The Bookseller.com

8th September 2008

« Headlines

Don't give up on the book yet

05.06.08

Electronic reading devices have the potential to reinvent a fine old technology, but they have some way to go, writes Paul Gent in the Telegraph. The book is already a highly evolved piece of technology, many claim. It is portable, shareable, easily navigable and relatively cheap. How could it be improved by making it electronic?

"Where the Iliad scores - and this is presumably the reason for the extra weight it is carrying - is its interactivity. Unlike my minimalist Cybook, it comes with a stylus that can be used for navigation or for making notes, either in separate documents or on the texts themselves - great for those who like to scribble all over their books."

"At the moment, the Iliad feels like a prototype that needs a lot more development. Whether it gets it depends on how popular e-readers become - and currently the signs are not hopeful," Gent concludes.

Telegraph

e-book Borders Kindle digitisation iLiad