iPad and Kindle: The demise of the Book

[itself]

As I am considering purchasing one of these to read books and magazines, I keep thinking, in our lifetimes will we see the end of books being printed at all?It certainly will save a lot of trees. With Kindle advertising their new $139 version, I suspect a lot more people will buy due to the price.

[limewave]

As I am considering purchasing one of these to read books and magazines, I keep thinking, in our lifetimes will we see the end of books being printed at all?It certainly will save a lot of trees. With Kindle advertising their new $139 version, I suspect a lot more people will buy due to the price.

Gosh, I hope not! I work for a publishing house. Although, I've moved from book design to marketing/advertising and a lot of online web stuff, my job is pretty secure in that regard. But I know some of my Art coworkers that design covers are getting a little concerned . . .

[Bike Chick]

I have an IPad and absolutely LOVE it, but I've yet to download a book on it. There's something about the simplicity of holding a book in my hands and folding the corner of the page to mark my place that I enjoy. Maybe I'm just showing my age.

[Roadtrip]

I too work in the publishing industry and from what I'm hearing is magazine sales are WAY down the last two years and books have been trending down for the last two years as well, but not to the same degree.

My employer had exited the market in several magazine communities and have been publishing fewer, but more solid and bankable books recently. What this ment for me is smaller departments and cuts each of the last two years as titles were axed and people let go.

I used to sit on the other side of one of the book publishers and hearing him talk to authors, telling them that he's love to publish the book, but had to see sales figures on the releases of books already in the pipeline before committing.

We're also publishing many of our books for the Kindle and iPad, so I believe there is a place for both to exist.

I own a second generation Kindle (I gave it to my DH) and my new Kindle is due to arrive any day and I'm really looking forward to it!!!

Shannon

[texascampgal]

I have a nook and absolutely love it. I chose the nook over all others because of the ability to share books with friends. I don't think the ipad or Kindle offer that ability.

I love reading the physical books too because I liked to see the progress of the bulk of the pages moving from the back cover to the front cover as I read along. One of my concerns before the purchase was not being able to physcially SEE or FEEL that progress. But, the little progess meter on the bottom of the screen feels the need.

[OakLeaf]

I think books and magazines/newspapers are completely different markets. Most obviously in the prominence of advertiser support (I do wonder what percentage of a publisher's revenues come from product placement in fiction, though). But also in terms of content and the reasons people buy them.

[Biciclista]

I too see the writing on the wall, er, monitor.
We'll always have some books, but when was the last time you looked something up in the dictionary? (I check words on line) When was the last time you used the yellow pages?
(I do that on line too, besides, it's so much more up to date!!)
I have one magazine subscription that i have had for over 20 years (Natural history magazine) I have noticed it keeps getting thinner... I know one day it's just going to go away.
I'm not buying a kindle until I can no longer buy and borrow books..

[PamNY]

I don't have an e-reader yet, but would like one.

What will happen to physical books? I have no idea. It's impossible to predict how technology will change things. Remember the paperless office? Sure, things are different -- but there is still paper.

[Crankin]

I am an anachronism.
I have 6-7 magazine subscriptions (Time, The New Yorker, Bicycling, Momentum, plus magazines related to organizations I belong to). I look up words in the dictionary and I occasionally use the phone book, as I find the information on line is wrong many times. I also read the newspaper every single day and not on-line (although I have the on-line connection to the Boston Globe, I never use it).
I go to the library once a week to ten days and take out 2-4 books. I love the library. It's so much part of my life I would never give it up.
So, while I use the computer for research, work stuff, and communication, I will never use it for pleasure reading.

[SheFly]

My name is SheFly, and I have a book problem. No - seriously. I can only read brand new books - not books first read by someone else and then passed to me. Yes, it's strange, but I was taught great respect for books from a young age - no dog-eared corners, no bent spines, no high-lighting, no notations. And yes, this fetish DID include my college textbooks, and yes, that did cost me a lot of money.

I've thought about an e-reader due to the cost of my books (I read A LOT). Buying new books every couple of weeks adds up over time. I figured that the downloadable books might be cheaper.

I just can't get past not having a real book in my hands, though. Turning the pages is gratifying. Oh, and I have read (yes, online) that the backlighting on some of these devices could actually be keeping people awake at night...

I'll keep on with my books until I no longer have an option. That may come in my lifetime, but hopefully not for a few more years.

SheFly

[Crankin]

Come on, SheFly, I'll take you to the library...
I had to train myself to stop buying books. I got obsessed with using picture books to teach historical concepts to my middle schoolers about 15 years ago; they used to greet me by name at Barnes and Noble because I bought so many. Now I have a huge collection that I am saving for some grandchildren that I might never have!

