Entries tagged with “olpc” from Tools of Change for Publishing
News Roundup: Apple vs. Kindle?, OLPC 2.0 as an E-Reader, B&N Studying Borders Acquisition
Mac Slocum
May 23, 2008
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Will Apple Challenge the Kindle?
Rex Hammock re-launches consideration of why Apple would give Amazon a run for ebook readers and content distribution:
... a slightly larger iPod Touch [view concept image] linked to eBooks distributed via the iTunes store would match and raise the game with Amazon. (Continue reading.)
Next Generation OLPC: E-Reader in Waiting?
[Nicholas] Negroponte didn't share many details about the XO-2's hardware, but the new system has two touch-sensitive displays. As you can see from the video and the pictures, the XO-2 will be much smaller than the original machine (half the size, according to the press release) and will have a foldable e-book form factor. “The next generation laptop should be a book,” Negroponte said. (Continue reading.)
B&N Considering Borders Acquisition
When Borders announced its exploration of "strategic alternatives" in March, speculation marked Barnes & Noble as a possible suitor. The Wall Street Journal says B&N is taking that speculation seriously -- it's assembled an advisory team to study an acquisition of its brick-and-mortar competitor. (Continue reading.)
Next Generation OLPC: E-Reader in Waiting?
Mac Slocum
May 21, 2008
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Laptop Mag has an early look at the next-generation One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO-2, and the concept's book-like form factor is sure to turn a few heads in the e-reader world:
[Nicholas] Negroponte didn't share many details about the XO-2's hardware, but the new system has two touch-sensitive displays. As you can see from the video and the pictures, the XO-2 will be much smaller than the original machine (half the size, according to the press release) and will have a foldable e-book form factor. “The next generation laptop should be a book,” Negroponte said.
The $75 XO-2 is scheduled to go into production in 2010, but that date and the product itself are both being questioned.
What Would Your Ideal E-Reader Look Like?
Mac Slocum
May 7, 2008
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I've seen a number of articles discussing the e-reader merits of low-cost laptops like the Asus Eee PC and the OLPC. Reviews say both machines adequately handle e-reader duties, but the overall experience is like reading a magazine through a Web browser: novel, but not really practical.
On the opposite side, the Kindle, Sony Reader and other dedicated e-readers continue to be debated. The screen resolutions and portability of these devices are generally appreciated, but there are broader issues with ergonomics, ebook formats, proprietary quirks, connectivity, etc..
Put it all together and it's clear we have yet to reach the e-reader promised land. But that doesn't mean we can't play with the topic ...
What I'd like to know is, if you had your druthers, what would your ideal e-reader look like? What specs would it feature? What formats would it handle?
Please share your thoughts in the comments area.
Ebook Format Primer
Liza Daly
April 21, 2008
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The simplest solution, of course, is to partner directly with the ebook manufacturers and let them take care of the details. These partnerships must be drawn up for each new platform and publishers are at the whims of the device-makers' terms of use. Innovative publishers may want to first experiment on their own and be prepared to shift platforms strategically: this means ebook distribution must fit into existing workflows. Although some of the formats below support digital rights management, consider eschewing DRM in favor of flexibility and cross-platform support.
Let's start with the major devices first:
- The Sony Reader primarily uses Sony's proprietary Broadband eBooks (BBeB) format for documents with DRM but also supports RTF and non-DRM PDF. Sony does not provide any official tools for end users to convert to BBeB although at least one unofficial open source tool can convert HTML to BBeB. The most flexible non-DRM formats are RTF and PDF. Microsoft Word can readily save to RTF and Microsoft offers detailed instructions on converting from XML to RTF, but pure open-source alternatives are not mature. XML to PDF conversion has stronger open source support but files may need to be specially tweaked for optimum display on the Reader.
- The Amazon Kindle uses Amazon's proprietary AZW format, which supports DRM. There are no tools available to directly convert to AZW, but AZW is a wrapper around the Mobipocket format and DRM-free Mobipocket files can be read on the device. Mobipocket documents can be created using a free (but not open-source) tool called Mobipocket Creator. As if the format wars weren't confusing enough already, "Mobipocket DRM" is not the same as AZW, and files created as Mobipocket DRM cannot be read on the Kindle. Mobipocket Creator does have a "batch" creation mode which could be integrated into an existing workflow, but the software is Windows-only. The Kindle also supports HTML and Word documents, but not PDF.
Specialized readers aren't the only way consumers may be viewing ebook content. Ultra-portable laptops like the Eee PC and OLPC XO are price-competitive with standalone readers. (I have an OLPC and reading by the pool in bright sunlight is quite a joy.) The next version of the iPhone is expected soon, and while the first edition was already a serviceable reader, the next version is likely to be more so, and to reach a wider audience.
All the devices listed above, except the Sony Reader, can read a common format: HTML. If XML is already a part of your workflow, converting to HTML is trivial. If not, HTML is a worthwhile investment for a number of reasons:
- XHTML is the standard markup for book content in OPS/.epub. .epub support is just getting off the ground but is expected to become widespread.
- If your publishing workflow includes HTML, your organization is able to distribute content to dozens of devices in addition to the open Web.
HTML is also the lingua franca of online search engines, and inclusion of partial or full HTML books will attract casual surfers and can drive community engagement with your content. Whether it's BBeB or AZW that becomes the Betamax of the next decade (and one, if not both, will be obsolete by then), HTML conversion is guaranteed to pay off in the foreseeable future.
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