Anyone see e-readers on TV Shows ?

Ken Stuart · 03-08-2011, 09:00 PM

Generally, the average person decides to get something a) partially from seeing it in advertisements, and b) partially from seeing a friend using one, but largely, a product only becomes mainstream when it is seen on TV shows.

For example, cellphones became ubiquitous in the world shortly after they became ubiquitous on TV shows. Laptops were popular in fictional TV shows shortly before taking over the PC world, and we saw laptop makers putting their logo in giant letters on their products in the OJ courtroom.

Despite Amazon selling more e-books than paperbooks, and bookstores scrambling to market their own e-book readers, nevertheless I saw tablets used in TV shows only weeks after the iPad release, but I have still never seen an e-book reader in any TV program.

Obviously, I don't expect 45 minutes of watching someone read an e-book.

But why do we never see Sarah interrupt nerdy gadget-freak Chuck reading his Kindle, or see trendy author Castle showing his latest Nicki Heat book on a Nook ?

FizzyWater · 03-08-2011, 09:04 PM

Well.....I can't imagine it would be too exciting to turn on the TV to...watch someone reading a book.

Barty · 03-08-2011, 09:20 PM

Well, as soon as Apple makes one, even Homer will be seen reading a book.

AndrewH · 03-08-2011, 09:36 PM

I can't recall where, but I saw one character swear on the Bible loaded on a Kindle. It may have been one of Seth MacFarlane's cartoons. (Do prime-time cartoons count?)

captkjaneway · 03-08-2011, 09:43 PM

Star Trek had characters regularly reading from a tablet.....PADDs to be exact

Ken Stuart · 03-08-2011, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Well.....I can't imagine it would be too exciting to turn on the TV to...watch someone reading a book.

You didn't read my whole post.

I did mention that aspect, but TV is filled with things that people are not necessarily using - including paperback and hardcover books.

Countless sitcoms have couples in bed reading - the reading only happens onscreen for moments, but it is part of the "tableau".

(Another item you see on TV episodes, are those small stereos that consist of an iPod docked to a pair of speakers. In fact, the first time I saw one was on TV...)

snipenekkid · 03-08-2011, 11:12 PM

Sheldon has one that is almost always in the background in the apartment of the show Big Bang Theory. In fact is was even mentioned no the first episode of season 2, might have been season 3 I forget. They guys were back from being at the north pole doing research for 3-months when one of the characters reveals they others had a plan to throw Sheldon's Kindle out in the snow then lock him out when he went to retrieve it.

So it is out there. I haven't caught any of the newest episodes so I dunno if it's been replaced by anything but the characters on the show make a habit of ridiculing the "Apple genius" people and the apple store in general so I don't thing we'll see an iPad on there anytime soon, but hey cash is king so if Apple ponies up the cash it will be there. One of the first episodes did have mention of one character selling an iPod another threw out the window and down 3-floors, on eBay as "slightly used" which was sorta funny because you never read of a "well used" device being sold.

FizzyWater · 03-08-2011, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Stuart

You didn't read my whole post.

Oops! Caught me (and I had to re-skim it twice to catch the sentence you're referring to...eek).

gmw · 03-09-2011, 11:20 PM

It seems to me that you could have asked: Anyone see readers on TV Shows ?

And gotten almost the same (lack of) answer.

M0zza · 03-09-2011, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmw

It seems to me that you could have asked: Anyone see readers on TV Shows ?

And gotten almost the same (lack of) answer.

Have to agree with you there.

I think the only time you see anyone reading on TV he is reading a big hard back in a large library with a fire, has huge lamb-chops, and is called Mr Fuzzlegit or somesuch.

ficbot · 03-09-2011, 11:50 PM

There is a Canadian show I have been watching on Netflix (Being Erica) that has a plotline in season 2 about ebook publishing. Two of the characters start their own publishing company and one of them has a big scene where she sits her partner down with an iPad, Kindle and something else on the table and rhapsodizes about how it's all electronic now and it will be so much cheaper.

cherylmarie · 03-10-2011, 07:26 AM

On "The Office", the guys go out to a bookstore during their lunch because they think it will be a great place to meet women. The warehouse manager talks to a saleslady about readers and is so impressed with the number of books it can hold that he buys one. Later he is seen hiding while reading it. They do work for a paper company!

jbcohen · 03-10-2011, 07:48 AM

I saw somewhere a segment about technology in federal government where several people were seated around a class room and the instructor passes out Kobos instead of text books. In another seen two employees are discussing some issue of the day and one hnads the other a Libra Pro which shows a memo.

JaneD · 03-10-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewH

I can't recall where, but I saw one character swear on the Bible loaded on a Kindle. It may have been one of Seth MacFarlane's cartoons. (Do prime-time cartoons count?)

