marguerite Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Thanks for the heads up! Very interesting article. I liked how it concluded that both are necessary, and that librarians (and the ability to parse through written information expertly) aren't going away. I do think it would be too bad if all that's left for us is zeros and ones and internet search engines. Orren Yes, I agree. Also the idea that librarians are in some ways even more necessary to filter the mass of data. I also liked Darnton's point that books will stay around for a long time. Here I am, happily reading novels on my iPad, and yet there is something just so much more satisfying about a book. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted April 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 When Bill Gates purchased the Da Vinci Codex (for $30 million in 1994) he was kind enough to make a virtual copy available. The virtual had every smudge, every markup, every margin scribble the Master had made. Nowadays they're trying to put everything online and make it searchable (and threatening to throw the originals in the river). The problem with that is they are (for the most part) including only the original text in the online copies. One wonders if we would have a solution for Fermat's Last Theorem today (actually 1995, despite what you've heard on Star Trek: TNG) if Fermat's own copy of Diophantus’ Arithmetica, hadn't physically survived into the 20th century with margin scribbles intact. There is so much more to an old book than merely its text. - Thoth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealtruismsociety Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 When Bill Gates purchased the Da Vinci Codex (for $30 million in 1994) he was kind enough to make a virtual copy available. The virtual had every smudge, every markup, every margin scribble the Master had made. Nowadays they're trying to put everything online and make it searchable (and threatening to throw the originals in the river). The problem with that is they are (for the most part) including only the original text in the online copies. One wonders if we would have a solution for Fermat's Last Theorem today (actually 1995, despite what you've heard on Star Trek: TNG) if Fermat's own copy of Diophantus’ Arithmetica, hadn't physically survived into the 20th century with margin scribbles intact. There is so much more to an old book than merely its text. - Thoth But if authors of these novels had access to the technology today, of course they would have used it. I like a good book as much as the next person but lets be honest, we don't need to worry about physical copies surviving. Imagine if all the books burned at the library of Alexandria had been backed up on tape somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted April 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 But if authors of these novels had access to the technology today, of course they would have used it. I like a good book as much as the next person but lets be honest, we don't need to worry about physical copies surviving. Imagine if all the books burned at the library of Alexandria had been backed up on tape somewhere. And imagine if they had also backed up the in-volume commentary on these books? But they didn't. And for the most part, neither are we, even thought the technology is available today. Projects (like Project Gutenberg, for example) are not really backing up the whole book. Just the text. BUT if an e-reader would allow you to take notes on the displayed text (which is at least technically possible today) we might just be able to save important impressions as well as the text. Once again, I maintain that a book is more than just its text. - Thoth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 That would be cool. Perhaps someone should start backing up Scans of books with margin notes/doodles/etc. If they combined that with the text to make it searchable, it'd be pretty nifty. -Jools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Gotta love these double posts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted April 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 That would be cool. Perhaps someone should start backing up Scans of books with margin notes/doodles/etc. If they combined that with the text to make it searchable, it'd be pretty nifty.-Jools Nifty indeed. But here's a thought. What happens to this Apple Tablet Event thread, and all our brilliant posts, should Invision Zone go out of business? Or if Steve decides to retire on his Storyist billions and stops paying Invision Zone's bills for keeping up the forums? Do my 3000 brilliant posts get dumped in the river like so many old library books? Will all our clever banter and insights become just food for the fishes? Will future space-alien archeologists be deprived of our slant on the late great planet Earth? Such thoughts keep me up at night. - T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguerite Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Never! Say it ain't so, Big Guy! M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealtruismsociety Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Nifty indeed. But here's a thought. What happens to this Apple Tablet Event thread, and all our brilliant posts, should Invision Zone go out of business? Or if Steve decides to retire on his Storyist billions and stops paying Invision Zone's bills for keeping up the forums? Do my 3000 brilliant posts get dumped in the river like so many old library books? Will all our clever banter and insights become just food for the fishes? Will future space-alien archeologists be deprived of our slant on the late great planet Earth? Such thoughts keep me up at night. - T I'm sure the database