Recently the digital ebook reader device has attracted an awful lot of attention brought about by the advances being made by the e-Ink company in their screen technology. This has raised the prospects again of the paperless office, first mentioned thirty or so years ago by Business Week. Could it be that the e ink ebook reader could at last deliver on the dream?
I think that, what with the environmental savings that can be made using these devices, the first bastion the digital ebook reading device will need to break is in the area of academics. Perhaps the price of the devices has been a hurdle in the past or maybe it was the experiences of early users that has seemingly deterred a quicker uptake in our schools, colleges and Universities.
That of course has now all changed, the prices are tumbling and e Ink ebook reader technology is now at a much more advanced stage. What used to be a high priced gadget, costing any where between $350 and $900, has become an affordable gift. A top notch, high specification reading device, such as the Sony digital ebook reader Pocket Edition, costs under $200. The displays, now nearly all using the latest e Ink ebook reader technology, are a crystal clear facsimile of printed paper using very little energy thus giving week long battery life from a simple, quick charge.
In the United States there is a pilot program running at present, where seven American colleges have undertaken research into the use, effectiveness and viability of using the digital reader device for teaching. It has been reported that Princeton students, taking part in certain, selected studies included in the program named 'Toward Print-Less and Paper-Less Courses,' have been supplied with the Kindle e ink ebook reader pre- loaded with study material for their courses. With its stated goals being to reduce printed and photocopied course material, facilitate learning through digital bookmarking and search devices, and all without inconveniencing either student or tutor, it will need to sell itself to an, as yet, unimpressed target group.
The study is extremely important not only to those in the academic arena but also major government bodies who, with the pressure to lead by example by the green lobby, will be looking on with interest. I know of no such program on this side of the Atlantic but the pressures are the same. I can see some of the more forward thinking Councils looking into such radical programs as a way, ultimately, to work towards their own Paperless office environment.'
As you can probably see, the digital ebook reader is coming of age and is being seen as a way to reduce our impact on the environment. The e Ink ebook reader is sure to play a big part in the future of our children's learning as both education bodies and students switch on to the benefits of a Paperless Learning Environment' delivered courtesy of the ebook reader device.
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