Better e-reading ahead on new BlackBerries—with improved screen
New BlackBerry models from RIM offer 480×320 screen resolution, double the previous stat. Hello, iPhone? RIM doesn’t just want to roll over dead. No touch screens, though. And the screen size isn’t optimal for e-reading.
But this is the era of multiuse devides, and besides, BlackBerry smart phones can run Mobipocket e-bookware, giving you legal access to DRM-infested bestsellers. Try that, Steve Jobs—well, assuming you think books are worth the trouble, which of course you will when you have the right apps and/or hardware out there.
E-reads apps ahead, helped by $150M venture fund?
Meanwhile I’ll be curious what e-book-related apps if any will result from the creation of a $150M fund that RIM, The Royal Bank of Canada and Thomson Reuters are creating for BlackBerries and other mobile devices.
In RIM’s shoes, I’d rush to join the International Digital Publishing Forum and lobby for open source e-reading apps that used the ePub standard; exec director Michael Smith is himself Canadian.
Consistent with companies’ biz goals
Remember, the main businesses of RIM and Thomson Reuters—hardware, services and content. Good e-read apps, free or at least cheap, would open up new opportunities consistent with the companies’ business goals.
Related: Joe Wikert’s post full of BlackBerry love in an e-book context—plus his just-made one advocating multiuse devices.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I love my Blackberry, but for reading screen *size* is a bit more important than just absolute screen *resolution* and this still looks like a very small screen.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Agree, Brian–as noted in the copy. But other Blackberry models will be coming out, and I’d hope that RIM would have the smarts to do one that was good for books, too, not just communications. There is a huge market for good all-in-one devices, just as there’ll be a smaller one for book-optimized gizmos. Thanks. David
May 16th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
“Agree, Brian–as noted in the copy”
Oops..skimmed through that too quickly.
I’d be interested to see a touch-screen Berry with a soft-keyboard like the iphone. Not sure if thats doable patent-wise, but the one thing i like about the Berry is the local file storage and the 3rd party apps both of which Apple seems to want to severely limit.