The Apple Tablet Event?

[marguerite]

We've discussed story books mostly, but what about coffee table books or instructional books or craft books? Is an ebook going to give them "competition" too? I can't imagine using an ebook for a crafts book, art book, photography book, or any other image heavy book. Now, with the iPad, maybe I can, but still, I bought an absolutely gorgeous book of photographs of America's endangered animals today and I think the experience of having that book in my hands would completely outweigh any advantage of an ebook of it.

 

What about books that pair images and text? I've got the plan/idea to pair my poetry with my art/photography and in some cases, an image would be on a mirroring page to the text. With an ebook on a reader that displays a single page at a time, it would lose something. Can most ereaders display 2 pages at a time if you want them to? If not, do you think we'll see this as an option as the market develops?

Thoroughly enjoying this thread

- J

Coffee table books on the Kindle: no way. On the iPad, maybe, because four-color printing is very expensive, and from the introductory video it looks as if the iPad photo app would do a good job of displaying art. My guess would be not direct one-on-one competition but a creative multimedia solution that would be impossible in print books—either dramatically more photos than even an art house would choose to print or an integrated photo/web app that let you, say, display a Rembrandt on your tablet computer, then click away to research it and find more examples like it and/or zoom in on details or something else I can't imagine at present (and may not be possible at present, but will be revealed as possible with iPad 4G).

 

Since none of us has even held an original iPad yet, it's hard to predict what it can do now, never mind three years from now. But images are actually an area where the Internet shines relative to art books in terms of quantity if not always quality, and art is sublimely suited to a multimedia approach. So yes, I think in the long term coffee table books, art/poetry/fiction books, and crafts books (choose a pattern, link to a video of someone crocheting or whatever, go back to a picture of the finished project or navigate one stage toward it with online or on-screen help: you really don't think that would be useful?).

 

And what about cookbooks? I adore them and I own a ton, but I've still learned more from watching Julia Child throw eggs in the air and miss the frying pan as they come down than I ever learned from peering at written directions wondering just how brown "golden brown" was supposed to be.

 

Darn, now I'm thinking about dessert. See what you've done, Juli-jewel?

M

[Steve E]

I want an e-reader that is a true work of art, a beautiful device with a beautiful display that can do what a physical book does for me, Maybe when I hold an iPad in my hands I'll fall in love. Maybe not. They already have a diamond encrusted one. Maybe a high-quality leather one is not far behind.

 

Mmmm. Leather. Diamonds. Golden brown eggs.

This is becoming a very sensual thread.

- Thoth.

[Joolissa]

Thoth, that's one reason I really liked the look of that double-screened journal thing from one of those links. It looked like a book.

 

M, Very interesting ideas. Taking it above and beyond what's available in a physical book gets my imagination working.

 

As for a cookbook, an image floats to my mind of an iPad propped up by something on the counter displaying a recipe while an egg is falling through the air onto it and the cook with hands covered in batter trying to wake up the screen.... *shudder*

 

Well.... I think I'm going to have eggs for breakfast after this conversation! As for desert, M, I'll have to make you some of the no bake chocolate trail mix oatmeal cookies with crasins I invented the other day.

 

Haha, sensual indeed.... now that there's chocolate I might agree.

 

- J

[Steve E]

Haha, sensual indeed.... now that there's chocolate I might agree.

- J

What is it with chocolate for breakfast these days? Today I saw a commercial for Special K with chocolate chunks and Heart Healthy Chocolate Cheerios. Weird.

- T

[Joolissa]

I'm reminded of the comercials for Coooookie Crisp... Cookies for breakfast!?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CZKv3RAfPo

 

Man... now I want coco puffs or reeses puffs ....

 

Cookoo for Cocoa

- Jules

[orrenm]

What is it with chocolate for breakfast these days?

 

As our culture devolves into one in which the only drive is for consumption and immediate gratification, even the idea of waiting until later in the day for dessert becomes a discarded idea from a bygone era.

 

What do you say, time for a long and bitter rant on how this consumer culture is destroying our quality of life in every possible way—physical, psychological, environmental, etc? Nah...not enough hours in the day. And I have work to do, trying to sell "content" to consumers.

 

Orren

[Joolissa]

 

 

laughter aside, you're probably right, or at least partly right.

[Steve E]

We are consuming ourselves to death. But there has to be a happy middle ground between consumer abstinence and consumer gluttony. Perhaps it's a natural cycle for humans and we've peaked. Perhaps this is only the beginning.

[Joolissa]

Potentially.

[orrenm]

We are consuming ourselves to death. But there has to be a happy middle ground between consumer abstinence and consumer gluttony. Perhaps it's a natural cycle for humans and we've peaked. Perhaps this is only the beginning.

