[akula]

Do you read Hackoff?

Ever wondered how our kids are gonna be reading (I use that term losely) books?

I imagine a sea of opportunity to blookilize everything from cheezy romantic novels to junior high history classes to marvel comics.

Podcast Edition of hackoff.com Mystery Now Available
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060111/20060111005562.html?.v=1

[nado]

I think there's still a long way to go before ebooks start outselling/outreading physical books.

I know I'd much rather read a physical book that the same length ebook, but probably just because A) my eyes tend to go blurry when reading on a screen for too long and B) there's too many distractions on computers and the net

atm I believe kids and most people would prefer to watch a movie than read a book... much quicker and a more exciting experience

You never know though, if you could come up with a unique way of digesting book content online, then you may be able to bring life back into books. (especially for kids)

cheers

EDIT: I think even a blook won't sway kids back to books... it needs more visual and user interactivity

... hackoff.com looks like it has some traffic. Is there a number on the amount of readers?

[akula]

Originally Posted by nado

I think there's still a long way to go before ebooks start outselling/outreading physical books.

I know I'd much rather read a physical book that the same length ebook, but probably just because A) my eyes tend to go blurry when reading on a screen for too long and B) there's too many distractions on computers and the net

atm I believe kids and most people would prefer to watch a movie than read a book... much quicker and a more exciting experience

You never know though, if you could come up with a unique way of digesting book content online, then you may be able to bring life back into books. (especially for kids)

cheers

EDIT: I think even a blook won't sway kids back to books... it needs more visual and user interactivity

... hackoff.com looks like it has some traffic. Is there a number on the amount of readers?

i see what you're saying but the point is more subtle.

the disruptive innovation happening here isn't physical books vs. ebooks, the innovation is in how content is created, distributed and monetised: away from isolated and risky and towards user generated and risk averse.

with traditional publishing, somebody like stephen king would be locked up for months in the garage producing a text with little end user input throughout the manufacturing process and then bang! you drop the bombshell, announce the finished novel and keep the fingers crossed that it'll sell.

with hackoff, the process is reversed. the initial electronic version of the book is released in stages (as blog posts) to take in all the feedback from the readers and adjust the content along the way. then, when sufficient publicity and fan base has been developed, the book is sold as hard copy.

likewise, where the traditional books only have one revenue stream, with hackoff, you have the ads (from the online version), the merchandise, and the traditional royalty payments. in short, this change in publishing (i.e. giving away the beta version of the book for free) lowers risk for publishers (because they have a better idea of what the market wants) and it increases returns (because of extra revenue streams).

in terms of readership....tom hasn't published the stats, but almost everyone I know reads the thing. he is very smart that man.

btw: have a look at the upcoming Sony Reader, it creates an awesome opportunity for people like you (hell, for people like me) to digitize content for use on this device. Think of it as your opportunity to make accessories for ipod before it become the most popular bit of consumer electronics in history.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4586800.stm

[nado]

ahh, yes I see, very interesting.

Why stop at just books? ... the same type of system could be applied to music and movies too.

[akula]

Originally Posted by nado

ahh, yes I see, very interesting.

Why stop at just books? ... the same type of system could be applied to music and movies too.

think tom evslin just got a rival for cleverness

you couldn't have said better. if there is risk to be had, there should always be someone to buy it, sell it, or mitigate it.

this is, of course, the future of the media business.

what information eats away at is attention. there is a lot more information around now, so correspondingly - there is also a lot less attention.

the future of the content business is microchunking it - so I'm getting my scissors out.

Link: http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2005/11/the_future_of_m.html

[CP Mr Ofevaw]

I have been researching eBooks and have been in contact with the Association of American Publishers. Here are some stats...

500K eBooks sold in 2001
780K eBooks sold in 2002
1.3M eBooks sold in 2003
1.7M eBooks sold in 2004
2.5M eBooks sold in 2005

That's a 500% increase...

Okay, now the fun... College textbooks - They are way overpriced and publishing costs are going through the roof. Enter "E-Ink", a company that produces displays that look like paper, feel like paper, bend like paper, yet are actually electronic LCD's. That eliminates the problem of "hurting eyes", because it really does look like a piece of paper... Oh, did I mention E-Ink displays are almost dirt cheap?

I surveyed roughly 50 college students, and the results are surprising. About 75% said they would switch to a device similar to the Sony eReader if it were priced around $149.99 or less and reduced the cost of textbooks by 30-50%. Now, if the major textbook publishers were to provide eBook files of textbooks and allow students to purchase those files, profit margins would fly through the roof. No longer do you have the cost of paper, the cost of ink, the cost of shipping, etc.. It's a win/win situation; the students are saved from high production costs, and the publishers get a higher profit margin.

In addition, you could add "features" to the device. Perhaps have WiFi/GPRS/EDGE wireless capability to download books on the fly... Or perhaps have it setup with your favorite blog feeds so you can read those while your not busy. How about subsribe to your favorite "eNewspaper" which updates continuously just like internet news. The device wouldn't need to be complicated - Simply scroll through your media sources, and then use the "left or right" arrow key to turn the page... I could see a "stylus" possibly for highlighting and saving text, but that's about it - and the device wouldn't become obsolete. I once read an article that the Washington Post will no longer be in print by the year 2015, and that it will be found only in "e-Ink" print.

Certainly something to watch. It's as easy to use as paper, feels like paper, and costs next to nothing - you might just have innovative technology.

http://www.polymervision.com/

[nado]

Wow, someone's been busy.

What do people think will be the winner, ebooks or blooks? (although I guess a blook turns into an ebook eventually)

[akula]

Originally Posted by nado

Wow, someone's been busy.

What do people think will be the winner, ebooks or blooks? (although I guess a blook turns into an ebook eventually)

hehe, I'm betting each way

[CP Mr Ofevaw]

Originally Posted by nado

What do people think will be the winner, ebooks or blooks? (although I guess a blook turns into an ebook eventually)

Yeah, I would say both are winners. Blooks would be along the lines of a compiled blog and most likely accessable in eBook format. This stuff is so far ahead of it's time though... I don't see eReaders and eBooks really taking off for at least the next 5 years, if not longer. Remember how long it took people to adapt to the PC?

[nado]

Originally Posted by CP Mr Ofevaw

Remember how long it took people to adapt to the PC?

Heh, I don't think I've ever known a world without computers being 18