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The Espresso book machine does just that. You put in a pdf and a paperback pops out.

Right now, there are only a couple of them installed around the world, but I'm sure that in time others will make similar systems and before you know it every copy place and bookstore will have three.

Now maybe not, but I think this will change a lot in the future. http://www.ondemandbooks.com/home.htm

This is kind of like the equivalent of a CD Burner for the early MP3 days. If they can shrink this to a normal printer size and sell it for $100, I think they're in business. Of course, that doesn't appear to be the business they want to be in (nor does it seem technically possible with the technology they're using).

Further, people can't take an e-book illegally downloaded and turn it into a real paper book

Now maybe not, but I think this will change a lot in the future.
http://www.ondemandbooks.com/home.htm

So will all the books be $2 plus shipping?

Forgetting the price for a minute, there is a definite "no" on shipping:

Neller said heâ(TM)d love to see the day when Google Book Searchers can press a button next to a search result and find the closest local printer, but Google says thatâ(TM)s a long way off. -- wired.com

Another implication is that this is limited to brick-and-mortar shops where OnDemandBooks have a presence, which in turn means that to use this service you have to be physically present at one of just thirteen locations in the world -- five in the US, four in Canada, two in the UK, and one each in Egypt and Australia. More locations coming soon, none of them in my country. :-(

Which is why they should have all laws available on the Espresso systems I saw earlier being used in Britain for publishing on demand, at bookstores. They should be updated daily with changes to the law.

Do you mean something like this? http://www.ondemandbooks.com/home.htm

I don't know about you, but I like reading paper books and e-books. It depends on the topic, my location, and how I feel.

Waiting 10 minutes at the library for a 'paper book', rather than hunting for hours online or spending my own money would be nice.

But, hasn't anyone thought through the practical aspects of this technology? With limited space at a library, where do you keep all of the books you've printed once they are read and returned? Or do you get to keep the book at taxpayer expense? And if you keep it, should the library have to print it out again at taxpayer expense when the next patron wants the same book? And does the library have room to store this huge machine? And why spend $50,000 on this machine when you can get these books in electronic format in the first place?

IMHO, I have little faith in this technology, or this company. Check out their website: http://www.ondemandbooks.com/ -- its sorta pathetic. And the videos of the product in action...are in .mov format!!!! WTF? This makes me question their whole business decision making process and openness to the copyleft movement.

I'm surprised the writeup didn't include the manufacturer's website, which includes a Quicktime movie of the machine in operation. It's a pretty neat-looking machine, though considerably larger than the "ATM for books" illustration that they came up with for the news story would suggest—about the size of one of those huge printers that sit behind the counter at Kinko's.

I'm surprised the writeup didn't include the manufacturer's website, which includes a Quicktime movie of the machine in operation. It's a pretty neat-looking machine, though considerably larger than the "ATM for books" illustration that they came up with for the news story would suggest—about the size of one of those huge printers that sit behind the counter at Kinko's.