[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Don't forget the joy of turning a page and finding a squashed fly that you have to scrape off with your fingernails before you can read the words underneath.

Originally Posted by Dellaster

Wow, I totally forgot that experience. Erm, thanks for the reminder? Less icky but more troublesome was when some joker put their gum between the pages.

or a bugger *shudder*

Originally Posted by carbonize

We will always have books. If nothing else what will people buy to read when they go on holiday or a long journey? I mean the sort of people who only read when they're on holiday or travelling. Then there's reference books. As convenient as the internet is I find it easier to have a real book in my hands and in fact have several books on PHP, MySQL and JavaScript/DHTML. Maybe the latter is just me but I definitely find it easier to have a real bok to learn from than having to flick between a website and whatever I am working in.

or maybe there will be a temporary borrowing option just as there is with renting headphones on airplanes. or there will be incredibly simple and cheap e-readers for the casual reader that would make it the most obvious choice to read off of

Originally Posted by carbonize

I already own a Sony PRS-600 but, as Format C: said on the first page, there is something more when reading a real book. Maybe it is the feel of the paper or maybe it's because I, like a lot of others, grew up learning from books. I don't know I just find it easier to learn when reading from a real book than from reading a electronic version as strange as that sounds.

I grew up with the real thing as well. part of my ritual with new books was opening the fron and back covers, opening the book in thirds to ease the spine the way my grandmother taught me, smelling the paper and the jacket. and I will always treasure those memories, but I am totally on board with the ebooks

Originally Posted by omk3

Horses are living, breathing, magnificent creatures, and talking about improving them sounds just wrong.
That they are now regarded as not an efficient means of transport is because we now have cars, trains, airplanes and so on. Before all this technology became available, horses actually were the most efficient means of transport and I'm sure many people could not see how there could be an improvement.

I believe I made it clear that I disagree, and I listed several attributes of ebooks that I miss in paper books.

not only that, but my ponies and I will be laughing at every one else come 2012! (hey! kust keeeeding!)

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Ebooks need to be stored on web servers that run 24 hours a day, and need to be read on devices that use electricity and are made using toxic chemicals that (usually) end up in the rivers. Trees used for paper production tend to be replaced with new trees, and produce oxygen while they are growing.

gack! ever been around paper mills!? not only is the stench horrendous, but what it does to the waters is a crime against humanity!