HUMOR

[Diane VanGorden <libbhs@MIDRIVERS.COM>]

Here's a chuckle picked up off WIRED-MT (a Montana Library ListServ)

MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH!

Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade named
BOOK.

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. 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:

BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable),
each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are
locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the
sheets in their correct sequence.

Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the
sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are
divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for
now, BOOKS with more information simply use more pages.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your
brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet.

BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it. BOOK never
crashes or requires 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 pin-points the exact location of any
selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open 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 BOOK markers
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, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a
new entertainment wave.

Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have
committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking. Look for a
flood of new titles soon.

The only known downside to BOOK is the requirement that each user be capable
of reading.


Diane VanGorden, LMS
Baker High School Library           e-mail:  libbhs@midrivers.com
P O Box 659                                voice:  (406) 778-3329 x11
Baker MT  59313-00659                 fax:  (406) 778-2785
"What a school thinks about is library is a measure of what it thinks about
education."
      Howard Howe, former U.S. Commissioner of Education

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