[SheFly]

Come on, SheFly, I'll take you to the library...
I had to train myself to stop buying books. I got obsessed with using picture books to teach historical concepts to my middle schoolers about 15 years ago; they used to greet me by name at Barnes and Noble because I bought so many. Now I have a huge collection that I am saving for some grandchildren that I might never have!

Crankin' - I CAN NOT do the library. Trust me, I've tried. I just can't bear to read a book that someone before me has handled, and in some cases, mis-treated. I know it's weird, but I can't help it. :D

SheFly

[Selkie]

Crankin' - I CAN NOT do the library. Trust me, I've tried. I just can't bear to read a book that someone before me has handled, and in some cases, mis-treated. I know it's weird, but I can't help it. :D

SheFly

First and foremost, I sit in front of a computer at work. I'm not going to do it during it during my free time. I don't own an IPOD, BlackBerry, or any of these technical devices.

I'm old fashioned and will stick to paper books as long as they are available.

I'm also like SheFly. New books for me, but if a friend offers me a book that she/he has read, I will take it. When I was part of the working poor, libraries saved my life. This is why, after I finish a book, I donate it to the local library.

For those of us who spend a lot on books and are avid readers, we should consider having a TE book exchange.

[MomOnBike]

I can't imagine not going to the library. That's how I kept my kids in books. As poor as we were, if I'd had to pay for all the books they read. . . :eek::eek::eek:

My husband bought me a Kindle last week to take to chemo treatments, and for other on-the-go reading. I love it, but it won't replace my dead tree editions any time soon. Anything with pictures, for instance, is best on paper.

What I do like about the Kindle is being able to buy books from distant places and read them right away. That and the lack of mess. If only my local newspaper were distributed by Kindle (or whatever).

I don't think a Kindle is good for, say, textbooks, or any other reading where you want to keep a finger in one place while consulting a different page. A law student, for instance, would find e-readers highly unsuitable. OTOH, a bike tourer can have a bunch of guide books right there on the Kindle, with a minimal weight penalty.

IOW, there is room for both e-readers and dead tree books. I'm glad I have the option to use the one best suited to the purpose at hand.

[hebe]

My oh has a new Kindle and loves it, he does a lot of travelling and really appreciates the saving on luggage space. As for me, well I like to have a book in my hands, powered by my eyes and my imagination not batteries. I don't mind if it's new, borrowed, from the library or whatever. I do find the light on the Kindle slightly anti-social.

I use hard copies of phone directories too, and have a real fondness for hard-back atlases. I love the tactile qualities of books, the way the pages feel and flick, the shinyness of the photos, the smell of some of them. I'm a lost cause. oh didn't even need to ask me if I wanted his old e-reader before putting it on ebay.

[OakLeaf]

When was the last time you used the yellow pages?
(I do that on line too, besides, it's so much more up to date!!)


Seriously? That must be a regional thing. When I'm looking for a particular business of course I'll look for their website, but when I'm shopping for a business, around here the online advertising is sparse and usually VERY out of date. I always use the yellow pages to shop.

[OakLeaf]

Oh, and I have read (yes, online) that the backlighting on some of these devices could actually be keeping people awake at night...

True of computers and game consoles, but ereaders aren't backlit. That's why they're so much more readable than ordinary screens. (It's also why I find it a real PITA to have to have a second device, aka a book light, to read in the dark.)

[Catrin]

I have had several digital readers, but always wind up selling it and returning to books. There just isn't any comparison. It is nice that they have the e-ink technology and that they are not back-lit, but I enjoy actual books more. If they DO go away, it won't be in our lifetime.

[Dannielle]

Guilty. I haven't bought an actual book since I got my iphone (over a year ago). I read constantly but always on my phone now.

[sundial]

I still prefer the tactile experience of turning yellowed pages of a classic novel.

[crazycanuck]

I'd rather have a book and feel comforted by them around me.

I'm sort of like shefly & buy books (new or used) rather than waiting waiting waiting at the public library. The university library however, has all the books i want :cool:

[OakLeaf]

I feel guilty leaving even a trashy pulp novel behind in a hotel room where I know it'll just get thrown away, but there's just so much I want to carry when I travel ... and I don't have time to look for a library or a Goodwill. Never mind if it's something I actually wanted to read and bring home.

Never mind the weight and volume of books. Airlines are enforcing luggage weight and size restrictions these days ... or for motorcycle travel, I can enforce my own "restrictions."

