VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Springboard Modules (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=10)
-- customer's choice eBooks (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=5055)

I had a thought...If you could get a publisher with rights to numerous works interested, a 'Build your own library' sort of ordering system might be set up, with the customer nominating which texts they want included on a particular springboard module.

How many novels could you include on a springboard module and still be cost-effective? Of course, you could get a 8MB flash module and download some public domain texts, but I'm thinking new release and reference materials.

As a reference point, see www.peanutpress.com. Their books vary between less than 200k and more than 800k. (They use compression; dunno details.) If the average book size is 500k, then one could fit roughly 16 books on a Springboard with 8meg. This is text-only of course; graphics suck up space much faster.

Peanut Press has indicated that they'll be releasing "book series" (like "Start Trek", blech) on Springboard modules, but it doesn't sound like they'll be customizable. Of course, one could just buy a memory module and fill it with whatever titles available that you want and can find in useable form.

(Me, I'm still hoping for the dictionary/thesaurus/quotes/almanac/encyclopedia all-in-one reference Springboard ...)

Hee. Yeah, I agree. An all in one reference module would be excellent. Let's see...they could call it...hmmm...Encarta <snicker>

I've checked out the peanut ebooks site before, but I think the value of being able to choose your own titles to be included would be a great idea. Especially if you could later return to the publisher and get new titles loaded into the same module. It would involve the vendor becoming more like a library or a video store, but for ebooks rather than videos. The charge would be lower, more like a rental fee, but still amount to an outright purchase for those who wanted a permanent library stored on their modules. No doubt they could think up some encryption or hardware technology in the module to protect their revenues from all but the more sophisticated computer user.

Isn't that possible right now? Here's how:

1. Buy the 8 MB Flash module
2. Download the titles you want from Peanut Press
3. Put them on the Flash module
4. Stick a label on the module and label it "My Books"



------------------
"Scalpel"
Atomic Hyrax Games

Wow, I wish [b]I[\b] had thought of that.

(Read my previous post.)



[This message has been edited by bearpaw (edited 10-14-1999).]

*chuckle* Sometimes things just need to be said more than once before they'll catch on. Or sink in.

In any case, I still reckon there's a market for electronic libraries, rather than buying the ebook itself. I mean, my flatmate bought Titanic on video, but any other video we watch (when she's not re-running DiCaprio) is not bought, merely borrowed from the store.

M.