Ars Technica has an interesting review of a forthcoming iPhone e-book app called Classics.
Not yet available on the App Store, the gimmick of Classics is that it attempts to replicate the page-turning experience of a “real book” as closely as is possible on the iPhone’s screen. For $2.99, it will launch with a library of 12 public-domain titles, such as Alice in Wonderland or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, with the possibility of adding more with later updates.
Without actually trying the app out, I cannot agree or disagree with the specific points Ars makes in its review. Nonetheless, I have to wonder if a nifty page-turning animation will really be sufficient to make readers pay even $2.99 for public-domain books that can be downloaded for eReader or Stanza from Manybooks or Feedbooks for free.
Bookz already does this, if I remember right. And how long would it take Stanza or eReader to implement? Harebrained idea by somebody …
What’s more important? Appearance (‘Ooh, shiny!’) or content?
Sure, visually I want something that is easy on my eyes, especially as I get older, and aesthetically pleasing text is part of that. But special effects while I read? I would find that distracting.
I want to READ.
This seems geared towards the casual reader — someone who reads an ebook once or twice a year.
Well, I haven’t tried this app yet, but I have tried a few various e-reading apps for the PC over the years that have had page turning animations.
They’re really neat for about the first 5 pages. After that, they just get in the way and distract from the books content.
I don’t know about anyone else, but the whole reason I read them is for the content. I don’t care if it has a shiny cover or whatnot. (OK, so a shiny cover might catch my eye when I’m in the bookstore, but that’s a whole other story…)
Also, it sounds like the books are going to be in a proprietary iphone app format. I’ll get on my soapbox again to extol the benefits of the ePub format, which I can buy once and read anywhere. (Not to mention that I can get most classic ePub books free from a variety of sites…)
My general thought on the matter is that special effects like this actually hightlight the fact that you are not reading a paper book. After reading on the iPod Touch and now a dedicated reader, I can honestly say the less drama involved in a page turn, the better.