Will e-book readers eventually go back to paper books? - Page 6

Greg Anos · 09-18-2011, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

You're right nothing has replaced music......but I thought we were talking about technology. Seen any 8" floppy drives recently? What about Walkman Cassette players? Cinemascopes.

Do you know what an Edison Cylinder is? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph_cylinder

Oddly enough, there has been a niche comeback of vinyl LPs...(Go figure!)

kennyc · 09-18-2011, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Oddly enough, there has been a niche comeback of vinyl LPs...(Go figure!)

Never went away, can't come back.

Greg Anos · 09-18-2011, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Never went away, can't come back.

It dropped to 11,000 official new sales, (in 2007 I believe), it has since rebounded to to around 1/2 million sales per year.

No other faded technology has made any comeback (Like VSH, 8-track, audio cassette) so this is most notable.

Hellmark · 09-18-2011, 09:05 PM

For the longest time, you couldn't get LPs if you wanted them. They made too few, and the ones they did make were special limited editions.

Fbone · 09-18-2011, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

The facts on the ground simply don't support your views. Paperbacks are selling in substantially lower numbers -- unit sales and revenue -- in 2011 vs 2010 (the trend began in 2010) in the US market where ereaders are most heavily "penetrated". People haven't stopped buying books: they've started to replace buying paper with ebooks.

You just very nicely explained why ebooks are priced as they are.

ebusinesstutor · 09-19-2011, 12:39 AM

Hi Graham,

We have the same last name - perhaps we are related?

I don't think that this is a craze. Most people who love ereaders now will continue to like their portability and the extra room in their house.

And I think more people will come to ereaders over time.

graff_king · 09-19-2011, 03:51 AM

I certainly don't think that e-readers are going away anytime soon. They are so convenient and easy to use. I know of at least half a dozen people who prior to me gifting them e-readers were not big on reading but are now constantly asking me what the latest books to have are. I usually go to my local Barnes & Noble 2-3 times a week to relax at Starbucks and even within the last few months the number of e-readers I have seen there has more than doubled. I actually had a nice friendly debate about e-readers with someone there the other day and today when I went he bought me a drink in thanks for opening his eyes to the beauty of this technology.

Crusader · 09-19-2011, 04:40 AM

I don't think ereaders will ever go away. However I still love buying printed books as well. Also in some regions (mine included) ebooks tend to be more expensive and far more hassle than buying paper.

pdurrant · 09-19-2011, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

I've found that I can't bring myself to read on paper any more - even when I want to (because I want to read something that I have in print, or can't get in ebook form). Not really sure why, tbh. So, no going back for me.

It's like suggesting that I'd go back to physical media for music - no chance!

Ditto. I've had paper copies of Ill Met By Moonlight, All Night Awake and Any Man So Daring for over five years now, sitting prettily on my shelf.

I've only just got around to reading them, now that I've bought ebook versions.

Oh - and the ebooks cost me £7.50. The paper books cost me £35.37 (including postage).

I won't be going back to paper books.

Richey79 · 09-19-2011, 06:19 AM

I got rid of most of my paper books and I no longer look at even second hand bookshops with a fraction of the excitement I used to.

So, no.

For me, it's been a permanent replacement. Ebooks are better in every way. It's like that old saying in chess, 'play the board not the man'. It's the text that matters, not the medium, as long as that medium is ergonomic enough to become almost unnoticable.

Pbooks mean a cluttered house and tiny font sizes. I read my ebooks at 'visually impaired user' font sizes

: it's just more comfortable that way.

Tunney · 09-19-2011, 06:33 AM

I don't believe the two forms are mutually exclusive. I love everything about my nook, and the eInk screen lets me forget that I'm reading from an electronic device. However, I still like paper books--I have even switched back and forth between a nook edition and a paper edition while going through the same book. I read more with the ereader, but I buy paper books as presents for friends if I enjoyed a book on my nook. I would be surprised if ebook readers "go back" to paper books--but I can see where more people get back into the habit and pleasure of reading to the point where it is unimportant what the delivery system is. Remember, ink on paper is a technology too--and both are here to stay.

Billi · 09-19-2011, 06:56 AM

I could see one scenario when I can imagine that I will have problems with sticking with ereaders: when all the manufacturers switch to tablet devices. And that's not only because of the lcd instead of the eink screen but also and mostly because of the battery time.

TFeldt · 09-19-2011, 06:58 AM

Not a chance. Sure, I bought both ebooks and pbooks for the longest time, just like I still bought VHS when DVD was introduced. With digital there's just no comparison, however. Both VHS and DVD were physical objects, something you had to track down, carry and then store.

