10-03-2009, 05:44 PM | #46 | |
Wizard
Posts: 2,300
Karma: 1121709
Join Date: Feb 2009
Device: Amazon Kindle 1
|
Quote:
1. Maybe I shouldn't have said avid reader. I just mean people that read at least one book every month or two. If you read less than that (most of my friends don't read any books--aside from work related or school required reading period, or maybe 1 or 2 a year) then you're probably never going to buy a dedicated reader. It's just not worth it if you barely read. 2. I'm not saying what the market wants. There is definitely a huge market out there of people buying books--look how many Barnes and Nobles and Borders there are. I'm just saying the market for e-books can also be expanded through multi-function devices. As well as keeping dedicated readers around. It's not an either/or proposition. Have dedicated readers for the bookworms (and I mean that affectionately) who just love reading and don't give a crap about other features. Have multi function devices for those of us that do other things more than read and would rather kill a bunch of birds with one stone with a multi function device vs. carrying a Kindle, PDA, netbook, mp3 player etc. around. And expand the market a big by selling e-books to people on tablets, smart phones, pdas etc. If Amazon wants to kill the other e-book stores, they'll get access to the Kindle store on as many devices as possible as quickly as possible and get people locked into the store. In short, don't be so damn defensive. I'm not saying dedicated readers are going anywhere. There's a sizable market for them. There's also a sizeable market for multifunction devices as we see from sales of smart phones, net books etc. and they offer a great way to expand the e-book market by just simply adding access to e-books stores on those devices people buy for other reasons. And that's good news for everyone--dedicated e-ink reader fans included--as anything to expand the market means more books available, lower prices etc. |
|
10-03-2009, 07:12 PM | #47 | |
Zealot
Posts: 124
Karma: 22
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Ontario, Canada
Device: Kindle 2, Kindle 3, Kindle PW, Kobo Touch
|
Quote:
|
|
Advert | |
|
10-03-2009, 08:56 PM | #48 |
Geekette
Posts: 435
Karma: 3335
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: NSW, Australia
Device: Sony Reader PRS500, PocketBook 360
|
When I need cheering up, there's nothing like going into a book store. I love the smell of new books & paper (a stationary store will do for that too - BTW), I love picking up a book, having a browse, putting it down, meandering to the next cover that catches my eye. However, for the reading experience I actually prefer my e-book reader. I do a lot of reading in bed. I lie on my side and with thick tomes that is very, very annoying and heavy to hold. Besides, I *read* for the story no matter what shape or form.
So I would love to go into a book store with knowledgeable staff I can bother with all my questions and then go home with a pile of e-books. But that's just me, I'm probably weird |
10-03-2009, 10:49 PM | #49 |
Groupie
Posts: 175
Karma: 4710362
Join Date: Oct 2007
Device: Sony prs-505
|
Ebooks are still at a very early stage. Eventually, they will be to printed books as printed books are to medieval manuscripts or Indian/SE Asian palm-leaf manuscripts. Virtually every book that can be found will be available electronically and material books will be quaint collectibles. The revolution to ebooks or whatever they will be called has not really begun, but it is inevitable. We can't remotely imagine how people will read in 100 years, but it won't be books made out of paper (or, probably, anything very much like the ereaders of our day).
|
10-03-2009, 11:37 PM | #50 |
King of the Bongo Drums
Posts: 1,622
Karma: 5927225
Join Date: Feb 2009
Device: Excelsior! (Strange...)
|
I'm one of the people who enjoy a well made book. There are times when the way a book is made - the size, quality of paper, font - impacts whether I buy the book or not. I also like that I can take a book down, show it to a friend, and lend it to him. I like that when a topic of conversation comes up, I can usually find a book or two in my library bearing on the subject, take it down and pretty quickly find the quote or section I am looking for. All these things can't be done with ebooks.
