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Post by Mighty Jack on Dec 2, 2010 6:01:34 GMT -5
I saw one of my authors has a new book out, but it's not at the library. "the hell?" say I, so I go to the authors website and the new title is only available as an E Book.
Okay, I'm old, so someone clue me in. Is this the new thing for books? Is this the way of the future?
I hope not because I hate reading books off a screen. I've tried it and didn't care for it. I like paper, I like the feel of it, I like snuggling up on the couch and turning pages... real pages.
So, whats the story morning glory? This is the first time I've encountered this (E Book/Kindle exclusive), should I look forward to more?
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Post by mummifiedstalin on Dec 2, 2010 9:29:57 GMT -5
So, whats the story morning glory? This is the first time I've encountered this (E Book/Kindle exclusive), should I look forward to more? Yes. Here's an interesting article about the economics of why: www.bostonreview.net/BR35.6/roychoudhuri.phpThere will still be books. CDs still exist. Tapes still exist. LPs still exist. But the norm is changing to downloadable records. The same will be with books. One thing you can look forward to, though, are MUCH more user-friendly e-readers. I don't like any of the Kindles/Nooks that are out. But their relative success is already spawning all kinds of R&D into different kinds of electronic reading devices. In fact, I'd imagine that soon every platform will have a huge variety of styles that go for physical comfort, the amount of interaction you want (which is important for someone like me who usually reads with a pencil in my hand, even with a dumb novel...the main reason I haven't gone over to e-books yet). In other words, there will soon be a huge variety of options for what it means to "read on a screen." And just like everyone now has their own favorite mode of getting digital music (the iPod isn't the only game in town), the same will happen with e-readers. That's good news, I'd imagine.
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Post by Father Mannix on Dec 2, 2010 13:30:49 GMT -5
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Post by mummifiedstalin on Dec 2, 2010 13:41:10 GMT -5
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Post by Ratso on Dec 2, 2010 15:46:29 GMT -5
Whenever I hear about E books I think of that line from The Wrath Of Khan when Spock gave Kirk a book and said "I know of your fondness for antiques" it seems crazy to me but that line is going to be a reality by the time I'm an old man.
Twelve years ago they still had a rotary phone at my school and my grandmother had one as well. Now people take pictures on their phones, and can actually look at one another when speaking (like on star trek!) if you actually sit back and look at how much the world has changed in the past few years it's pretty amazing. We are living in the year 2000.
Getting back to E books... yeah, I don't use um I like paper.
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Post by Crowfan on Dec 2, 2010 15:54:03 GMT -5
Apparently these e-book things are the future.
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Post by mummifiedstalin on Dec 2, 2010 16:07:57 GMT -5
Ultimately, I want both. I'd like the convenience of the e-readers AND to have my library at home. I'm not going to over-romanticize either medium.
What I won't do, though, is jump on the e-reader bandwagon until there's one that actually does everything I want it to and that's friendly enough for me to be comfortable with. But I'm also not going to say that I'll always choose a real book over an e-book just because there's something about the Kindle I don't like.
I mean, I would LOVE to be able to just touch a word to get a definition. Or I'd love to be able to touch a name in a history book, say, and get the Wikipedia or Encylopedia Brittanica entry on that person. Or it'd be awesome to create my own hyperlinks between books on topics that I think are connected or that explain an allusion. What if, when someone mentions a Shakespeare line, you could immediately link to it to remind yourself of it, say? I do all that stuff now with REAL books, but it'd be awesome to have it all in one place.
Besides, I read a fun article not long ago about a series of discussions in the 14th and 15th centuries among scholars who believed that this newfangled thing called "the printed book" was going to be the end of literacy and learning since it would end the long and studious patience and process of writing and reading hand-written manuscripts. Things change and they don't...
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Post by Father Mannix on Dec 2, 2010 23:32:30 GMT -5
I was about to go ahead and quote parts of the above post and agree with them individually, but instead I'll just agree with whole thing.
And that video was hilarious, although (and believe me this is no complaint) parts of it made me think of the little sandwich bit from This Is Spinal Tap.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Dec 3, 2010 0:19:38 GMT -5
Mums mentioned music. It's funny, but I don't do the ipod or other music thingy's, I'm still buying CDs. While I love the convenience our modern tech gives us and have reaped the benefits of it (recording my own stuff), I also get confused and that leads to me getting very frustrated -especially considering how everything I knew musically has changed and I often can't keep up with it all. I get settled with one new thing, and the rest of you are already off on another.
I think as I approach my 50s I'm becoming my grandfather (and to think how we made fun of old people trying to figure out microwaves and VCRs... now I'm finding myself in the same boat)
Back to books. I couldn't get through that whole article, but the bottom line for me is... no more trips to the library (for new books)? I'll miss that. I hope a paper version of my authors new book comes out on paper eventually and makes its way to my library, so I can enjoy it too.
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Post by Shep on Dec 3, 2010 15:14:02 GMT -5
Mums mentioned music. It's funny, but I don't do the ipod or other music thingy's, I'm still buying CDs. While I love the convenience our modern tech gives us and have reaped the benefits of it (recording my own stuff), I also get confused and that leads to me getting very frustrated -especially considering how everything I knew musically has changed and I often can't keep up with it all. I get settled with one new thing, and the rest of you are already off on another. I think as I approach my 50s I'm becoming my grandfather (and to think how we made fun of old people trying to figure out microwaves and VCRs... now I'm finding myself in the same boat) Back to books. I couldn't get through that whole article, but the bottom line for me is... no more trips to the library (for new books)? I'll miss that. I hope a paper version of my authors new book comes out on paper eventually and makes its way to my library, so I can enjoy it too. MJ, I'm in the same boat. When I was in my 20s I kept up with all the latest films, gadgets, etc. Now I can't be bothered. I also find myself getting more and more annoyed with obnoxious youths who have accomplished nothing--another sign I'm turning into a grumpy old man lol
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