The Apple Tablet Event?

[marguerite]

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

[Steve E]

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

[thealtruismsociety]

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.

[Steve E]

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

[Joolissa]

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

[Joolissa]

Gotta love these double posts

[Steve E]

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

[marguerite]

Never! Say it ain't so, Big Guy!

M

[thealtruismsociety]

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.

[Steve E]

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

[Steve E]

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

[Joolissa]

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?

[Steve E]

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.

[marguerite]

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

[Steve E]

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

[Steve E]

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!

[marguerite]

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

[thealtruismsociety]

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.

[Steve E]

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

[Joolissa]

I really liked the concept video of that dual screen one. Sooooo much. *sigh*

[Steve E]

I really liked the concept video of that dual screen one. Sooooo much. *sigh*

iPad 3.0 perhaps?

- T

[orrenm]

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

[Steve E]

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.

[orrenm]

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

[Steve E]

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