VORTEXT: The Hard-backed Screen

If a document is written using a computer then it obviously makes sense for it to be read on the same medium. But how will the ordinary man-in-the-street react to this? How will he react to sitting down at a terminal instead of browsing through bookshelves? How will he react to scanning a screenful of text rather than feeling the ‘physicalness’ of a real book? What facilities will he expect? What facilities will he want? This paper is the result of three and a half years research using VORTEXT — VictORias TEXT reading system — a unique interface which begins to explore the limits, possibilities (and pitfalls!) of extending the ‘real book’ metaphor across from its traditional paper medium to its future computerized form.