Steve Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 This is cool: Revolutionary Espresso Book Machine launches in London "It's not elegant and it's not sexy – it looks like a large photocopier – but the Espresso Book Machine is being billed as the biggest change for the literary world since Gutenberg invented the printing press more than 500 years ago and made the mass production of books possible. Launching today at Blackwell's Charing Cross Road branch in London, the machine prints and binds books on demand in five minutes, while customers wait." - Alison Flood, guardian.co.uk. It would be even cooler to take your Storyist file to the cafe and have it printed. -Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steakpirate Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 This is cool: Revolutionary Espresso Book Machine launches in London "It's not elegant and it's not sexy – it looks like a large photocopier – but the Espresso Book Machine is being billed as the biggest change for the literary world since Gutenberg invented the printing press more than 500 years ago and made the mass production of books possible. Launching today at Blackwell's Charing Cross Road branch in London, the machine prints and binds books on demand in five minutes, while customers wait." - Alison Flood, guardian.co.uk. It would be even cooler to take your Storyist file to the cafe and have it printed. -Steve I don't know... it gives me the same vibe as printing money. Cutting out the middle man; (Publisher / Author / Printers, all of whom have no real way of knowing how many copies of their book you've sold, and how much you owe them.) Sure, it might only be used for self-publishing and Gutenberg books, but I doubt it. A very cool piece of tech, nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguerite Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I don't know... it gives me the same vibe as printing money. Cutting out the middle man; (Publisher / Author / Printers, all of whom have no real way of knowing how many copies of their book you've sold, and how much you owe them.) Sure, it might only be used for self-publishing and Gutenberg books, but I doubt it. A very cool piece of tech, nonetheless. It is cool. I'd heard of this. I think the long-term idea is that you'd have a personal version of this on your desktop, and instead of buying a book online, you'd just print a copy. It does raise questions of royalties and how to calculate them, as Steakpirate suggests, but it's still pretty cool. Of course, when Apple markets the book-sized iPod touch (is this why they retired the name iBook?) this fall as rumored, we'll all be reading our books and Storyist files on screen, right? Best, M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Yes, very cool. No more out-of-print books and publishers don't have to commit to a specific number of copies. How long before we see these things in kiosks, like candy machines? But I wonder, in the Age of the Kindle, if this is the way go. -Thoth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emoKid Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 It sounds cool, but I'm not too sure of its actual usefulness. It doesn't look like it'll produce high quality books... I also like to go to a bookstore and flip through a book before buying it. I also prefer browsing used bookstores. I don't like it when my reading gets too technological. Just leave the books on the shelves. Don't over complicate it. I also hate reading on screens (if it's literature). I can see the machine as a way for self-publishing, but it loses the warm fuzzy feeling you get when looking for a book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 It doesn't look like it'll produce high quality books...[and]... it loses the warm fuzzy feeling you get when looking for a book. Very true. But a good video-game-like display that allows you to browse a virtual bookstore, as well as a virtual book, could solve that problem for some people. I'd also like to see a version of this machine that produces gilt-edged books with elegant end papers, archival quality vellum pages and padded, raised leather covers. But that's just me. I got a copy of The Collected Dilbert like that. (Substance...pfft!) -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguerite Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 Very true. But a good video-game-like display that allows you to browse a virtual bookstore, as well as a virtual book, could solve that problem for some people. I'd also like to see a version of this machine that produces gilt-edged books with elegant end papers, archival quality vellum pages and padded, raised leather covers. But that's just me. I got a copy of The Collected Dilbert like that. (Substance...pfft!) -Thoth. I agree in general: there's nothing like curling up with a good paperback. But I loved being able to read and annotate my own writing on my long-dead Franklin eBook. It made me feel so much more virtuous not to be murdering trees (even though I know the trees are grown for that purpose). That's the main reason I'm waiting to afford a Kindle or the new Apple machine if it ever arrives, so I have a portable version of my own stories. It would probably ease the strain on my groaning bookcases, too. Of course, the Espresso printer uses paper, too, so I don't think it's really a practical alternative to, say, Amazon.com, except for out-of-print books that are not already available through Print on Demand shops (many are). Best, M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marguerite Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 And, with perfect timing, I discovered this PC World article this morning. Dare we hope the new beastie will display our Storyist files in all their glory? I can hardly wait. Of course, either Lynx has to sell or Sir Percy needs to put up the necessary cash. He is the wealthiest man in England, after all. Best, Marguerite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Hi M. Yes, it is exciting but I've stopped getting my hopes up. There has been rumors of an Apple Tablet (of varying size) since the late Eighties. This is last year's (click here). And I guess I don't have to tell you about all the old plans for the Newton (1989-1998). The idea of a good e-book tablet has been around for ages and comes closer to reality with every technological innovation. For all it's faults, the Kindle comes pretty close. But I don't think we'll all be satisfied until an actual hi-tech paperback turns into the "every book" at a throwaway price. Maybe we can tap Sir Percy for a development loan? -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codemer Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Yes, it is exciting but I've stopped getting my hopes up. There has been rumors of an Apple Tablet (of varying size) since the late Eighties. This is last year's (click here). And I guess I don't have to tell you about all the old plans for the Newton (1989-1998). The rumors for an Apple netpad have been getting stronger lately, along with those for a new iPhone. I think there's too huge a market for Apple to ignore, and now that good performing hardware is small enough to cram into it, they probably will release something. IF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 The rumors for an Apple netpad have been getting stronger lately, along with those for a new iPhone. I think there's too huge a market for Apple to ignore, and now that good performing hardware is small enough to cram into it, they probably will release something. I hope you're right, of course. But as I said, I've stopped getting my hopes up. Seeing is believing, usually. -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emoKid Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Seeing is believing, usually.-Thoth. Either way, Apple is getting a lot of advertising through it. Our school is slowly becoming packed with more and more students with macs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Either way, Apple is getting a lot of advertising through it. Our school is slowly becoming packed with more and more students with macs. Hmmm. Do you think they know about Storyist? -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emoKid Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Hmmm. Do you think they know about Storyist?-Thoth. ... Yes, well, somewhat. I have a lot of friends in the communication department asking me about writing software for Macs (because apparently I'm know all about them). I've told them about Storyist, but they tend to go towards software where the pocket can stay heavy. But it's the same for friends in the comp sci department. They ask about IDEs for different things. I tell them about Espresso and Coda for web design, and they prefer something cheaper. But then they ask if they can borrow my computer for a project because they like my setup . So yeah... they know about it, they're just poor unfortunate college students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve E Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 So sad. But if they can't afford Storyist (whose price is unreasonably reasonable for its features) how will they afford the Revolutionary Espresso Book Machine? Just getting us back on topic. -Thoth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codemer Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 But if they can't afford Storyist (whose price is unreasonably reasonable for its features) how will they afford the Revolutionary Espresso Book Machine? Through the radio contest. IF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emoKid Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 So sad. But if they can't afford Storyist (whose price is unreasonably reasonable for its features) how will they afford the Revolutionary Espresso Book Machine? Just getting us back on topic. -Thoth. I think it's be awesome if our school bought one for our library... (trying to head back on topic?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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