July 24, 2009 at 7:44 am
I read about 2 books a week, mostly on my Sony Reader. I got the PRS-700 rather than the Kindle because of the built-in light. We've determined that the effort to get new material (sync-ing through a box) is worth it, since if I had instant access to Amazon, I'd be broke. I'm definitley glad that I don't have Amazon "Big Brother" snooping into my reading material. I do like the protability of digital readers and have finally gotten over the need for a "book feel". I have a couple of 8-hr flights coming up next week, so I will be grateful that I don't have to lug a bunch paperbacks around in the carry-on.
There are several times I've been tempted to find ways to read material purchased for other devices. I generally refrain, as I know folks who've had books published and the time/effort they took to create them. The capability to read PDF's on the go has been nice, as I'll snag technical manuals at home for my own use and read them when stranded or can't find a sleeping pill.:Whistling:
July 24, 2009 at 7:53 am
I read about 10-20 books per year. Kind of a mixture of what I am in the mood to read at the time I pick up a book. I recently purchased a Sony e-Reader and really like it, and I hope to increase the number of books read per year, now that I can carry hundreds of books where ever I go, and can sit there and read when I have down time where ever I am at.
I am not sure I like the idea of a large corporation reaching into my personal property and removing an item that I paid for. Granted, there was some legal issues in the latest Amazon incident, but having the ability to reach in and take it doesn't sit well with me. I believe we are one step away from losing our personal privacy with the hoards of people putting their personal lives online at all the social networking sites. I believe that with all this information that people are putting out there, while believing it is only accessible to their friends, is not as private as people think. I also think that when the time is right, our government will take away the right to privacy, and people won't even notice, because they have already posted their private lives on My Space or Facebook.
So, if Amazon can reach into your Kindle and remove what it wants, then what stops other corporations or the government from reaching into our other electronically stored information and taking what they want?
July 24, 2009 at 8:25 am
I'm constantly reading books from fiction, sci-fi, non-fiction, technical, etc. I haven't even bothered to count the number of books but I'm sure it's somewhere around 50-75 a year.
I like being able to read electronically. I've had a PocketPC for years and I like reading on it but would like it more if it were larger. I've looked at the Kindle, but after seeing what Amazon is capable of doing I'm rethinking that approach. That's very much akin to my purchasing a hard copy book from Barnes & Nobles then having them come into my home, take the book from my shelf, then place the money I paid on the table before leaving. Why should electronic copies be any different?
The other problem with electronic books is that when I purchase books for a particular reader then the reader is now longer available, what do I have left? For example, I have some religious books that are viewable on a reader for the PocketPC that is no longer supported nor can I port them to another format. The same is true for when I transition to the iPhone. What do I do with all of my .LIT books and books in other formats? I still "own" them, but can no longer read them.
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July 24, 2009 at 8:34 am
Terri (7/24/2009)
What I don't like about Kindle books is that I cannot share them. I cannot lend them to another Kindle owner. Also, I cannot give (or receive) a Kindle book as a gift. And books are the best gift ever, IMHO.
I couldn't agree more. That's one of the major drawbacks to electronic books. I can share them if I can access them via my computer, but when they're locked into a particular device, then you're stuck. I like having an entire e-library available in a single, easy to carry device, but what do you do if the device is no longer a viable means of reading? You lose you're entire e-library!!
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July 24, 2009 at 8:37 am
Aaron N. Cutshall (7/24/2009)
What do I do with all of my .LIT books and books in other formats? I still "own" them, but can no longer read them.
Similar to the argument I make regarding the iPod. I'm paying for the pleasure of listening to X. I don't give a rat's @ss that it came to me on a piece of plastic (CD), or if it is encoded in a file on my computer. I further feel nothing about copying it to a format that is convenient for me to listen to.
When I purchased Irma Thomas's Simply Grand, I wanted to listen to it in my car. So I duplicate the CD and stuff that into my car. I also want to listen to it on my MP3 player... No worries. I believe the purchase of the CD allows me to listen to it on different formats. I'm paying for the music, the CD is simply a means to transfer that music.
In your case, you paid for the texts. You shouldn't be bound to use your LIT reader, kindle, or Schwindle...
Honor Super Omnia-
Jason Miller
July 24, 2009 at 9:09 am
Some of that is changing with the portability of the formats to other devices. I think amazon missed the boat by not porting the Kindle platform to cell phones and the PC. While I might not often read via PC, I might if I'm out, or on a trip. Or if my device (snifle) dies.
Barnes and Noble is becoming my new favorite with their porting to the Blackberry and PC. Whoever gets to Android, and updates formats over time, will have an advantage here.
As much as I have loved books over the year, I found that the content, the story, was the important thing. The feel of a book is nice, but the Kindle didn't inhibit the enjoyment of the story, and the iPhone reading doesn't much either.
I do worry about revisionist history, censorship, or the loss of content over time. More and more I think more open formats are needed. The opening of Amazon's MP3s or itunes haven't stopped downloads. For most people it's just a PIA to go get things from someone else. Easier to buy if yourself. Make if convenient, and we tend to pay for it.
We want to be able to move it between devices, make a backup, but I think that most people pay for their content.
July 24, 2009 at 9:18 am
I read about 2 books a week, sometimes more sometimes less. So, I'm with the 100 books a year crowd. Most of them are sci-fi with a smattering of other flavors thrown in. I read so many technical articles that I don't feel a need to read many technical books. I'm more likely to consult a chapter or two in a technical book than give it all a real read.