What I like about ebooks is portability. I like that I can take an ebook reader with me on a trip, long or short, without strain (I do put a couple of emergency books in my suitcase, though...) I like that because of Project Gutenberg, the Internet Archives, and Google Books, I have increasing access to tons of older books. To me, an ebook reader is just another book. It has its own particular physicality, but mainly it has utility. I had my iphone with me this evening when I decided to stop at a place and have a bite to eat - so I had a copy of Dracula readily available (I'm reading it as part of the current Infinite Summer book http://infinitesummer.org/) That would not have happened if I only read physical books. So I think that there's a kind of spectrum involved with pbooks and ebooks, from a kind of artistic enjoyment on one end to utility on the other, with each person occupying a preferred point on the spectrum. And I don't think that will ever go away. I agree with the poster who said that we really can't know how people will be reading a hundred years from now, but I think that they will not substitute a new way of reading for what we have now. Rather, I think they will add other ways of reading. What I think we are going to see is not a replacement of one technology (pbooks) with a different technology (ebooks), but a kind of expansion of the ways we read and the way we access books. Last edited by Harmon; 10-03-2009 at 11:46 PM. |
Advert | |
|
10-04-2009, 05:34 AM | #51 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,340
Karma: 1160346
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Southport, GB
Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition
|
Quote:
|
|
10-04-2009, 06:24 AM | #52 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,385
Karma: 16056
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Asia
Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Sony PRS-505
|
Quote:
|
|
10-04-2009, 06:27 AM | #53 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 7,452
Karma: 7185064
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Linköpng, Sweden
Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW
|
Quote:
|
|
10-04-2009, 06:36 AM | #54 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,340
Karma: 1160346
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Southport, GB
Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition
|
Quote:
As far as costs, they are still high but do seem to be steadily reducing at this time, but until theres more competition with regards to screen supplies then that's going to be the limiting factor. |
|
10-04-2009, 06:44 AM | #55 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,340
Karma: 1160346
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Southport, GB
Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition
|
Quote:
I guess my tendency to knock bookmarks out of my books and thus lose my place also tended to hamper the viability, for me, of reading a few pages of my books at a time, which is something I can readily do now. |
|
10-04-2009, 06:50 AM | #56 |
Somewhat clueless
Posts: 739
Karma: 7747724
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis, iPhone 6 Plus
|
While I agree that there is pleasure in the physical feel of pbooks, I think that the point is being missed if that is used as an argument against ebook readers. I first "went ebook" because I'm a confirmed technophile and liked the idea, but I now find that I get more of the physical pleasure from ebooks than I do from p. I have a leather cover for my 505, which is now interestingly ageing. The feel of the reader in my hand is very comfortable, the weight is just right, the different ways of turning the page help as I change reading position (I have issues with my back, so I have to shift around a lot to minimise pain). Just the sight of the reader, and the knowledge of what it contains, makes me happy.
Just because it's electronic doesn't mean it's got less soul than a pbook - I've become very attached to my 505! /JB |
10-04-2009, 06:52 AM | #57 |
eBook Enthusiast
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
|
The price of most eBook readers is on a par with that of, say, high-end Apple iPods. As such, I think they are well within an "acceptable" price range for many people.
|
10-04-2009, 09:50 AM | #58 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 8,478
Karma: 5171130
Join Date: Jan 2006
Device: none
|
Good point: When a gadget is desirable enough, people will save up if they have to, to buy it. This especially applies to the younger set, who usually don't have much money or credit, but somehow manage to get all kinds of expensive toys. The only thing preventing more people from buying e-book readers, therefore, must be desirability.
|
10-04-2009, 02:39 PM | #59 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,340
Karma: 1160346
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Southport, GB
Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition
|
For early adopters etc, price isn't that big a deal, but price is definitely a relevant consideration when it comes to mainstream acceptance though, just look at the way hardware sales jump on things like games consoles when they hit certain price thresholds.
|
10-04-2009, 03:17 PM | #60 | |
Wizard
Posts: 2,300
Karma: 1121709
Join Date: Feb 2009
Device: Amazon Kindle 1
|
Quote:
Not that it is what everyone needs or wants, or that it will completely replace dedicated readers. I'd probably keep a dedicated reader around just because they are smaller and easier to read in bed etc. and perfectly adequate for reading a novel for pleasure. But they're completely useless for reading academic books, scholarly journal articles that I must be able to quickly and easily highlight and right notes on. And they're a pain for travel since I also need something with full internet access, full e-mail, pda functions etc., need something that plays MP3s, something that I can watch video on etc. So I'd love a multi function tablet that can do all that, while keeping something like a Kindle for reading novels around the house or in waiting rooms etc. Others have no need for that stuff as they're older, don't need such a device for work and are just into reading and not much into music, video etc. Thus there's plenty of room in the market for dedicated readers and multifunction devices that also can access say the Kindle store etc. Gives people options and gives e-books stores access to more customers. Seems like a no-brainer win-win situation to me. I think some are just overly worried about dedicated readers vanishing--but I don't see that happening. There we always at the least be a sizable niche for them. Just like there's a sizeable niche of academics/professionals who would buy a good tablet device. |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
pdf with missing picture | reamo | Apple Devices | 8 | 05-29-2010 08:04 PM |
Digital Picture Frames | The Skwerl | Alternative Devices | 13 | 04-16-2009 10:43 PM |
RJ Tech Digital Picture Frame w/ Ebook Reader | simonp | Alternative Devices | 7 | 12-16-2008 03:05 PM |
Digital revolution comes to printed word | DonaldL. | News | 0 | 11-07-2008 06:44 PM |