Quote:
Originally Posted by omk3
 Useful product that! How about an "Old, dusty library" one?
Joke aside, I was one of the people that thought that nothing could replace a "real" book, but had many reasons to wish for the reader technology to come to existence even before it did. And I changed my mind about "real" books as soon as I finished my first ebook. I have nothing against paper books mind, but, the paper experience (tm) adds nothing to the content or the feel while reading, especially if it is a cheap normal mass market paperback, or even a hardcover (not much more quality either, just bulkier).
So if Mrs Rowling wanted the paper exprerience so badly, why didn't she sell her books in large beautiful leather-bound volumes? That would even add a touch of magic to go with her theme. 
Anyway, of course she's got the right to make any (dumb or not) decisions she wants, calvin-c. She just also has to expect that people will judge her from these decisions. |
I don't think her target market is adults. Her audience has gotten a little older as the books progressed, but they have been tailored mostly to a younger set. For the more collecting-minded, she did offer a more luxurious hardbound
set of stories.
Ebooks are nice fun gadgets, but they are gadgets. They're content display devices, and unless I were really insecure about justifying my ebooks, I would not buy an ebook or ebook reader for a kid. People on these fora might well do that, and that's their prerogative, but I'd much rather give a kid a book than an expensive electronic toy that isn't half as cool as it should be.
I'd also probably want them to have a portable, instant-on copy that doesn't break the bank if they drop it or lose it, which I've been told kids have been known to do with lots of things, and I'd want to ensure I give them a reason to get away from the computer occasionally and read in sunlight, despite all the dangers. I'm no parent though, so my opinion is irrelevant, and I'm sure many parents here can vouch for how their children revere their Sony Pocket Editions or Kindles.