17 replies to this topic

[gladtobeglas]

http://news.bbc.co.u...ogy/4586800.stm

This could be the end of the book as we know it.

Ok, it'll take a bit of time but the price of a reader is bound to plummet and the inconvenience of carrying a wad of bounded paper will be a thing of the past as will the need to have shelves of faded books that have been read once then consigned to collect dust.

[Pat]

http://news.bbc.co.u...ogy/4586800.stm

This could be the end of the book as we know it.

Ok, it'll take a bit of time but the price of a reader is bound to plummet and the inconvenience of carrying a wad of bounded paper will be a thing of the past as will the need to have shelves of faded books that have been read once then consigned to collect dust.

Won't say 'it'll never catch on' because it probably will but nothing like a beautiful book and I expect those signed first editions are still gonna hold their price.

On my own books I like to turn down pages that I particularly enjoy and go back for another wee read. Could be just a very funny piece of writing or something meaningful. You just can't do that sorta thing with electronic books.

I turned a page down the other night in Douglas Kennedy's 'The Woman in the Fifth':

'Shopping is an act of despair.'
'That's extreme.'
She lit up a cigarette.
'But true. It's what people do with their time now. It's the great cultural activity of this epoch - and it speaks volumes about the complete emptiness of modern life.'

Better staying in and reading a book. Preferably a page-turner.

[lynnski]

Hmm... Sony Reader gets news time? Whereas we at Borders have been the exclusive retailer of the Iliad for a few months now! At approx £350-£400ish it's no cheap! I don't see it catching on, not just yet. There will always be people who want to buy the newest gadgets, but I'm not sure it'll take off too well. People who read, who properly read, do love books, so we'll just wait and see!

Looking back..

Mini Disc was meant to replace cassette tapes, (and as much as I love it) but CD's won out, now MP3's are taking over.
Laser Disc was meant to replace video, but DVD's took over, much cheaper for starters!
APS photo film was meant to replace 35mm film, but although it became fairly popular it never took off like it was meant to, and then digital cameras came along.

We shall see...

Couple of reasons put forward for it being a good thing:

If you travel around a lot on business you can download whatever books you need, be it for business or pleasure, and not have to physically carry lots of books around with you. Very handy in this age of 'you can only have X amount of luggage with you'.

You cant make notes on the screen and save them it means no defacing of books, and if you're the type to take notes, do them on the reader and not use paper for your scribblings.

Very good reasons, but you still canny beat a real book!

[notanimby]

..... Whereas we at Borders have been the exclusive retailer of the Iliad for a few months now!

Ahthot the Illiad wiz written hunnerz and hunnerz ov years ago by Homer and yooz huv only been sellin it "excloosivly" furra few months.
When dae yeez expect tae get bibles in?

[peony]

I like the weight, the smell, the sight and the feel of books. I always feel some sort of responsibility toward a book when I buy it. I have books I've toted from one place to another for 40 years. As long as I'm alive I won't have an e book reader.

At our public library you can down load hundreds of audio books. Some files can be burned to CD and some can't. Those that can't self destruct in two weeks. It's a handy system and I do use it a lot cause I listen to books at the gym.

By the way, Pat, that quote about shopping is spot on. Very true.

[The Jolly Jumjoogler]

Ah think the writer conjures up faur mair vivid images in yer heid if yer readin fae a book, than if ye wur tae hear the same text read oot by sum actor ur ither. Wurds mean mair when ye read thum.

[tomtscotland]

Ah think the writer conjures up faur mair vivid images in yer heid if yer readin fae a book, than if ye wur tae hear the same text read oot by sum actor ur ither. Wurds mean mair when ye read thum.

Yes I agree.
I''ve yet to try this, but for people who spend a lot of time driving, a book on a CD could be quite good.
I remember, when I had to sit some exams, recording a lot of key information onto an audio CD, then just kept playing it - I passed!

As for electronic books - these are way too pricey. You can buy to two top 20 paperbacks for £7 in a few supermarkets.
Mind you once they accessorise them with video goggles I wouldnae mind one for readin' in bed.

[HollowHorn]

When dae yeez expect tae get bibles in?

[HollowHorn]

Electronic books? No thanks. Seriously, could you honestly see yourself reading a whole book [or even wanna Yonza's posts ) on your laptop or whatever? If I encounter anything more than a few paragraphs during searches I tend to use a 'keyword' search.

[ozneil]

I much prefer the written word, gives the imagination much more scope & you can easily go back & re-read a passage to get greatere meaning out of it. But on long drives where the radio cant pick up anything I find audio books are grea. Trouble with them & driving you are only half listening .

[peony]

It's funny. When I read I have my coffee in a certain place, my foot warmer (wolfie) in a certain place, a certain light on, etc. It's a ritual and not one I would ever willingly get rid of.

[HollowHorn]

it speaks volumes about the complete emptiness of modern life.

Quick, Pat, grab that as your siggy before someone else does........ooops, too late

[HollowHorn]

But on long drives where the radio cant pick up anything I find audio books are grea. Trouble with them & driving you are only half listening .

Agreed, Ozzy, but the subject is 'electronic' books. Not being one to worry about thread integrity though, there is nothing better than sitting in the car, listening to a 'play' on the radio. I think with audio books, the mind is less disciplined, after all, you only have to push the rewind buttin, live radio is different, you really have to concentrate.

[Pat]

Quick, Pat, grab that as your siggy before someone else does........ooops, too late

That thought did pass my mind, HH. It's not the siggy for me.
I liked the quote and felt it had a certain ring of truth but don't entirely agree with it. I love the shops and shopping but it's not my first, second, or even twelth love and I don't think modern life is rubbish. You can spend a very happy few hours in a book shop.

Lynnski will vouch for it.

[Gayle]

I don't mind the thought of having a whole lot of books that have only been read once cluttering up your house - in fact I love the way a row of books looks ona shelf and I would love to have a wall of books one day. Sometimes I gaze at them and think of the worlds that are encapsulated within the pages that I have been immersed in in the past. It's very comforting.

[lynnski]

When dae yeez expect tae get bibles in?

When we do they'll be going straight into the 'fiction' section!

I can see the point in audio books, people who are losing/have lost their sight can benefit from them, but e-books just strike me as a bit of a waste of time. Ye canny beat going into Caledonia or Voltaire and Rousseau and seeing/smelling all the books, it's a grand experience.

[peony]

I have a couple of hobbies that keep my hands and eyes busy, but not my ears. I listen to unabridged books on tape all the time.

[Pat]

I much prefer the written word, gives the imagination much more scope & you can easily go back & re-read a passage to get greatere meaning out of it...

Think this is absolutely true with regard to novels, Oz.
However, ebooks are often very useful if you are talking technical stuff, especially, with regard to IT. Not to say you won't then go onto buy the actual book. Jimbo has found this to be how it tends to work with one of his books.

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