A truly pathetic BBC review

Argel · 10-07-2008, 02:26 PM

Once upon a time the BBC stood for intelligent reporting. Now they just take a potentially fascinating idea and crush it into 2 minutes and 15 seconds of pointless froth.

Three librarians from the British Library review a range of liseuses....

E-books put to the test

jljones · 10-07-2008, 03:14 PM

You could hardly call it a review. And I didn't like the caption saying that they were designed to replace paper books.
The only good point was the range of readers mentioned.

tazzle · 10-07-2008, 03:17 PM

I think you're failing to understand the point of this piece. It's really an exploration of how many books Simon needs to carry around... which turns out to be "one, maybe two." This brings up a lot of rather complex questions which I hope will be addressed in later programs: When does he need to carry around two? And is one of them a dictionary?

I'm also looking forward to his comparative review of mobile phones in which he will reveal how many people he needs to speak to daily. Just one, maybe two? And his rundown on GPS devices, in which he confesses that four directions seem far too many; he can do very well with just North and... maaaybe West.

Ned · 10-07-2008, 03:24 PM

What a disgrace that is. How much of our licence fee is going to this idiot? And as you say it passes for serious reporting.

Functionality, yes; feel, no!!
That tosser wants his knackers feeling I think.

As somebody said on another thread, the motor car doesn't have the same feel as the horse. I know which I'd prefer - a light slim reader with all my books on it or a pile of paperbacks. And I haven't even got mine yet :-)

Richard Herley · 10-07-2008, 04:03 PM

Ned -- none of my licence fee goes to the BBC, because I don't pay it! When I see this sort of rubbish I'm confirmed in the wisdom of our decision, years ago, to dump the TV set.

ficbot · 10-07-2008, 04:04 PM

I need my cell phone for pretty much 'one, maybe two' people. Everyone I know uses email except for my mother and my landlady

I have never understood this idea that e-books or print books are an 'either/or' proposition. There are some book genres I enjoy where I do prefer the print version---cookbooks, for example, where it is important to me able to see the whole page at once, and where a nice layout and some pictures goes a long way. But the latest paperback mystery? What about it specifically *needs* to be in paper? And at the rate I go through them, I was getting some from the library, selling others back to the used bookstore as I finished them...e-books for me are more durable because I don't need to get rid of them due to space constraints. And they are cheaper. What I like to do is buy a hot new release on Fictionwise when it is on 100% micropay rebate, and then spend the rebate on half a dozen other books

rlparker · 10-07-2008, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Herley

Ned -- none of my licence fee goes to the BBC, because I don't pay it! When I see this sort of rubbish I'm confirmed in the wisdom of our decision, years ago, to dump the TV set.

I *never* bring this subject up in mixed company, but, ahem, now that you mention it--congratulations on your wise decision to kill your TV. We've lived without a TV in my household for 15+ years. It amazes me that so many people voluntarily invite so much pathology right into their living rooms. And let the kids watch, too!

And before anyone messages me about it--I know--you only watch the educational channel....

Okay. I feel better now.

JSWolf · 10-07-2008, 04:38 PM

I don't know who these librarians are, but they did a poor job reviewing the readers. There was no depth to this piece. it just feels like fluff. I know I disagree woth them, but come on now, they don't get it. I don't think they've spend enough time with any of these readers to be able to give a truly accurate review one way or the other. Let's get the guy who hosted this piece to carry around two huge hard covers and then tell me he doesn't want a reader.

pilotbob · 10-07-2008, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlparker

It amazes me that so many people voluntarily invite so much pathology right into their living rooms. And let the kids watch, too!

He says while sitting in front of his computer with an internet, the bastion of purity, connection.

BOb

ShortNCuddlyAm · 10-07-2008, 04:51 PM

I liked the way he waved the largest of the bunch around as he was summing up - maybe trying to subliminally convince people that they are big, clumsy devices.

Actually, for a moment or two I thought he was going to point out that whilst books could withstand dropping, the readers couldn't, complete with demonstation!

rlparker · 10-07-2008, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

He says while sitting in front of his computer with an internet, the bastion of purity, connection.

BOb

What, no smiley? Ouch.

Donnageddon · 10-07-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

That tosser wants his knackers feeling I think.

HarryT, any help here?

HarryT · 10-08-2008, 03:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donnageddon

HarryT, any help here?

You want a translation?

Slite · 10-08-2008, 04:11 AM

Ummm, did one of the Librarians say "When reading in bed, you don't need any lights" ??????

Or did I hear it wrong?

Ned · 10-08-2008, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slite

Ummm, did one of the Librarians say "When reading in bed, you don't need any lights" ??????

