It wasn’t so long ago that there was rather serious talk of the end of an era: we were going to see the decline of paperback and hardcover books, and enjoy the rise of the e-book. The only problem was that it didn’t play out like that. E-books arrived in a big way, with a multitude of onscreen viewing options (mobile phones, computers and even their own designated readers), but none of these digital delights seemed to be able to match the tried-and-proven reading comfort offered by paper books.
(Image: Matthew Bowden)
I’m usually all for the efficiencies afforded by the possibility of having a collection of items being stored in a convenient place. I love that I can digitise my music and movies, taking them wherever my laptop and I decide to visit. But when it comes to reading books off screens it seems that I’m not alone in my preference of paper over pixels. While there are dozens of articles dedicated to the inherent problems of prolonged onscreen reading, I believe it’s more the ‘nostalgia factor’ that comes into play with my reluctance to delve into the world of e-books.
(Image: Giuseppe Maria Crespi)
While the convenience of localised storage is all well and good, I still love the idea of having a shelf lined with books. Old university textbooks that will happily gather dust, various novels that I’ve collected over the years and books I received as gifts that I’ll never get around to reading. Couple this with the versatility and comfort offered by a paper-based book, and the appeal is hard to deny. It’s not as comfortable to read from a laptop screen as the pages of a book and you certainly can’t throw them around without dire consequences.
But then I came across this article on paper-thin OLED screen technology on the front page of the PopSci website. It tells the tale of Sony’s latest attempt at bringing a practical replacement for paper-based products.
The full details behind the technology have yet to be revealed, however it does present exciting possibilities for the future of any text-based medium that’s traditionally presented on paper. Digital variants of magazines and newspapers are obvious choices, and we’re already heading that way with the iPad, but what excites me is the possibilities afforded by such a technology.
Not only should this type of technology logically lead to new ways to consume text, it should also lead to an evolved type of book. The video demonstration of the paper-thin OLED screen makes me dream of books that are no longer static pages of text, but offer, instead, a more dynamic approach to publishing (and subsequently, reading). Imagine unrolling one of these screens to read the latest *insert your favourite author here* (digital) page turner and interacting with dynamic text that offers images, videos, audio and perhaps even a writer’s commentary of sorts.
Such an idea could easily see the replacement of a bookshelf with a digital, paper-thin screen – at least in my mind. What about the rest of you?
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It definitely has potential, I’ll agree to that - but being the avid paperback fan that I am… I just don’t know if I’m ready to part with my beloved books! It’s not just about what’s written on the page, it’s the whole sensory experience of sitting down with a nice-smelling book and engaging with it. I like to always have a book in my bag to read on the bus, or on my lunch break - I don’t think a delicate piece of technology can replace that just yet. I really think this fancy new video technology is not so different from the e-book, and because books have a pretty old-school, die-hard loyal fan base, it will take a lot more than moving words on a screen to convert us.
@ Muffin - So if they were able to replicate the sensory experience with an e-book (the smell and feel), would that be enough for the purists? The way this technology is heading means that you’d potentially be able to slip multiple ‘books’ into your bag without it taking up as much space as a paper-based novel!
I agree with Muffin that books are more of a sensory experience than just sitting down and reading. E-books can’t compare to the feeling of an old page, or the smell of a book (the older the better). However, there is something to be said for storing literally thousands of old novels on your pc/laptop/iPad/iPhone. The other week I downloaded an ap for my iPhone which allows me to read books on it. It’s pretty awesome actually and very well executed. As a result hundreds apon hundreds of old classics that have either recently or long ago come out of their copywrite protection are now mine to enjoy at the touch of a screen. While this still isnt quite as enjoyable as a book it certainly beats carrying one round with me, as I dont know many books that can so easily slide into my pocket, or that I carry around just in case I find myself with a spare 15 minutes or so.
That paper-thing screen looks pretty amazing, I knew they existed but I had no idea they’d become so advanced so quickly. I agree with Tesla Patent Pending that there are definitely some exciting possibilities with this and I can’t wait to see what some of the more ingenious members of our community come up with as far as application goes.
@ Shonky Adonis - How do you find reading on the iPhone? I’ve tried it before but it gets real old, real fast. I believe there was some findings a while back (when the e-book originally didn’t succeed as well as they thought it would) that talked about the inherent problems of onscreen reading compared to reading off a page. If memory serves, it talked about the tendency for our eyes to want to focus on the centre of the screen, instead of the more traditional way of reading from top left to bottom right. Staring at computer monitors all day isn’t terribly good for your eyes anyway! I’m hoping that these advances in technology have also taken these types of consideration into account, as I love the practicality of a book but the possibilities of being able to read them off a digital device.