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The evolution of books
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 — posted by Ethan Duty
Sarah O'Keefe has brought a lot of attention to how XML and structured authoring are revolutionizing the economy of authoring, but there has not been a lot of discussion about the paradigm shift being experienced by readers.Some might find this frightening, but mobile technology like iPods and smartphones are replacing printed documentation. My iPod has already replaced my need for printed reference materials. Yes, that's right, my iPod has replaced just about every printed bit of information I need.
My iPod is my atlas, calendar, cookbook, dictionary, encyclopedia, newspaper, shopping list, translator, and TV guide. I can find all the how-to and instructional media I want online. Better yet, I don't even have to read most of it. YouTube and similar sites are filled with videos on everything from folding your clothes more efficiently to off-pan VW restorations.
The information is constantly updated and spans an international audience (try finding books in Mandarin at your local Barnes and Noble). It doesn't take up extra space on my book shelf or coffee table and it reduces the amount of paper I throw away.
There are only a few reasons why I still have to reach for paper:
- I need to look at or write on a bigger page
- I want to leave a note somewhere for others to see (I'm not about to tape my iPod to a coworker's door like a Post-It note)
- I can't mark up a document on my iPod (although you can do this on a tablet PC)
- I can't compare two documents side by side
- writing can be faster (typing on an iPod, even with a stylus, is a slow and difficult operation)
- I can't find an Internet connection
- The battery died
A sci-fi dream for the distant future? I don't know. I'm not too far from living a paperless life already. How about you?
Labels: predictions, xml
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