Community weekly poll: Would you buy an e-book reader?
- 11/28/07 3:30 PM
YES! Finally!
by TLE_MN - 11/28/07 8:41 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'm as old school as they get-- I even print out PDFs for reading vs. scrolling through 14-page white papers on my laptop-- but I can't wait to get a Kindle or the next version for reading.
First to counter some of the negative comments: they aren't just screens, that's the point. My laptop is unreadable in daylight-- these readers are. My mother can't read tiny print-- these readers let you scroll up to instant Large Print. In fact the display quality is startling and in future versions will approach some of the best engineering screens.
Second, carrying around heaps of books in a single device makes a lot of sense for students from 7th grade through university, for travelers with lots of reading (remember you can upload PDFs, reports, white papers, RSS feeds, magazine articles, news and sports-- not just books).
Third, despite recent polls I've seen, SOME OF US READ FOR PLEASURE, believe it or not. Right now my wife has 3 books going (fiction), I have 3 fiction, 1 poetry, and 2 technical books going, plus 3 months of the latest industry magazines I haven't gotten to yet because I don't drag them around with me. With a decent reader (one without the usual Sony proprietary B.S.), I can soon easily bring them with me and read them on the train, in bed at night, on the plane, during dead time in hotels on assignments, etc.
Hey I'm 60 and I can't wait to investigate and choose a good reader. I've hesitated until now only because I want something that I can upload to without Sony's limitations.
Terry Elliott
Minnesota
Sure, I'll buy a reader.
by JimboG - 11/28/07 8:48 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I remember a similar poll about 25 years ago with very similar results. The question was "Would you buy a personal computer?"
A reader for me makes great sense. Lots of reading material in a small lightweight package.
I live full-time in an RV. Limited space and weight carrying capacity.
Actually, I would rather get one as a gift.
You listening, Santa?
JimboG, called it!
by Call_Me - 1/3/08 10:52 AM In reply to: Sure, I'll buy a reader. by JimboGJimboG: After reading most of the posts in this thread, I was aching to have a good comeback, in regards to "new" technology from years ago and whether people would embrace that or not. Your example of a computer was exactly the ammo I needed.
Like a lot of the posters on HERE<, I'm getting older by the minute ande 60 is looming close. I never needed glasses before but now need a 1.5 lens to read type.
I also find myself on the road, for work, most of my life, which just didn't happen to me 10 years ago. Currently, I haven't been in my home for 3 months, due to work, and the cat-sitter is making a bloody fortune off of me! Not to mention, that my book collection is gathering even more dust for me to remove when I do return home.
I've now had my Sony Reader for 2 months and will only give it up when something better comes along. In response to all those posters that claimed that an "electronic book wouldn't hold up to being dropped into puddles or bathtubs...", Good Lord! I'm glad I'm not THAT klutzy or careless to even bring an ebook or paper book into those circumstances! I guess that I'm the rare one: I don't drink/eat near computers so no spilled liquids and I dont' carry books near water.
I'm reading more NOW, than I have in years, thanks to the fact that I always have my ebook near my side. It's light enough to fit into my day bag that I travel with, so along with my MP3 player, I'm never bored.
And lastly, I'm of the age, where I want to GET RID OF STUFF, instead of collecting it. In the past year, I've donated over 200+ books that I'll never read again; think of all THAT money that's wasted, like some use as an example, the cost of the e-books. I can't be bothered to post them on ebay; I'll let someone who doesn't travel do that option.
Looking back, I'm sure that there are people now, who swore, back then, that they'd NEVER buy a computer, a cell phone, digital camera, or an MP3 player that all have them currently in their possession. I'll just pretend that I'm on the forefront of the future wtih my ebook and wait and see what happens. Even if this turns out to be a dinosaur, I'm in good company. Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for millions of years; that's good enough for me!
Yes, I will buy an E-BOOK
by wick013 - 11/28/07 8:54 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I esp love the Amazon model with book downloading capability from anywhere without a computer connection needed! I would use this mostly for trips, commutes and night reading (when they get a back-lit model) - these really rock when you are trying to pack light and you can download 10 or 20 books to take along! I will wait for the first few models to pass through and see a few more features added, a few bugs worked out, and the price down BUT I definitely will be buying one of these! Real books still can't be beat for day to day reading but I think these new E-books, especially with the new features, will find a nice niche.
