A funny thing happened yesterday

Kumabjorn · 08-22-2012, 02:37 AM

I live fairly close to a university town. The fall semester is about to start, students are flowing in from everywhere trying to find housing and registering for classes. Hence, the town is blessed with a huge book store and right now is when they have a large interesting selection of books.

So, yesterday i went in there, mainly to walk around, have some coffee and study the new students (they are soo enthusiastic) when my eyes fell on the store. I hadn't been in there for almost two years. I entered and sauntered around, picked up a few books and glanced in them. Then I found one on a rather esoteric topic that interests me, a book I hadn't heard about. The price was a bit on the steep side, $65. So I thought to myself, perhaps I can find it cheaper online, took out my smartphone and did a bar code search with the camera. Yes, I could get it for $48 from Amazon, but factoring in S&H it would in the end be the same.

Since the work is something I would likely use as a volume of reference I thought that an electronic version might actually be better, and I admit it, probably far less. So I looked for Kindle and ePub versions. None. Zilch. I then looked at the copyright page and saw that it was 2010. Hmm, should have been produced on a computer. An eBook version would be a piece of cake. Well, what can you do. The publisher don't want to make an eBook, that is there prerogative.

So I took the book and stepped to the end of line. As I was standing there I noticed that only the odd person out seemed to be a student. So I asked one, why are there so few students, the store is usually teeming with them. Ohh, was the answer, they prefer electronic books. So much easier with annotations, looking up things. I looked down on my tome (700+ pages) and suddenly thought, "to hell with it, the publisher don't want to provide me with an eBook, why should I provide my money".

I returned it to the shelf and walked out empty handed. I also realized that my view on books and reading really had made a 180 degree turn around. In a very short time span. I don't believe I have ever encountered a technological paradigm shift that has influenced me this thoroughly.

tubemonkey · 08-22-2012, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

So, yesterday i went in there, mainly to walk around, have some coffee and study the new students (they are soo enthusiastic) when my eyes fell on the store.

Did you pick them up before someone stepped on them?

Kumabjorn · 08-22-2012, 02:49 AM

Hmm, Swedish idiom? Don't think so. What do you use when you happen to see something you aren't looking for? I wasn't planning to go there, so I wasn't looking for it. I need a dictionary of idioms. Preferably online.

Art3mis · 08-22-2012, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Hmm, Swedish idiom? Don't think so. What do you use when you happen to see something you aren't looking for? I wasn't planning to go there, so I wasn't looking for it. I need a dictionary of idioms. Preferably online.

Your idiom was correct.

tubemonkey · 08-22-2012, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Hmm, Swedish idiom? Don't think so. What do you use when you happen to see something you aren't looking for? I wasn't planning to go there, so I wasn't looking for it. I need a dictionary of idioms. Preferably online.

Don't worry about it. Your idiom is fine. I'm just a smart ass on the prowl for any opening I can take advantage of; like this one.

Fluribus · 08-22-2012, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

So, yesterday i went in there, mainly to walk around, have some coffee and study the new students (they are soo enthusiastic) when my eyes fell on the store.

I go to the local university to ogle the girls who are sunbathing on the lawn. They jump up and beat me with my own cane. I file a lawsuit against the university. The university gives me a couple of thousand dollars to go away. I spend the money with Amazon.

A tad more violence and larceny, but essentially the same story.

Belfaborac · 08-22-2012, 04:57 AM

Damn, I need to move closer to a uni and get myself a cane. Maybe adopt a stoop and a limp as well, or is that too much?

kennyc · 08-22-2012, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Did you pick them up before someone stepped on them?

Watch it monkey!

kennyc · 08-22-2012, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I live fairly close to a university town. The fall semester is about to start, students are flowing in from everywhere trying to find housing and registering for classes. Hence, the town is blessed with a huge book store and right now is when they have a large interesting selection of books.
.... I don't believe I have ever encountered a technological paradigm shift that has influenced me this thoroughly.

Yep, the singularity approaches....

Kumabjorn · 08-22-2012, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Watch it monkey!

monkey
We are ok, Iknow when monkey is serious and when monkey is growling showing teeth.

kennyc · 08-22-2012, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

monkey
We are ok, Iknow when monkey is serious and when monkey is growling showing teeth.

wizwor · 08-22-2012, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Since the work is something I would likely use as a volume of reference I thought that an electronic version might actually be better, and I admit it, probably far less. So I looked for Kindle and ePub versions. None. Zilch. I then looked at the copyright page and saw that it was 2010. Hmm, should have been produced on a computer. An eBook version would be a piece of cake. Well, what can you do. The publisher don't want to make an eBook, that is there prerogative.