I abandoned CDs almost immediately when a format of comparable (questionable for some, of course) quality and decent compression ratio was made available. For the last couple of years I haven't even bought digital music tracks, I just get everything from my spotify subscription.

The question isn't if ebooks will completely overtake physical, they will. Digital always overtakes physical when it comes to content. The question is if the standard "pay X money to get Y books"-model will apply at all. It's hardly a stretch to imagine a spotify-like service for books as well. Kind of like commercial libraries.

I know many fear such a development, but they just don't understand the way the market is heading. Look at the advent of free-to-play games. They're entirely free yet the companies behind them make billions from what amounts to optional payments from their players.

Look at spotify, I've listened to bands I've never even heard of before. There's absolutely no chance I would have randomly bought a song from them (even with the silly 20 second preview) if they charged me a buck a song. Thus they're getting money from me, a person entirely outside of not just their target audience but also outside of their listening audience.

When the barrier of entry (financially) is nil then your target audience is automatically several magnitudes larger than it ever would be if your charged for your product. The tricky part is finding a business model to leverage this advantage which is something I'm not sure how to do with books in particular but I'm certain smarter people than me will find one eventually.

DMB · 09-19-2011, 07:06 AM

I only got my K3 last August. Before that, the only books I had read electronically were some Gutenberg classics on my computer. Once I had got used to the Kindle -- and it didn't take long -- I started getting rid of the thousands of dt books that were taking up so much storage space and that I didn't think I would ever want to read again. Since then, the only dt boks I have bought have been cookery books.

I still have a sizeable collection of dt books that I keep on intending to read. Some of them are sitting on shelves above my bed. A few nights ago I felt like reading a new novel and I took down a paperback version of Iain Pears's Stone's Fall. I quite quickly got absorbed in the book, but I found holding it and keeping it open a constant nuisance. It was just inconvenient. So in the end I weakened and bought the ebook from Amazon. The nice thing about that was that I could share the book straight away with my husband, because he has a K3 registered to my account. He started reading it immediately. In pre-Kindle days, he would have had to wait until I finished the paperback and would then have complained bitterly about how dog-eared and messy it was.

When I look at the heavier hardback non-fiction books still waiting to be read, my heart sinks. Just holding the damned things is such a pain. And, as several people have said, if you travel a lot it is wonderful to take a whole library in a single device.

I expect it will take a considerable time for ebooks to take over completely. When I first had a PC 30 years ago none of my non-work friends had even heard of them. When I first had email, most of my friends were still on snail mail. And yet now even the least techie people have computers and email, although I expect we all know the odd person who is holding out.

kennyc · 09-19-2011, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billi

I could see one scenario when I can imagine that I will have problems with sticking with ereaders: when all the manufacturers switch to tablet devices. And that's not only because of the lcd instead of the eink screen but also and mostly because of the battery time.

Wouldn't you think that would just keep the market for e-ink alive and well?

09-19-2011, 07:06 AM	#89
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	I only got my K3 last August. Before that, the only books I had read electronically were some Gutenberg classics on my computer. Once I had got used to the Kindle -- and it didn't take long -- I started getting rid of the thousands of dt books that were taking up so much storage space and that I didn't think I would ever want to read again. Since then, the only dt boks I have bought have been cookery books. I still have a sizeable collection of dt books that I keep on intending to read. Some of them are sitting on shelves above my bed. A few nights ago I felt like reading a new novel and I took down a paperback version of Iain Pears's Stone's Fall. I quite quickly got absorbed in the book, but I found holding it and keeping it open a constant nuisance. It was just inconvenient. So in the end I weakened and bought the ebook from Amazon. The nice thing about that was that I could share the book straight away with my husband, because he has a K3 registered to my account. He started reading it immediately. In pre-Kindle days, he would have had to wait until I finished the paperback and would then have complained bitterly about how dog-eared and messy it was. When I look at the heavier hardback non-fiction books still waiting to be read, my heart sinks. Just holding the damned things is such a pain. And, as several people have said, if you travel a lot it is wonderful to take a whole library in a single device. I expect it will take a considerable time for ebooks to take over completely. When I first had a PC 30 years ago none of my non-work friends had even heard of them. When I first had email, most of my friends were still on snail mail. And yet now even the least techie people have computers and email, although I expect we all know the odd person who is holding out. Last edited by DMB; 09-19-2011 at 08:43 AM.

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09-18-2011, 09:05 PM	#79
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,592 Karma: 4290425 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Foristell, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3, Kobo Libra 2	For the longest time, you couldn't get LPs if you wanted them. They made too few, and the ones they did make were special limited editions.

