By all accounts the Sony Librié ebook reader could become an object of maximum desire. Apparently, its amazing screen contrast developed in collaboration with the US E-Ink Corporation and others puts it in a league all of its own; it supposedly comes very close to the reflective reading experience of paper we all know and love. But … The device weighs only 300g including batteries which are alleged to last for around the reading of 10,000 pages. It has a resolution of around 800×600 at 170dpi (around the same as a newspaper) which compares favourably with the 70-90 dpi of the average computer screen. 'Books' are downloaded to a local PC for transfer to the Librié in much the same way as music downloads are currently.
The current business model for the Librié is that of a book club offering single titles or five books per month at a reduced rate.
Ahh, but here's the catch … you only 'rent' the books. According to a Guardian Online article Library without Books (22 April 2004):
“the sting in the tail is that each title is really only borrowed. Thanks to Open MG protection, the content is unreadable after two months …”
Compound this with tying the 'books' to specific hardware and Sony and associated publishers have just irritated the hell out of potential customers.
But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the Librié will become an Apple IPod which cares not a jot for interoperability but instead has become as much a social statement as a practical device:)
I just can't help feeling that if my paper-back or text-book auto destructed after 2 months I would be feeling pretty aggrieved. But of course if I borrowed a book from a library then I would be expected to return it within the designated period. The difference here is who is controlling the device and who is controlling the library. The business model for the Librié apparently puts Sony in charge of the device and its publishing partners in charge of the library.
I could imagine a situation, however, where say academic libraries eventually loaned the whole series of readers for a course/programme/module on Sony Librié type devices with the auto-destruct taking care of rights issues. No competing for books in that model:)
Now add a further quote from a Guardian Online article on the Librié …
“flexible electronic paper which can handle Harry Potter-esque moving images and colour is in the research and development labs and may be just two to three years away.”
… and we have one powerful medium.
Those wanting a more considered and extended treatment of e-books may be interested in a recent UKOLN Powerpoint presentation It’s a book, but not as we know it: ebooks in libraries (you are advised to download not play in situ)
Now anyone tell me where I can find my University's Sony Library and Learning Centre? 🙂