Did you contact the publisher? It may be that an e-book is in the works or your inquiry may cause one to be.

Kumabjorn · 08-22-2012, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizwor

Did you contact the publisher? It may be that an e-book is in the works or your inquiry may cause one to be.

My concern was actually not so much with the tome, as my own cavalier attitude towards the publisher. I'm usually a fairly accomodating individual, and had it been B.K. (Before Kindle) I wouldn't had thought twice about spending those $65 (and perhaps lived on instant noodles for a week), but now I surprised myself with thinking "ehh, why should I be bothered, it's the publisher's problem, not mine". It might not just be the proliferation of eBooks, but also the attitude towards literature spending that I have encountered here. I'm not sure to be honest.

Tony1988 · 08-22-2012, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

I don't believe I have ever encountered a technological paradigm shift that has influenced me this thoroughly.

Well its been a long time coming. With the advent of the computer age, than the internet and than smartphones.(Look how fast the cell phone went from just a phone with an alarm clock and calculator to an almost full operating computer.)
We have seen much change in the way we do things in the last 25-30 years when it concerns commmunication and entertainment. The last 5 years has seen huge changes. The smartphone and tablets/ereaders are the culprits of course. I havent been to my old college in a year or so especially during fall. I imagine at least 50% of students have tablets or ereaders for many of their books. Im sure many still carry laptops around as well.

I think though that we will be hitting a technology ceiling soon. If not already. Yeah form factor will change on the devices, software etc. but I cant see anything that will trump the current way we do things when it concerns reading and computing and communication.

kennyc · 08-22-2012, 10:20 AM

Oh, but tablets aren't replacing computers.

08-22-2012, 02:37 AM	#1
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	A funny thing happened yesterday I live fairly close to a university town. The fall semester is about to start, students are flowing in from everywhere trying to find housing and registering for classes. Hence, the town is blessed with a huge book store and right now is when they have a large interesting selection of books. So, yesterday i went in there, mainly to walk around, have some coffee and study the new students (they are soo enthusiastic) when my eyes fell on the store. I hadn't been in there for almost two years. I entered and sauntered around, picked up a few books and glanced in them. Then I found one on a rather esoteric topic that interests me, a book I hadn't heard about. The price was a bit on the steep side, $65. So I thought to myself, perhaps I can find it cheaper online, took out my smartphone and did a bar code search with the camera. Yes, I could get it for $48 from Amazon, but factoring in S&H it would in the end be the same. Since the work is something I would likely use as a volume of reference I thought that an electronic version might actually be better, and I admit it, probably far less. So I looked for Kindle and ePub versions. None. Zilch. I then looked at the copyright page and saw that it was 2010. Hmm, should have been produced on a computer. An eBook version would be a piece of cake. Well, what can you do. The publisher don't want to make an eBook, that is there prerogative. So I took the book and stepped to the end of line. As I was standing there I noticed that only the odd person out seemed to be a student. So I asked one, why are there so few students, the store is usually teeming with them. Ohh, was the answer, they prefer electronic books. So much easier with annotations, looking up things. I looked down on my tome (700+ pages) and suddenly thought, "to hell with it, the publisher don't want to provide me with an eBook, why should I provide my money". I returned it to the shelf and walked out empty handed. I also realized that my view on books and reading really had made a 180 degree turn around. In a very short time span. I don't believe I have ever encountered a technological paradigm shift that has influenced me this thoroughly.

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08-22-2012, 02:49 AM	#3
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Hmm, Swedish idiom? Don't think so. What do you use when you happen to see something you aren't looking for? I wasn't planning to go there, so I wasn't looking for it. I need a dictionary of idioms. Preferably online.

08-22-2012, 04:57 AM	#7
Belfaborac Wizard Posts: 1,498 Karma: 5199835 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-950	Damn, I need to move closer to a uni and get myself a cane. Maybe adopt a stoop and a limp as well, or is that too much?

08-22-2012, 10:20 AM	#15
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,891 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Oh, but tablets aren't replacing computers.

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