[shootingstar]

Guilty. I haven't bought an actual book since I got my iphone (over a year ago). I read constantly but always on my phone now.

Do you use a bigger screen? If not, still reading a book or just emails?

My jobs in the last 20 yrs. means being in front of the computer. It's a relief for my eyes to do something else for several hrs. away from the LED.

Online of major /city daily newspapers, entire version is still not all there online..unless I pay for full access. Otherwise I just borrow sections of papers at the cafe.

I'll read my selection of 3-5 stories in online daily newspaper ..but it's time-consuming to watch some screen refreshing with some of the ads, etc. That's why I veer off to read hard copy if available..for free. :D I do read Momentum online but I think some stuff is missing from the hard copy version. So sure journal articles that I read online..if they are under 10 pgs. I lose patience reading online.

Do I care about having an e-reader at this time in life? No, other expenses are more pressing. Besides I know some major public libraries are loaning out e-readers so if I want to try it ... So I'm not worried about being out of "sych".

My books get dogeared, especially the ones I like, with different bookmarked pages where I jump around randomly. Like the one I'm reading now for the 2nd time, about a woman kayaking solo along the northwest coast.

[Dannielle]

No, I don't use a bigger screen. I love reading on the smaller screen of my phone. Someone offered to give me a Kindle but I turned it down. I prefer the backlit screen (I can read in bed without a lamp...I just turn my phone's brightness setting all the way down so it's comfortable for my eyes) and the smaller, more lightweight device.

I'm not a fan of the grayness of the screen of ereaders like the kindle. I like having the option to change the color of the page and text. With the kindle iphone app I even have the option to have a black screen with white writing...really nice for reading in a dark room.

I love that I can bookmark things, highlight things, add notes...and easily find what I'm looking for later on. And I love that ebooks are cheaper. I've been known to browse bookstores (I still prefer shopping when I can thumb through a book) and then buy the books I like on my phone.

I don't spend my workday on the computer (a small part of it but most of the time I'm sewing) so my eyes never complain.

[nancielle]

I guess I'm one of the archaic ones as well as I prefer to actually hold a book than a digital device. I haunt the library book sales when they're held and have been able to amass a professional library at very little cost (I try to limit spending to $20 at these sales but have gone slightly over ;). ) I've found books that I can pass on to clients and not be concerned if I get it back or not.

Maybe someday I'll break down and buy one but for now I just prefer the feeling of holding a book and making notations or somehow marking pages for future reference.

[DebSP]

I was sure I didn't want an e-reader because I love books also. Big library user in my youth and as much as possible in adulthood. Then I traveled to Europe last year and lugged books around with me. I ran out of books to read because I culled my books before leaving home to save space and weight. So I bought the Sony E-Reader. I love it. I can borrow books from the library without having to drive there now. (We share our library with the local High School and it somewhat limited anyways with long wait times). I took it on a 3 week road trip across the country and I used it a lot. Now, I did decide when I bought it to make sure I got the cover with the built in reading light. I have not bought a paper book since and I don't miss them. I was also a collector who found it hard to part with paper books after I purchased them so I was having storage issues! One thing about my e-reader that I like, I can read while eating a lot easier because I don't have the pages flipping over. (Yes I find a good book hard to put down even for meals!:rolleyes:)

[KnottedYet]

I love books and my ereader (iPod Touch).

My reading universe isn't binary.

I doubt electronic media will kill off print any more than the invention of the printing press (or the typewriter, desktop publishing, word processing) marked the demise of handwriting.

There are times when I prefer to read a paper book. And there are times when I prefer to read on my iPod.

There are magazines I subscribe to in print (like Momentum, and also they need the money to survive) and there are periodicals of which I read the free version on iPod (New York Times, who doesn't need my money and who has a free streamlined version as advertising for the paid full version).

It's all good.

[stella2]

I didn't think that I'd like ereading. My partner persuaded me to get a kindle and I quickly came to love it. I then became convinced that I would never want an Ipad and would definitely never read books on one because the computer type screen would make my eyes ache. Well, you've guessed it, I now have an iPad. It is with me virtually all the time and I read books on it voraciously, I read much more than I ever did. I admit I prefer ereading to reading paper books. It's difficult to say why. I never put the book down and forget where, I never lose my place, I can have any book available within seconds wherever I am, but it's more than that, an intangible something. Apparantly, sales of electronic books are going through the roof. Hopefully, all of this won't mean the demise of the publishing houses since there will be an ever increasing market for ebooks. It will just mean some changes in the industry.

[SlowButSteady]

After about a year of deliberation, I purchased a Kindle in May.

