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montsnmags · 11-22-2007, 07:20 PM

I don't find the Kindle ugly at all.

See, I've seen folks, including book store CEOs (eg. Dymocks) talk about people liking that "feel" of a dead-tree book, flicking through and caressing the pages. Now, the gods know I've done my fair share of caressing in my time

but I think when they refer to us book-buyers in that way, they surely can't be referring to the manufactured-down-to-a-cost plain old paperback. Sure, a new paperback is nice, but, at least for me, mostly in anticipation of it being...opened (mmm, the pleasure!). Its "build quality" and appearance, except for the occasionally impressive cover art, aren't its main feature. It's the content. Old and well-made new hardbacks are a different thing, of course. However, as any perusal of a brick-and-mortar store will show, the big money's in your low-rent pot-boiler paperbacks, pages soon to be creased as bookmarks, and spines broken. Their yellowing low-ish quality is both the pleasure and the downfall.

So, I don't see the Kindle as ugly, and here's why - to me, they've constructed something that has that potboiler, airport paperback, feel about it - yes, dated, and yes, plain, and just a tad clunky...sort of like a heavily-used paperback. Perhaps, in their eyes, and certainly to my aesthetic faculties, its design is aimed towards that, as "Keep buying more (new release) paperbacks" is what they have in mind for it. They're selling mostly to the eternal bookreader, or, rather, bookbuyer and just want to give you that comforting, traditional, slightly clunky, plain white appearance to ease the bookreaders into the idea, rather than hype the tech design folk who might just complain that it doesn't have any PDA software, that its MP3 player is rubbish, and that no video playback is just stupid. They don't want to go down the "compared to the iPod" route.

So, I don't think it's ugly...or, perhaps, I do, but "ugly" in that "ugly, used paperback" kind of way that makes me feel all warm and comfortable.

This is, of course, just my very, very humble opinion. As tsgreer reminds me, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I might just be talking through my USB port though.

Cheers,
Marc

11-22-2007, 07:20 PM	#11
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	I don't find the Kindle ugly at all. See, I've seen folks, including book store CEOs (eg. Dymocks) talk about people liking that "feel" of a dead-tree book, flicking through and caressing the pages. Now, the gods know I've done my fair share of caressing in my time but I think when they refer to us book-buyers in that way, they surely can't be referring to the manufactured-down-to-a-cost plain old paperback. Sure, a new paperback is nice, but, at least for me, mostly in anticipation of it being...opened (mmm, the pleasure!). Its "build quality" and appearance, except for the occasionally impressive cover art, aren't its main feature. It's the content. Old and well-made new hardbacks are a different thing, of course. However, as any perusal of a brick-and-mortar store will show, the big money's in your low-rent pot-boiler paperbacks, pages soon to be creased as bookmarks, and spines broken. Their yellowing low-ish quality is both the pleasure and the downfall. So, I don't see the Kindle as ugly, and here's why - to me, they've constructed something that has that potboiler, airport paperback, feel about it - yes, dated, and yes, plain, and just a tad clunky...sort of like a heavily-used paperback. Perhaps, in their eyes, and certainly to my aesthetic faculties, its design is aimed towards that, as "Keep buying more (new release) paperbacks" is what they have in mind for it. They're selling mostly to the eternal bookreader, or, rather, bookbuyer and just want to give you that comforting, traditional, slightly clunky, plain white appearance to ease the bookreaders into the idea, rather than hype the tech design folk who might just complain that it doesn't have any PDA software, that its MP3 player is rubbish, and that no video playback is just stupid. They don't want to go down the "compared to the iPod" route. So, I don't think it's ugly...or, perhaps, I do, but "ugly" in that "ugly, used paperback" kind of way that makes me feel all warm and comfortable. This is, of course, just my very, very humble opinion. As tsgreer reminds me, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I might just be talking through my USB port though. Cheers, Marc Last edited by montsnmags; 11-22-2007 at 11:43 PM.