file for every post if pretty small and could be easily backed up. Or you could find it on the wayback machine or something of that sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted April 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Never! Say it ain't so, Big Guy! M As the old English proverb says: “All good things must come to an end.” But let's hope it's no time soon. -T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted April 28, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 I'm sure the database file for every post if pretty small and could be easily backed up. But backed up where? And how do we lowly posters get at it? Or you could find it on the wayback machine or something of that sort. Excellent idea! "But Mr. Peabody!" "Quiet you." -T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 Perhaps since you've had the time to reach 3,000 posts you should start creating a back up of all the posts on the forum eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted April 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 Perhaps since you've had the time to reach 3,000 posts you should start creating a back up of all the posts on the forum eh? Can't. Can't. Too busy posting responses to posts like yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguerite Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 So much for the Microsoft Courier, the tablet computer that never was but attracted some gadget yearnings round here before the iPad launched. Bet you're glad you didn't save your pennies (well, dollars, and more than a few). Best, M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted April 29, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 So much for the Microsoft Courier, the tablet computer that never was but attracted some gadget yearnings round here before the iPad launched. Ah, Courier. We hardly knew ye. Bet you're glad you didn't save your pennies (well, dollars, and more than a few). I've always enjoyed spending my pennies more than saving them. (I was hurt by the "crash" but not nearly as much as a friend of mine who invested every spare penny only to lose 90¢ on the dollar. A toast! To absent investment accounts.) - Thoth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted April 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 I received an e-mail from Apple today informing me that the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G is available. M posted first but I thought it should also be posted here too. Okay Jools, off to the store with you. - Thoth BTW: When this thread started I figured it would be two or three pages long at most. It's hard to believe that it has reached 21 pages already. And iPad type 2 is only just out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguerite Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 Wow. The competition is dropping like flies. The HP Slate may be gone, too. Those iPad sales must be a lot better than we thought—or Windows 7 on a tablet much worse. Best, M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thealtruismsociety Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 Wow. The competition is dropping like flies. The HP Slate may be gone, too. Those iPad sales must be a lot better than we thought—or Windows 7 on a tablet much worse. Best, M Web OS would be SEXY as a tablet though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted May 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 The HP Slate may be gone, too. And it was first reported by bloggers at Gizmodo (who cited unnamed sources). Talk about a hot blog. First iPhone 4G and now this. - T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joolissa Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 I really liked the concept video of that dual screen one. Sooooo much. *sigh* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted May 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2010 I really liked the concept video of that dual screen one. Sooooo much. *sigh* iPad 3.0 perhaps? - T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orrenm Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 Those iPad sales must be a lot better than we thought If you believe what Apple is saying, they're better than they thought, too: http://www.cultofmac.com/apple-1m-ipads-so...ne-record/41277 Orren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted May 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 MacWorld released an article (yesterday) comparing iPad's Wi-Fi against iPad's 3G. Click here. For their first look at iPad WiFi + 3G: Click here. - Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orrenm Posted May 9, 2010 Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 An interesting experiment: a writer read a book by alternating reading one chapter on the iPad and one chapter in the paperback, alternating locations, to compare the reading experience in each medium. http://www.tuaw.com/2010/05/08/a-tale-of-t...nal-books-aren/ Orren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted May 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 I agree with Michael Grothaus, that a paperback provides the better reading experience. But he never mentioned the things that the iPad can do that a paperback can't (like Search or Font Size changes or animation). Plus, the iPad isn't just one book, it can be all your books--or that stack you bring with you to the beach or on vacation. But, yeah, paperbacks still read better, are way cheaper to replace, lighter, and they're not so fragile. And I personally think hardcovers are prettier. But most paperbacks can't tell you which way is north. - Thoth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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