My mama said: "In 10 years, those will be gone."

[Mivo]

Originally Posted by twowheels

I would argue that most people here FAR OVERSTATE the difficulty that non-technical people experience with DRM. I bought my mom a Kindle, spent 15 minutes showing her how to use it, and haven't once had to deal with a technical support issue in two years, and she's nearly completely technology illiterate.

It's not about technical difficulties. It is, as corny as it sounds, about freedom.

DRM isn't an issue if you stay within the walled garden. It's a beautiful garden, and if you are not curious about what's outside of it, or, heaven forbid, want to venture beyond the tall walls with the spikes on top, you won't feel trapped.

DRM becomes an issue if you want actual choice or have a desire to properly own the e-books you have purchased. Because with DRM, the only way out of the garden is naked and without anything you bought while you dwelled inside it. (Unless you don't mind doing what amounts to breaking the law.)

[ktkat1949]

Originally Posted by ucfgrad93

As much as I love reading on my Paperwhite, I think the days of the e-ink e-readers are numbered. As the price of tablets comes down I think a lot of people will get them instead of a separate e-ink single purpose device.

I agree with you. For one thing as people talk about how vinyl has disappeared etc as we speak the current generation is just discovering it and there are two vinyl stores in my town. People are always looking for vinyl records so they can get the 'oldies' in vinyl. Having said that my generation (in my 60s) were fascinated by 78s and have tons of them I inherited from my father. I love listening to them.
I think tablet is the going to be the thing. i bought a Kobo Aura for Xmas and had a lot of problems with it ie returning it as defective etc. Last night my problems were solved. My cat knocked it off my desk and it is now toast. I ordered a Google Nexus which I should have done in the first place!
Everything old will be new again some day. I love reading a book but ereaders and tablets are very handy to carry when going to appointments etc.

[Lima Bean]

Unless civilization fails, and everyone falls off of the grid, eBooks are here to stay. Paper books are also here to stay. Yes, they can peacefully co-exist.

[Mivo]

Originally Posted by Lima Bean

Unless civilization fails, and everyone falls off of the grid, eBooks are here to stay. Paper books are also here to stay. Yes, they can peacefully co-exist.

I don't believe that paper books have a future outside of a niche market. They won't go the way of the VHS dodo very soon, which went fairly fast when CDs came out, but eventually I think that electronic media will largely replace traditional types.

Actually, I'm more concerned about reading itself. Many members of the younger generation -- how odd it is to type this! -- can't be bothered to pick up a book (electronic or paper) at all and instead watch Youtube videos all day long. Or shows and movies. Even instructional materials in written form seem to become far less desirable than a Youtube video. If you follow e.g. gaming forums, you'll notice that the Twitter generation refer to a paragraph of five lines as a "wall of text". How could these people ever get through a book?

Maybe things go back to how they once were when most people couldn't read or write: learning by watching, "live" performances, oral/visual story telling, etc. In a way, those are probably more "natural" approaches, but still, life without books sounds awfully plain!

[Katsunami]

The weird thing is that these same generations who don't want to read, are stuyding more and longer than ever (in the Netherlands so much so that the government is actually making and changing regulations that *discourage* studying, or at least to discourage to continue to study after you obtain a diploma), something which normally requires A LOT of reading.

But yes, you're right: I know some people that view any kind of hobby as a waste of time, and reading often seems to be "worst" because it costs much more time than watching a movie.

One person even once said to me: "If it doesn't earn you money now, or give you the chance to earn money in the future, then it's not worth doing." I find that to be a very narrow-minded way of living.

Also, people seem to think that they have to do several things at once, like "listening to music while reading" (if they read anything, that is). *I* can't listen to music while reading. I can put up some ambient or instrumental music while reading (I do so often), and I'll hear it, but I'm not *LISTENING* to it.

Hearing music and listening to music are two different things, just like looking and seeing are two different things. You can look for a good picture the entire day, but if you're not seeing, you won't find it.

