AmaÂzon ran a not so sucÂcessÂful etextÂbook experÂiÂment at PrinceÂton this year. Now it’s time for the iPad to take a crack at the digÂiÂtal textÂbook marÂket. WastÂing litÂtle time, CoursÂeSÂmart has announced an iPad app that will bring thouÂsands of textÂbooks to Apple’s new platÂform. The video above gives you a glimpse into this iniÂtiaÂtive. And while you can only tell so much from a short video, it looks like this prodÂuct could have some legs. The interÂface looks pretÂty slick, and the prodÂuct quite usable. The downÂside is that CoursÂeSÂmart doesÂn’t do enough to lowÂer costs for stuÂdents. GenÂerÂalÂly, the comÂpaÂny rents digÂiÂtal textÂbooks for 50% of the price that AmaÂzon sells hard copies. That leaves stuÂdents still payÂing inflatÂed prices. And so the video above hardÂly conÂstiÂtutes an endorseÂment. It’s more to show you where the marÂket is going.
Last week, Craig FerÂguÂson probÂaÂbly made a litÂtle teleÂviÂsion hisÂtoÂry when he invitÂed a phiÂlosÂoÂphy proÂfesÂsor to appear on The Late Late Show. The guest is Jonathan DanÂcy, a prof at UT-Austin, who also hapÂpens to be the father of actor Hugh DanÂcy, and the father-in-law of actress Claire Danes. And the unlikeÂly topÂic of disÂcusÂsion? Moral parÂticÂuÂlarÂism, which argues that moralÂiÂty is conÂtexÂtuÂal, not objecÂtiveÂly defined. The conÂverÂsaÂtion runs 11 minÂutes, and it’s intriguÂing to see how FerÂguÂson and DanÂcy navÂiÂgate the interÂview, tryÂing to bring phiÂlosÂoÂphy and comÂeÂdy togethÂer. MeanÂwhile, if you’re a regÂuÂlar Open CulÂture readÂer, you’ll note that DanÂcy’s thinkÂing stands in sharp conÂtrast to the conÂtroÂverÂsial vision of moral phiÂlosÂoÂphy outÂlined by Sam HarÂris at the recent TED ConÂferÂence.
YesÂterÂday mornÂing, I headÂed to the Palo Alto Apple Store, spent an hour waitÂing in line, then finalÂly gained entrance to the store. And who entered alongÂside me? Steve Jobs! An ausÂpiÂcious beginÂning. I left with a 32 gig iPad, took it home, and startÂed playÂing parÂticÂuÂlarÂly with the eBook readÂer. Here are my very earÂly impresÂsions:
15 months ago, I bought a KinÂdle and returned it. I just couldÂn’t read with it at night (a non-starter for me), and figÂured that Apple would evenÂtuÂalÂly get it right. Well, they largeÂly have. The iPad iniÂtialÂly feels a litÂtle heavy. But, it’s actuÂalÂly no heavÂier than your averÂage hardÂback book. Plus it’s fairÂly easy to hold. Score one for the iPad.
Then, when you fire up the eBook readÂer, you instantÂly like what you see. The fonts are crisp, and the images are in colÂor, which means that you can read chilÂdren’s books, comics and othÂer graphÂic intenÂsive texts. Plus, you can change the size and kind of the font. You can adjust the brightÂness of the screen. And, in some casÂes, you can even alter the backÂground colÂor of the screen. (Most of this you can’t do with the KinÂdle.) All of this conÂtributes to a readÂer-friendÂly screen that’s easy on the eyes. And, yes, I can read with this device at night. (ReadÂers make othÂer good obserÂvaÂtions in the comÂments below.)
How about buyÂing books for the iPad? Well, it’s pretÂty easy. Both Apple and AmaÂzon sell books for the device, with prices genÂerÂalÂly rangÂing between $9.99 and $12.99. Rather notably, they also offer access to a sizÂable colÂlecÂtion of free books in the pubÂlic domain. (You can get more freeÂbies here, too.) OverÂall, AmaÂzon has a much largÂer invenÂtoÂry, and their books tend to be cheapÂer. But othÂerÂwise these are pretÂty simÂiÂlar serÂvices. And, because Apple now has a far supeÂriÂor device, you have to wonÂder whether this is the beginÂning of a big shift in the book marÂket. In five years, AmaÂzon might not be quite the beheÂmoth it is today — someÂthing that’s probÂaÂbly letÂting Steve Jobs sleep easÂiÂer than Jeff Bezos at night.
A final point worth menÂtionÂing here: NeiÂther comÂpaÂny will let you have true ownÂerÂship over the books you buy. Both venÂdors lock down their books, dicÂtate the operÂatÂing enviÂronÂments in which you can read them, and conÂtrol the user interÂfaces that shape the readÂing expeÂriÂence. (PC World has more on that here.) You don’t have much ultiÂmate conÂtrol over the underÂlyÂing file. So the upshot is that you had betÂter like the iPad (or KinÂdle) readÂing expeÂriÂence before decidÂing to amass a large and costÂly library.
Now for a few ranÂdom obserÂvaÂtions:
1) The video genÂerÂalÂly looks great (unless, of course, it’s proÂduced in Flash). I was realÂly impressed with the qualÂiÂty of YouTube videos, and NetÂflix movies (free app here) stream over the iPad rather brilÂliantÂly.
2) On the downÂside, I found typÂing on the iPad to be rather difÂfiÂcult — even more so than typÂing on an iPhone. The device is large enough that it’s hard to stretch your finÂgers to reach varÂiÂous keys. Maybe I will get a hang of it. But, for now, it’s unwieldy.
