Technology

E-Book Readers: Parables of Closed and Open

Tom Scheinfeldt, Managing Director of Center for History & New Media, assistant professor of History, George Mason University, discussed about eReaders. At first, he was comparing the Amazon Kindle vs the Apple iPod's as the eReaders. He says these two devices have a closed interface that they only have one software that they use. These two device are great, but many people want open interfaces for their eReader. Sony introduce their line of eReader a few weeks later to compete with the Amazon Kindle and Apple's iPod as ereaders.

He says the Sony eReaders are open interface. The Sony eReaders support open EPUB, which means it can display Google books and library books also. Barnes and Noble wants to join in this battle with who has the best eReader out there for people to get. Barnes and Noble's eReader says that its device will run on the open source Android mobile operating platform. He claims that open hardware and operating system wins over closed and more controlled operating system on the devices like the eReaders. He saying that if Sony, Barnes and Noble and other late entrants into the eBook readers take first then the end-to-end Apple's iPod experience is an exception rather than the rule.

- Justin Kwan