Freitag

Minimal Mac: Isn't the web enough?

minimalmac:

Far too often we think that innovation must come only with new tools. Instead, first consider the innovative ways to use the tools we already have. We may find that not only is this enough but in some ways may be better.

This blog post is just freaky in its timing. I work for a huge publisher in education and one of my new projects is to help them create a better experience for digital reading. The current crop of eBooks and eTexts is awful. But these people who have print backgrounds keep looking at app after app and asking if we can make a “rich experience” like what they’re seeing. But I am pushing for a responsive web design that allows the text to remain free and readable on any device. Web standards vs. locked-in applications.

The fear, of course, is that open text will lead to wide-spread theft. This point of view is frustrating to me because it punishes honest people to protect your product from a few dishonest people. The dishonest people find ways around your protection schemes. The only ones who suffer are people who legitimately want to use your products.

The move from print to digital is tricky. What we must achieve is a way to consume content that is so compelling that students would choose the digital product over the printed counterpart. And Flash and moving graphics are not what I’m talking about. Clearly this is an idea whose time has come. I hope that I can help my company be the one to answer the call.