Pro: Reads like paper and I love that I can electronically bookmark pages and preview books before I buy. I also love the fact that I don't have to drive the nearly 50 miles to the Barnes and Noble. It has got to be a much greener alternative. Less expensive to purchase, too.

I had a three book a week habit and storage space for books...well, I just kept having to stuff them in bags and when I had fifty pounds or so, I'd donate them to the local "friends of the library" fundraiser sale.

Con: My biggest complaint is that I can't read it in the swimming pool. I still have to buy a few trashy paperbacks for those days I'm floating around. Alot of texts and trade journals are not available in e-format yet. Magazine selections are (currently) limited.

I'm sure they are working on developing a color format that is not backlit, but right now it's not available. The pen & ink drawing formats are kind of classy, though.

Musings:
And on the "green" front, will outdated, used e-readers become a landfill/ environmental issue? Probably. Will the decreased use of paper products and fossil fuel offset the increased use of petroleum products to make the devices?? Or vice-versa?

On the economic front, loggers lose jobs due to decreased paper production. On the environmental front, there is a need for fewer pine plantations, which is both a good and a bad thing, imo. Since I am in the South, where pine plantations are an economic factor in more ways that just paper production, I still debate this. Pine plantations are also leased to hunters, who pay hunting license fees that support more diverse habitats and nongame species...I could go on and on.

I could even mention that fewer paper newspapers are becoming an issue in vet med and pet stores and pet groomers and boarding kennels as well as private homes, where used newspapers have been an industry standby for lining cages and paper training pets!

I don't want to get started on what's going on in the publishing industry. ;)

[Dannielle]

Don't get me wrong...I do love books too. But there was a time they were taking over my home. I've reclaimed that space (most of it...still have bookshelves of children's books)

psst...you can take your kindle to the pool with this-
http://www.amazon.com/Kwik-Tek-Multi-Purpose-9-Inch-12-Inch/dp/B000OF72WK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1284305374&sr=1-2

I use a smaller size with my iphone on the boat or when reading in the tub...and I keep it with me when biking just in case it starts raining.

[stella2]

Dannielle, thanks so much for the tip for that product. I was really missing reading in the bath and in the pool on holiday. Now problem solved. :D

[mudmucker]

I am not averse to either.

I love the book experience for it's obvious soulful and tactile experience. I love my kindle too. In my 20's though, I helped a friend move around 80 boxes of books and it wasn't fun. I vowed from then on to not obtain a collection like that. I became a library fan. Anywhere I moved, I got library cards to at least 5-6 surrounding towns. I love the library experience, to go in and lose yourself among the myriad of aisles and quiet. On a rainy day I've emerged from the library hours later, quite transformed and refreshed. I love the library experience so much I attempt to make the experience as organic as possible - I make a point to ride my bike to the library with my panniers and depending on where I've lived, has been many miles. Currently, riding to the nearest library is a 34 mile round-trip so it becomes a special destination experience for me.

I also love used bookstores. B&N and all that is fun and I often visit, but it is comparatively glitzy and commercial...new books are even superflous in a way although it must start new at some point. Like libraries, going to a used bookstore to me is green and utilitarian. I take comfort in used books. My favorite used bookstore is Troubador Books (http://www.yelp.com/biz/troubadour-books-north-hatfield), a treasure of a place within driving distance to me.

I don't have a lot of room, nor do I like the accumulation of piles of newspapers, magazines, etc. I will still buy a book now and then, used or new but it has to be something like a reference or something not amenable to electronic form.

I love my Kindle too for obvious reasons stated previously. I bought one this winter as a present to myself before a long recovering from surgery. I couldn't drive for 6 weeks and it was stormy enough to keep friends from visiting often. I could get most anything I wanted immediately and at any hour. I can pile hundreds of books in one device and carry it where ever I want. I can read comfortably in bed without having to hold a heavy book. Saves a lot of space in my house that's for sure.

I don't think books will vanish anytime too soon. Books are too much of an ethereal human experience to be lost forever.

[withm]

What's inside your Kindle????

http://www.eevblog.com/2010/09/03/eevblog-109-amazon-kindle-3-3ggsmwifi-6-teardown/

Scroll down for a video highlighting the insides.

[GLC1968]

I have given in and asked for a Kindle for Christmas. While I'm a HUGE fan of actual paper books, I am now seeing enough of a draw to consider e-books.

1) I want to be able to enlarge the text so that I can read while on the treadmill or trainer.

2) I want the option to enlarge the text for when I don't have my reading glasses handy (aging sucks!).

