Meet The Kindle’s Predecessor: The Readies Machine

The early 20th century was a time of innovation; folks could tune into their favorite radio shows, go see movies in theatres that were complete with sound, and thanks to the invention of a teabag, they could make a cup of tea with ease. But one thing that had yet to be reimagined? Books. While the printed word was not easy to reinvent, American writer Bob Brown had a vision.

Who Was Bob Brown?

Robert Carlton Brown II was an American writer and publisher known for everything from comic squibs and magazine fiction to avant-garde poetry and cookbooks and just about everything in between. He published bohemian poetry, started an international business news publishing empire, traveled the world, worked on a commune, wrote in Hollywood, sold rare and unusual books, published works with the Beat poets and so much more. Once you have an idea of what Bob Brown accomplished in his life, it’s no surprise this man tried to revolutionize reading.

Onward

While he was about 70 years before his time, writer Bob Brown was determined to bring books to the electronic age after seeing a talking picture in 1930. What were once silent pictures were now moving into the new age with “talkies” but Brown’s medium of choice appeared to be stuck in the old days in comparison. So Brown proposed what he called “Readies.”

Brown’s Concept

The concept of Brown’s “Readies” is similar to the e-books of today, allowing readers to “adjust the type size and avoid paper cuts” as well as “read hundred thousand word novels in 10 minutes” if they wanted to.

This would be accomplished by ribbons of tiny text that readers would scroll manually behind a sheet of magnifying glass. Think microfilm meets ticker-tape machines. And while you couldn’t just throw this machine into your handbag, it was still more convenient than hauling your entire library around.

The Readie Machine Wasn’t Built in a Day

Despite the idea receiving attention from the publishing world, writers sending him pieces designed specifically for the machine, researching patents, and having a wooden prototype created, film was also continuing to advance with the “Readie” machine falling into obscurity and being no match for the newest fad in the literary world – the paperback.

An Extremely Brief History of the Paperback

The early 19th century saw its fair share of improvements in the printing, publishing, and book-distribution processes which ultimately enabled a number of publishers to begin mass-producing cheap uniform yellowback or paperback editions of existing works and sell them. These paper-bound volumes were offered at a fraction of the cost of a hardback book and were smaller in format. Bernhard Tauchnitz started the Collection of British and American Authors in 1841 and these inexpensive, paperbound editions, served as a direct precursor to mass-market paperbacks.

A Full Circle Moment

Fast-forward to 1971 however when University of Illinois student Michael S. Hart created the first e-book – an electronic copy of the Declaration of Independence. Then in 1998 Rocket ebook and Softbook hit the market as e-readers, and then the lives of bibliophiles were forever changed in the early 2000s when Amazon released their coveted Kindle. We can now say with zero hesitation that Brown’s vision has come to fruition.

Things to Know About the Kindle

Whether you’re a fan of e-readers or you prefer traditional reading, you can’t deny that Amazon singlehandedly revolutionized the written word. Here are a few things you may not know about the Amazon Kindle:

• The name “Kindle” comes from the word meaning “to light a fire,” which the branding consultants thought was a metaphor for reading.
• You can use a Kindle to access ebooks from your local library.
• You can use a Kindle in the dark and with one hand.
• For those who are dyslexic or have trouble seeing, a Kindle allows you to change the font or font size.
• Aside from the basic Kindle, all other Kindles are waterproof making it a perfect solution for bathtub or pool readers.
• Compared to other tablets, phones, or a TV, Kindles give off very little blue light.
• If you’re an annotator, have no fear, you can add notes and highlights to your Kindle as you read.
• Traveling? You’ll never have to choose just one or two books again, nor will your Kindle take up half of your suitcase or weigh a ton.
• Kindles eliminate having to physically go to the library or your local bookstore, and while we agree, visiting these places is half the fun, this can be especially helpful if you’re traveling, you’re in need of reading materials during a holiday, or you find yourself in the middle of a global pandemic.