I saw that - it was on a Cleveland episode. The teacher made Rallo swear to take care of a turtle, on a Kindle loaded with the Bible.

Hoyt Clagwell · 03-10-2011, 01:15 PM

There was an episode of Modern Family where a Kindle was sat on and broke.

03-08-2011, 09:00 PM	#1
Ken Stuart The Knight Who Says Nook! Posts: 98 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: California Device: Nook Color ; dead Clie NR70 ; living Rocket REB1100 ; QY70 (pictured)	Anyone see e-readers on TV Shows ? Generally, the average person decides to get something a) partially from seeing it in advertisements, and b) partially from seeing a friend using one, but largely, a product only becomes mainstream when it is seen on TV shows. For example, cellphones became ubiquitous in the world shortly after they became ubiquitous on TV shows. Laptops were popular in fictional TV shows shortly before taking over the PC world, and we saw laptop makers putting their logo in giant letters on their products in the OJ courtroom. Despite Amazon selling more e-books than paperbooks, and bookstores scrambling to market their own e-book readers, nevertheless I saw tablets used in TV shows only weeks after the iPad release, but I have still never seen an e-book reader in any TV program. Obviously, I don't expect 45 minutes of watching someone read an e-book. But why do we never see Sarah interrupt nerdy gadget-freak Chuck reading his Kindle, or see trendy author Castle showing his latest Nicki Heat book on a Nook ?

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03-08-2011, 09:04 PM	#2
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	Well.....I can't imagine it would be too exciting to turn on the TV to...watch someone reading a book.

03-08-2011, 09:20 PM	#3
Barty doofus Posts: 2,549 Karma: 13089041 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	Well, as soon as Apple makes one, even Homer will be seen reading a book.

03-08-2011, 09:36 PM	#4
AndrewH Fanatic Posts: 553 Karma: 1234566 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver, WA Device: Sony PRS-T1, & Kobo Mini	I can't recall where, but I saw one character swear on the Bible loaded on a Kindle. It may have been one of Seth MacFarlane's cartoons. (Do prime-time cartoons count?)

03-08-2011, 09:43 PM	#5
captkjaneway Cockney Sci-Fi Geek! Posts: 472 Karma: 1463094 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Wan Chai, Hong Kong Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Samsung Tab S 8.4", Samsung S6 Edge	Star Trek had characters regularly reading from a tablet.....PADDs to be exact

03-08-2011, 11:12 PM	#7
snipenekkid Banned Posts: 760 Karma: 51034 Join Date: Feb 2009	Sheldon has one that is almost always in the background in the apartment of the show Big Bang Theory. In fact is was even mentioned no the first episode of season 2, might have been season 3 I forget. They guys were back from being at the north pole doing research for 3-months when one of the characters reveals they others had a plan to throw Sheldon's Kindle out in the snow then lock him out when he went to retrieve it. So it is out there. I haven't caught any of the newest episodes so I dunno if it's been replaced by anything but the characters on the show make a habit of ridiculing the "Apple genius" people and the apple store in general so I don't thing we'll see an iPad on there anytime soon, but hey cash is king so if Apple ponies up the cash it will be there. One of the first episodes did have mention of one character selling an iPod another threw out the window and down 3-floors, on eBay as "slightly used" which was sorta funny because you never read of a "well used" device being sold.

03-09-2011, 11:20 PM	#9
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,818 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	It seems to me that you could have asked: Anyone see readers on TV Shows ? And gotten almost the same (lack of) answer.

03-09-2011, 11:50 PM	#11
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	There is a Canadian show I have been watching on Netflix (Being Erica) that has a plotline in season 2 about ebook publishing. Two of the characters start their own publishing company and one of them has a big scene where she sits her partner down with an iPad, Kindle and something else on the table and rhapsodizes about how it's all electronic now and it will be so much cheaper.

03-10-2011, 07:26 AM	#12
cherylmarie Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: U.S. Device: Kindle 3	On "The Office", the guys go out to a bookstore during their lunch because they think it will be a great place to meet women. The warehouse manager talks to a saleslady about readers and is so impressed with the number of books it can hold that he buys one. Later he is seen hiding while reading it. They do work for a paper company!

03-10-2011, 07:48 AM	#13
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	I saw somewhere a segment about technology in federal government where several people were seated around a class room and the instructor passes out Kobos instead of text books. In another seen two employees are discussing some issue of the day and one hnads the other a Libra Pro which shows a memo.

03-10-2011, 01:15 PM	#15
Hoyt Clagwell Not an Addict Posts: 301 Karma: 5678807 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: The blue one next to the fish.	There was an episode of Modern Family where a Kindle was sat on and broke.

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