Are ebook readers pointless?!

[drinkmorejava]

I think it's pretty sad that you can't come up with a scenario where they're useful. Consider any businessperson who travels often. They're probably too busy to go to the library whenever they want a book, and they have zero space to take extra crap with them. Any bound book >200 pages is going to be uncomfortable to carry in their briefcase/messenger bag and more than one is certainly going to be a pain. They also have the capability of getting any newspaper, anytime, and not having to carry they damn thing around. A kindle certainly isn't a cheaper device, but it's marginal savings in time and convenience are are significant for many busy people. ...they also fit in normal sized purses.

2. No "margin writing" or highlighting. I did this all the time in both high school and college, and there isn't a good way to tie notes to specific passages of text with a Kindle.

rly?

 

[nageov3t]

That's nice, what do I read when my batteries die if I'm camping? I see this e-book thing as another example of marketing hype trying to force people to buy more useless crap. I can think of no reason that a paper book should every be replaced by another gadget that will just break down.

do you use paper maps and a sundial too, grandpa?

 

[nageov3t]

My wife teaches at a very expensive private school, and they have begun doing some experiments with Kindles for this very purpose. There are two primary problems that they have found so far:

1. The page transitions are too slow. Think about how you flip through a textbook looking for various materials. That isn't really practical on a Kindle. Properly using the search capability would help, but it still doesn't go all the way.

2. No "margin writing" or highlighting. I did this all the time in both high school and college, and there isn't a good way to tie notes to specific passages of text with a Kindle.

I think there's a way you can add notations on passages and possibly highlight sections on a kindle, but I can't imagine it being as convenient as on a physical book.

that said, tablet + textbook has A++ potential.

 

[surfsatwerk]

do you use paper maps and a sundial too, grandpa?

No, I use an implanted genetically modified thalamus gland from a Whooping Crane to dead recon. Give it up for Magnetic North bitches!

 

[Born2bwire]

That's nice, what do I read when my batteries die if I'm camping? I see this e-book thing as another example of marketing hype trying to force people to buy more useless crap. I can think of no reason that a paper book should every be replaced by another gadget that will just break down.

The fact that a single book or newspaper takes up more space than a reader does is pretty much reason enough. These things are an absolute God send, I just wish there was a model that had all the features that I want in them so I could get one now. You can store your entire library on a single reader, hell sometimes just lugging around a single book can be a hassle for me. Readers like the Kindle allow you to sample, purchase, and download books from a store where ever you have a 3G connection. You can get your newspaper on them and have it updated wirelessly each day.

Right now I have to borrow my books because I can't purchase any, I don't have the space for them. Out here though, the libraries do not have many English books so I often do not have access to all the books that I want (especially annoying when it comes to a series of books) or I have to run all over the territories to get the ones I want.

 

[Demo24]

I think there's a way you can add notations on passages and possibly highlight sections on a kindle, but I can't imagine it being as convenient as on a physical book.

that said, tablet + textbook has A++ potential.

Not really. You try reading a long 50 page chapter on a LCD. Your eyes would go nuts at the end. A ebook reader would work better for it, but still not as nice as a real textbook.

 

[aldamon]

That's nice, what do I read when my batteries die if I'm camping?

The charge on a Kindle can last 2 weeks. If it dies when you're camping, you're camping too long IMO. Hehe.

 

[Wonderful Pork]

As somebody who has moved yearly for the past 9 years, I would gladly give up my physical books for eBooks! I am so sick and tired of lugging them around! That said, the prices for ebooks (forget the readers) is still too high. Bring them to about 1/2 the price of the paperback and then I'll be interested. Or, make a virtual library and I'll buy a device.

 

[iversonyin]

I think it's pretty sad that you can't come up with a scenario where they're useful. Consider any businessperson who travels often. They're probably too busy to go to the library whenever they want a book, and they have zero space to take extra crap with them. Any bound book >200 pages is going to be uncomfortable to carry in their briefcase/messenger bag and more than one is certainly going to be a pain. They also have the capability of getting any newspaper, anytime, and not having to carry they damn thing around. A kindle certainly isn't a cheaper device, but it's marginal savings in time and convenience are are significant for many busy people. ...they also fit in normal sized purses.


rly?

But somehow, business people that I know tend to own laptops and read paper newspaper on the plane.

That's just my observation. I've seen Kindles a few times on the train. But most people are still sticking with paper edition.

I believe is a viable technology, but at $200+ a pop, it won't catch on. + competition will drive prices down very quickly since there is probably a fat margin on these things (they are very LOW tech).

 

[Born2bwire]

As somebody who has moved yearly for the past 9 years, I would gladly give up my physical books for eBooks! I am so sick and tired of lugging them around! That said, the prices for ebooks (forget the readers) is still too high. Bring them to about 1/2 the price of the paperback and then I'll be interested. Or, make a virtual library and I'll buy a device.

You could ask if they have an e-version available: http://www.amazon.com/Penguin-Classi.../dp/0147503078

 

[waggy]

I thought about getting one. but after the fiasco of them deleting books off peoples machines i think i will wait.

i enjoy reading and there are times i am reading 2 diffrent books at once. be nice to have something like the kindle to take with em instead of 2 huge books.

 

[Farang]

Maybe. I think paper books are in fact going to die. Stores like barnes and noble, much like DVD video stores, are going to be anachronisms as they die their last breaths but I don't know that a stand alone reader is going to be the present considering most everything else is trying to compress into a single unit.
.

