Quote:
Originally Posted by rhadin
I think Franzen has a valid point and that it is being missed. eBooks are subject to constant revision, and ultimately to revision by someone other than the author, whereas once a book is printed to paper, that version of the book remains -- there is a permanence to it that ebooks may not emulate.
I'm not one who dislikes ebooks (obviously, or I wouldn't be participating here or own a couple of reading devices), but I distinguish between two categories of books: (1) those that I want "permanently" and as written and (2) those that once read are disposable. For me, the former category is made up of the hardcover books I buy whereas the latter category is made up of the ebooks that I buy.
Having said that, I also need to note that on an increasing number of occasions, I am buying both the hardcover and the ebook versions of a book. The hardcover version becomes a permanent part of my library and is the reference version I refer to; the ebook provides me with the means to read the book conveniently.
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I don't understand what lack of permanence Franzen (or you) is concerned about. I've never once thought to myself after buying an ebook "oh, I hate how the author keeps updating the text as I read it, most irritating." Ya, new digital editions can come out, but how is that different than new versions of a paperback book? Is it just because digital text is easier to revise? But so what? how does that affect the digital edition that you bought before it was revised?
And Franzen mentions spilling something on a book, which highlights how much less permanent a physical copy is. A physical book can be ruined, destroyed in a fire say, but a digital version can exist in a multitude of places, backed up on your computer and on some company's server.