3) I read fast. For novels, this is wasteful as many of the books I read I have no interest in keeping. I donate them, but still...what a waste of paper and resources for 8 -10 hours of entertainment! I will continue to buy books that I want to keep as a resource, but for novels...ebooks just seem smarter.

4) I hate the waste of magazines. We are down to only two subscriptions - both of which are magazines that we save after we have read them (again, as resources). One is National Geographic and one is Mother Earth News. The rest? I'd be happy to read online/electronically.

5) Because I read fast, traveling is a pain. I cannot carry all the books I'll go through on a long flight and I hate buying new ones when I've still got unread books on my nightstand. With a Kindle (or other such device), I can carry way more books than I'll ever read in a single trip.

I do think there will always be room for real paper books on my shelves though. That will never change. :)

[emily_in_nc]

I do not have an e-reader and am not attracted to them, but I can see that I may be needing one in the future.

We recently downsized from a 4BR house to a 1BR apartment. During the pre-move downsizing, we sold, donated, or swapped hundreds of books. I especially enjoy bookmooch.com and swaptree.com (now swap.com - they merged) for swapping a book I'm through with for something I'd like to read at very low cost. We're now down to a couple of shelves of books, and that is plenty. Except for books that are special and that we'll always keep, we use the library or swap.com so we don't acquire more books that take up valuable space.

If I lived in a place where books were hard to find (no good library, bookstores, etc), I would definitely invest in a Kindle so I could continue reading. I may do that soon as we are building a condo in Belize. When we move down full-time, books will be hard to come by and expensive to ship in, so I can see a Kindle filling a real need, not just a want. Until then, I'll stick with real books. Like so many have stated so eloquently, there's just something about the feel, the smell, the satisfaction of a real book in one's hands over an electronic device.

[Roadtrip]

Here's an interesting link about the new Kindle 3 that's out now.

http://kevinrose.com/blogg/2010/8/27/whoa-the-new-kindle-is-super-tiny-love-it.html

Very, very cute little machine and down right cheap for the Wi-Fi version. I mostly do book shopping while near a WiFi spot so $139 with free shipping it's really quite reasonable. Now, the price of the books are still going to sting if you read loads and loads of books. Each popular title is about ten bucks, some cheaper, some more expensive. My local library has even joined a program that allows them to lend secure ePub versions of eBooks that are supported by some eReaders, so that is an option for me now, not sure how wide spread that program is or similar ones.

http://ohdbks.lib.overdrive.com/
(seems limited to State of Ohio Libraries)

I still love going to used book stores and libraries. There is simply something about a book that is somehow pacifying. Perhaps a connection to my youth and always having a book in my hand where I could escape to another land in-between the pages, if even for a moment.

[MomOnBike]

After having my Kindle for a week, I've discovered that Amazon always has a selection of free books for Kindle. Some are new, some old, some really really bad, and some just aren't worth remembering in any fashion. It is possible to find free ones to actually enjoy, though. My wallet appreciates that.

Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page has quite a few e-books, too. Again, most I don't want, but there are enough that I do . . .

[Catrin]

Sony has a pretty decent eReader - though I've sold the one I did have as I wasn't using it and wanted to fund some bike stuff :) I DO like books - better than the electronic version. I might replace this someday with the iPad - 'cuz I WANT one :) Bike stuff is more important though, so time will tell when I get around to purchasing one.

[LoriO]

I tend to be a fast reader so I love my library since I can get books for free there, especially the new releases. I don't have a lot of extra spending money to buy a lot of books. I recently added the Kindle app to my Droid phone and love it! While it will never fully replace books for me, it is a nice way to always have something handy to read when I am stuck somewhere or when travelling. I do love the backlit screen on the phone, like someone else said, it is nice to be able to sit in bed and read and not worry about falling asleep with the lights on. :D

[alexis_the_tiny]

I keep thinking, in our lifetimes will we see the end of books being printed at all?

Absolutely NOT! I have ebooks by the dozen on my computer and am eyeballing my first Kindle purchase. But that said, I have one entire floor to ceiling shelving unit filled with books. And I still buy books. Although they tend to be second hand because I think old books look (and smell) nicer and occasionally, you find a really awesome inscription on the inside. I live for finding gems like that.:D

[CycleTherapy]

FYI.... I just bought a Kindle recently. I was a dyed-in-the-wool, honest to goodness, give me the real deal book worm. But now that I have used it , I would not give it up.