Would not!
by Kaari - 11/28/07 9:04 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The trouble with the electronic book readers is that they treat books like a one time read. A good book can and should be read several times with more or less time in between (obviously spent in reading other books :-)). If the book is on the shelf you can go to it, pull it out and read it or just check a passage here and there. The e-book would require that you'd have to download the book again to do that.
The only thing that I could think that would be handy to read with an e-book would be my daily newspaper. If I could get the newspaper automatically downloaded into it while I'm asleep I could then take the "newspaper" with me on the bus and read it there. But books no.
Yes, I would IF....
by dlsears - 11/28/07 9:11 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The two big reasons for holding back right now are the price of the reader and the type of books available.
Say, that sounds a lot like why I don't buy a Mac: hardware's too expensive and too proprietary, and there just aren't enough apps for it. The same goes for Linux apps, but because the hardware is the same as for my Windows PC and because the OS is free (actually, I prefer to pay the US$100 that Xandros is asking for their Desktop Professional 4 and will buy that one even though I've already downloaded Ubuntu to my Windows machine via Wubi) I'm happy to give Linux a try: no big investment other than time and energy.
Back to ebooks. I like the idea of being able to download a text from wherever I happen to be at whatever time of day or night it happens to be that I get the itch to read it. I like paying less for it because it's not printed on a dead tree. And I like being able to carry a theoretically unlimited supply of reading material in something smaller than a breadbox.
What I don't like is being limited to best sellers, public domain texts, and files that can't be read on other machines. It's as bad as the kind of DRM that the RIAA imposes.
I'm going to buy one of those new ASUS Eee PCs next week, and that's small enough to carry around almost as easily as an ebook reader -- and more useful because it's a complete PC. It also connects via wi-fi to the Net and allows me to download ebooks that I can peruse without needing a special proprietary reader; the even more limited library of available texts is no big deal, because I wouldn't buy most of the titles that Amazon's Kindle touts anyway.
If Amazon were able to put most of the books they sell into their ebook format, then I'd definitely buy it for the current US$400. I'd make up the price of the machine in almost no time because I wouldn't have to pay shipping and handling (US$5 extra for every book sent out of the USA and Canada to Taiwan) and would get a better discount on the ebooks than on the print books available. But that's just a dream at the moment, I'm afraid.
With regards to: YES, I WOULD IF....
by Jimmy The Lip - 12/3/07 5:25 AM In reply to: Yes, I would IF.... by dlsearsHay - Huizhe2 "Say, that sounds a lot like why I don't buy a Mac: hardware's too expensive and too proprietary" What a "Die Hard" you must be. You must like to see what you think, "NOT", in print or you do not know to much about computers. If you owned a Mac you would be able to have your e-book read back to you while you do something else. As far as the apps are concerned they are a whole lot cheaper than what can be bought to be used on PC's. Cost wise in all that is being offered with a purchase of a Mac with regards to apps alone, go and see if you can purchase any PC that can offer you the same. You would not be able to afford it. Your comment with regards to proprietary, how much more proprietary can you get than MicroSoft and how much of your OS be it 98, 2000, ME, XP and or Vista is tied in to MicroSoft and of their say so that is being used with every application on your PC. i-this. i-that is very much a Mac or Apple tag, Steve Jobs does't get bent out of shape as would Bill Gates, if things to be sold, where MS-this or MS-that?
As far as the hardware goes your wrong there as well. I picked up a LACie 500GB hard drive for $120.00 and a LACie Light Scribe CD/DVD burner (by choice) for $190.00 both of which would of cost me the same if they where to used or where going to be used on my PC (they can be used by both). You must think, that every thing to be sold for Mac must be purchased at an Apple Store, better think again? As an example how much iPod stuff is being sold at stores other than the Apple Stores that is not tied into Apple?
E-books are not new they have been around for years. They can be found and down loaded for free, they can be read from any word processor. Do yourself a favour buy a Mac and you'll never go back as you'll be free from that old costly PC.
e-book readers don't have the 'real book' feel
by twmcne - 11/28/07 9:23 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
To me, there's nothing like the feel and smell of a real book. No thanks to ebooks.
Nope. Laptops make them redundant.
by phwtos - 11/28/07 9:32 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I already own a laptop, which in my mind provides similar functionality without having to buy another device.
Maybe...
by MarkieSparkle - 11/28/07 9:49 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Maybe. Hangup 1) Early reviews have said it's underpowered. And I always wait thru the 1st year for them to work the bugs & glitches out. Hangup 2 is money, mostly.
