For lack of a better name, I will refer to my idea as the “Electrobook”.
The Electrobook is comprised of three thick “pages”:
- The outside cover & left hand reading page
- The right hand reading page & paper pad
- The “homepage” & back cover
EXTERIOR:
The exterior consists of two screens displaying the cover.
Similar to album covers, the book cover can be a powerful thing, and shouldn’t be lost as digital reading gains popularity. Despite the old adage of judging a book by its cover, it certainly affects the reader in some way, and possibly those around them. (Call It Booklyn - The New York Times)
Another thing to note is that often different editions have different cover art, which can affect the value of the book. What is displayed on the outside screen of the Electrobook may change according to edition and book condition.
For users that want to express individuality, they can also customize their exterior if they’d like, with different photos, patterns, etc. Users may also use this feature if they don’t want readers to see what they are reading.
THE READING EXPERIENCE:
The reader will open the cover like a paper book, and will be presented with the surfaces where the text is displayed. Like some of the other entries, The Electrobook will have two pages, a left and a right, to mimic the experience of reading a paper book.
In order to mimic some of the other experiences of a paper book, on the corner of each page will be a tab that the user can click to create a “dog ear”. Also in the corner (or at least outside edge somewhere) will be a button to turn the pages back and forth, which is usually where readers flip to the next page.
By using a stylus, the reader can also make highlights and take notes in the margin of the book, a very important part of the paper book experience.
THE “HOMEPAGE”:
All of these user notes – the highlights, the pre-reading and margin notes, the dog ears, etc. will then be compiled into the user’s “homepage” which will be shown on the last page of the Electrobook (what would be the inside back cover).
Also on the same face as the homepage will be the control panel, where the user can opt to share the book with others, thus creating network/ecosystem:
- Gifting – can purchase books or giftcards for others
- Donate – when a reader no longer needs a title, they can pass it along to someone else
- Loan – can grant access to other readers
- Sell – can sell their book access for a price
Also on the control panel the user can change the settings/appearance of the book:
- Specify environmental setting like a camera, so lighting changes as needed (outdoor, indoor, lowlight, beach, etc.)
- Book condition - New (crisp, white page appearance) vs. Used (yellowed, maybe more pulpy texture, font changes, perhaps even including common reader anecdotes). Cover art will also change based on edition
- Sound (page turns) - on or off
- Text size (large format, regular, small)
