Amazon Kindle & other eReaders

[Stewart]

I've not even seen one in the flesh (so to speak) and I simply don't like them. Same goes for the iLiad, which I noticed Borders was announcing a why not buy...? tannoy every five minutes when last I popped in.

I guess for me, it's holding a book in one's hand; knowing how many pages in your are, how many to go (and feeling the weight of pages transfer to the other side as you read); and that I can have shelves loaded with them. I can share them with friends, I can sell them on when I no longer have a need for them.

Having all my books stored electronically I'd be scared of dropping the thing in the bath, if I was having a relaxing read; or of losing it (or having it stolen) and having my entire book collection lost. (Although if the house was burning down I suppose I could grab all my books in one go and get out of there.)

Perhaps I'm going to be an old fashioned reader - although books have never went out of fashion - but I doubt I'll ever be seen with a ridiculous volume of books tucked into one little machine. I can't see these things improving the reading experience. The only thing I can think them possibly being good for is as a storage of non-fiction, say for professionals, so that they can have all the necessary textbooks (medical, engineering, programming, etc.) to hand and quickly reference them.

What do others think of these gadgets? Passing fad? Here to stay?

[Bjorn]

Personally, I just hate trees. Reading a lot of books is just my way of killing some of the bastards.

I'm still waiting for someone to point out to me some feature of e-book readers that make them better than books. So far, it seems the closest they've gotten is that in some respects (size, readability, etc), they are almost as good as books. Until they outclass the good old-fashioned book, I see no reason to trade.

[pontalba]

Part of reading is the physicality of the book itself, even down to how the book is 'built'. Is the paper of good quality? Is the binding tight, solid to the touch, is the size to your liking, does it fit your hands comfortably? You can't get that with a piece of plastic with a screen that you can't flip back and forth to compare easily.
The reader can't mark interesting passages, phrases in common with other sections of the book, basically create their own indexing.

Regretfully I expect the Kindle and it's kith and kin are here to stay, but not in my house. 'Sides, they must be outta their minds charging that much for the putrid thing that I would surely drop within 3 days of owning it.

[Beth]

I saw a businessman reading with a Kindle in the Chicago airport recently. I nosily rubbernecked as best I could to see the title, John Adams by David McCullough. The Kindle was surprisingly small-framed and the text appeared marginally larger than that of a real book. It struck me as the sort of tool that an imminently practical person might use, someone who reads, but who lacks an appreciation for the sensuality of bound pages. Utilitarian at best, a garish nightmare for most, I would guess. Plus, at $10 a download? Robbery!

[Stewart]

Nick Hornby weighs in on the eBook debate.

And with the average Briton only reading seven books a year, Hornby claims we have no practical need for a device that can store hundreds of titles. "The advantages of the Iliad and the [Amazon] Kindle - that you can take vast numbers of books away with you - are of no interest to the average book-buyer," he states.

[Sybarite]

Originally Posted by Stewart

Nick Hornby weighs in on the eBook debate.

And with the average Briton only reading seven books a year, Hornby claims we have no practical need for a device that can store hundreds of titles. "The advantages of the Iliad and the [Amazon] Kindle - that you can take vast numbers of books away with you - are of no interest to the average book-buyer," he states.

Well, that makes me far from "average"

I could conceivably see the advantage, in the terms in which he describes, for my forthcoming holiday – it would possibly save me money since RyanAir surcharge for luggage. But I would also not particularly wish to handle something like that on the beach for fear of it getting wet or sandy etc. But ultimately because I like books. No – I love books, the actual physical entities of paper and card. There is something sensual about a book; the feel of it, the smell of it, the look of it. It's part of a wider experience than just reading words.

To read on a handheld screen would not really be reading to me.

[Irene Wilde]

I guess I'll play contrarian, for I love both trees and gizmos. Painful as it may sound, books (and newspapers and magazines) take a lot of resource to produce and in the future we are going to have to be wiser with our resources. Sure, book lovers will fight the good fight, but the average paperback is about to become vinyl long-play records of an iPod world. There days are numbered. What I don't want is yet another gizmo to have to take around with me. I want the folks at Apple to put a reader on the iPhone. Not only does it give me another excuse to buy one, it puts everything I already lug around in my bag except my car keys and an umbrella on one device. Down side to access to thousands of books, newspapers, and magazines at the click of a button -- I have no impluse control and would be broke in a month.

[Sybarite]

I'm not averse to gadgets per se, Irene. For instance, I rather like my iPod. But while it's convenient for playing music when I'm traveling (and even occasionally while I'm at work, working), it doesn't replace my collection of CDs and records.

And indeed, on the subject of vinyl, that's actually reviving. Kept alive by DJs, reports in recent years show young people taking it on board again. I was in a record shop at lunchtime and even saw new vinyl editions of The Velvet Underground's Andy Warhol album.

[Irene Wilde]

Originally Posted by Sybarite

I'm not averse to gadgets per se, Irene. For instance, I rather like my iPod. But while it's convenient for playing music when I'm traveling (and even occasionally while I'm at work, working), it doesn't replace my collection of CDs and records.

