Ebooks on the way out?

[jasper]

No argument there. But turning pages generally requires two hands. If I'm using two hands on my book when the subway lurches, there's a problem. ......

Then get out the store. Around here if the Subway lurches we call it an earthquake.
Ebooks are great for casual reading, aka Star Wars, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, but for graphic heavy books, no. Not at this time.

 

[frogimus]

The simple point there is that my book will not be destroyed, I won't have to wait to finish it, I won't have to spend a lot of money to replace it if I want an unscuffed copy and all of that makes it superior to an ebook. It's a challenge to the statement that ebooks are 'superior in every way'.

And I'm pretty sure paper books come with the same 'make them replace it or beat the hell out of them (or both)' clause.

Along that same line of logic, we'll assume my house floods. I need to replace an $80 reader. All my eBooks are stored in the cloud, so I only need to replace some silicone and plastic. Or not, since I can read them on my phone, tablet, and PC. My library of hardbound books are a total loss.

 

[Janx]

The simple point there is that my book will not be destroyed, I won't have to wait to finish it, I won't have to spend a lot of money to replace it if I want an unscuffed copy and all of that makes it superior to an ebook. It's a challenge to the statement that ebooks are 'superior in every way'.

And I'm pretty sure paper books come with the same 'make them replace it or beat the hell out of them (or both)' clause.

It's been awhile since i held a real book....

My wife always bought me heavy books. Which make me tired holding them up so I can read them. So I like my lighter eBook for that.

though i agree that asserting that they were superior in EVERY way was a bit much....

 

[Nellisir]

Ebooks are superior to paperback novels in every way.

Until Amazon takes your books away.
http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets...ndle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-f1C6626211

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Until Amazon takes your books away.
http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/gadgets...ndle-books-amazon-reminds-customer-f1C6626211

Yep.

Which is also one reason why I buy CDs instead of downloading mp3s- same buy vs rent market structure.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/who-owns-your-itunes-library-when-you-die/

 

[Umbran]

Which is also one reason why I buy CDs instead of downloading mp3s- same buy vs rent market structure.

That's an issue with something like iTunes, where the expectation is that you'll use their software to download and manage your content.

If, however, you purchase and download a DRM-free mp3, there's not a whole lot Amazon can do about it afterwards.

 

[Callahan09]

As in most things, I think it depends upon the situation.

These days, I get a significant amount of my reading done on my morning commute. On a crowded train, managing the crud I'm carrying and something to read I've found far easier with my Nook tablet than with a physical book. And getting stuff from the public library on it is dirt easy!

On the other hand, I still find using e-book for gaming materials to be annoying and dumb.

Exactly where I am in my thinking. I do most of my narrative reading on the train during my commute (unless a book gets me so hooked I keep reading after I get home). Also ebooks are easy to demo a sample off in just a few seconds search and download time, the buying price is usually cheaper outside of finding a decent used copy at the right price, and it also keeps track of my bookmarks, notes, and highlights in the digital format. Finally, my shelf space at home is at a serious premium right now and so the honest to goodness bigger factor limiting my purchasing decisions is simply how worthy the book is of occupying a coveted spot on the shelf.

And I also agree about source books... Still can't do them digitally. I think this is an issue with all reference books as a general rule. What it is, is that you have to page jump a lot and that is simply slower in digital format right now. Someday it may improve and digital could be just as quick and smooth to page jump and browse as paper is, but until that day that kinda of books need to be paper for me.

 

[tomBitonti]

A couple of points ...

*) Readers need not be worth only $70. Lots of folks have much more expensive devices. A top-of-the-line iPad air runs about $1000.

*) Devices still provide a fraction of what you get from a book, in terms of viewing area.

What we need are devices similar to an ipad air, but about twice as big, which are sturdy and light (say, made mostly of light but tough plastic), which sell for $100, and which are enabled for effortless sharing of content.

Thx!

TomB

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That's an issue with something like iTunes, where the expectation is that you'll use their software to download and manage your content.

If, however, you purchase and download a DRM-free mp3, there's not a whole lot Amazon can do about it afterwards.

There is also the assumption that those downloads will always be readable by the tech you own. Having already lost data purely to the advances of computer technology, I'm not prepared to trust in that assumption.

OTOH, the stuff I download from my own (still growing) massive collection of music in physical formats, is free of all issues. As long as I have the necessary audio equipment, I'll always be able to make downloads of the latest digital format.

 

[Mark CMG]

There is also the assumption that those downloads will always be readable by the tech you own. Having already lost data purely to the advances of computer technology, I'm not prepared to trust in that assumption.

OTOH, the stuff I download from my own (still growing) massive collection of music in physical formats, is free of all issues. As long as I have the necessary audio equipment, I'll always be able to make downloads of the latest digital format.

This might be of help -

http://calibre-ebook.com/