Quote:
Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel
obviously, i don't agree with all the conclusions in this article but i do think he makes some fair and excellent points ; the idea that many people won't be satisfied completely by the digital reading experience seems very true to me, based on conversations i've had with people around me, although i can easily imagine people discovering books digitally and then buying paper "archive" copies of the ones they really love.
nonetheless, overall it seems a very good article and it's refreshing to read such a balanced and generally positive account of the phenomenon.
i particularly like this paragraph :
This is not the end of civilisation. Innovation in the delivery of the written word characteristically does not eliminate old media, rather the reverse. The typewriter did not replace the printing press, nor the ballpoint the pencil. Similarly, video did not kill the radio star and DVDs have not annihilated the cinema. The ebook is an add-on, not a replacement.
that's a point which i think it's important to make to reassure the alarmists and paper apologists (of which there are quite a few...) who seem to sincerely fear the implications of ebooks.
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When I used to teach "computers" to my students (we had a 45 min lab each week), the initial lesson included a discussion of what constituted "Technology". I explained to them that at one point, a pencil was the newest technology. They were amazed!
I can't help wondering how many people would change their views on reading paper over digital if they actually sampled reading an entire book on a liseuse. It seems to me, once you've tried it and seen the advantages, you couldn't help but be hooked.
Tompe, I truly hope you are correct and the ereading technology just keeps getting better and better.