 

Certainly not the beginning—people have been consuming for a very long time. It's not a cycle--it's a straight, elevating line. There's never a time in history in which people stopped consuming, or consuming as much. We are hard-wired to horde resources for ourselves and our group, and to consume as much as we can. The difference is that we've finally reached a level of technological advancement and overpopulation in which we can consume our environment completely. The question is, do we have the self-control and the will to pull back before we destroy our planet's ability to sustain us?

 

So...I'll take six iPads, three with 3G, three without. And a small coke. To go.

 

Orren

[Joolissa]

Would you like fries with that? How about a falafel?

[orrenm]

Would you like fries with that? How about a falafel?

 

I love falafel! Which is probably far more environmentally friendly than Coke.

 

Speaking of Coke, here's a special secret, that if you're not a Jew, you might not know:

 

The Jewish holiday of Passover begins Monday night. During passover, extremely religious Jews who follow the Eastern European traditions will not eat or drink any product that is produced with any sort of grain. This in in deference to the Passover stipulation that Jews should replace bread with Matzah.

 

Many years ago, Coca-Cola (and Pepsi, etc) stopped using real cane sugar in their drinks, and switched to corn syrup. For true taste aficionados, this ingredient change had a noticeable negative effect on it's taste. But to the point, it also means that Coke (and nearly any major brand soda) is not Kosher for Passover.

 

In the grand tradition of history being made by people's relationships, the head Rabbi of Atlanta, back in the early days of Coke, was invited by the company to certify Coke as Kosher. When they switched ingredients, they agreed to keep making sugar cane Coke for Passover. You can tell because it has a yellow cap with Hebrew letters on it. Every year, they sell a ton (literally) of Kosher for Passover Coke, not just to Jews, but to Coke lovers of any stripe who prefer the taste.

 

We don't drink much soda here, but we've got bottles of Passover Coke and Diet Coke here right now...because we think it's better.

 

And it probably goes well with Falafel!

 

Orren

[Steve E]

Certainly not the beginning—people have been consuming for a very long time.

To consume (and reproduce, etcetera) is part of the definition of a life form. It's the levels of excess consumption that creates the problems.

 

It's not a cycle--it's a straight, elevating line. There's never a time in history in which people stopped consuming, or consuming as much.

Excess consumption cycles sync with economic cycles. Excess consumption practically disappears (for most people) during economic depression. It's worse in an economic collapse. My parents (R.I.P.) lived through the Great Depression (1929-1941+) but the lessons they learned did not carry over to the next generation. Quite the opposite.

 

We are hard-wired to horde resources for ourselves and our group, and to consume as much as we can. The difference is that we've finally reached a level of technological advancement and overpopulation in which we can consume our environment completely.

Bingo. Technology makes this possible. But it is technology that is on a steady increase (more or less) not consumption. Our "wiring" is still limited by what's economically possible. Look at countries ravaged by cycles of plague or famine. The technology is there. The will to consume is there. Sometimes even the money is there. But consumption is restricted due to a lack of things to consume or the ability to get to them.

 

The question is, do we have the self-control and the will to pull back before we destroy our planet's ability to sustain us?

Sadly, I think not. At best, we will redirect our technology to help us consume in ways that are less damaging — but WALL-E's world may still be our future. (I wonder what a ticket on the escape ship will cost?)

 

So...I'll take six iPads, three with 3G, three without. And a small coke. To go.

Same here. But make mine a diet Pepsi.

- Thoth.

[orrenm]

Excess consumption cycles sync with economic cycles. Excess consumption practically disappears (for most people) during economic depression. It's worse in an economic collapse. My parents (R.I.P.) lived through the Great Depression (1929-1941+) but the lessons they learned did not carry over to the next generation.

 

So did my dad (who was in the air force during WWII). The thing is, economic cycles give you a look at who the "haves" and the "have nots" are, and their level of consumption. But for an unfettered view of "the human wiring" you really need to look at those who are not held back by economic cycles. For example, if you were to judge how much the human species is wired to consume by looking at the consumption level of the majority of humans—most of whom live in Latin American, African, Indian, or Chinese poverty—you'd think that humans don't consume much at all. When you look at the "filthy rich" you get a better idea of what the human animal unfettered by artificial constructs would do.

 

But make mine a diet Pepsi.

 

But you can't get diet Pepsi Kosher for Passover!

 

Orren

[Joolissa]

Anything with artificial sweeteners in it should be labeled with a toxic waste symbol, especially those that contain Aspartame or "AminoSweet" as they're now calling it in attempts to fool the public into thinking it's new and natural and harmless.

