November 12th, 2008 by Learning Systems
Price will probably be the greatest obstacle to overcome for eBook readers. Kindle’s price of $400 puts it out of the average online courseware user’s budget. And though Kindle’s rights protection technology is convenient in some ways, users also complain that Kindle charges for material that’s free on the internet. There are costs for accessing blogs and newspapers, as well as surcharges for uploading your own documents.
Many online courseware students enjoy e-learning not only for the conveniences of distance learning, but also its cost-effectiveness. If eBook reader companies don’t rethink their models and systems, expensive readers coupled with costly reading material will deter not only online courseware users, but the majority of eBook reader users.
November 12th, 2008 by Learning Systems
In addition to the basic ones outlined here, there are some additional features that will separate the wildly popular eBook readers from the just popular or unpopular. These include text-to-speech, annotation tools, the ability to size up the font for when we get older, and expandable storage using an SD or CF card. What other features would you like for your ideal online courseware reading experience?
The future of the eBook reader in online courseware is bright, as long we we keep imagining. True, the readers available on the market–the Sony Reader, the Iliad and the Kindle among them–aren’t quite up to snuff. In order for eBook readers to make their way into the hands of all book lovers, LMS users and online courseware students, there will need to be some creative thinking and brainstorming.
November 12th, 2008 by Learning Systems
One essential eBook reader feature that goes especially well with online courseware users is a built-in wireless connection. For example, Kindle’s wi-fi access makes buying and reading books simple and convenient.
EBook Readers with wireless technologies allow content to be loaded faster, an important feature for online courseware users with busy lives. Knowledge Center analyst J. Gerry Purdy predicts that the future eBook reader will have multiple wireless technologies, like Wi-Fi and cellular capabilities, as well as wireless wide area networking (3G and WiMax).
But let’s not forget some very practical features. Besides having indoor and outdoor screen readability, eBook readers of the future should have a nice long battery life. What’s portability if you need to constantly recharge? Pages that are easy to turn are also important. And for online courseware users who stay up studying at night, a back-lit screen is a must.
November 10th, 2008 by Learning Systems
Ebook readers like the iLiad and the Sony Reader are ideal not only for online courseware students, but for everyone who likes to read. Of course, an ebook reader is just that–a reader–not an actual book. It is simply a device that can store and display text in an easy-to-read manner.
However, not all ebook readers are created equal. When choosing one to help make your online courseware more readable, make sure it’s compatible with your ebook format. The Kindle, for example, comes with “Whispernet,” a data connection over the cell phone network, allowing you to buy pleasure reading, cookbooks, online courseware material, or whatever you’re looking for from Amazon.com and have it seamlessly delivered to your reader.
November 10th, 2008 by Learning Systems
For most people, reading from paper has a certain flow and ease that is irreplaceable. Even those of us who use online courseware or work on a computer all day, and who generally read more print on a computer screen than we do from paper, will probably say that we much prefer paper. There is a solid, trusted feel in paper. As William Powers writes, “We have a sense of where we are” in a book or essay, unlike online courseware material or an online newspaper, where the structure is abstract. Paper documents are reliable and “do not change when we are not looking.”
However, technology like the iLiad, Kindle, and Sony Reader is being developed to provide all the pros of paper print, plus a host of extra capabilities. While most online courseware students might tell you that they still prefer reading from paper, when technologies like the Sony Reader become more popular, future readers may be singing a different tune.
November 10th, 2008 by Learning Systems
Paper has a tangible and special quality about it that we won’t give up completely, as we absorb ourselves in ebooks and online courseware. Right? For many people working in an office or studying online courseware, staring at a computer screen all day is painful on the eyes.
Bill Thompson writes that the launching of the Sony Reader in the UK, “has sparked another round of frenzied speculation over the future of the printed book in a world of screens, networks and digital data.” Similar to the iLiad or the Kindle, the Reader is a small electronic book with a clear, high-resolution display using “electronic ink.” The display looks more like paper than a screen. Technology like the Reader holds vast implications for the pulp and paper industry, as well as for online courseware companies.
