Unappreciated eBook Features
Earlier today I was fooling around with Adobe Acrobat and I was amazed by some of the features and I'm surprised that some of them aren't more widely used in ebooks. Beyond improved navigation, mobility, instant access, and search capability, some features that are particularly exciting are:
- Video - Embedded video clips allow you to watch the video directly from Adobe Acrobat. During the summer, I plan to add video clips of interviews with successful people into The Student Success Manifesto.
- Sound - Sound has incredible potential to alter people's moods. It would be possible to embed sounds (ie - classical, house, hip-hop, etc.) depending on the part of the book the reader is at. Movies can use this feature brilliantly. Why not books? Perhaps artists will record sound tracks specifically for books in the future.
- 3. Comment Sharing - If installed on a server, it would be possible for readers to leave comments (like a discussion board) about certain parts of the book, that other readers would have the option of seeing. In the past, books have mostly been centered around author-reader relationships. With this discussion board feature, readers can communicate with each other and add value to the content of the book.
- Forms - It is possible for people to submit forms via ebooks. These forms could be used to collect personal information about the reader or to be submitted to other individuals. Later this summer, a workbook for The Student Success Manifesto will come out. We plan to intersperse activities throughout the ebook. As the reader fills out forms, the info could be stored in an online profile or submitted to close friends who can give feedback.