E-Readers

[MacB]

What about going on holiday, no more heavy suitcases, selecting books to leave behind, or paying over the odds for books abroad. Coupled with direct news feeds, I can see the attraction. Eventually every book will be available electronically and some in that medium only. I hope the hardware manufacturers avoid any VHS/Betamax messes.

I love the idea of being able to carry a whole library around in one device. You can also get technology to allow you to scribble on them as well

 

[marinyork]

Yes, absolutely. I also see what you mean Goo. But this is one of those emerging technologies that hasn't quite caught on yet - a but like Twitter when it came on the scene

"Why would anyone want to know what I'm doing every 5 minutes?"

Apparently lots.

I'm interested in e-readers. They may have a way to go yet, but the same could be said for all of those useful little gadgets we now take for granted.
I'm thinking they can live happily alongside our book collections, or take a knock in a fall like a mobile phone and still work, and be pleasurable to use.

I think e readers will work but one often sees this with on demand/digital content where the actual product is very expensive and the distributors are very greedy and release very limited content that is very pricey and then wonder why there are few takers, then moan about this. Once these hurdles are overcome they will take off.

The e readers need to be about £100 less.

 

[Fab Foodie]

What about going on holiday, no more heavy suitcases, selecting books to leave behind, or paying over the odds for books abroad. Coupled with direct news feeds, I can see the attraction. Eventually every book will be available electronically and some in that medium only. I hope the hardware manufacturers avoid any VHS/Betamax messes.

I love the idea of being able to carry a whole library around in one device. You can also get technology to allow you to scribble on them as well

Books are OK on sandy beaches and will survive a fair amount of travel abuse, as stated already, and e-reader is just some other expensive bit of kit to worry about. Nobody's gonna nick a book lying on your towel are they?

 

[Piemaster]

When I posted the above I was thinking of my current position in being at home. I would probably get one when, as just jim, points out the technology is a bit more mature. I work at sea and the possibility of carrying sizable collection around with me does appeal

 

[Fab Foodie]

Somebody nicked my copy of Stalingrad from a sunbed. I had finished it though!

They should be shot at the very least

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Somebody nicked my copy of Stalingrad from a sunbed. I had finished it though!

'Stalingrad From a Sunbed' is an unusual title!

I spend too much time looking at computer screen to even contemplate an e-reader. I like books much in the same way as I like records over CDs or MP3s - I like a more tactile and also visually aesthetic world

 

[Fab Foodie]

I spend too much time looking at computer screen to even contemplate an e-reader. I like books much in the same way as I like records over CDs or MP3s - I like a more tactile and also visually aesthetic world

Post of the day!

 

[HJ]

It is the DRM issue which stop me from considering e-books further, when you have a paper book no one can tell you what you can do with it, how long you can read it for or who you can give it too. I am sticking with owning books, not paying a high rent for an e-version which can be taken away at a whim....

 

[MacB]

Post of the its day!

corrected that for you

 

[just jim]

'Stalingrad From a Sunbed' is an unusual title!

I spend too much time looking at computer screen to even contemplate an e-reader. I like books much in the same way as I like records over CDs or MP3s - I like a more tactile and also visually aesthetic world

But the e-reader interface is different in that the screen isn't backlit - it's not the same experience.

 

[Coco]

What about going on holiday, no more heavy suitcases, selecting books to leave behind, or paying over the odds for books abroad. Coupled with direct news feeds, I can see the attraction.

I know someone who bought a reader for precisely that reason. Voracious reader who got fed up paying for excess baggage because he had a lot of books ( and clothes and stuff) in his luggage. Took dozens on his reader and also gets daily newspaper feeds on it.

I also thought of getting my wife one as she likes to read in bed, but has been so busy at work this past year that she's hardly had the chance to set foot in a bookshop.

So I think there are people who would find a benefit in e-readers, but its a long way from replacing the printed book for the general public.

 

[ASC1951]

also gets daily newspaper feeds on it....

One thing I like about holidays is not having daily newsapers; or telly, radio or ghettoblasters, come to that.