Following his marvellous essay that I blogged here as The Future of Books? Craig Mod’s new essay considers the practicalities of e-reader design. Comparing iBooks and Kindle.app he simply asks “which one of these would you rather read with?” Here’s an image of the two with minimal chrome:
iBooks (left) and Kindle.app (right)
Typography, functionality, and the possible benefits offered by networking—aggregating data from reader’s behaviours—are also discussed.
Another excellent essay from Mod: go and read it. Even the comments are worth a look…
Tags: Craig Mod, Medium Theory
Craig Mod has just published a thoughtful, insightful, and beautifully-presented essay on the future of books in the digital era, using the emergence of devices like the Kindle and the iPad as his focus:
In printed books, the two-page spread was our canvas. It’s easy to think similarly about the iPad. Let’s not. The canvas of the iPad must be considered in a way that acknowledge the physical boundaries of the device, while also embracing the effective limitlessness of space just beyond those edges.
We’re going to see new forms of storytelling emerge from this canvas. This is an opportunity to redefine modes of conversation between reader and content. And that’s one hell of an opportunity if making content is your thing.
This essay could usefully be cross-referenced with Part 2 of Scott McCloud’s Reinventing Comics from 2000. In other words, some of what’s on offer here is not that new. However, the distinction between Formless and Definite Content is new (to me, at least) and provides a convincing armature around which the essay revolves. And if you need convincing about the inevitability of the move away from printed matter, here it is.
An excellent piece of work, highly recommended. The page must die!
Tags: Craig Mod, Medium Theory