3) The New York Times and Wall Street JourÂnal have develÂoped new apps for the iPad, and they delivÂer a pleasÂant readÂing expeÂriÂence, to be sure. But I don’t see this sudÂdenÂly makÂing conÂsumers any more (or less) willÂing to pay. The conÂcept of the iPad savÂing the newsÂpaÂper indusÂtry seems fairÂly overÂplayed, I’m sorÂry to say.
4) Is this a must-have device? Or just nice-to-have? Right now, I’m inclined toward the latÂter (and so is Slate). Aside from the eBook readÂer, your home comÂputÂer or smart phone can accomÂplish most of what the iPad can. HowÂevÂer, the iPad will rapidÂly difÂferÂenÂtiÂate itself. It will become a nice low-cost, portable comÂputÂer — one that lets you store data in the cloud, and proÂvides access to a large volÂume of cheap or free softÂware (at least more than your averÂage conÂsumer norÂmalÂly gets). Give it a year. Wait for the flood of apps to come. Wait for innoÂvÂaÂtive softÂware develÂopÂers to extract the potenÂtial of this machine, and wait for Apple to make the iPad lighter, cheapÂer, and even faster. Right now, it’s not a game changÂer. But it will be down the line.
Are you a new iPad ownÂer? Have any thoughts in genÂerÂal? Or parÂticÂuÂlarÂly about the eBook readÂer? Add them to the comÂments below, or send them our way. We look forÂward to hearÂing what you have to say …
T.S. Eliot reads from The WasteÂland, one of the great poems of the last cenÂtuÂry. It begins famousÂly:
APRIL is the cruÂellest month, breedÂing
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixÂing
MemÂoÂry and desire, stirÂring
Dull roots with spring rain.
WinÂter kept us warm, covÂerÂing
Earth in forÂgetÂful snow, feedÂing
A litÂtle life with dried tubers.
SumÂmer surÂprised us, comÂing over the StarnÂbergÂersee
With a showÂer of rain; we stopped in the colonÂnade,
And went on in sunÂlight, into the HofÂgarten,
And drank cofÂfee, and talked for an hour.
Bin gar keine Russin, stamm’ aus Litauen, echt deutsch.
And when we were chilÂdren, stayÂing at the archÂduke’s,
My cousÂin’s, he took me out on a sled,
And I was frightÂened. He said, Marie,
Marie, hold on tight. And down we went.
In the mounÂtains, there you feel free.
I read, much of the night, and go south in the winÂter.
The details are still hazy. But we know this: Google will be launchÂing a “colÂlabÂoÂraÂtive research proÂgram to explore the digÂiÂtal humanÂiÂties” using Google Books. ScholÂars will get up to $50,000 per year, and they’ll come from eight potenÂtial disÂciÂplines (archaeÂolÂoÂgy, hisÂtoÂry, anthroÂpolÂoÂgy, linÂguisÂtics, litÂerÂaÂture, clasÂsics, phiÂlosÂoÂphy & sociÂolÂoÂgy). And what’s the point of their research? EssenÂtialÂly to make Google’s online digÂiÂtal library more effecÂtive and friendÂly for researchers. Just last year, a promiÂnent acaÂdÂeÂmÂic called Google Books a “DisÂasÂter for ScholÂars” in a high proÂfile forum. The new grants should begin to address these conÂcerns in some meanÂingÂful ways. For more inforÂmaÂtion, head over to The ChronÂiÂcle of HighÂer EduÂcaÂtion, which has the full stoÂry.
Kurt VonÂnegut’s SlaughÂterÂhouse-Five was pubÂlished back in 1969, and the anti-war sci fi novÂel quickÂly became a clasÂsic. (The book now appears, for examÂple, on Time MagÂaÂzine’s list of All Time 100 NovÂels.) Whether you’ve read the novÂel or not, you’ll want to check this out. HarperÂCollins has postÂed online a recordÂing of VonÂnegut himÂself readÂing a lengthy pasÂsage from the work. And he does it with the “casuÂal irony that comÂpleÂments the novÂelÂ’s wonÂderÂfulÂly eccenÂtric tone.” You can stream VonÂnegut’s readÂing in the folÂlowÂing forÂmats: .au forÂmat (4.5 Mb), .gsm forÂmat (900 Kb), .ra forÂmat ( Mb). (SorÂry a straightÂforÂward mp3 is not availÂable.) Also, if you want some more VonÂnegut, feel free to downÂload his 1962 sci fi short stoÂry, 2BR02B, which is othÂerÂwise listÂed in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Audio Books.
Note: Audible.com offers a verÂsion of SlaughÂterÂhouse-Five narÂratÂed by actor/writer Ethan Hawke. You can downÂload it (or any anothÂer othÂer book) for free if you start a free 14 day triÂal. It has no strings attached. Get some more basic details here.
In the earÂly days of cinÂeÂma, cenÂsorÂship was comÂmonÂplace in AmerÂiÂca, and even slightÂly sugÂgesÂtive film clips wound up on the cutÂting room floor. Now, at long last, some clips are finalÂly reachÂing the silÂver screen. In 2007, a filmÂmakÂer found cut scenes in an old theÂater someÂwhere in PennÂsylÂvaÂnia, and, with them, proÂduced a short film. Above, you can revisÂit the legaÂcy of cenÂsorÂship in earÂly AmerÂiÂcan film. And, what’s more, you can watch lots of great vinÂtage films with our colÂlecÂtion of Free Online Movies.
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