Andy Rooney does not like eBooks.

[doreenjoy]

Originally Posted by spaze

Dear Andy,

It's a wonderful thing you have a friend. And it's wonderful thing your friend publishes books. It's sad that your friend is either stuck in 18th century technology or just too dumb to take courses on how to produce a digital book, so perhaps even he could profit from this huge technological leap.

I know you like your books. I know you like to touch them, smell them and make love to them. I also know you like to carry 120 pounds of paper with you on a trip because you usually read one book a day.

As well as you cannot image yourself not being able to finger through the pages of your books, I cannot imagine picking up an e-reader and thumb the hell out of the keys on it.

It was nice of you to write that expensive book back in the ancient times, but I must say, you have a dumb agent for making sure your printed book ended up available for free as an ebook.

Yes, e-reader's might make the books extinct someday, but I often wonder what will make dumb television shows with clueless hosts extinct...

Spaze, your whole post is made of win!

[Mortis]

Andy Rooney has been telling the people of the US what he thinks about everything, using his right to free speach to spout such useful bits as "All men are not created equal but should be treated as though they were under the law" I'm not sure what that means?

He has for many years said thing about computers, like "Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done." and "omputers may save time but they sure waste a lot of paper. About 98 percent of everything printed out by a computer is garbage that no one ever reads."

So I don't really think his opinion is worth the pixels it take to post it

[boswd]

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

Spaze, your whole post is made of win!

Is Spaze Winning? Does he have Tiger blood?

[queentess]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

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

If they did, I couldn't find anything. I saw "Andy Rooney" and the Universe song started playing my head (yeah, yeah, it's Mickey Rooney...)

[pdurrant]

He didn't seem to say anything extraordinary in the video. Just that he likes books and hopes that they won't disappear entirely. He also mentions that the first book he wrote is now available as a free ebook.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A/B/e/2940025550600/

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Just another irrelevent old fart who is stuck in the past. Just all those who said they would never buy a car, ride an airplane, etc. They all died & these things are still here. He will join them some day.

And so will the inventors, and the early adopters, and every one of us.

Like Mortis said, nobody here gets out alive.

[HansTWN]

Maybe he laced his pbooks with cocaine and likes to inhale a new dose every time he turns the page? Now there is something e-readers can't do. At least that would explain why he likes to smell his books. Either that or he is in an advanced stage of senility.

[spaze]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Maybe he laced his pbooks with cocaine and likes to inhale a new dose every time he turns the page? Now there is something e-readers can't do. At least that would explain why he likes to smell his books. Either that or he is in an advanced stage of senility.

You can pour cocaine in the flash memory slot. Then everytime you switch to next page by a click, you just sniff from the memory card slot...

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by spaze

You can pour cocaine in the flash memory slot. Then everytime you switch to next page by a click, you just sniff from the memory card slot...

Won't work on the iPad, though!

[bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by Mortis

Andy Rooney has been telling the people of the US what he thinks about everything, using his right to free speach to spout such useful bits as "All men are not created equal but should be treated as though they were under the law" I'm not sure what that means?

He has for many years said thing about computers, like "Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done." and "omputers may save time but they sure waste a lot of paper. About 98 percent of everything printed out by a computer is garbage that no one ever reads."

So I don't really think his opinion is worth the pixels it take to post it

A good summary of "who is Andy Rooney?" but I have to take issue with the last sentence. Andy Rooney is an old fart, and he makes his living by expounding on his thoughts as an old fart.

The fact is that you see very few old people on American television, and perhaps it's "worth the pixels" just to be reminded that there are people who aren't impressed with high tech whizz bang stuff. I like listening to Andy Rooney when I can because he reminds me of my Dad. My Dad wanted nothing to do with personal computers, even though he had installed computers and worked with them when he was active in his career. He would never have tolerated e-readers and e-books in his old age, despite the various advantages for someone of his age (adjustable font, etc.).

You don't have to like their opinions, but I think we owe it to our elders to listen to and respect them. Andy Rooney is funny because he plays up his curmudgeon role for effect, but he does represent plenty of older people who do fear change - and sometimes for very good reason.

[Mortis]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Maybe he laced his pbooks with cocaine and likes to inhale a new dose every time he turns the page? Now there is something e-readers can't do. At least that would explain why he likes to smell his books. Either that or he is in an advanced stage of senility.

I am only slightly senile and I like the smell of books too, the difference is I know when an old tech should be put to bed and copies of it stored in museums.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by Worldwalker

And so will the inventors, and the early adopters, and every one of us.

Like Mortis said, nobody here gets out alive.

That goes without saying. However, those of us who are willing to still grow & learn & change will enjoy what life has to offer a whole lot more than stubborn old farts like him.

[Mortis]

Originally Posted by bevdeforges

A good summary of "who is Andy Rooney?" but I have to take issue with the last sentence. Andy Rooney is an old fart, and he makes his living by expounding on his thoughts as an old fart.

SNIP The sentence in question was "So I don't really think his opinion is worth the pixels it take to post it"

Originally Posted by bevdeforges

You don't have to like their opinions, but I think we owe it to our elders to listen to and respect them. Andy Rooney is funny because he plays up his curmudgeon role for effect, but he does represent plenty of older people who do fear change - and sometimes for very good reason.