 

In the Pepsi vs Coke batte.. I am definitely a Pepsi girl and you can too get Kosher Pepsi if you look for it

http://www.bevreview.com/2009/04/07/kosher...passover-pepsi/ There was also Pepsi Throwback, which was made with natural cane sugar, but unfortunately it was a limited run thing.

 

Jones soda, which I like a lot too, has tons of natural cane sugar sodas (if not all of them). Izze, which technically is sparkling juice, is probably my all time favorite, and they're natural as well.

[orrenm]

I am definitely a Pepsi girl and you can too get Kosher Pepsi if you look for it

http://www.bevreview.com/2009/04/07/kosher...passover-pepsi/

 

Absolutely, you can get Kosher Pepsi, Caffeine free Pepsi, and Sierra Mist. But Thoth wanted diet Pepsi, which is unavailable Kosher for Passover.

 

Orren

[Joolissa]

Nope.... diet is also Kosher according to this site:

 

The following sodas & beverages are Kosher and Pareve (except where noted). If the product is certified Kosher, the DIET, ZERO and/or DECAF version are also Kosher.

http://www.kashrut.com/consumer/soda/

 

And it's for sale as kosher here:

http://www.parkeastkosher.com/kosher.cfm/G...-Pepsi_165-8298

 

This makes sense, because the diet products have artificial toxins as sweeteners and not HFTC or Sugar... therefore there wouldn't be any grain in it to begin with. Now, if there was grain in one of the artificial sweeteners that'd be another story, but I don't believe their is.

[orrenm]

Nope.... diet is also Kosher according to this site:

 

Shows you what I know.

 

Take care,

Orren

[Joolissa]

Teehee, well you sure knew a lot more about all the music stuff anyway.

 

I think someone should arrange for a big game of Capture the Can somewhere and have the teams be Red and Blue, for Team Pepsi & Team Coke. It'd make for a day of fun and probably a series of pretty good commercials to promote all that consuming

[orrenm]

Teehee, well you sure knew a lot more about all the music stuff anyway.

 

I'm more of a musician/music tech writer than a soda drinker, so that makes sense. Really, iced tea with lemon is my drink of choice.

 

I think someone should arrange for a big game of Capture the Can somewhere and have the teams be Red and Blue, for Team Pepsi & Team Coke. It'd make for a day of fun and probably a series of pretty good commercials to promote all that consuming

 

It would be fun, but don't tell anyone I'm a musician! As a guitarist with long hair down to the middle of my back, if I were to say "I play for coke" people would get the wrong idea...

 

Orren

[Joolissa]

It would be fun, but don't tell anyone I'm a musician! As a guitarist with long hair down to the middle of my back, if I were to say "I play for coke" people would get the wrong idea...

Orren

:) :lol: :lol:

[Steve E]

Wow. Leave the forum for two-and-a-half hours and you really miss a lot.

Where do I begin?

1. China used to be a country where people rode bicycles. Now they all want cars. This shows the "wiring" for consumption (and keeping up with the Jones's) but where was this wiring before? It's simple economics. They couldn't afford it. There was no way for them to buy it on credit. So they told themselves (for a long time) that bicycles are better and cars are a symbol of Capitalist Decadence. Should money get tight again or gas prices reach the sky, see how fast their "philosophy" changes. Reality trumps wiring every time.

2. I am always able to get Kosher Pepsi, in all its species, in my neighborhood. "Kosher for Passover" is nothing special around here.

3. Do you remember Orangina? I swear, in that first commercial, where the bikini model is walking out of the surf, I did not see the bottle in her hand. Most men didn't. Only some women did.

4. Crystal Coke? They got what they deserved.

5. I think it's great having a musical tech-writer in the group who also has book industry connections. We need his/your insights. And diversity is the spice of life.

6. "I play for coke"? ( ) And folks say I'm bad.

 

- Thoth

[Joolissa]

2. Ah yes, you are a New Yorker Thoth... you should be drowning in Kosher.

 

3. Orangina...... wow...... I have... no words.....

 

5. I agree that is Orren and TAS are both very nice additions to our community.

 

6. Well... you guys do know why Coke is called Coke right???

[orrenm]

1) Wait...there are Jews living in New York?

 

2) Love Orangina! But I've never seen an ad for it. Apparently, I'm missing out. The wiki article didn't have any video. Hell, even the horror movie ad sounded interesting, although in a different way.

 

3) Coke never really had much cocaine in it, it was the tiniest of trace amounts: http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/cocaine.asp

 

Take care,

Orren

[Joolissa]

Yea, but it still had Coke in it! I guess it was alot better than the radioactive drinks/products though!