I'm Not Close To The eDGe

The NY Times has a "news story" on a new reader called the eDGe.

From the second paragraph:

"Now there is a new approach that may adapt well to textbook pages: two-screen e-book readers with a traditional e-paper display on one screen and a liquid-crystal display on the other to render graphics like science animations in color."

This piece is interesting for a couple reasons. First, it's interesting to see this as news, as the piece is really just a PR announcement. Except that it's published in the Times, which I guess makes advertisements news.

But second, it's interesting to see another foray into the world where people attempt to define what textbooks will become. At the risk of oversimplifying things, publishers want to put the next generation of textbooks into a device or format they control, because controlling the device translates into controlling access, and access can be bought and sold. Think the iPhone, but with textbooks.

People, however, want textbooks that they can use when they want, how they want, on whatever device they want. Think the internet.

My money's on the internet.