Or did I hear it wrong?

Yes one of them did say that.

But asking those guys to review the readers is like asking my cats what they thought of going vegetarian.

10-07-2008, 02:26 PM	#1
Argel Opinionated [but right] Posts: 281 Karma: 1412 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: UK Device: Cybook Gen3, PRS 505, Kindle Int, Oasis, Paperwhite, Scribe	A truly pathetic BBC review Once upon a time the BBC stood for intelligent reporting. Now they just take a potentially fascinating idea and crush it into 2 minutes and 15 seconds of pointless froth. Three librarians from the British Library review a range of liseuses.... E-books put to the test

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
BBC Sport	limawhiskey	Recipes	3	07-24-2011 08:54 AM
Ebooks on BBC	Scott Nicholson	General Discussions	0	07-29-2010 02:20 PM
BBC Breakfast	C6REW	News	7	09-03-2008 12:07 PM
Early BBC World Review of the Sony Reader	RWood	Sony Reader	1	11-28-2006 01:07 AM
Just Pathetic	sUnShInE	Lounge	4	04-28-2003 02:43 PM

10-07-2008, 03:14 PM	#2
jljones Enthusiast Posts: 43 Karma: 54 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Iliad	You could hardly call it a review. And I didn't like the caption saying that they were designed to replace paper books. The only good point was the range of readers mentioned.

10-07-2008, 03:17 PM	#3
tazzle Glyph Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Athens, Greece Device: Kindle	I think you're failing to understand the point of this piece. It's really an exploration of how many books Simon needs to carry around... which turns out to be "one, maybe two." This brings up a lot of rather complex questions which I hope will be addressed in later programs: When does he need to carry around two? And is one of them a dictionary? I'm also looking forward to his comparative review of mobile phones in which he will reveal how many people he needs to speak to daily. Just one, maybe two? And his rundown on GPS devices, in which he confesses that four directions seem far too many; he can do very well with just North and... maaaybe West.

10-07-2008, 03:24 PM	#4
Ned Ebook reader Posts: 389 Karma: 5899335 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: York, England Device: Kobo Aura H2O (ed 2, v1), Kobo Forma, Kobo Libra 2	What a disgrace that is. How much of our licence fee is going to this idiot? And as you say it passes for serious reporting. Functionality, yes; feel, no!! That tosser wants his knackers feeling I think. As somebody said on another thread, the motor car doesn't have the same feel as the horse. I know which I'd prefer - a light slim reader with all my books on it or a pile of paperbacks. And I haven't even got mine yet :-)

10-07-2008, 04:03 PM	#5
Richard Herley Author Posts: 203 Karma: 1164907 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	Ned -- none of my licence fee goes to the BBC, because I don't pay it! When I see this sort of rubbish I'm confirmed in the wisdom of our decision, years ago, to dump the TV set.

10-07-2008, 04:04 PM	#6
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	I need my cell phone for pretty much 'one, maybe two' people. Everyone I know uses email except for my mother and my landlady I have never understood this idea that e-books or print books are an 'either/or' proposition. There are some book genres I enjoy where I do prefer the print version---cookbooks, for example, where it is important to me able to see the whole page at once, and where a nice layout and some pictures goes a long way. But the latest paperback mystery? What about it specifically needs to be in paper? And at the rate I go through them, I was getting some from the library, selling others back to the used bookstore as I finished them...e-books for me are more durable because I don't need to get rid of them due to space constraints. And they are cheaper. What I like to do is buy a hot new release on Fictionwise when it is on 100% micropay rebate, and then spend the rebate on half a dozen other books

10-07-2008, 04:38 PM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,741 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I don't know who these librarians are, but they did a poor job reviewing the readers. There was no depth to this piece. it just feels like fluff. I know I disagree woth them, but come on now, they don't get it. I don't think they've spend enough time with any of these readers to be able to give a truly accurate review one way or the other. Let's get the guy who hosted this piece to carry around two huge hard covers and then tell me he doesn't want a reader.

10-07-2008, 04:51 PM	#10
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	I liked the way he waved the largest of the bunch around as he was summing up - maybe trying to subliminally convince people that they are big, clumsy devices. Actually, for a moment or two I thought he was going to point out that whilst books could withstand dropping, the readers couldn't, complete with demonstation!

10-08-2008, 04:11 AM	#14
Slite Icanhasdonuts? Posts: 2,837 Karma: 532407 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mölnbo, Sweden Device: Kobo Aura 2nd edition, Kobo Clara HD	Ummm, did one of the Librarians say "When reading in bed, you don't need any lights" ?????? Or did I hear it wrong?