Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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This is what happens when one confuses "random" with "profound."

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Book Scanner

Organize and browse books more efficiently
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Place a smart tag or RFID inside of each book. The tag would have info on the book and also a quick summary about the book also displaying info about how many times it has been scanned by customers. How many times it has been purchased and how many are in stock. Each customer carries a mini scanner and instead of letting customers thumb through every single book and place those smudges on pages throughout the book. They can scan and read a quick summary and display all the statistics on the book, if they like it place a purchase option on the scanner and when they go to check out nothing to carry except your coffee and the scanner. Hand in your scanner and they will retrieve all the books you want. The number of times a book is scanned and purchased can be sent back to the publisher or Author. Also with organization there isn't a crap load of re-shelving or trying to find where each book belongs. When you call in about a book to see if they have it in there isn't a delay while the employee goes to search to see if it is on the shelf. They check online database which is updated every time a purchase is made.
OriDea, Oct 08 2007

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       If you took this idea and got rid of the paper book entirely, you would have amazon.com. With amazon, I do not need to carry a scanner, or coffee, and I can be completely naked except for those smudges.
bungston, Oct 08 2007
  

       amazon takes time to deliver. Plus it is really faulty, who liable if you pay for something and it doesn't show up? Amazon or the person. When you pick a purchase option and there is a limited number of books left it sends a signal back and says (5 have been purchased and there are 4 people still shopping who have reserved one each)
OriDea, Oct 08 2007
  

       These problems have nothing to do with your idea, though.   

       The point is: If all you do to "browse" in a book store is scan RFIDs of books, you might as well not do it in a book store. The bookstore element would be reduced to really fast audience-participation shipping:
Customer: Hi, I'd like ISBN 0819310050.
Clerk: Here you are.
  

       Personally, the inefficiency of seeing things I didn't expect to see (and, yes, leaving those little black smudges that seem to bug you so much) is the fun part.
jutta, Oct 08 2007
  

       "Personally, the inefficiency of seeing things I didn't expect to see (and, yes, leaving those little black smudges that seem to bug you so much) is the fun part."--------Of course no-one said you cant browse the rest of the store and not view the unexpected. Also if that is fun part of seeing things that weren't expected...in hindsight you realize this. SO next time you visit, it isnt unexpected because you enjoy finding new things so then it is expected to find the unexpected.
OriDea, Oct 08 2007
  

       Baked at the library, but you have to use one of the convenient computers scattered around the place.. Lots of places have information about their books on the computer. Stores can just let people use one of those Wal-Mart scanner/touch screen things. And besides, lots of info about the book is usually on the book! What's the point of buying a book if you're too lazy to reas the back cover?
Shadow Phoenix, Nov 11 2007
  
      
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