Gary+Allen+Page+3

=**Digital Textbooks Timeline to Innovation**=

The Digital Textbook is being developed in conjunction with technology made possible through the Ereader and Ipad. The Ereader has provided a foundation for the Digital Textbook technology to grow.
Clarke, who may be best known as the science-fiction writer who predicted the age of communication satellites, anticipated the development of e-readers and electronic newspapers is his book and the classic movie titled “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The following passage from his book describes his vision that is quickly becoming reality: “When he [Dr. Heywood Floyd] tired of official reports and memoranda and minutes, he would plug his foolscap-sized newspad into the ship’s information circuit and scan the latest reports from Earth. One by one he would conjure up the world’s major electronic newspapers.” Note: “foolscap” refers to a traditional European paper size of 8½ by 13½ inches that preceded adoption of the modern international A4 paper size. || What Kay envisioned actually was a multipurpose notebook computer, not an e-reader. However, he did anticipate that it also would be used for reading digital editions of books and periodicals. || Fidler predicted in an essay he wrote and illustrated for an APME special report that by the year 2000 nearly all newspapers would be online and that lightweight, magazine-size e-readers, which he then called InfoScreens, would be able to access and display interactive, multimedia newspapers. || This CD-ROM device with a small, low-res screen was modeled after the Sony Walkman CD-ROM music player. Unlike the Walkman, which once dominated the mobile music player market, the Bookman never caught on. || This device was envisioned as a multimedia tablet computer that could be used to play video and animated news stories locally broadcast by newspapers. El Periódico de Catalunya, the largest newspaper in Barcelona, Spain, conducted pilot demonstrations. || These were the first true e-readers in the general consumer market. Both were confined to purchasing and downloading eBooks via telephone dial-up services from each enterprise’s online bookstore. || Gemstar LTD purchased the Softbook and Rocket eBook patents in 2000 and licensed RCA to re-manufacture the devices. The REB 1200, also sold as the GEM 2150, was the first e-reader to have a full-color display. || This was the first e-reader to use the electronic paper display technology developed by E Ink Corporation. It was sold mostly in Japan. || The first commercial e-reader with an 8-inch electronic paper display. **Sony Reader** Experience gained from the Librié led to the introduction of this e-reader for the international market. || This is the most successful e-reader in the U.S. market today. **Cybook Gen3 by Bookeen** Similar to Sony Reader. Similar to Sony Reader. This is the first e-reader with a color electronic paper display. Sales are currently limited for corporate field tests only. || Introduced a line of e-readers in three sizes — 5-inch, 6-inch and 9.7-inch — at the IDPF trade show in New York on May 14. **Readius by Polymer Vision** The first pocket-size e-reader with a roll-up electronic paper display. Polymer Vision has announced that it will begin selling the device in the United States in 2009. Note: This is not intended to be a complete list of companies known to be developing or manufacturing e-readers. ||
 * **1968 —** || **Newspad (vision), Arthur C. Clarke**
 * **1972 —** || **Dynabook (vision), Alan Kay, Xerox PARC**
 * **1981 —** || **InfoScreen (vision), Roger Fidler, Knight-Ridder Inc.**
 * **1991 —** || **Sony Bookman**
 * **1996 —** || **NewsPad (prototype), European collaborative project**
 * **1998 —** || **Softbook by Softbook Press and Rocket eBook by NuvoMedia**
 * **2001 —** || **REB 1100 and REB 1200 by Gemstar**
 * **2004 —** || **Sony Librié**
 * **2006 —** || **iLiad Reader by iRex Technologies**
 * **2007 —** || **Kindle by Amazon**
 * HanLin eReader by Tianjin Jinke Electronics**
 * FLEPia by Fujitsu Frontech**
 * **2008 —** || **Mentor eBook Reader by Astak**

=﻿Week 5 Storyboard=