Electronic book detractors

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

But if I am never going to read it again, why shouldn't I be able to sell it to recoup some of my costs?

Yeah, sell it, give you money to buy new books.

[NickyWithNook]

The people I know who really dislike ebooks are people who enjoy passing books along to friends when they're done with them. That's a social element of reading that doesn't exist with ebooks.

[Quexos]

I believe we should not underestimate the appeal of a format that has been around for centuries, namely the paper books. I believe a lot of people will not easily give up on such a timeless classic because it is part of the fun as much as the story they read in it.

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by Quexos

I believe we should not underestimate the appeal of a format that has been around for centuries, namely the paper books. I believe a lot of people will not easily give up on such a timeless classic because it is part of the fun as much as the story they read in it.

i haven't completely given up on paper books because nothing matches the feeling of buying (and smelling lol) a spanking new paperback; the nice unbroken spine, lovingly running your hand down the page to feel the paper, the nice sharp corners, etc.

maybe i'm just a weirdo but not even a hardcover or trade can live up to the emotions i get from the lowly paperback. as much as i enjoy it, my kindle will never instill the same feelings.

[wyndslash]

I read extensively on my kindle, and while I love it, I have to agree with xg4bx that nothing matches my experience of going into a bookstore and buying an actual book. if it's hardback, my happiness increases xD and there's also the lovely free service of our local bookstore of covering the books' covers with plastic.

my experience of buying books here matches my experience of buying shoes

[crich70]

I can imagine that several 100 yrs back there were those who didn't like the idea of switching from scrolls to the book as a format for reading. A new format for books takes time to really catch on. Once there are a few more generations and the last generation to remember a time when there were no ebooks is gone (hopefully not for a while yet ) people will wonder how they ever got along without ebooks.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

There's no "one reason" that fits all ebook detractors. Disinterest in trying new things... distrust in electronic devices... distrust in corporations... paper fetishists... traditionalists... I've seen all of these reasons given for not wanting to try ebooks, and there's no common denominator to them.

Reselling? I don't personally know anyone who's ever been concerned about that. There are different rules for digital media. Welcome to the real world.

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

There's no "one reason" that fits all ebook detractors. Disinterest in trying new things... distrust in electronic devices... distrust in corporations... paper fetishists... traditionalists... I've seen all of these reasons given for not wanting to try ebooks, and there's no common denominator to them.

Reselling? I don't personally know anyone who's ever been concerned about that. There are different rules for digital media. Welcome to the real world.

the reselling thing is a head scratcher for me as well. unless you're selling college textbooks or collectible volumes, how much would one actually stand to make from reselling old books? a penny? a quarter? things like romance novels are for $1 per pound. certainly not enough to lose sleep over.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

the reselling thing is a head scratcher for me as well. unless you're selling college textbooks or collectible volumes, how much would one actually stand to make from reselling old books? a penny? a quarter? things like romance novels are for $1 per pound. certainly not enough to lose sleep over.

I sold a couple books today and got $55. Selling another one for $50.

Textbooks, manuals, etc are all expensive, even used. Just because some books aren't worth much used, doesn't mean that all are that way.

[toddos]

Originally Posted by Quexos

I believe we should not underestimate the appeal of a format that has been around for centuries, namely the paper books. I believe a lot of people will not easily give up on such a timeless classic because it is part of the fun as much as the story they read in it.

Couple of things here:

First, what "fun" does paper add to the story? I mean, I get the smell factor (the smell of a musty old book you read as a child is a very powerful memory), and maybe even touch (the feel of dry, crackling pages as you eagerly anticipate the next page turn; the difference between the rough pages of a pulp novel and the glossy pages of your 3rd grade textbook; etc), but "fun"? I dunno about that. Part of the larger experience of reading a book, perhaps, but I'm not sure I'd really categorize it as "fun". Personally, I also don't consider it an essential part of the experience, though I get that a lot of people do.

Second, keeping something as-is because it's been that way for centuries isn't really a valid argument when there's a better alternative (you can argue if ebooks are a better alternative or not, but I believe they are). Things change. We don't carve runes into stones or use wax tablets or even papyrus anymore, and it's getting to the point where we don't even really need to use paper.

Paper books probably won't go away any time soon, but they will become niche products like music on vinyl records.