[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ Book?, OMGdoes this herald the end of PC

[Xizor]

MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH!!!
...
Announcing the new Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge device called
BOOK.

The BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: No wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on.

It's so easy to use even a child can operate it. Just lift its cover!

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere-even sitting in
an armchair by the fire-yet it is powerful enough to hold as much
information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works...

Each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of
paper(recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information.
These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder
which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque PaperTechnology
(OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the
information density and cutting costs in half. Experts are divided on the
prospects for further increases in information density; for now BOOKs with
more information simply use more pages. This makes them thicker and
harder to carry, and has drawn some criticism from the mobile computing
crowd.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly
into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. The BOOK
may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it. The BOOK
never crashes and never needs rebooting, though like other display devices
it can become unusable if dropped overboard. The "browse" feature allows
you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you
wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location
of any selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open the
BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session-even if the BOOK
has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single
BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely,
numerous bookmarkers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to
store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of
pages in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries
with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic
Intercommunication Language Stylus (Pencils).

Portable, durable, and affordable, the BOOK is being hailed as
the entertainment wave of the future. The BOOK's appeal seems so certain
that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform. Look for
a flood of new titles soon.

[Messenger]

I heard a rumour recently that these "books" are available on short term leasing plans from a company called "LIBRARY". You can apparently lease one for a short a period as 1 day and thern return it for another model if you don't like it's features - with no charge for breaking the first lease?!?. But here's the really strange part - and I'm a bit skeptical about this as it can't possibly be right! - some branches of LIBRARY are said to be not charging any $$ for the lease at all??? :o
Leasing something for absolutely no cost!??!! How the hell can they bring a return to investors that way?