Will the iPad kill books?

An article over at TechCrunch raises an interesting question. The backlit iPad (and all LCD backlit displays) can be hard on the eyes when trying to read continuously for long periods of time (e.g. when reading a book). The Amazon Kindle uses a different display technology (e-ink) that is reflective rather than transmissive. Reflective displays work better outdoors and are more like books in the way they work. Paul Carr, the author of the article, argues that eye fatigue and multitasking distraction could turn the iPad into a device that actually discourages reading. Hard to say, but time will tell whether the iPad displaces books, other e-book readers, or both.

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Comments

Thanks Andy!

I think the inclusion of multimedia in iPad "books" will fundamentally change ebooks. Just like all other technologies - eBooks started by copying normal books (like TV started by televising radio, movies started by filming plays) and will now morph over time.