Andy Rooney does not like eBooks.

[HarryT]

Why should I care what some guy I've never heard of thinks about e-books?

[TallMomof2]

Andy Rooney appears on 60 Minutes in the US and this news show has been on the air since 1968. He hates change and most of his pieces are about that.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by TallMomof2

Andy Rooney appears on 60 Minutes in the US and this news show has been on the air since 1968. He hates change and most of his pieces are about that.

It should be clear that Andy does a 5-minute spot on the "60 Minutes" news program, at the very end, and his is the only spot that is done from a humorous standpoint... it's designed to give you a chuckle after you've sat through the last 55 minutes of news stories.

So, when he says he hates ebooks, I'd take it with a huge grain of salt... chances are, a few weeks ago he didn't know what a Kindle was.

[faithbw]

I haven't watched Andy Rooney in ages (partly because my TV will not pick up our CBS affiliate for some reason ). I usually don't agree with a lot of his views and I don't really agree with his views on e-Books.

However, what he said isn't really very different from people in my life who, for now, will not read e-Books. There are lots of people who like the feel of pulp books and feel that reading from a pulp book doesn't just include reading the text but holding the book, smelling the book, turning the pages, etc. They also like displaying their libraries with all their physical books. My husband, who is in his early 30s and much younger than Andy Rooney, always finds it weird when I read a book on my iPod Touch. He has expressed similar views. He just likes paper books and for now that's fine since there is an abundance of paper books still available. He's not preventing me from reading e-Books so we're good.

A friend of mine (who is younger than Andy Rooney, my husband and myself) actually said to me that she hopes libraries will eventually go back to all paper books and that she couldn't understand the appeal of e-Books. She's afraid that e-Books will threaten librarians (I want to apply to a MLIS program and start in the fall). I told her that I didn't mind e-Books and that I think libraries will still need librarians even with e-Books. However, I wasn't angry with her for stating her opinion and I didn't even think it was stupid.

It's just a preference. While there are still pulp and e-Books around, people can easily act on their preference and one isn't necessarily better than the other. I do think that eventually, e-Books will be much more available than pulp books but that probably won't be for a while. So if you want a paper book, get it. If you want an e-Book, get it. In the end, we're all reading.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

It should be clear that Andy does a 5-minute spot on the "60 Minutes" news program, at the very end, and his is the only spot that is done from a humorous standpoint... it's designed to give you a chuckle after you've sat through the last 55 minutes of news stories.

So, when he says he hates ebooks, I'd take it with a huge grain of salt... chances are, a few weeks ago he didn't know what a Kindle was.

This too.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by faithbw

However, what he said isn't really very different from people in my life who, for now, will not read e-Books. There are lots of people who like the feel of pulp books and feel that reading from a pulp book doesn't just include reading the text but holding the book, smelling the book, turning the pages, etc...

I suspect Andy, like a lot of people, was simply parroting the same pro-paper/anti-ebook mantra that his research invariably dug up... before ebooks, no one was talking in glowing terms about "the feel, the smell, the way you hold a book in your hands." Now, it's the boilerplate "democratic response," made all the more empty by its lack of originality or variety.

Andy's spot simply reconfirms the existence of the boilerplate... or, more accurately, his discovery of the boilerplate as something else to direct his brand of humor.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

I suspect Andy, like a lot of people, was simply parroting the same pro-paper/anti-ebook mantra that his research invariably dug up... before ebooks, no one was talking in glowing terms about "the feel, the smell, the way you hold a book in your hands." Now, it's the boilerplate "democratic response," made all the more empty by its lack of originality or variety.

Andy's spot simply reconfirms the existence of the boilerplate... or, more accurately, his discovery of the boilerplate as something else to direct his brand of humor.

Probably not but I'm sure that people weren't extolling the virtues of TV as a unit to bring the family together before the internet and texting came along. Moviegoers probably didn't extol the virtues of sitting in dark room with strangers and sharing a movie before the TV came about.

When something new comes along that threatens what people know, they will of course realize all the things they loved in the previous technology that they didn't even notice before. I don't think that is a bad thing.

I don't really get the smell argument (unless it's an old book) but I can see how people like the touch of books. When I sometimes read on my iPod touch, some apps have a page curl that is suppose to mimic a real page turn. While it's cute it's never going to be a real page turn. Plus, the fact that iBooks and some other reading apps have those page swipes indicates to me that the makers of those apps probably realize that in order to get some readers into e-Reading, they will have to make e-Reading feel as close to reading a paper book as possible.

[BenG]

That's his job, to not like anything. If he started going soft on us, his ratings would tank.

[khalleron]

Originally Posted by BenG

That's his job, to not like anything. If he started going soft on us, his ratings would tank.

I sincerely doubt that *anyone* watches 60 Minutes just to hear Andy Rooney.

[boswd]

why is everyone coming down on Andy Rooney for? Because he doesn't want to see one of the great tools go extinct? As much as I love my ereaders, I think it would be a crime if the physical book was replaced for good. I would be a very very sad day in our human culture.

I could never imagine not reading Watership Down on my beautiful hardcover.

I love the ereaders, but this man is just voicing an opinon of something that is truely special. The physical book.

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

So, when he says he hates ebooks, I'd take it with a huge grain of salt... chances are, a few weeks ago he didn't know what a Kindle was.

He still might not, the ereader shown in his segment was a Nook.

[queentess]

Originally Posted by amward

Sorry but who is Andy Rooney??

We're just tiny little specks, about the size of Mickey Rooney.
(Yeah, I don't know Andy Rooney either.)

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by queentess

We're just tiny little specks, about the size of Mickey Rooney.
(Yeah, I don't know Andy Rooney either.)

An animaniacs reference, but no Andy Rooney. I think they spoofed him on Animaniacs too.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by faithbw

I don't really get the smell argument (unless it's an old book) but I can see how people like the touch of books. When I sometimes read on my iPod touch, some apps have a page curl that is suppose to mimic a real page turn. While it's cute it's never going to be a real page turn. Plus, the fact that iBooks and some other reading apps have those page swipes indicates to me that the makers of those apps probably realize that in order to get some readers into e-Reading, they will have to make e-Reading feel as close to reading a paper book as possible.

Yeah... pretty much like making the first automobiles look as much like horse-drawn carriages as possible. Look how far we've come.

The whole "look, feel, smell" thing is wasted on me. On-screen page turns are just plain silly... like those light bulbs that flicker like candle-flames. Let's just read the document, and try not to pretend we're doing it the way our grandparents did it. Welcome to the 21st century, guys.

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Welcome to the 21st century, guys.

simply for sentimental reasons, that statement is both sad and nice ;3

Originally Posted by boswd

As much as I love my ereaders, I think it would be a crime if the physical book was replaced for good. I would be a very very sad day in our human culture.

I love the ereaders, but this man is just voicing an opinon of something that is truely special. The physical book.

that's true. i think there will always be physical books. in a way, digital seems so...well, temporary. at least with physical books, you have the feeling that you have ownership and can resell it, loan it or use it as a coaster but i was also thinking of really old documents and books. i wonder if they too will be digitized then swept away with a virus i'm getting all sentimental now