Think I'll wait until the price comes down.
Marsha
There is a place for an e-book
by laineybirdy - 11/28/07 9:56 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I would buy an e-book:
1. If the price was right (<$100)
2. If it didn't use proprietary technology.
3. If I were a student and could reduce the number of books I had to carry.
There are certainly drawbacks that many people have listed but I think there is a place for them in the market. They may not be for everyone but I'm glad for those of you who like them.
Computers are Work Enjoyable but Work!
by WineO - 11/28/07 10:07 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If I want to relax and read a book I dont want it to be on any type of screen I already spend too much of my day in front of one. I want to change the environment and relax and for me that would be the familiar conventional paper book.
Claude
Would you buy an e-book reader?
by Tania Grant - 11/28/07 10:08 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
No, I would not. A book is a keeper. e-books may work for keeping temporary information. A book sitting on the shelf entices you to pick it up and read it again and again. Or to give it to a friend to read. An e-book does not entice;-- you will boot it up only if you have to get some information out of it. I don't see one doing it for pleasure. And I don't see an e-book being more convenient reading on the plane than a book. An e-book is not a "paper-back" yet. The only reason could be if an e-book is "greener" than a book. So, has anyone done a cost/benefit analysis to see which is more environmentally friendly? I recycle books. And I make notes on the margin of those books I study; it's amazing how this helps the memory. However, there may be a limited usage for them, but I cannot think of one right now. Installation instructions and other such specific information come on disks and flash drives, or one can download these directly from the web site. I don't see where an e-book could play a role in this instance. I am looking forward for other replies and better ideas.
eBook is not synonmous with ebook Reader
by CathWren - 12/4/07 1:16 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Tania GrantI've been reading these messages and one thing many people seem to be doing is equating the book with the reader. They are two different parts of one experience. Think of it like a 3-ring binder and paper. You can add paper or remove it. You can put it back in the binder if you don't throw it away when you remove the paper.
One problem with the Kindle and its ilk is that the books are only kept on the device (up to 200 of them) or on the server at the "store." Yes, that could be a pain to get back an older book. Yes it may be quicker to go to you bookshelf and grab a book...if you are at home and if your books are organized so you can find the one you want quickly...what if you are out and want to check that book? You couldn't just grab it then but you could re-download it on the spot. I use my pda and a computer and my non-active books are stored both on the computer and on an SD card. They are also kept in my account at the online store where I got them.
I use a couple of different reader programs but there are quite a few available. I can bookmark pages, attach notes and look up words from within either program. I can adjust the font size and read in the dark. I can read in the daylight too though sometimes I must shade the screen. I don't have to scroll around a page; the program formats the text into page-size based on font size. Instead of scrolling at the end of a screen, I just press the next page button. Carrying multiple books is easier. Since my pda has wi-fi and bluetooth, I can download a new book whenever I want (not all pdas do both or either).
So, as to buying a dedicated reader, I see no reason for it as my pda does nearly everything a dedicated reader does and more for a lot less money.
As to reading an ebook vs reading a dead tree book, I am more interested in the content of the book than form it presents. The benefits of ebooks, IMO, outweight the benefits of dead tree books in most areas.
People should give both reading methods, electronic and dead tree, a fair trial before deciding one is better than the other. That means reading a whole book or at least most of one and not deciding after one page you don't like it. There is may be a short adjustment period. Judging from the comments I've read in this long discussion, many of the anti-ebook cadre have never even read more than part of the occasional computer documentation manual in eformat. I actually prefer dead tree books for how-tos but for most other reading, there is not much difference.
Don't be like my mother who had a chance to get in on the ground floor of television but didn't think that little box would catch on.
CathWren
Not yet!
by PeterSJC - 11/28/07 10:34 PM In reply to: Would you buy an e-book reader? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I went to the Amazon web site expecting to hate the Kindle and was pleasantly surprised, but the content and software is not yet ready:
* 80,000 titles is not enough! I would definitely be interested in an e-reader that would let me carry the Larousse unabridged Spanish dictionary (about 1700 pages), the CRC Handbook of Chemistry & Physics (over 2600 pp.), lots of textbooks, and whatever other books pique my interest enough to buy them. If publishers of textbooks, especially technical ones, got on the bandwagon, they would sell tons of these devices to students with overloaded backpacks.
* The PDF format must be well supported, not experimental/flaky as it is now.
* Other popular formats should be available in native mode and not require me to run files through a converter.
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