Mcsweeney’s have a really clever satirical article on how a newspaper is the superior e-reader. Here’s an excerpt:
Each device had its strengths. For some it was speed; for others it was capacity. Some were better with shorter articles; others with longer works. And cost, as always, was a factor. But in the end, one e-reader stood out.
The Newspaper.
The most obvious advantage of The Newspaper was the size of its display, which outclassed its rivals both in terms of size and elasticity. The Newspaper display could be read at full size or, when flipped open, twice its normal width. We also had no trouble reading copy when the display was flipped to half or even quarter size. One of our engineers even figured out how to make a hat.
Curiously enough, the newspaper was also voted the best e-reader for 2009:
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That reminds me of Neil Gershenfeld’s book “When Things Start to Think” (2000) where he compares books to computers:
“A book:
1) Boots instantly.
2) Has a high contrast, high resolution display.
3) Is viewable at any angle, in bright or dim light.
4) Permits fast random access to any page
5) Provides instant visual and tactile feedback on the location.
6) Can be easily annotated.
7) Requires no batteries or maintenance
He then concludes: “If the book had been invented after the laptop it would be hailed as a great breakthrough!”
… and requires that the Amazon rain forest be chopped down to fulfil demand. How many trees are needed to produce an epub file?