01-25-2014, 01:09 PM | #46 |
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Another plus for electronic books is; when in a country with a different language, you have access to EXACTLY the same range of books as you do at home. Try that one in a foreign bookshop!
Personally I love e-ink, but if something better replaces it, I'm sure I'll love that too. Just as long as I have access to books - I hate the withdrawal symptoms when I don't. |
01-25-2014, 01:14 PM | #47 | |
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01-25-2014, 01:44 PM | #48 | |
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Now, I understand why more average readers won't get an e-ink reader. They are inexpensive, but it's still a separate device, and unless you used one, you may not appreciate how much more suited it is for reading (also in terms of "isolated" reading: much less multitasking compared to what happens when I read on a tablet). I don't feel overly strong about the issue, though. I could still buy a VHS or record player now, so no doubt I'll be able to get e-ink readers in a decade even if they were discontinued tomorrow. There will also be a niche market for a long time. Plus, my books live in Calibre, so if I have to, I can read them on a tablet, too. |
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01-25-2014, 02:38 PM | #49 |
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The problem with most tablets, IMHO, is the 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio.
Too wide in landscape, too long in portrait. If I'd ever read on a tablet, it will *definitely* be a 6-8 inch 4:3 tablet. I'd even rather have a square tablet than a 16:9 one. |
01-25-2014, 02:45 PM | #50 |
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True, the format of most tablets is also not the most ergonomic for reading. In addition, tablets are much more fragile. If I fall asleep and the e-ink reader slides off and drops, it'll probably be fine (then again, I managed to kill my Kobo Glo by flopping on it), but I'm far more paranoid about the tablet.
And finally, I have to charge the tablet daily, or at least every second day, since I use it for other things than just reading. My e-readers get charged maybe once a week without actually needing it. They are more like books than they are like computers. |
01-25-2014, 02:47 PM | #51 |
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I don't think that ebooks will go away or ebook reading devices. Maybe they will evolve into something better and well they should. But if they never change they will still be good enough
My experience with the 12 books a year or less crowd is different than most it seems. I have had a fair number of people who have told me that the used to read less than a book a month and now (with an ereader) the read several books a month. It is about convenience both in getting the books and in having them with them so they are able to read when on transit, in a waiting room, on a park bench etc. At least 3 of these people have also told me that the more they read the more they want to read and since they are mature readers I attribute that to ebooks. Conversely the 20-100 books a year crowd often seems more resistant young or old. They have a lot more time invested in reading paper and have built strong habits perhaps. I can empathise. I bought my first ereader for $379 because I couldn't easily get paper books where I lived. I doubt I would have spent that much if I could. I would have one by now of course, but I am big into tech. Helen |
01-25-2014, 02:47 PM | #52 | |
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I'd like a 7" eReader in 9:16 ratio. It would be 0.2" narrower than a 6" 3:4, and 1.3" taller. Overall, fewer page turns, and it would fit in more of my pockets. |
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01-25-2014, 02:53 PM | #53 |
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You are forgetting that a book needs to be folded open to be read, and an e-reader doesn't. Therefore a paperback doesn't feel as elongated as a reader does.
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01-25-2014, 02:55 PM | #54 |
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01-25-2014, 02:56 PM | #55 |
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01-25-2014, 02:57 PM | #56 |
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01-25-2014, 05:04 PM | #57 |
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Whatever happens, I think there will be a very long transition period. None of this "demise of paper" over the course of a decade, nor the demise of dedicated ereaders anytime soon. I realize things can move fast with technology and culture, though.
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01-25-2014, 05:21 PM | #58 |
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The main problems with ebooks are not technological. Rather they have to do with copyrights, digital rights management, and the lack of compatibility.
I can get many p-books used or from the library for cheap or free. The e-book version is either not available or more expensive. (Of course there are public domain e-books for old books which are a great treasure.) Also I think people on this forum underestimate the difficulty most non-technical people experience in dealing with DRM and multiple formats. Caliber is great but is really only suitable for about 10% of the population. Finally there is the fear, uncertainty and doubt about entrusting your books to private companies. Many companies have left the business, leaving their customers as orphans. Even Amazon has a dubious future, since it never seems to make much profit and the inflated stock price is unsustainable. So, let us beware of believing anyone's predictions! |
01-25-2014, 07:53 PM | #59 | |
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01-25-2014, 08:18 PM | #60 | |
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People are generally resistant to any form of change. Change forces people out of comfort zones and that familiarity of using or doing something the same way they have done all their lives. My parents (both in their 70's) both have iPad's and my Father commented to me that Mum loves it. Email, games, Facebook and Facebook messages, reading magazines. All good and something she has dove into with great courage ignoring that resistance to change. Dad is no different and the phone calls I used to get when they had a PC have diminished significantly. Now Mum is talking "Kindle". I cannot read on a tablet myself as my eyes do not like backlit LCD screens for the time required to get into an ebook. So I do hope that a single purpose device like an e-ink ereader remains purchasable. I am sure it will as single use devices are masters of what they do and provide no distractions like email, message alerts and an icon with a disgruntled bird on it. |
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