Chapter 5: Creating a Viable E-Text Market

Finally managed to read this week's textbook chapter: I like the use of the page metaphor vs the book metaphor for current Readers (I'll fall in with the reader/Reader split of the textbook). The Readers have been focused on the page metaphor and neglected aspects of the book metaphor, but, as they say on p. 135, "the design of E-Text Readers needs to reflect existing rituals", including the ritual of browsing and purchasing a physical book (though this is becoming less important than it once was). Once people have adjusted, neither metaphor will be necessary, though they may remain desirable: sensory and aesthetic pleasures shouldn't fade away.

And, also: if Xerox had just let their scientist keep working on electronic inks 30 years ago, we'd have them right now. I bet they're kicking themselves - core business, indeed.