First I want to apologize to anyone offended by my "Old Fart" comment and offer up a little better perspective about this issue, now that I have taken the time to re-watch the video in question and to re-watch it again to create a transcript of the video, I can not guarantee every word is correct, but the message is the same as he said it.

"If you had to make a list of all the good things in the world, books would be right up there near the top. Someone did a great thing when they invented books, one way or another books have been around for a long time now to. I don't know who invented the printed word, but you'd have to put it ahead of things like the airplane or jelly doughnuts. I have a friend Peter Asnouse <SP> who publishes books and Peter told me that what they call e-books, electronic books are now selling better than paper back books, ha ha I doubt it, but thats what Peter says, and he's in the business.

He makes it sound as if every book will be published electronically soon and be read using some sort of an electronic device, I'm not interested in having my books on an electronic device, I want them in books, I want my words in books, I like having these books behind me. So I asked another friend to show me his e-reader, he told me that you can carry over 3500 books in just this one little package. My books have always been important to me, not just the I've written, but any book I own, I can't imagine not being able to pick up a book and thumb through it. One of the fist books I wrote, a long time ago, was called "The Fortunes of War", pretty expensive then, seven dollars and fifty cents. Now you can get it free as an e-book. Not much in that for me.

My friend said that e-readers will eventually make books extinct, I hope that doesn't include authors."

My understanding of the topic wasn't sufficient to have had an opinion, my opinion was entirely based on my personal opinion of Andy Rooney, which as I so eloquently put "I don't really think his opinion is worth the pixels it takes to post it". The number of times preconceived notions have caused investigations to flounder and need rerouting to solve a crime.

I don't think Mr. Rooney was trying to say that e-readers or e-books are bad, he stated that "HE" didn't have any interest in having "HIS" books on an electronic device, I suspect him being an author, he was referring to the books he has written, because his first boot "The Fortunes of War" is now a FREE e-book and he isn't receiving any royalties for it. I don't know how serious this spot was, or if he really feels that way or if it was just a way to draw attention to his written works, all conjecture, but I think we can safely say that most of us that posted, didn't really take the time to watch the video well enough to comment on it, myself included.

[pdurrant]

Thanks for the transscript. Let's take it a bit at a time.

Originally Posted by Mortis

"If you had to make a list of all the good things in the world, books would be right up there near the top. Someone did a great thing when they invented books, one way or another books have been around for a long time now to. I don't know who invented the printed word, but you'd have to put it ahead of things like the airplane or jelly doughnuts.

It would have been nice if he'd actually had someone do some research on when the printed word and books were first produced, but I don't think anyone here would disagree with his sentiments here.

Originally Posted by Mortis

I have a friend Peter Asnouse <SP> who publishes books and Peter told me that what they call e-books, electronic books are now selling better than paper back books, ha ha I doubt it, but thats what Peter says, and he's in the business.

He's right to be dubious of this claim. Amazon have said that they sold more ebooks than paperbacks recently, but that is only Amazon sales. Currently far more paperbacks than ebooks are sold.

Originally Posted by Mortis

He makes it sound as if every book will be published electronically soon and be read using some sort of an electronic device,

His meaning is unclear here. He seems to be worrying that only ebooks will be published soon, which is unlikely to be the case.

Originally Posted by Mortis

I'm not interested in having my books on an electronic device, I want them in books, I want my words in books, I like having these books behind me.

Again, it's not quite clear what he means here. I think he means not only books he has written himself, but also books he buys and reads.

Whichever interpretation, it's clear that he doesn't think he'll be comfortable changing over to an ereader.

Originally Posted by Mortis

So I asked another friend to show me his e-reader, he told me that you can carry over 3500 books in just this one little package.

But he is open-minded enough to actually go and look at the new devices.

Originally Posted by Mortis

My books have always been important to me, not just the I've written, but any book I own, I can't imagine not being able to pick up a book and thumb through it.

Again, he expresses his comfort with his current reading patterns, and is dubious that ereaders will be as useful to him. And it's true that you can't "thumb through" an ebook on current ebook readers, as you can with a paper book.

Originally Posted by Mortis

One of the first books I wrote, a long time ago, was called "The Fortunes of War", pretty expensive then, seven dollars and fifty cents. Now you can get it free as an e-book. Not much in that for me.

It was published in 1962 and doesn't seem to have been republished since, but the copyright was renewed in 1990, and so it is still in copyright. So he has authorised the production and distribution of his first published book as a free ebook. Pretty good going, if you ask me.

Originally Posted by Mortis

My friend said that e-readers will eventually make books extinct, I hope that doesn't include authors."

I think we can all agree with this too.


Summary: He doesn't think ebooks and ereaders are for him, but he's still found out about them, looked at ereaders, and got his first published book re-published as a free ebook.

That sounds like the actions of a pretty good chap, to me. Who knows? If he starts using an ebook reader, he might find he likes it. He doesn't seem to be totally opposed to the idea.

[Mortis]

I fear that there is a little "Either or" mentality, not just on MR but I have heard it in many places before. It's as if you must choose a paper book or an e-erader/ebook. But does it have to be? Can't we have both? I had a huge library before I left Canada, but I still wish I had all those great books. That doesn't mean I wouldn't have an ereader as well.