This isn’t a funny comment, but I’ve come to accept that both have their roles. I don’t see e-readers completely replacing books for the above reason, and power issues. Now, when they implant those chips in the back of our heads…..
When your e-reader crashes or gets stolen, does that mean you have to buy all your books all over again? You cannot lend an e-book without violating anti-piracy laws, nor can you sell a used book you no longer want. Amazon forcibly remotely deleted copies of 1984 and Animal Farm from hundreds of Kindles owned by people who downloaded the books from a publisher that apparently did not have the proper rights to do so. What a marvelous irony that Orwell’s books get turned into “un-books”.
Us Olde People will be slow to adapt, but young people who grew up texting on cellphones will have no problems with the technology. Especially when school kids can replace a huge, heavy backpack stuffed full of dead trees with a single pad that slips in a pocket, and contains all the text books, work books and note books they’ll need for the entire year. Kids today say, “What’s a corded phone??” In five years, they’ll say, “What’s paper???” (Meanwhile, a town near me just blew $30 million on a huge new library that’s not even finished yet, and is already obsolete…)
It would be cool to have an e-reader for the convenience of having several books at your disposal without the troublesome bulk, or the bother of deciding which book(s) to take with you. On the other hand,I love the smell of real book in my hands. Smells like… literacy!
@ Blackwolff9So right! And another item for e-readers – so many companies (Sony, Samsung, etc) put their manuals for all their gadgets, online. I put the manual on my e-reader for reading later.
For the most part, real books easily beat e-readers – they are far more pleasant to read. But: e-readers are much better for travel, for transit, and for bouncing back and forth between multiple books. They are also better for note-taking and for tracking down specific information quickly. Additionally, they should be a boon to writers – the number of copies that a publisher has to sell to make a profit off of a book is much, much lower with e-books, so a lot of books that would never be printed will find life as e-publications.
Still… if future generations do not have bookcases full of books and bookstores and libraries to go to, we will have lost something special as a culture.
What are you going to read when that technology gets as obsolete as a cylinder recording? Already the BBC laser copy of the Book of Kells is unreadable because no one can find a reader for it.
machpovii3 almost 13 years ago
And then you slap her with the remnants of your e-reader and the bill for its repair.
Kvasir42 Premium Member almost 13 years ago
This isn’t a funny comment, but I’ve come to accept that both have their roles. I don’t see e-readers completely replacing books for the above reason, and power issues. Now, when they implant those chips in the back of our heads…..
clivia grana almost 13 years ago
e-readers save lots of trees ^^
x_Tech almost 13 years ago
Sometimes I reread books I’ve have had for 30 years and sometimes I read a book on an e-reader that I read 30 years ago.
ChazNCenTex almost 13 years ago
The power of the press.
runar almost 13 years ago
When your e-reader crashes or gets stolen, does that mean you have to buy all your books all over again? You cannot lend an e-book without violating anti-piracy laws, nor can you sell a used book you no longer want. Amazon forcibly remotely deleted copies of 1984 and Animal Farm from hundreds of Kindles owned by people who downloaded the books from a publisher that apparently did not have the proper rights to do so. What a marvelous irony that Orwell’s books get turned into “un-books”.
Boise Ed Premium Member almost 13 years ago
I love my real books, but when travelling, the ereader is a godsend.
Destiny23 almost 13 years ago
Us Olde People will be slow to adapt, but young people who grew up texting on cellphones will have no problems with the technology. Especially when school kids can replace a huge, heavy backpack stuffed full of dead trees with a single pad that slips in a pocket, and contains all the text books, work books and note books they’ll need for the entire year. Kids today say, “What’s a corded phone??” In five years, they’ll say, “What’s paper???” (Meanwhile, a town near me just blew $30 million on a huge new library that’s not even finished yet, and is already obsolete…)
baileydean almost 13 years ago
And the crowd (at least this part of the crowd) roars!!! Yay!
praetor1983 almost 13 years ago
Physical books will always be the better option (and I say this owning an e-reader). Always.
Hillbillyman almost 13 years ago
I love books. But it would be pretty cool to own a e reader. Just for the novelty of it.
Michelle Morris almost 13 years ago
It would be cool to have an e-reader for the convenience of having several books at your disposal without the troublesome bulk, or the bother of deciding which book(s) to take with you. On the other hand,I love the smell of real book in my hands. Smells like… literacy!
Hunter7 almost 13 years ago
@ Blackwolff9So right! And another item for e-readers – so many companies (Sony, Samsung, etc) put their manuals for all their gadgets, online. I put the manual on my e-reader for reading later.
fishbulb239 almost 13 years ago
For the most part, real books easily beat e-readers – they are far more pleasant to read. But: e-readers are much better for travel, for transit, and for bouncing back and forth between multiple books. They are also better for note-taking and for tracking down specific information quickly. Additionally, they should be a boon to writers – the number of copies that a publisher has to sell to make a profit off of a book is much, much lower with e-books, so a lot of books that would never be printed will find life as e-publications.
Still… if future generations do not have bookcases full of books and bookstores and libraries to go to, we will have lost something special as a culture.
hippogriff almost 13 years ago
What are you going to read when that technology gets as obsolete as a cylinder recording? Already the BBC laser copy of the Book of Kells is unreadable because no one can find a reader for it.
bagbalm almost 13 years ago
I sell my books on Kindle and Nook – they let you choose if you want DMR or not. I don’t assume my customers are crooks.