首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Why E -Readers Are a Worthy Business Investment A Silicon Valley product development consulting firm called the Nielsen Norm
Why E -Readers Are a Worthy Business Investment A Silicon Valley product development consulting firm called the Nielsen Norm
admin
2013-06-02
94
问题
Why E -Readers Are a Worthy Business Investment
A Silicon Valley product development consulting firm called the Nielsen Norman Group published a study last week comparing reading performance with a book to reading with an e-reader. The results—which are suspect because there were only 24 people in the test group—find that users of the Kindle 2 and iPad read 10. 7 percent and 6. 2 percent slower,respectively,than on paper or with books.
There are too many missing factors to take this study seriously. For example, this group was composed of all "enthusiastic" readers,given short stories by Ernest Hemingway to read on four platforms: the Kindle 2,an iPad, a PC monitor,and paper. First,Hemingway is not an easy read,and subject matter is all-important when measuring speed and comprehension. Enthusiastic readers are more likely to read anything faster than average or minimalist readers.
And, there are a number of other factors to consider, such as time of day .environment, the physical condition of participants,and whether reading is for entertainment or business. Sorry, but it will take a lot more than one simplistic study of 24 readers to convince me that such findings are accurate. Even if the study’s findings were spot-on, it’s not just reading speed that counts. E-readers still offer many advantages over paper books, especially for businesses.
I prefer paperback or hardback books for pleasure reading but,, for research, I prefer a device with access to the Internet. And, this is the case with my friends and colleagues, who add up to more than 10 times the number of participants in this study. However,since I work on a computer all the time,I will concede easily that an e-reader is preferable to a computer screen, especially one designed to imitate an actual book.
As a business investment, how will an e-reader such as the Kindle or a tablet such as the iPad benefit your company? There are several varieties of each available on the market. However, the only distinction I want to make is between e-readers and tablets; one was designed specifically for reading books and other printed materials,while the other was designed to function as a tiny computer, which includes e-reading capabilities. Eventually,the two designs will merge into one device,each with its own set of unique features.
Laptops, notebooks, netbooks, and smartphones all provide screens of readable data. Why would your staff need an electronic reader? These are five great reasons.
First,for employees who are required to read and absorb a lot of information, such as scientists, teachers, and medical personnel, laptops, notebooks, and netbooks are too heavy and large, and smart-phones are just too small. The purpose of an e-reader or a tablet is to function as a book; smaller, thinner,lightweight—no bigger than a standard paperback—plus comfortable and easy to read.
Anyone who is forced to read huge amounts of data for the job cannot be weighted down with a bulky machine; nor can they haul around several 800-page books. When I was an assistant professor traveling to teaching locations all over a city, I remember the agony of hauling six to 10 huge books, workbooks,and reference materials in my backpack to class. Add a laptop for presentations,a phone, and a briefcase to that,and I looked like I was waiting for a moving van. I would have eagerly traded it all for one tablet PC or e-reader.
Second,the physical cost of these devices is decreasing,and the purchase price for e-books is,on average Just $ 10 each. Access to the Internet costs more, but compare these fees with just one paper programming manual,engineering reference guide,or college textbook; the cost is absorbed in fewer than four books. The added benefit is with your own company’s industry-specific publications. Scientists , engineers, programmers, and systems analysts are not reading downloaded books for work from Amazon.
These professionals are reading their own company’s technical documents, which can be uploaded to any tablet or e-reader. Remember, not everyone out there has an office or a small bedroom with a simple chair,a nice desk,and a laptop parked in a docking station. That said,be sure to choose a firm, sturdy device that will withstand environmental conditions. Also, notice the device’s screen and how the text displays in sunlight,partial shade,and darkness. For example,an iPad or other tablet may be harder to read in the sun than a tablet such as the Kindle,with its special e-ink.
Third, these devices will change the way companies distribute physical sales and training documents such as books,manuals,and reference materials outside corporate walls. Even at the current prices,the e-readers—not the tablets, yet—are almost cheaper than providing paper literature.
For example, last year, I worked a technical writing contract job. We created and printed—in-house—four training manuals for employees of the company’s clients. The total cost of the paper books—the paper,ink,binders,dividers,and covers,plus staff time to print,assemble,and distribute— was just under $ 300. Amazon’s 6-inch, diagonal Kindle is only $ 189, and these prices are still coming down,not to mention the negotiating power of volume discounts.
Imagine the time, money, and effort saved by pre-loading training materials for your customers to an e-reader. Since they do not work for your company, they can’t otherwise access such information through your intranet. Besides, if they can’t take the manuals and read them on the go, it’s likely they won’t ever read them at all. Offering manuals on a portable device could spare you the support calls and emails to your help desk from customers looking for answers to what’s already in the manuals.
Another benefit and big cost-saving feature is in updates. When it’s time to update those materials, you just upload the new files to your Web site, then send alerts to customers informing them that they can download the new manuals directly to their e-readers and tablets. It’s the ease and convenience of a computer disguised as a book. Because,truthfully,who wants to sit at a computer and read hundreds of pages?
