Is the ereader dead?

[Marinolino]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

DRM is really more about mollifying worried authors and publishers than it is about actually stopping piracy. These days it cost a fairly trivial amount to scan a book.

It is even easier to scan an drm-ed e-book then, because we don't need any book scanner, since any hi-res tablet is a great scanner that can take screenshots at about couple of seconds on average for the whole ebook.

So, if we e.g. want to read drm-ed mobi ebook on our epub e-ink reader instead of lcd tablet, it takes only a couple of minutes to take e.g. 50 screenshots for our 30 min. reading session that day, at desired letter size, and we can immediately and legally read those pictures on our epub e-ink reader deleting them immediately thereafter, of course, if the law in our country permits such practice for the personal use.

Even easier if our future e-ink reader could be used as a second monitor for our PC/tablet/phone, using wi-fi or wires.

[Philippe D.]

I don't know about the legal aspects (they are likely to be different from one country to the next anyway), but converting an ebook to screenshots is about the most uncomfortable way of reading it. Talk about losing all the advantages of an ebook!

[Marinolino]

Originally Posted by Philippe D.

I don't know about the legal aspects (they are likely to be different from one country to the next anyway), but converting an ebook to screenshots is about the most uncomfortable way of reading it. Talk about losing all the advantages of an ebook!

You take screenshots at desired font, size, brightness, contrast etc. suitable for your e-ink reader.

If we want to use dictionary, highlighting, discern the colors etc. we can always use a tablet/smartphone simultaneously, for the most time looking at our eye friendly e-ink.

Of course, it is not problem to relatively quickly OCR the screenshots and turn them into epub or pdf, but it is not really necessary with tablet/smartphone and original ebook by our side.

[montalex]

Here's my point, from the NYTimes this week!
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/b...e=sectionfront
The author mentions using his Kindle, then, when asks how he reads, paper or electronic, he states "Paper." Like that's the only correct answer, after just stating that his Kindle hed him to read some of the classics, etc.
I saw 2 readers on Kindles on the Montreal subway yesterday!!

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by montalex

Here's my point, from the NYTimes this week!
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/01/b...e=sectionfront
The author mentions using his Kindle, then, when asks how he reads, paper or electronic, he states "Paper." Like that's the only correct answer, after just stating that his Kindle hed him to read some of the classics, etc.
I saw 2 readers on Kindles on the Montreal subway yesterday!!

Thanks for the article. if nothing else, it reminded me that The Red And The Black and Moby Dick have been on my TBR pile for too long.

I see several people in the break area at work reading on Kindles. One with a Voyage, the others, Paperwhites. I see a few people that read on their tablets, but the folks here that are real readers all use e-ink (in fact, they all use Kindles, except for me).

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Thanks for the article. if nothing else, it reminded me that The Red And The Black and Moby Dick have been on my TBR pile for too long.

I see several people in the break area at work reading on Kindles. One with a Voyage, the others, Paperwhites. I see a few people that read on their tablets, but the folks here that are real readers all use e-ink (in fact, they all use Kindles, except for me).

While I don’t know the details of your work environment, I’d just point out that if someone is reading on a Kindle, even if they are some distance away, you know they are reading. If they are involved with their phone, they could be reading, or they could be doing a thousand other things. You cannot know unless you’re close enough to see the screen and see how they are interacting with it.

When I ride on commuter train, virtually everyone has a device they are looking at. A few of those are Kindles (if there are 60 people on a train car, maybe 3 have Kindles). Surely there are more than 3 of the other 57 people reading on their phone. I myself use my phone to read when I’m on the train, it is just a lot easier to manage. I don’t see any Kindles at work (tech company).

I would not trust any polls or studies that attempt to measure proportion of reading on phones vs dedicated reading devices, as there are too many variables to control for. My guess is that it is at least 3 to 1, probably much more.

Amazon knows, but it would be creepy of them to disclose that information. But they appear to put as much or more effort into the iOS and Android apps as they do with Kindle - they get updated at least monthly and new features usually appear on them first.

