Will Paper books fade away?

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

... The hardware just isn't worth the cost. ... more just the iPod line which I've always found inferior in features to stuff offered by the competition.

Not to turn this into a Good vs. Evil debate, but generally, Apple boxes are better designed and better built, and only a little more expensive, if you compare apples to apples. I use Macs for work, and a PC (several over the years) for my Home Theater. Generally, the build quality of the Apples is noticeably superior.

As to the iPod/iPhone part, yes, there are cheaper alternatives, as well as alternatives which do more. I still keep a heavily hacked HTC phone running WM 6.1, because it has a real turn-by-turn GPS I use when I travel. But, the UI of the iPhone is light-years better: much more intuitive and easier to use. BTW, I've never been even tempted to use my HTC as an MP3 player - it's just too much of a pain (even though its interface is hacked to look like an iPod:-)

On a similar design note, I didn't get the K1 precisely because its looks were offensive to me.

Finally, paper books will go away, to a large extent. As e-ink type technologies produce larger, cheaper, better-looking screens, and layout on screen improves, there is no reason why ebooks should not replace paper for most applications.

BTW, I am sure at one point some people were arguing about the virtues of parchment, compared to the cheap feel of paper.

[dmaul1114]

Yeah, no point in arguing. I'll never be an Apple convert. I just don't care about design, sleekness, build etc. as I've never had any quality issues with the competition.

And I just like to spite their fans as the Apple fanboys on the net give give the childish video game console fanboys a run for their money in annoying-ness.

I'm half kidding with that last part, their products just don't appeal to me. I'm just not willing to pay more when I can find competing products that I think look nice, work well, do more and cost less.

And again I agree the iPhone is currently in a league of it's own. I just have no use for that type of multifunction device, and don't like the touch screen interface for typing etc.

[thibaulthalpern]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

Years ago I was a Mac hater, a rabid Mac hater around the time of System 9 was it, can't remember the name. Then I tried OS X at a demo and saw the Imac and I was astounded by how it all fit together. This was how I'd imagined computing when I was young, looking at all those annuals that showed you what the future would look like. That's where they got me, they hooked me with that initial design and, minor annoyances apart, they've had me ever since -- which is really annoying when you're trying to advocate DRM-free and Open Source

Why is liking Macs annoying when you're trying to advocate DRM-free and Open Source? Not all of iTunes is DRM-free not because of Apple's choosing but because of the music industry's policies. Bits of OS X is open source, as far as I understand since part of it is from the Mach Kernel etc. WebKit is also Open Source.

Macs may have the reputation of being closed off, but when you think about it, nothing about Windows OS is actually open source. It's a whole world on its own whereas that's no longer the case for Macs.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by thibaulthalpern

Why is liking Macs annoying when you're trying to advocate DRM-free and Open Source? Not all of iTunes is DRM-free not because of Apple's choosing but because of the music industry's policies. Bits of OS X is open source, as far as I understand since part of it is from the Mach Kernel etc. WebKit is also Open Source.

Macs may have the reputation of being closed off, but when you think about it, nothing about Windows OS is actually open source. It's a whole world on its own whereas that's no longer the case for Macs.

Apple as a company is hostile which shows in how they act in suing people. They also use a lot of patent that hinder other to further develop thing. The reason no other company have implemented multi touch is because they are afraid to be sued, it is not a technical question.

I avoid supporting such companies.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by thibaulthalpern

Why is liking Macs annoying when you're trying to advocate DRM-free and Open Source? Not all of iTunes is DRM-free not because of Apple's choosing but because of the music industry's policies. Bits of OS X is open source, as far as I understand since part of it is from the Mach Kernel etc. WebKit is also Open Source.

Macs may have the reputation of being closed off, but when you think about it, nothing about Windows OS is actually open source. It's a whole world on its own whereas that's no longer the case for Macs.

I'm half dreamer, and half pragmatist. I want everything to be open, but I understand that sometimes that isn't possible. Sometimes I'll go for what is easier for me, rather than what I think is best from an advocates standpoint.

The Mac irks me in many ways because of it's hardware tie in, the lock in with its ipod/phone range and for a long time, the DRM nonsense on Itunes (still going on with video by the way).

But saying all that, the operating system fits my needs perfectly, I love the design, and I can use many open-source applications as freely as anywhere else. I also run Ubuntu, which is becoming more and more a good first choice for people, possibly the best choice in the future (fingers crossed).

Oh, and back when I hated macs, it was solely because the operating system at the time really annoyed me, no other reason.

[cerement]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I'm half dreamer, and half pragmatist. I want everything to be open, but I understand that sometimes that isn't possible.

I wonder why more publishers haven't looked at public-key encryption (like PGP or GPG) for their DRM needs. Open source, provides strong encryption, AND serves as a means of identification through digital signatures.

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by cerement

I wonder why more publishers haven't looked at public-key encryption (like PGP or GPG) for their DRM needs. Open source, provides strong encryption, AND serves as a means of identification through digital signatures.

Would that not still rely on a server somewhere to authenticate against (i've never used PGP that much). And wouldn't we still be facing the same DRM-like issues about not truly owning the material you buy? I don't know, that's why I ask.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by tompe

Apple as a company is hostile which shows in how they act in suing people. They also use a lot of patent that hinder other to further develop thing. The reason no other company have implemented multi touch is because they are afraid to be sued, it is not a technical question.

I avoid supporting such companies.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with this. Apple seems to reach pretty far and the threat of lawsuits keeps some perfectly legitimate technologies from being implemented in competing products.

Apple also has a very "Castro-like" approach to its customers, by giving them only what Apple thinks they should have, and locking away the rest. With such similarity of thought, I am surprised Apple didn't strike an exclusive deal with Cuba, now that they Raul has allowed common people to own personal computers

But, notwithstanding this, Apple still has the best product/UI design department in the industry.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by cerement

I wonder why more publishers haven't looked at public-key encryption (like PGP or GPG) for their DRM needs. Open source, provides strong encryption, AND serves as a means of identification through digital signatures.

I'd guess these are not available for free use for commercial purposes.

Plus, if I can't strip it, I personally would not buy it. Period.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by tompe

Apple as a company is hostile which shows in how they act in suing people. They also use a lot of patent that hinder other to further develop thing. The reason no other company have implemented multi touch is because they are afraid to be sued, it is not a technical question.

I avoid supporting such companies.

My ASUS eEE PC has multi-touch on the touchpad.

[carld]

Eventually yes, paper books will be largely replaced by some form of ebooks. It won't be any time real soon, and it won't be the current models that do it, but ebooks just make too much sense.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Format C:

But how audiobooks fit in the picture (pardon the pun)?
Why they didn't replace printed text?

They are an inferior produce for those who wish to shape the artificial worlds they enter through reading. With audio books you lose control of voices and timbre - which is huge, and story pacing which is also huge.

In my opinion, for audio entertainment, full blown radio plays are far superior to simple audio books.

[JSWolf]

If pBooks go away, we'll be left with a bunch of incomplete series.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

(giggle) I have a whole cabinet of LP's that everyone once in a while we play.

There are sounds on them that you don't hear on the CD's of the same album. A very enjoyable experience.

Snap, crackle, pop, skip, scratch

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Snap, crackle, pop, skip, scratch

Ooh that's gonna leave a mark.

Or at least a scratch.