And last, there’s the added benefit of reading for fun, or even research. There are over 620,000 books,plus U. S. and international newspapers,magazines,and blogs available through Amazon; over a million books at Barnes & Noble, plus 20 newspapers and 13 magazines; with more offerings from publishers and retailers coming every day.
The real benefits of e-readers and tablet PCs are cost, convenience, a huge library—including out-of-print books and lots of free public domain books—easy distribution of your company’s data,and the incentive for everyone to read more. I love my e-reader and I would not give it up for any reason; however,I do still have a huge library of printed books that I won’t get rid of either. But, I can’t take them all with me when I travel.
The e-readers and tablets can hold as many books as the memory allows; for example, the 6-inch Kindle with 2GB of memory holds approximately 1,500 books,the 9-inch Kindle DX with 4GB of memory holds 3,500 books,and the iPad,with up to 64GB of memory, can hold about 48,000 books—if you don’t load it down with music and photos. Any of these devices can be worth the investment.
In the meantime, be sure to research specific features for your employees’ needs, such as any monthly fees added for access to the Internet,3G networks,e-mail,attachments,music resources, and so forth. After you factor in those fees, then compare features and device costs before you purchase.
According to the passage,the professionals of one company______.
选项
A、never buy any books from Amazon
B、often do their work in darkness
C、should choose the Kindle rather than iPad
D、only read industry-specific publications
答案
C
解析
定位句提及这些专业人员阅读的技术文件,可以上传到电子阅读器,接下来分析了其工作环境,认为an iPad or other tablet may be harder to read in the sun than a tablet such as the Kindle,也即认为Kindle较之于iPad更适合在阳光下阅读,由此可推知C)与之相符,故为答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/tfB7777K
0
大学英语六级
相关试题推荐
ShouldFreeMusicDownloadsBeOutlawed?1.许多歌手以及音乐公司认为免费下载音乐是一种侵权行为2.而有人认为上网下载公共资源是理所当然的3.我的看法
A、Theweather.B、Thecultures.C、Thecustoms.D、Thefamilymember.D事实细节题。短文提到亚洲东部一些国家的人碰到陌生人时会以提问对方一些私人问题开始他们的谈话,如家庭、家或工作。这些问题被
A、Hewantstolivealone.B、Hecan’tbearhisroommate.C、Hecan’taffordtoliveinthedorm.D、Hewantstomakefriendswithd
A、Itisveryclever.B、Itcanmakeagreatprogramplan.C、Itisveryuseful.D、Itiseasytooperate.D语义理解题。男士表示他新买的智能手机的触屏和键盘
Hollywood"Globalized"WhendirectorAdamMcKaypitchedasequel(续集)tohis2004hitmovieAnchorman,hethoughtitwouldb
Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessayentitledPuttingLabelsonStudents.Youshouldwriteatleast
A、Thereisagreatdifferencebetweenreadingandlistening.B、Thereareeffectivewaystopracticetheproofreadingskill.C、Hi
A、Anassociateprofessorwhoreceivestenurebecomesanassistantprofessor.B、Oneneedstogetadoctoraltobecomeaninstruct
FlirtWithSuicideThelifeofDavidWoodswasthestuffofanAustralianboy’sdream.Heplayedprofessionalrugbyleaguef
A、Asnowstorm.B、Anearthquake.C、Atrafficaccident.D、Ahurricane.B男士让女士描述一下当时的情形,女士说当时她正在睡觉,突然听到一阵可怕的声音,地板掀了起来,并像波浪一样摇晃,而这一切
随机试题
A.锋电位B.阈电位C.局部电位D.动作电位E.静息电位
下列店堂告示,违反《消费者权益保护法》规定的有
关于一般现浇楼板及框架结构的拆模顺序,说法正确的是()。
应急预案演练的参演人员所承担的具体任务主要包括()。
某承包商承包某外资工程项目的施工,与业主签订的施工合同要求:工程合同价2000万元,工程价款采用调值公式动态结算;该工程的人工费可调,占工程价款的35%;材料费有三种可调:材料1占20%,材料2占15%,材料3占15%。价格指数见表1A424033。
经济学分析认为,价格卡特尔虽然能够实现(),但价格卡特尔同盟本身是不稳定的。
确认商品销售收入时,所指的商品所有权上的主要风险和报酬包括()。
中国饮食文化历史悠久,内容丰富。清代文学家袁枚的(),就记载了明代到清代流行的食品326种,并在烹饪技术上提出了很多见解。
甲在自家宅基地上建造了一套房屋,在办理产权登记前将房屋出卖并交付给乙,办理产权登记后又将该房屋出卖给丙并办理了所有权移转登记。丙受丁胁迫将房屋出卖给丁,并完成了移转登记。丁随即将房屋出卖并移转登记于戊。根据上述案情,请回答下列问题并说明理由:甲与乙之
A、DYBEAFCZXB、YDEBFZXCAC、ABDYECFXZD、ABCDEFXYZC前序遍历是指在访问根结点、遍历左子树与遍历右子树这三者中,首先访问根结点,然后遍历左子树,最后遍历右子树;并且,在遍历左右子树时,仍然先访问根结点,然后遍历左
最新回复
(
0
)