My advice is to pay the extra $50 and purchase the $189 model with both wi-fi and 3G. For $50 you will have 3G for life. If say, you are traveling in a car, away from Wi-fi, not only can you purchase/download a book... but people, you can access the web, for free ! It's a full function web browser, (Google or Yahoo, you choose) you can pull up say, mapquest for directions while in the car,favorite blog sites even email... sure, it doesn't have a color screen but who cares ? To be able to add that functionality (3G, web browser etc) to something you are already purchasing, I say throw in the extra $50 and really have a full functioning device in your hands.

[ShubieGA]

My friends gave me a Kindle for b-day and Christmas (good friends! :D). I love my Kindle for traveling, which my job requires. As I am a fast reader, I usually drag a couple books along. But at home I still like to hold a real book. The hard part is when I find a good e-book, it's tough to share with friends!

[CycleTherapy]

Shubie, I don't know if you are a dog lover, but I just finished a novel (via Kindle).. "A Dog's Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron. I absolutely loved it. I can't stop thinking about the story. Download a sample and see if it's something you would like.

Regards,

[emily_in_nc]

My advice is to pay the extra $50 and purchase the $189 model with both wi-fi and 3G. For $50 you will have 3G for life. If say, you are traveling in a car, away from Wi-fi, not only can you purchase/download a book... but people, you can access the web, for free ! It's a full function web browser, (Google or Yahoo, you choose) you can pull up say, mapquest for directions while in the car,favorite blog sites even email... sure, it doesn't have a color screen but who cares ? To be able to add that functionality (3G, web browser etc) to something you are already purchasing, I say throw in the extra $50 and really have a full functioning device in your hands.

Do you mean that for that $50 you get internet access without a monthly charge?? If so, that's going onto my Christmas list! :D

[BikeDutchess]

I'm not sure that's the case. It talks about web browsing, but then the terms and conditions say the following:


2. Wireless Connectivity
Use of Wireless Connectivity. Your Kindle uses wireless connectivity to allow you to shop for and download Digital Content from the Kindle Store. In general, we do not charge you for this use of wireless connectivity. Your Kindle may use wireless connectivity to make other services available to you for which we may charge you a fee, such as personal file download and subscriptions when you are located in another country. The fees and terms for such services are located in the Kindle Store and may change from time to time. If your Kindle functions with third party services, such as WI-FI access points, a third party may charge you fees for the use of those services.

Your Conduct. You may use the wireless connectivity provided by us only in connection with the Service. You may not use the wireless connectivity for any other purpose.

I'm confused on whether that allows you to pull up mapquest and such on 3G without extra charges.


Edited to add:
Never mind. Elsewhere it says:


Kindle's new web browser is based on WebKit to provide a better web browsing experience. Now it's easier than ever to find the information you're looking for right from your Kindle. Experimental web browsing is free to use over 3G or Wi-Fi [in the U.S.].

[Mr. Bloom]

My name is SheFly, and I have a book problem. No - seriously. I can only read brand new books - not books first read by someone else and then passed to me. Yes, it's strange, but I was taught great respect for books from a young age - no dog-eared corners, no bent spines, no high-lighting, no notations. And yes, this fetish DID include my college textbooks, and yes, that did cost me a lot of money.

SheFly

Like shefly, I can only read new books...but mine have to be hardback too! There's something about the smell of a paperback that bothers my allergies. I buy hardbacks and then donate them when I'm done.

I'm typing this on an iPad...but haven't taken to reading books on here...the light of the screen has a tendency to keep me awake when I'm ready to sleep, I can't risk dropping it from an exercise bike at the Y, and i can't dog ear the page as my bookmark:eek:

[OakLeaf]

Survey (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/10/ereader-owners-read-more-books-magazines-newspapers.html) says: e-reader owners read more. A lot more. They switch off their other devices (TV and internet) and read...

[Catrin]

Survey (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/10/ereader-owners-read-more-books-magazines-newspapers.html) says: e-reader owners read more. A lot more. They switch off their other devices (TV and internet) and read...

Interesting results, even though the companies sponsoring the study certainly had a vested interested in the results. I find it especially interesting that apparently iPad users spend more time reading newspapers than books. I wonder why?

Eventually I am going to replace the Sony digital reader I gave to my sister with either another Sony, a Kindle, or an iPad - so I would be interested in knowing why the significant difference in the use of the iPad. Of course the latter is the most expensive option - and it really isn't comparing apples and apples. To me, the iPad is a really large Touch...

I don't really trust Amazon not to abandon their Kindle users like they did their earlier eReader audience - but I don't really care for the glossy screen of the touchscreen Sony Digital Reader (it is pretty much perfect outside of that).

