FutureBooks™

          One of our computer systems crashed (our fault entirely) and, in the process of reconstructing the hard drive (luckily we had partitioned it -- if you don't know about partitioning, just ask -- it's a lifesaver) we found the years-old document below and the included picture(done for us by talented artist Avram Grumer). Boy, were we naive! And the "state-of-the-art" then couldn't cut any edges today. On the other hand ....
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1. The future of publishing -- and reading

Copyright 1992, 2000 RECAP: Publications, Inc. (Yes, 1992!)

The reader buys an electronic FutureBook™. In order to be acceptable to book vendors for shelving purposes, it has the same size and shape as a trade paperback, except it's quite thin. The front, back, and spine contain the same graphics and information as current books contain. The inside front and back cover contain more information about the book, possibly including an excerpt. There are a few printed pages, containing more about the book and more excerpts; they also contain a copyright notice, instructions for use, and warnings about copying and usage, with directions on how to cite excerpts. The front and possibly the back inside covers contain the CDs or diskettes in sealed storage pockets.

The diskettes or CDs contain the book file [Aha! even then we had BookFiles™ on our minds. -- BAP], possibly in condensed format, in read-only form. They may also contain user-interface engines; that is, programs that allow access to the book, either for straight reading or for search, retrieval, and clipping to file (external computer) or printer. There may be such a program built in to the reader, but even in that case it may be superseded.

When the reader is opened, the disks inserted, and the unit turned on, the user has several options. First, he or she can read through the book in a manner similar to the way books are read now. The screen pages will appear white with black print. The user must not be aware of the technology; it must be transparent.

The four corner buttons may be used to "turn" pages: one forward, one back, fast forward, and fast back. Graphics can be hidden or shown through use of the function keys, as may audio clips. The reader can use a combination of the mouse and function keys to highlight, cross-link, or bookmark text. An Evelyn-Wood hand can be invoked to control reading speed.

There will be many search options: A and/or B and/or C ..., same page, same chapter, same paragraph, same sentence, proximity, case, and so on.

Some other options: font changes, such as point size, typeface, leading, which, along with a volume control, allow for visual and aural handicaps, among other reasons; A/C or battery; windowing, or displaying multiple pages, and "speaking" the text, including descriptions of graphics.

A variation with extensions of this engine would be used by the authors or book producers.

2. Getting there

Of course, there's much more to the FutureBook™; of course, it could turn out completely different. But, I think, there are certain features that must be achieved in order for the reading public to accept this new vision.

First, it must not be too alien. For example, one must be able to curl up in bed with a good book, so the FutureBook™ must have a special reader, not a computer in the current manner. Next, since the FutureBook™ needs a reader, that reader must be VERY affordable; manufacturers must look to book sales for profits. It must be simple to use with a standardized user interface and engine; also, one reader must be able to read all books -- no VHS-Beta problem. And the reader unit must be extremely sturdy, sturdy enough to withstand rough handling and drops.

The authoring engine must be easy to use or there will be a shortage of books. Also, one must not see the future as a world of multimedia alone. Straightforward books will probably still predominate. Yes, as in the article in the New York Times Book Review of 6/21/92, there may very well be avant garde hypertext books, and yes, as Sony and Voyager hope, there will be super-multimedia books, and yes, Apple computers -- even the new Power NoteBook -- will offer special features now ... for a while; IBM-style computers will compete -- and they dominate the market.

Not only must the IBM market be addressed immediately, so must the vast majority of computer users who don't yet own the latest in video, audio, and storage peripherals.

What does this mean -- now? Our goal is to get the general public used to a computerized version of books in order for the future to be realized. Here's what RPI believes.

The average computer user is our main target. Those who have recently bought or will soon buy state-of-the-art systems will certainly be able to have access to multivolume encyclopedias on CD; they'll certainly be able to access some multimedia CDs. But the average user owns a system with floppy diskette drives; possibly only 5 1/4" size. We can, sadly, ignore those who still haven't got high-density drives. Almost all have some form of hard drive. Most have only the built-in speaker; most may not have VGA screens; we must allow for CGA as our minimum at this time. In order for the new industry to survive, the numbers and the profit are important.

Let's jump and start at the beginning of a book that will be produced for electronic distribution now. The book, whether currently in hard print or brand-new, is on computer in ASCII format. The author has a version of the engine to massage the text and make sure it suits the format.

The electronic publisher duplicates the book on diskette. As with most current programs, and especially to justify the cost of the product, it is probably best to include both 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" version in each package. The package now can be as previously described. The size and look of the package are important not only to be familiar to the reader but to make it easy for the book store owners (yes, it must sell in book stores as well as computer stores) to accept it and to fit it on their shelves. (As an aside, note that book stores expect the right, within a specified time, to return slow sellers for credit.)

The books to be converted at this time are not fiction. The general public will not read a book for pleasure on a computer. They will access a book for information. So non-fiction, especially books that fall into the category of reference books, are our first choice. However, the definition of reference will be expanded. Not only those books currently shelved in stores under that category will be included, but travel, language, sports, games, film, drama, and the like will be added to the category. Still, a book of biographies is OK, but a biography will not be acceptable yet. While an encyclopedia doesn't fit on one disk, it can be accessed a disk at a time or copied to a hard drive and fully utilized.

A company wishing to enter the field as a new electronic book publisher must come out with several books at once. It is also probably advisable to have in that list certain standard book types to build reader loyalty. For example, a dictionary, a thesaurus, and an encyclopedia might be in that group.

The engine must be as close as possible to the one described for the future. The pricing must be close to similar hard print books. There must be wide distribution and promotion.

And we must not forget that books can be produced specifically for this medium, not merely acquired from already-published print books.

[... At this point, I must have gotten tired and gone to bed ....]

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Last revision: 10/04/01
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