Is it just me, or are e-readers not for everyone?

[carpetmojo]

dgm, I used to be like you - now I'm a convert...

But I still keep & buy p-books, and have achieved, at present, a happy compromise - but I use the reader much more.

It is neat....

[frostschutz]

Originally Posted by dgm

Fourth, I have explored the free e-books available from my library and found virtually nothing of interest.

You lost me there for a moment. I don't go to the library for free ebooks - I download them. I'm not sure what kind of selection a library would offer there.

Sixth, I frequently take a book home from the library, read a few pages, and decide I don't want to finish it. If I buy the download I'd be stuck with it.

Most books can be sampled before you buy. Although I admit I rarely ever do this - only for selfpublished works mostly. I rely more on customer reviews if available.

Originally Posted by dgm

Is there something about all of this that I'm not considering? Given my situation, can anybody suggest why I might want an e-reader?

One aspect for me is having a clean font in the size I like. For books, this varies. Some prints are good, others are horrible. And then there are the occasional 1000 page tomes that aren't exactly comfortable to hold for reading.

Otherwise, having a good library just down the street is hard to beat of course. Very few people are that lucky. For me it's an hour hike to get to a decent library. And once there you have to get one book, and if you find out at home you don't like it, well... it's just not pratical.

I'm heavily involved in information technology as a senior software developer - maybe on my off-hours I just don't want to stare at a screen...

Well, eInk hardly feels like staring at a screen. It's very different from LCD.

[robko]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

dgm, I used to be like you - now I'm a convert...

But I still keep & buy p-books, and have achieved, at present, a happy compromise - but I use the reader much more.

It is neat....

I also wasn't interested at all in an e-reader for books. I bought my 1st one to carry around some pdf reference documents and what not. It was the Original Kobo and came with 100 free classics. Once I started reading on it I was hooked and now I can't hardly read a paper book any more. I would recommend seeing if you can borrow an e-reader from someone and try it out for yourself. Definitely a personal preference thing. Also check out what your library has available for e-book lending.

[Apache]

I too have been reading for over 50 years.
I do read good books more than once.
I used to travel for a living and after 8 to 12 weeks on the road would have books in all of my luggage. Sometimes I would have to box them up and ship them home.
I did not think I would ever like an ereader either. I received one as a gift, a Sony Pocket Reader. After that I was hooked. I love having all of my books at my finger tips. no more walking into my home library and looking through all of my books for a specific one.
As mentioned reading in bed is easier now.
Never losing my place.
Able to look up words from the book.
Able to highlight and save passages in the books.
It is smaller than a Hardback book.
there are probably more reasons I have not thought of yet.
Apache

[JD Gumby]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

You lost me there for a moment. I don't go to the library for free ebooks - I download them. I'm not sure what kind of selection a library would offer there.

Obviously "free" as in "don't have to pay for them" (out of pocket, anyways, at the time you acquire them; obviously there's either a membership fee or it's paid out of taxes).

[Pinecone]

I have also been reading over 50 years. I love books. There are several thousand books in my house.

I got an e-reader a bit over 2 years ago and haven't looked back. Small, light, convenient. Access to MAY books for free from Gutenberg or a number of public libraries. And the ability to buy books I want from home.

[Kevin2960]

Originally Posted by Billi

The only thing I could imagine is degrading eyesight. Obviously it isn't a problem for you until now (and I wish you that it will stay so for long), but e-readers has helped a lot of people with eye problems to be able to continue reading.

The main reason I started with eReaders ... It saved my life with my eyesight now so poor I was really despairing at the thought of not being able to read,

We now have 4 eReaders as a family, and read far more than ever before ... It's not for everyone ... But I think everyone who reads should at least TRY an eReader ...

But however youy READ just enjoy it ... We never know when perhaps we might not be able

Got to go ... My book is calling me

[mldavis2]

You didn't state your reading preferences, but if you crave first editions and hot-off-the-press releases, your library will force you to wait for them and then stand in line for a copy after the arrive.

eBooks are almost always cheaper than paperbacks.

Try reading War and Peace in one hand with a cup of coffee in the other.

[fjtorres]

General answer:
No, dedicated ebook reader devices are not for everyone.

First, you need to be a regular reader; even the cheapest reader is not worth buying if all you read are three-four books a year. Or less. And that is a lot of people.