[ridebikeme]

I love to read like many of you here, but do NOT see myself buying either an Ipad or kindle. I will only read books that I can have in my hands simple as that. I have 8-9 magazine subscriptions, and love to look back through them months after I read them. And, like many of you, I do go to the library every week and bring a couple of books home that way as well, in addition to buying books(hardback)from time to time. I also send cards for special occasions and letters... not always email. I like to have the interaction that they generate, emails for me are simply a connection that generally give information without any personal contact. You may know my usename, but do you truly "know" me? AS you can see, I am very much old school.:rolleyes:

With that said, I would NOT read more if I had either a kindle or Ipad... I already shut the tv off and read to relax or recover from a hard ride.

Computers are great for many things, but they also have been great at eliminating jobs everywhere and will continue to do so. Personally I like the fact that I can walk into a shop, DRs office and people know me and know background information as well. I enjoy the one on one contact and the conversation that it generates.

[PinkBike]

i have a nook (DH's, really) and an ipod touch and a droid phone. they all have ereader capabilities. i prefer the touch over the nook because its backlit and much easier to navigate. i think the iphone would probably be the perfect solution -- you'd only have to carry 1 device and you could have amazon and bn and sony ereader apps. i'm leaning to an ipad because i cant get an iphone (wrong provider). i'm convinced apple just knows how to do things right. plus an ipad is so multifunctional with a bigger screen than my phone or touch. the only thing missing is a dvd slot--or does it have one?

that said, i read some books on my touch, but am always still using the library for new books. i cant pay $12.99 every time a book comes out that i could get free at the library. and i read a lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-t of books.

someone mentioned borrowing from the library with their reader. how is that done?

[blackhillsbiker]

I saved Amazon points until I had enough for a Kindle. I've had it for about a week now. I love to read the classics. Our library recently got rid of most of their classics. I had a heck of a time last winter when I was trying to find Oscar Wilde and Somerset Maugham. I found a few in the used bookstore. The free classic ebooks books are amazing. I did pay a little for some of the Mobi-formatted ones. I've only bought one new book (I Shall Wear Midnight, by Terry Pratchett) because I can't find it around here and I couldn't wait to read it. I like having a book in my purse or bike trunk. The Kindle fits nicely. I'll never not have paper books. I do like the portability of the Kindle. I'm working out how to get some of my knitting patterns on it for travel.

Deb

[OakLeaf]

I think different libraries have different systems. I haven't tried mine yet (which, Ohio libraries are doing it through their statewide clearinghouse, so that even the small rural libraries can offer ebooks to their patrons).

Take a look at your library's website!

[ScaldedCat]

My Dad just bought himself a Kindle, he loves it, my son has asked his Grandparents for one for Christmas.
I have the Kindle app and iBooks on my iPhone of course but I still mainly read books the old fashioned way and usually from the library or second hand from ebay or Amazon Market Place.

[limewave]

I want to get at kindle for DH for Christmas. He says he doesn't want one but I see him looking at mine with envy all the time.

On the topic of the "demise of publishing" . . .
I have to try and remain somewhat anonymous here, but our Amazon.com sales were up this year and almost 30% of the sales were Kindle. And, if we separated out Kindle/eReaders from other distributors the Kindle would be in our top 10 sales sources. Demise of publishing, absolutely not.

[Pascale]

I don't even actually have a Kindle, I just use the free downloadable version on my android phone or my iTouch - I absolutely love it!

[katibosch]

I have an eBookwise reader (more obscure than Kindle, Nook, etc.) that I bought several years ago. Still functional, lots of books available. I am having trouble justifying the cost of the books I buy for it, though. I buy almost all my (paper) books used and also sell the ones I've read back to the used bookstore, for a net cost of around $2.00 for a paperback book. Same book purchased for my reader would be around $5.00 - 6.00 or more, with no possibility of resale, obviously. For now I think I'll mostly stick to paper books, although I am trying to downsize on them a lot -- have two big bookshelves currently, would like to get down to one much smaller one.

[Bike Writer]

I don't have a Kindle or other type of electronic reading device and would have thought that book lover me would never consider one. I have been intrigued by them because of

size
portability
lower cost than a hardcover
ability to hold a whole library
etc.


so the key word is intrigued but not sold. I think they have their application and purpose for travel and portability and will appeal to a lot of people and to those who love them I say great!

For myself, I like the "experience" of a hand held book, the way they smell, especially leather bound books, the feel of them and particularly the weight of a book on your chest after you just read a fablous passage that makes you want to pause and reflect or ponder on it before you move on or reread that passage for the sheer joy it gave you.