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by Mivo

I don't believe that paper books have a future outside of a niche market.

One of those niche markets is goiong to be as the backdrop for a(n alleged) professional being interviewed, or giving a lecture in their office.

A 50,000 volume ebook library in their Kindle, Kobo, or whatever, won't be nearly as visible to the audience, as the 500-1000 paper books that are visible in the background.

Amber

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

But how do you find your marks in an eBook?

There are two or three software programs whose developers are now proclaiming that they were the original ebook reading software developers. With their software, you can find your notes, even if you don't remember exactly what you wrote, nor know precisely what you are looking for.

The least expensive of these programs will set you back around US$1,000. The software to generate your own content will add another US$100 to the cost. (You can't use Calibre, and the developer of Calibre did state that he won't be adding the ability to convert material to/from the file formats used by those programs, to Calibre.)

Amber

[Freeshadow]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

One person even once said to me: "If it doesn't earn you money now, or give you the chance to earn money in the future, then it's not worth doing."

To which one could answer: "Would everybody think so we'd either head towards extinction or have all the same profession - the world's oldest."

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

But yes, you're right: I know some people that view any kind of hobby as a waste of time, and reading often seems to be "worst" because it costs much more time than watching a movie.

One person even once said to me: "If it doesn't earn you money now, or give you the chance to earn money in the future, then it's not worth doing." I find that to be a very narrow-minded way of living.

I look at reading the opposite way - it's cheaper than watching a movie. A movie lasts a couple hours, but for the cost of a movie ticket - or less - I can have a book that will last for several hours.

I've run into these people for whom everything is about efficiency and productivity, but the thing is, they tend to have plenty of "unproductive" things that they do. It's just that they approve of their own unproductive things and look down on other people's unproductive things.

If someone really felt that the only things worth doing were those that will make you money, what do they intend to do with the money. I'd find such a person spectacularly boring. If they are serious about it, they wouldn't do much of anything. Watch a movie? Doesn't make money. Neither does eating a nice meal, nutritious glop would do. A date or having friends? No profit in that. Such a person, if they were serious would live an utterly drab life.

Also, people seem to think that they have to do several things at once, like "listening to music while reading" (if they read anything, that is). *I* can't listen to music while reading. I can put up some ambient or instrumental music while reading (I do so often), and I'll hear it, but I'm not *LISTENING* to it.

I have to have silence while reading, it is too hard for me to tune out sounds.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by Lima Bean

Unless civilization fails, and everyone falls off of the grid, eBooks are here to stay. Paper books are also here to stay. Yes, they can peacefully co-exist.

Pretty much this.

One concern I have with the demise of paper (or rather, the notion of its demise) is the current situation where 4 billion people are without internet access, 1.6 billion of whom do not even have electricity.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

Pretty much this.

One concern I have with the demise of paper (or rather, the notion of its demise) is the current situation where 4 billion people are without internet access, 1.6 billion of whom do not even have electricity.

Which is one of the reasons why the demise is not yet -- there is still a market for paper.

[QuantumIguana]

Just think of all those Bibles in hotel rooms - the Gideons aren't going to put e-readers in hotels. And then there are the books that are on display when you're waiting in line at the grocery store.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

Just think of all those Bibles in hotel rooms - the Gideons aren't going to put e-readers in hotels. And then there are the books that are on display when you're waiting in line at the grocery store.

Electronic Shelf Labels.

The ebook shall overcome!
e

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by ktkat1949

I think tablet is the going to be the thing. i bought a Kobo Aura for Xmas and had a lot of problems with it ie returning it as defective etc. Last night my problems were solved. My cat knocked it off my desk and it is now toast. I ordered a Google Nexus which I should have done in the first place!

I decided on the Nexus 7 over the Kobo Aura HD, myself. The Aura HD tempted me, but for me, the Nexus was a better buy.

[Section8]

In 10 years, I will still be working on my ebook TBR pile. So I, for one, will still be using ereaders.