As for Kindle, someone recently suggested I take a look at it after seeing all the books in my house. I did. I was not the least bit interested. I felt it was way too intrusive into my privacy (big brother keeping track of where I am in a book? - at least if I understood that part right). I think the danger to individual rights is huge. Then there was the issue of cost. Putting aside the initial cost of the hardware itself, I felt each book was going to cost way more than the paper backs I buy and I'd be getting far less value. No thanks.
July 24, 2009 at 9:32 am
JJ B (7/24/2009)
Putting aside the initial cost of the hardware itself, I felt each book was going to cost way more than the paper backs I buy and I'd be getting far less value. No thanks.
It was suggested to me once that if every hardcopy book sold included a CD or some other electronic media with the book in e-format that would increase book sales. I somewhat agree since a hardcopy book is simply just another format of the same material no different than an electronic copy. As with music, the means I choose to listen to it should not necessarily be dictated by the format I purchase. After all, I'm purchasing the content, not the format.
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July 24, 2009 at 9:54 am
I like that idea. I've seen some Blu-ray discs starting to include a standard def and e-version of the content. I'd love to be able to watch the multiple versions, when I need them. Like take an e-version on the iTouch or laptop for the kids.
July 24, 2009 at 9:57 am
JJ B (7/24/2009)
I felt each book was going to cost way more than the paper backs I buy and I'd be getting far less value. No thanks.
Out of curiosity, are these used paperbacks? I'm asking because at the bookstore/airport, a paperback costs me $9.99, and there is a (relatively) limited selection compare to BN/Amazon. I've purchased many new books for the 9.99 and then gotten some that are a few years old for $7.50 or less. I picked up a copy of Along Came a Spider on the Kindle for $3.99 on a trip.
In my mind, across the 50-60 books I've bought, I've saved probably $100 in expenditures.
I do like the library, hope they are always around (with bookstores), but the Kindle platform gives me great convenience.
July 24, 2009 at 9:59 am
Doh! I said Kindle platform, but I'll include an e-reader platform like BN has as well.
What I want is to have a device (Kindle, Plastic Logic, Sony, Iliad, etc.) be able to walk into a bookstore and purchase an e-copy of a book to read on my device along with any physical books I want.
July 24, 2009 at 10:01 am
Aaron: If you are making the point that you have the right to copy music, book etc. into different formats if you bought the media, I couldn't agree with you more.
If you are reacting to my comment about "value" and saying that an electronic book has the same value as a paper one, I disagree. Here's some thoughts:
. When I buy a paper book, I'm paying not only for the content, but the paper and ink and glue and cost to transport, etc. (What does it cost Amazon to product another copy of one of their books? So, should they really be charging *more* for one of their books that has the same content as the paper version?) And what I get is not only content, paper, ink, etc, but a very tangible object that can be re-sold or given away many times. I can photo copy a page to include in a demonstration. I can tear out a page for various uses, including say using a coupon or order form that is in the book. There is no risk of the book disappearing based on a technical glitch or corporate whim. I could loose the book to fire or flood, but guess which I think is the bigger risk.... I can dog-ear pages in my paper book and make diagrams and arrows in the margins. And having beloved books fill up my bookcases is a big plus to me, not a negative. It is a comfy feeling.
I fully acknowledge that electronic books have value that is lacking in paper books. But when I add up all the pluses and minuses, I find that paper books still win. Maybe if they fix some of the bigger problems with electronic books, I'd change my mind for some electronic purchases.
July 24, 2009 at 10:02 am
I read 20-30 books a year and have been reading them electronically for many years. I have been reading them on my PDA way before the Kindle.
One of the reasons that I do not care for the Amazon model, or the ITunes model for music, is that they keep your library. I actually use e-reader because the books are on my server, backed up by me, accessible only by me. If I had purchased 1984, there would be no way for them to take it back. If I buy a paper book, they have to come into my home to get it back (with a warrant). Having possessions in the cloud under other peoples control does not make me comfortable. Too easy to violate my rights.
July 24, 2009 at 10:08 am
Out of curiosity, are these used paperbacks?
Your cost experience is interesting. I sometimes buy used paperbacks, maybe 1% of my purchases. Mostly I buy new books at mainstream book stores like Barnes and Noble. The cover prices range from $7 to $8 (rounding) with most books costing $8 now a days. (These are USA dollars.) It's easy to sign up for various deals so that I get 10 to 30% off of the cover price. So, I do not always pay the full price. Even when I do, $8 is less than what I remember Kindle selling for the latest best sellers.
For interest: My office recently started a group library. People leave books on the shelf for anyone to read for as long as they want. Those books are free and do not require a trip to the library. We couldn't do that with electronic books.
July 24, 2009 at 10:13 am
If I had that shared library at work, I might use that as well. However, like my local library, the selection isn't great. I'm amazed how often the local library just doesn't have the books I want. I think I just have a bad library fit for me.
Good that you get books for $7-8. I don't see that often, and I've looked. I'd urge you to check out the prices in real time with BN.com if you're at their store. The e-versions are available immediately and cheaper than hardbacks. Paperbacks, I found them competitive, but I'm not a BN member.
I'll have to check again. I like the BN reader slightly more on the iTouch and I'll be seeing how that compares.
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