Even if I ever were to buy an electronic device I could never give up that experience. Plus the fact that I love to be surrounded by books, on bookshelves, propped between bookends on desks and tables and stacked in various piles and places both at home and in my workplace. I'm hopeless in that I find comfort in just looking at books I've read or are waiting to be read. :o

[KnottedYet]

Even if I ever were to buy an electronic device I could never give up that experience. Plus the fact that I love to be surrounded by books, on bookshelves, propped between bookends on desks and tables and stacked in various piles and places both at home and in my workplace. I'm hopeless in that I find comfort in just looking at books I've read or are waiting to be read. :o

It's not an either/or proposition.

You can have both.

I love my iPod for reading. I love my books. I used to live and breathe libraries. I catalogued new books. I worked in the mendry repairing old books. I know several authors who LOVE that their books can sell in ebook form. I know a lot of readers who are thrilled to find out-of-print books in e-form.

Having a e-reader is not a form of betrayal. What matters is the story. What matters are the ideas. Doesn't matter if they come as pixels, print, script, CD, radio broadcast, American Sign Language, or Braille. Fondle the media, but honor the story.

[Bike Writer]

Knotted, agree with you 100%. I have considered one, however it's not a priority for me at this time. I like reading about the positive experiences people are having with them because it gives me more reason to consider a purchase some time down the road.

But when I get one it will be for convenience and portabilitiy, it won't replace snuggling up in a big easy chair with a warm throw, a cup of coffee and an old fashioned book :)

As you can see from my bike, I'm a throwback from a different era - but I do appreciate and embrace teckkie stuff too and find it difficult to be far from my blackberry.

[KnottedYet]

But when I get one it will be for convenience and portabilitiy, it won't replace snuggling up in a big easy chair with a warm throw, a cup of coffee and an old fashioned book :)

It doesn't have to "replace" anything. It is it's own thing. I can play a CD of Bach in my car, but that doesn't mean I have to give up going to the symphony. You can have both, nothing has to replace anything else.




As you can see from my bike, I'm a throwback from a different era

Nah, no more than all the rest of us who have similar bikes.

Enjoy the ride!

[OakLeaf]

Ironically, it's some of the oldest texts that are most accessible digitally.

My dad is a scholar of Christian history, and the only way he can get a lot of what he likes to read - out-of-print texts, in German and English, many from the 19th century and earlier - is via Google Books, which he then downloads to his Sony reader.

I just caught a headline that the Dead Sea Scrolls were going to be digitized, but I didn't notice in what format.

[Vanilla]

I've been considering a Kindle for the last month or so and have added one to my Amazon wishlist (and pointed my boyfriend in the right direction :D). I really do love booksin all their papery glory but I hate having to use a handbag big enough to fit the larger ones in and then have the weight of it, as well as everything else, pulling at my shoulder. I'm also prone to taking at least four books on holiday and feel that the Kindle would help with that, especially as I tend to travel with only hand luggage. Everyone I know that owns an e-reader of whatever make swears by them but I'm just worried that I'll miss going to the library, spending time choosing my books and then getting excited about taking them home and making a start on them. Another thing that's holding me back is that you cannot pass on downloaded books to friends without de-registering and then re-registering your device.

[limewave]

I've been thinking about getting a kindle for DH for Christmas. I may just have to get him one, I just found this:

Amazon Kindle 2 — Kindle lovers, get on your mark. On Black Friday you can snag the Kindle 2 for just $89. Never before has Amazon offered their flagship eReader for such a low cost, and this deal won’t last. It’s not as thin or light as the Kindle 3, but shares many of the newer generation’s software upgrades and almost matches it in speed. If you’ve been waiting for eReaders to dip below $100, don’t settle for something cheap and slow, go for the Kindle, instead.

Read more: http://blog.laptopmag.com/black-friday-ereader-deals#ixzz16El4n5UQ

[surgtech1956]

I have a Nook and love it. I chose the Nook over the Kindle for the 'lend book' feature. But I think you can't go wrong with either one. I do like physically holding a book in my hands and turning the actual pages. But this Nook has been sort of a life saver - I broke my ankle Dec 2nd and have been house bound for 6 weeks and since Dec 2nd - I have read 14 books.

[shootingstar]

Haven't gotten around to even looking at an e-book.

Within the last few months, instead I bought a new computer. Bigger screen, etc.

I had to ..when I moved. A job still requires alot of writing/reading/looking at stuff on computer. So my eyes still need a break...even though I come home to use a computer amongst other evening activities. :p

e-books for Vancouverites: http://www.vpl.ca/electronic_databases/cat/C88 I just came across it....as part of the City's Green city initiatives...which is bigger than just this.