Well I certainly don’t have time to comment on most of the submissions, but I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on the whole concept of eBooks. Obviously some may disagree, but I imagine a lot of people would think along the same lines.
An eBook is not a replacement for existing consumer electronics ie: it's not a PDA, it's not a laptop, it's not an all-in-wonder-mobile-device. If a feature goes well with the design, it doesn't complicate it, and doesn't dramatically increase the costs, then I am all for it. But for the most part eBooks don't need a stylus, keyboard, or MP3 player built in.
A fair amount of entries look very much like PDAs, cell phones, or iPhones. These existing devices can fulfill the role of an eBook with a simple software install, and with mobile device prices coming down a basic eBook won’t be much cheaper than one of these all-in-one devices. As such I find these smaller designs irrelevant.
I think the bigger market will be for eBooks with medium to large displays, which are easy to read around the house, while commuting, while at work. People will still expect them to be compact and easy to travel with, but at the same time will want a display they can read without squinting.
Another big issue is interface. People will want to interact with it as though it were a book. Not necessarily the aesthetics and tactile feel of a book, but one that behaves like a book. This is where user interaction will really need to be scrutinized. As stated earlier by other posters people really hate scrolling through an endless page. The act of turning a page is a big one, and should be accommodated on most devices. Page turning helps the reader set goals, assists with way finding, and provides stopping points.
</soap box>
That being said…
I think the following entries found a good compromise with these dilemmas.
Yo - Great design, very clean and sharp looking. It is small enough to travel with, yet has a large enough screen to read easily. The leather cover may not work for everyone, but this could easily be swapped with any type of material so that consumers can customize their own books.
The Boogey Man - Although I find a stylus unnecessary in most cases, you have devised a great compromise to accommodate a certain market. Students, authors, and researchers will really take to the note taking capability of your eBook. And the fact that it has a pullout notebook is far more versatile and even natural feeling compared to writing on the screen with a stylus.
Kyleloughlin - I think your leafbook is also quite versatile with it’s two halves. People read books in different positions and manors, and I think this could adapt easily. It’s intuitive, similar to reading a real book and works well. I think the touch screens / keyboard functionality may be a bit much, but as it is incorporated into the screen it certainly doesn’t detract from the design, and could be integrated or left out of the final product without impacting the visuals at all.
Nutkin - Your scroll book is a novel idea (although this is a biased claim, as I realized upon posting my design that my book is incredibly similar to yours.) The design provides for a large easily read screen, yet compacts down to easily travel with. The details and interaction haven’t been fleshed out, but the beginnings of a good design is there.
Anyways, those are my thoughts on some of the entries that stood out from the rest, taking into account my immediate bias towards small screened designs of course.
-monsta coty scott