Second, you need to either own or have access to a PC, a WiFi router or hotspot, or have a relative who will load the books for you upon request; siblings or descendants most likely. (Failing all the above, you would have to be comfortable with the idea of a Kindle 3G-based reader.) Current PC and Internet-access penetration in the US runs at about 75% of households so right there you have a 25% share to whom non-3G readers will require some contortions to use regulary.

Third, your reading should be directed mostly towards narrative text; dedicated readers are optimized for recreational reading so they are less than perfect for academic, technical, or corporate publications. If your idea of an ebook is a pdf file, odds are a dedicated reader will not be a satisfactory reading experience.

Fourth, your preferred reading material should either be out-of-copyright material (a fair amount) or relatively recent (a lot, actually) or availabilty will be hit or miss. Genre fiction in the SF, Fantasy, Romance, and Young Adult categories is more likely to be available than others. With history, biography, self-help and current affairs books availability of recent content will be good but the backlist will be sparse for most books older than 3 years or so. Backlist availability is steadiy improving but some authors are luddites or digital paranoids and will refuse to make their books available as digital editions until they have no other choice.

Fifth, some people are interested in books as collectibles and/or objects d'art, or they are leather or smell fetishists, so no ebook reader will every satisfy their needs.

Add it all up and even in the most developed ebook market, the US, there will likely be a substantial plurality, maybe even a *majority* of the populace for whom a dedicated ebook reader will never make much sense.

Indeed, odds are the adoption of current-tech ebook readers in the US will plateau some time in the next 18 months or so.

So, no, ebook readers are not for everyone or even most people.
But those that can take avantage of what they offer will find a lot of value in them.

[Boston]

Originally Posted by dgm

Sixth, I frequently take a book home from the library, read a few pages, and decide I don't want to finish it. If I buy the download I'd be stuck with it.

Most major ebook sellers allow you to download a sample.

I too am in the software engineering field and the last thing I want to do is spend more time than needed looking at a computer screen....which is why I prefer reading on an eInk device over a tablet/phone...no glare.

I also like how I can make the font size consistent to my comfort level (as other's have mentioned). Over 50 and can still deny the fact that I need reading glasses

But it seems to me that the consistent thread for you reasons is that you enjoy going to your local library...it's close and there is a wider selection of books for free. I have a friend in the same situation and even thought she has a Nook, she never really took to it. So an ebook reader may not be for your.

[GraceKrispy]

You sound *exactly* like me (except for that technology development/software designer whatever ). I was dragged kicking and screaming to ereaders.

I absolutely love my sony! Surprised me most of all.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I use one to read books that either don't exist in paper form or are too expensive to buy second hand. Having a reader doesn't mean you can't still use real books as well.

Very true. I read a lot on my ebook reader, and I make extensive use of both the public and university library near me (I am very lucky, as both are close to my home). I happily read both paper and ebooks. I do prefer my ebook reader, though, for the convenience of being able to get books from home and for the lovely form factor, but it isn't always possible for me to get the books that I want in ebook format.

I do sometimes take books out of the library to "sample" them before getting them as ebooks.

Ebooks aren't for everyone, but I do think that any avid reader would enjoy them, if for no other reason than to take advantage of all of the free public domain classics available. With the introduction of very affordable devices on the market now, I think that it is a great time to try out an ebook reader to see if you enjoy it. You could always return it or regift or resell it.

[patrickt]

I don't have a cell phone. I don't have a television. I don't have a wife. I don't think anything is for everyone. I had an excellent reason for getting an ereader. I live in Mexico and prefer reading in English. For 14 years I read what I could find and not necessarily what I wanted to read. It wasn't horrible but it was limiting.

Now, I can read whatever I want. It's fantastic, for me. If you don't need or want an ereader, don't get one. And while you're at it, dump the television.

[wvcherrybomb]

I have one regret about buying an ereader ...

that I didn't buy one years ago!

I've only had one for a bit more than a year and, had I known how wonderful it would be, I would have had one the minute they hit the market. Having a lifetime's supply of mostly free reading IN MY HAND is ecstasy.

[Todd Young]

No, it isn't just you. My brother (who shares similar tastes to me in most things) has no interest in my Kindle. He likes the aesthetic appeal of the print book.