And indeed, on the subject of vinyl, that's actually reviving. Kept alive by DJs, reports in recent years show young people taking it on board again. I was in a record shop at lunchtime and even saw new vinyl editions of The Velvet Underground's Andy Warhol album.

Exactly. That's why I said vinyl and not 8-track tapes. There will be a place for books, but for ease, convenience, travel, etc. the popular choice will be a gizmo. Hard-covers, 1st editions, coffee table books, they'll still be around, but with a device that can offer you, not only the books, but eventually built-in dictionary, phrase translator, wiki-entries on subjects and people from history, modern English translation of things like Shakespeare or Chaucer, and built-in reader guides for things like Finegan's Wake, plus things we haven't even considered yet, the ebook is going to be part of our lives.

Think of it this way: people still go to the cinema, but more people rent DVDs with deleted scenes, director's cuts, special features, "making of" documentaries, and all the rest. The choice of physical book and ebook will be the same way -- some movies you see in the theater, others you wait to rent. Some books you will want in hardcover, others you'll ebook.

[Sybarite]

Originally Posted by Irene Wilde

... modern English translation of things like Shakespeare or Chaucer...

You see, you lost me there.

[Irene Wilde]

You know...

2 B or not 2 B, dat is d ???

[Sybarite]

Originally Posted by irene wilde

you know...

2 B or not 2 B, dat is d ???

~~lol~~

[saliotthomas]

Ebook and audio are the only choice certain less favored countries get in cultural goods.
The all internet dowload is a gift to remote countries to a fairly decent supply in books,music,and cinema.One has to remenber that credit card are not always available for lot's of currency are not exportable.Dirham is not ,so amazon is not an option to me.You all leave with book store and Post delivery service but to someone in afganisthan,or vietnam with a taste for literature the ebooks are a blessing,.It's that or shakespear, gone with the wind and Dan brown,very good but limitate.Often people print themself ebook on paper, for kindle is science fiction over here.
Cultural goods have to be protected when in country were people have means to buy them and piraty is just a game and treachery.
In even the worst shanties,you can find a little shop with a computers nowdays.
Having often lived in remote places,where re-reading the same books for months is the only option,the internet offers all new oportunities to keep up with what happening in the cultural world. .


Stewart if this is not acceptable feel free dump it.

[Sybarite]

I do absolutely see what you're saying, Thomas. My only thought would be how accessible the internet is in those remote places and how likely people in such circumstances are to have the cash for the actual device to start with, and the credit card/bank account that will allow remote purchasing.

[Irene Wilde]

Two issues that have kept technology from fulfilling its potential:

Getting the content uploaded
Universal access

For content, there are sites like Project Guttenberg, which offers free downloads of the books at its site.

For access, there are groups like One Laptop Per Child, which is trying to create a $100 laptop, engineered to work in developing countries, and get these devices into classrooms around the world.

I'm not saying these are the answers or the only answers, but they show people are thinking about the same issues and working on solutions.

Curiously, Sybarite, I just had an oh-so-similar conversation about this over the weekend with some very clever, witty, and charming young people that I think you might know.

[Sybarite]

Originally Posted by irene wilde

... Curiously, sybarite, i just had an oh-so-similar conversation about this over the weekend with some very clever, witty, and charming young people that i think you might know.

~~lol~~

[saliotthomas]

As far as i can see getting the computer is never really the probleme.They just get old ones,real cheap chinese stuff,trades,...As for PC in school that is a far away dream,for room in school is the imediate probleme.
In the village next door to my house the kids have to take turns to school,they would be 50 or a 100 of them waiting around an hour or two for there turn to the teacher.And we are talking about Morocco,a fairly educated place.
Most of the time even in remote place,the is web "café",usualy a shack or small shop,but they manage,wifi was a live saver.
They get there books through the mule or others,and credit card is not a issue,the curency being purely local.
Be it Morocco,India,Brazil,even in the poorest distric there is at least a guy with few old PC that run's.
Humanitarian seldom reach the local level of self help,all the good i ever saw in god forsaken place was provide by local people.

[Irene Wilde]

As for PC in school that is a far away dream,for room in school is the imediate probleme.
In the village next door to my house the kids have to take turns to school,they would be 50 or a 100 of them waiting around an hour or two for there turn to the teacher.And we are talking about Morocco,a fairly educated place.

Humanitarian seldom reach the local level of self help,all the good i ever saw in god forsaken place was provide by local people.

That's such a sad commentary on the state of global affairs.

[saliotthomas]

Originally Posted by Irene Wilde

That's such a sad commentary on the state of global affairs.

Dunno,for they do get out of it,slowly though.
And i heard of a good few comfy Occidental ending their days with a bullet in front of their plasma TVs,or crying their eyes off very night out of lonelyness.But those nobody want's to help.

[Irene Wilde]

Dunno,for they do get out of it,slowly though.
And i heard of a good few comfy Occidental ending their days with a bullet in front of their plasma TVs,or crying their eyes off very night out of lonelyness.But those nobody want's to help.

I think I'm being misunderstood. I'll simply say that I think a basic education should be available to everyone, and people should be allowed to continue their education as far as their determination and talent can take them. That children have to wait their turn for an education makes me sad. Shutting up now.