I think it is kind of an accident that there are e-ink screens, and that they happen to be very suitable for reading text (and not much else), and that they are (now) cheap. But I don’t see a bright future for dedicated reading devices. They exist on an increasingly isolated ‘fitness peak’.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by tomsem

While I don’t know the details of your work environment, I’d just point out that if someone is reading on a Kindle, even if they are some distance away, you know they are reading. If they are involved with their phone, they could be reading, or they could be doing a thousand other things. You cannot know unless you’re close enough to see the screen and see how they are interacting with it.

That's why I said 'real readers all use e-ink'. Those with tablets, I have seen reading on them, so I know they do it at least part time. But of course as you said, it would be foolish to assume they're always reading when on the tablet.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

That's why I said 'real readers all use e-ink'. Those with tablets, I have seen reading on them, so I know they do it at least part time. But of course as you said, it would be foolish to assume they're always reading when on the tablet.

Reminds me of when i worked an evening janitorial job at my local clinic. One of my co-workers had the job of cleaning up Dr's offices and she saw a Dr. in his office (she thought working on his computer). It turned out he was playing Solitaire. lol.

[crich70]

One thing that is good about ereaders in general. You don't have to be embarrassed to read whatever you want on one. The case doesn't give any clue as to the genre. You could be reading sf, mystery or even erotica and no one around you knows a thing about it. And unlike paper you can quickly build a library of classic books that take no physical space (beyond the hard drive on your computer or ereader) and at little or no cost. Paper can't say that. Also physical book stores aren't open in the middle of the night but Amazon and project Gutenberg are.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by crich70

One thing that is good about ereaders in general. You don't have to be embarrassed to read whatever you want on one. The case doesn't give any clue as to the genre. You could be reading sf, mystery or even erotica and no one around you knows a thing about it.

I remember reading that romance readers were early ebook adopters for that reason. I can't be bothered to find the source now though.

[Froide]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

That's why I said 'real readers all use e-ink'. Those with tablets, I have seen reading on them, so I know they do it at least part time. But of course as you said, it would be foolish to assume they're always reading when on the tablet.

Correction: real readers (of digital content) do not all use e-ink. This "real reader" and many other ultra-"heavy readers" (of digital content) I know don't use e-ink devices; some used to, others of us have never done so. Doesn't mean we don't read copiously for business and/or pleasure.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Froide

Correction: real readers (of digital content) do not all use e-ink. This "real reader" and many other ultra-"heavy readers" I know don't use e-ink devices; some used to, others of us have never done so. Doesn't mean we don't read copiously for business and/or pleasure.

I tend to tire of all phrases that start with "Real Readers ..." myself. There are dead-tree aficionados who wouldn't count anybody who would read a book on any kind of a device as a "real reader." Yet here we are, further dividing our group of digital deviants up into elite and hoi pollois sub-sub-groups. It's silly.

All readers are "real readers" or none are.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Froide

Correction: real readers (of digital content) do not all use e-ink. This "real reader" and many other ultra-"heavy readers" (of digital content) I know don't use e-ink devices; some used to, others of us have never done so. Doesn't mean we don't read copiously for business and/or pleasure.

Please put the knife down and follow my comments in context (you know, like a real reader):

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I see several people in the break area at work reading on Kindles. One with a Voyage, the others, Paperwhites. I see a few people that read on their tablets, but the folks here that are real readers all use e-ink (in fact, they all use Kindles, except for me).

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Please put the knife down and follow my comments in context (you know, like a real reader):

So I'm assuming, from the context of your words (and the rush to defend your innocence), that you have criteria for defining those folks as "real readers" that has nothing to do with their workplace preference for eink devices?

It's not like your personal workplace distinction actually gets you off the hook for making specious definitions of who's a "real reader" or not.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

So I'm assuming, from the context of your words (and the rush to defend your innocence), that you have criteria for defining those folks as "real readers" that has nothing to do with their workplace preference for eink devices?

It's not like your personal workplace distinction actually gets you off the hook for making specious definitions of who's a "real reader" or not.

A: I have nothing to defend. Like all of us, I'm just passing the time, commenting for my own amusement on a Friday.

B: 'Real reader' within my comment would be people who are reading every time I see them on lunch or a break. As opposed to those who sometimes read, sometimes watch Netflix, sometimes Crush Candy on their tablets and phones.

Then there are those that watch TV or read paper books. But within the limited scope of my comment, they were not a factor.

Incidentally, I'm sure my coworkers appreciate your defense of their besmirched reputations.