09-19-2011, 12:39 AM	#81
ebusinesstutor Star Gawker Posts: 526 Karma: 6944314 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Spruce Grove, AB Canada Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Hi Graham, We have the same last name - perhaps we are related? I don't think that this is a craze. Most people who love ereaders now will continue to like their portability and the extra room in their house. And I think more people will come to ereaders over time.

09-19-2011, 03:51 AM	#82
graff_king Enthusiast Posts: 29 Karma: 1600 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: PA Device: Nook STR, Kindle 3 wifi, i4s, htc evo, BB 9810, moto xoom,NC	I certainly don't think that e-readers are going away anytime soon. They are so convenient and easy to use. I know of at least half a dozen people who prior to me gifting them e-readers were not big on reading but are now constantly asking me what the latest books to have are. I usually go to my local Barnes & Noble 2-3 times a week to relax at Starbucks and even within the last few months the number of e-readers I have seen there has more than doubled. I actually had a nice friendly debate about e-readers with someone there the other day and today when I went he bought me a drink in thanks for opening his eyes to the beauty of this technology.

09-19-2011, 04:40 AM	#83
Crusader Space Cadet Posts: 1,180 Karma: 4030536 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: South Africa Device: Sony PRS-T1, Cybook Opus, Kobo Glo	I don't think ereaders will ever go away. However I still love buying printed books as well. Also in some regions (mine included) ebooks tend to be more expensive and far more hassle than buying paper.

09-19-2011, 06:19 AM	#85
Richey79 mrkrgnao Posts: 241 Karma: 237248 Join Date: May 2010 Device: PRS650, K3 Wireless, Galaxy S3, iPad 3.	I got rid of most of my paper books and I no longer look at even second hand bookshops with a fraction of the excitement I used to. So, no. For me, it's been a permanent replacement. Ebooks are better in every way. It's like that old saying in chess, 'play the board not the man'. It's the text that matters, not the medium, as long as that medium is ergonomic enough to become almost unnoticable. Pbooks mean a cluttered house and tiny font sizes. I read my ebooks at 'visually impaired user' font sizes : it's just more comfortable that way.

09-19-2011, 06:33 AM	#86
Tunney Member Posts: 16 Karma: 12 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: New York City Device: Entourage Pocket Edge, & nook	I don't believe the two forms are mutually exclusive. I love everything about my nook, and the eInk screen lets me forget that I'm reading from an electronic device. However, I still like paper books--I have even switched back and forth between a nook edition and a paper edition while going through the same book. I read more with the ereader, but I buy paper books as presents for friends if I enjoyed a book on my nook. I would be surprised if ebook readers "go back" to paper books--but I can see where more people get back into the habit and pleasure of reading to the point where it is unimportant what the delivery system is. Remember, ink on paper is a technology too--and both are here to stay.

09-19-2011, 06:56 AM	#87
Billi Wizard Posts: 3,388 Karma: 14190103 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Berlin Device: Cybook, iRex, PB, Onyx	I could see one scenario when I can imagine that I will have problems with sticking with ereaders: when all the manufacturers switch to tablet devices. And that's not only because of the lcd instead of the eink screen but also and mostly because of the battery time.

09-19-2011, 06:58 AM	#88
TFeldt Connoisseur Posts: 75 Karma: 166880 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Sweden Device: Asus Transformer, Galaxy S	Not a chance. Sure, I bought both ebooks and pbooks for the longest time, just like I still bought VHS when DVD was introduced. With digital there's just no comparison, however. Both VHS and DVD were physical objects, something you had to track down, carry and then store. I abandoned CDs almost immediately when a format of comparable (questionable for some, of course) quality and decent compression ratio was made available. For the last couple of years I haven't even bought digital music tracks, I just get everything from my spotify subscription. The question isn't if ebooks will completely overtake physical, they will. Digital always overtakes physical when it comes to content. The question is if the standard "pay X money to get Y books"-model will apply at all. It's hardly a stretch to imagine a spotify-like service for books as well. Kind of like commercial libraries. I know many fear such a development, but they just don't understand the way the market is heading. Look at the advent of free-to-play games. They're entirely free yet the companies behind them make billions from what amounts to optional payments from their players. Look at spotify, I've listened to bands I've never even heard of before. There's absolutely no chance I would have randomly bought a song from them (even with the silly 20 second preview) if they charged me a buck a song. Thus they're getting money from me, a person entirely outside of not just their target audience but also outside of their listening audience. When the barrier of entry (financially) is nil then your target audience is automatically several magnitudes larger than it ever would be if your charged for your product. The tricky part is finding a business model to leverage this advantage which is something I'm not sure how to do with books in particular but I'm certain smarter people than me will find one eventually.