will depend largely upon its practicality and advantages over the printed book. It is questionable whether
these advantages are significant enough to overcome the familiarity of the printed book, as well as the technical difficulties that still plague electronic reading devices. However, the success of Internet e-books, published in the form of websites and downloadable files, is much less questionable as both the availability and attainability of information via the Internet increases daily. Yet even the Internet is restricted, being an immobile source of reading material, not capable of satisfying either the "can't curl up in bed with it" syndrome, or the "can't read it at the beach" complaints. As long as readers retain a sense of familiarity with the feel and comfort of the printed book, there is little doubt that the codex - having been the dominate form of the book for over 1500 years - will continue to dominate for many years to come.
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