No way books or bookstores are going to die. You can't virtually create the experience of browsing a bookstore and looking for your next book to read. Holding it in your hands and finding the excerpts that you want to read to get a feel for the book, and most importantly being able to immediately begin reading after you buy the book. These things are irreplaceable.

Getting the book immediately is the key. I pick books on a huge range of topics, mostly on a whim, and if it takes me a week or more to get the book then that whim has passed and I'm likely to not ever actually read the book.

The DVD store analogy doesn't hold. For one, the competitor to DVD stores is a different animal than Amazon (Netflix). Two, they are completely different products. There are fewer movies out there to choose from and the information one usually takes in to decide on a movie is much less, as is the commitment when choosing a movie (two hours wasted on a boring movie, many hours/days on a boring book). So if the average person decides to watch something based on a couple of paragraphs, they don't need to see the product in person to make a purchase.

 

[KeypoX]

ebook readers are overpriced. And the books you have to buy for them are even more expensive then a real copy. You cannot resell your ebook either.

I agree an itouch is better or a netbook. I have read on an itouch and lcd for hours with no problems.

Ebook readers are for e-idiots.

 

[dwell]

epaper > lcd for reading

 

[drinkmorejava]

But somehow, business people that I know tend to own laptops and read paper newspaper on the plane.

That's just my observation. I've seen Kindles a few times on the train. But most people are still sticking with paper edition.

I believe is a viable technology, but at $200+ a pop, it won't catch on. + competition will drive prices down very quickly since there is probably a fat margin on these things (they are very LOW tech).

The fact that they have a laptop, pda, and newspaper/book shows that the market has already determined that laptops and PDAs are not good substitutes. Just because the Kindle exists does not means that everyone who would find from one has already purchased one or has heard about/researched it. Certainly, there are benefits of having the actual book or newspaper, but seeing someone on a train with a laptop and a newspaper means pretty little without a wide-scale statistical study.

If all markets were fully informed about all costs and all alternatives and could react instantly, everything would probably be a lot easier.

 

[Ausm]

only if your're illiterate.

 

[KeithTalent]

I prefer to have an actual book in my hands, but I am actually considering purchasing a Kindle for the convenience of it all. I want to try one in person first though and I have not seen them around here.

KT

 

[nageov3t]

ebook readers are overpriced. And the books you have to buy for them are even more expensive then a real copy. You cannot resell your ebook either.

there's not really a huge market for re-selling paperbacks.

the readers are definitely expensive, but you also have to take into account the free wireless delivery and such (though personally, I'd have no problem buying a cheaper kindle that had to have books uploaded onto it from a desktop pc).

I can't recall ever paying more for a book on kindle than I'd have paid for a real copy. in fact, they're almost always cheaper (and there's a ton of free/under-$1 books)

and don't underestimate the benefits of being able to re-size books on demand... my mom loves kindle because she can boost the text up to large print and be able to read without wearing her glasses.

 

[Crono]

I'm seeing a large number of people with ebooks over the past year. If they can make netbooks with "convertible", tablet-style touch screens, and keep it at the current price level or make it cheaper, I expect most people that read a lot will switch to ebooks.

Even more so if they reduce form factor and have scrolls with e-ink or OLED screens (pretty much what sci-fi has been envisioning for quite some time).

 

[drinkmorejava]

only if your're illiterate.

I know this post doesn't add anything to the thread, but really?

 

[zoiks]

I got won over by a kindle. I also thought they were pointless until I was able to put 700books on mine. The ink and fonts are very similar to what you'd find on paper and carrying the kindle around is very convenient. Long battery life and plus other conveniences such as dictionaries and web browsing etc is a definite plus.
I don't know how I did without it.

 

[RoloMather]

No way books or bookstores are going to die. You can't virtually create the experience of browsing a bookstore and looking for your next book to read. Holding it in your hands and finding the excerpts that you want to read to get a feel for the book, and most importantly being able to immediately begin reading after you buy the book. These things are irreplaceable.

Getting the book immediately is the key. I pick books on a huge range of topics, mostly on a whim, and if it takes me a week or more to get the book then that whim has passed and I'm likely to not ever actually read the book.

With the Kindle you get your books instantly.

I agree with the walking through the bookstore experience part.

 

[PingSpike]

ebook readers are overpriced. And the books you have to buy for them are even more expensive then a real copy. You cannot resell your ebook either.

I agree an itouch is better or a netbook. I have read on an itouch and lcd for hours with no problems.

Ebook readers are for e-idiots.

This is my opinion as well. Yeah, I'm real interested in paying more for my books after paying $200 to be able to read them...and then losing the ability to resell them. In fact, this seems to be the trend with new media: Offer you less (whether it be content rights, material quality, etc) than you had before for more money because apparently you need the latest gadget otherwise you're grandpa hauling a record player onto the bus or something. No, it has to be better or just fuck off. The price should at least be lower on the books because they are less than a paperback.

It has some strong points I'm sure, but I find the idea that in their current state ebook readers are going to "kill book stores" to be laughable. Some of you guys make it sound like before you were actually carrying around a 120lb sack full of paperbacks everywhere you went. You aren't going to read 40 books on your train ride in the morning or even on your flight to Hawaii.

 

[nageov3t]

what ebooks cost more than their printed versions?

I've had my kindle for over a year now and cannot recall seeing any. they're usually cheaper, even.

 

[IGBT]

yet another goofy electronic gadget. I'll bet everybody that bought a PDA has one.