The future of digital reading is on the phone

[Katsunami]

If I'd have to read e-books on a phone, I wouldn't read them.

First, *really* dislike people who spend three quarters of a day with their face glued to a phone; most of them are busy typing in Whatsappp or on Facebook. I wouldn't want to look like one of them. Second, I'd like my reader to be 6-7 inch or so, while I *definitely* want my phone to be 4.7 inch at the very maximum. And lastly, I really dislike picking up a phone or making phone calls... but that could be because I spend some years as an agent at a help desk center.

I have a very bad connotation towards phones. The main task my Android phone has is looking up information regarding public transport, and walking navigation between my last stop and final destination.

For e-books, it's either an e-ink reader, or, maybe in the future, a tablet with a screen fit for reading in bright light. Weight is not a problem at this time. I can hold my 10.1 inch tablet for hours at a time if needed, and it weighs in at 625 grams.

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

And I'm the opposite. I prefer audiobooks. At times, I find my mind wandering when reading a book. Either way, I'm not worried about the platforms for ebooks, because there'll always be audiobooks.

There will be many books that will never make it into an audio book.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I can't listen to audiobooks at home - they put me out like a light. In the car, though, on long journeys I find them excellent. They really help to maintain my concentration on driving.

For some reason, the ONE place I can really get into a book is when sitting in a bus or train. Much easier than when reading at home. I've actually thought about using my subscription (paid by my company as travel expense reimbursement) to just go and then travel one of the bus rounds a few times. (So, just get in, and don't get out until the bus arrives at that same stop the third time or so )

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

There will be many books that will never make it into an audio book.

No problem, because I don't have any must read books that I don't already have on audio. My philosophy is that if a book I want to read or listen to isn't available, I'll just find something else.

[Cinisajoy]

As per audiobooks, some words don't sound right.
Not books but even on the TV some letters sound like others. I spent part of a football game trying to figure out why they were playing in the mid-life center.
Or why is someone eating Velveeta for breakfast?
It was the Met Life Center and Belvita.

[Wearever]

I don't read very often on my phone, I do have reading apps. on it, in case of an emergency and I don't have my PW with me, waiting somewhere.

I also have problems listening to audiobooks, my mind wanders as well. I do like radio stories though. I don't know why, maybe it's because they talk faster on radio stories. I just prefer to read on a tablet or e ink device.

[ekbell]

Small screen reader here, started when nursing baby as at that point one handed operation, durability and small size mattered most and just never switched.

Still useful to have a reader that I can just shove into a pocket when interrupted.

I do use a tablet for books with a lot of pictures

[vsalvaggio]

The reason I first got interested in ebooks can be traced back to my Palm pilot and Baen CD's. So I too read primarily (really almost exclusively) on my iPhone.

Part of this stems, I think for me at least, with availability. I always have my phone with me but would never go to the "hassle" of carrying a kindle-sized device around. Maybe if I carried a purse I would...my Mother-in-law always has her kindle in her purse.

[DiapDealer]

The future of digital reading is in the future.

I don't see myself going back to paper (exclusively anyway), and there's no way I'm going to stop reading (as long as my eyesight holds out), so I imagine I'll adapt (rather easily) to whatever the future of digital reading brings. Just as I've done from my Palm V, to my Kindle II, to my Nexus 7. No biggie. I'm more interested in the letter than the envelope it comes in.

I don't have a cell phone anymore (smart or dumb), so I hope there's a few more options than that in the future!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by vsalvaggio

The reason I first got interested in ebooks can be traced back to my Palm pilot and Baen CD's.

The Pilot range of Palm devices had a maximum of 1MB of storage space. Wasn't that rather limiting for books? The reason I preferred "Pocket PC" devices myself was because they could use CompactFlash storage and hence let you store lots of books. A typical book as a text file is a couple of hundred kB; weren't you restricted to a handful of books in only 1MB?

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The Pilot range of Palm devices had a maximum of 1MB of storage space. Wasn't that rather limiting for books? The reason I preferred "Pocket PC" devices myself was because they could use CompactFlash storage and hence let you store lots of books. A typical book as a text file is a couple of hundred kB; weren't you restricted to a handful of books in only 1MB?

Remember, Baen ebooks didn't start until late 1998/1999. We were already up to the Palm III and Palm IV at that time. The Tunsten line had a slot where you could add a memory card.

[bbqncigars]

I had a third party memory card adapter for my Palm IIIx for books. I still use that PDA, but use my Voyage for reading. A much better device, even though it lacks the titanium case of the Palm.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Remember, Baen ebooks didn't start until late 1998/1999. We were already up to the Palm III and Palm IV at that time. The Tunsten line had a slot where you could add a memory card.

Yes, I know. I too had a Palm III and used it for reading. The previous poster, though, specifically said a Palm Pilot, and the Pilot range only ever had a maximum of 1MB storage, hence my question.

[pwalker8]

It's not that uncommon to use Palm Pilot to refer to the entire range a Palm devices. Back when I was using a Palm III, the limitations of the software were such that I only had a few ebooks on the device anyway. Other than PG and Baen, there really were not many sources for legit ebooks at the time.

By the time I was doing extensive reading on my Palm device (and by the time Baen had a big enough ebook library), I was using a Tungsten that had a memory card slot. I had all my books on one memory card and moved it from device to device (a palm Tungsten and a early windows tablet).

[pdurrant]

I have fond memories of a Sony Clié PEG-SJ20. An active matrix reflective monochrome LCD, but with backlight. It was the best combination of sunlight-visible but with a light for dark rooms I ever owned, until I got my Paperwhite.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

It's not that uncommon to use Palm Pilot to refer to the entire range a Palm devices. Back when I was using a Palm III, the limitations of the software were such that I only had a few ebooks on the device anyway. Other than PG and Baen, there really were not many sources for legit ebooks at the time.

By the time I was doing extensive reading on my Palm device (and by the time Baen had a big enough ebook library), I was using a Tungsten that had a memory card slot. I had all my books on one memory card and moved it from device to device (a palm Tungsten and a early windows tablet).

Peanut Press was around back then if I recall correctly.