Why ebooks still suck

[jadedboi]

I found this article at Tom's Hardware, talikgn about why ebooks have failed to catch on so far. It's a short read, but brings up some interesting points.

I'm not sure that the argument that children don't buy ebook readers fully applies whan it comes to the Harry Potter question, however.

[doctorow]

Thanks for the link, jadedboi. Of course I have to disagree with the author, for the following reasons:

• "Children don't buy eBook hardware." That's true only as long as parents don't see the benefit of e-books.
• "eBook hardware is always a day late and a pound too heavy." If you look at dedicated e-book hardware, perhaps true. But if you take a regular PDA with a decent screen, you wouldn't complain about weight or technology.
• "The rise of audio books and in-car back-seat CD and tape players, have made eBook technologies less interesting." What is an audio book other than some form of an e-book? Anyways, I don't see how either of the two would supplement the other.

[Laurens]

Originally Posted by doctorow

"The rise of audio books and in-car back-seat CD and tape players, have made eBook technologies less interesting." What is an audio book other than some form of an e-book?

Well, listening to a narrator is totally different from reading the book yourself, isn't it?

[Jaapjan]

In all honesty, I do not think CD players and audio books have-- or will-- replace electronic or not electronic books.

[jadedboi]

Originally Posted by doctorow

Thanks for the link, jadedboi. Of course I have to disagree with the author, for the following reasons:

• "Children don't buy eBook hardware." That's true only as long as parents don't see the benefit of e-books.
• "eBook hardware is always a day late and a pound too heavy." If you look at dedicated e-book hardware, perhaps true. But if you take a regular PDA with a decent screen, you wouldn't complain about weight or technology.
• "The rise of audio books and in-car back-seat CD and tape players, have made eBook technologies less interesting." What is an audio book other than some form of an e-book? Anyways, I don't see how either of the two would supplement the other.

I've been reading ebooks of some form ever since i bought my first Palm IIIx back in the day. The quality of the screen for reading was a huge factor in my purchase of an Axim x50v last year, as well. Regrettably, I'm back to an old Sony after the Axim was stolen. *sigh*

I've actually bought more books off eReader in the past 2 years than I have from a traditional bookstore in the past 10. For me, it's just too convenient to be able to carry a small library in my pocket.

If anything, I hope that the growing trend towards phones that run 3rd party software will result in more reader software getting out to the masses. I'd hate to be reading on anything that small, but there are people crazier than I out there.

Once ebooks are no longer a niche market, maybe we can then see some sort of more realistic pricing compared to the text versions...