Slashdot Mirror
eBooks - What's Holding You Back?
blueZ3 asks: "It seems that the readers of Slashdot are the most likely early adopters of electronic books, but from posts I've seen here, it doesn't appear that many on Slashdot are e-book fans. In the hopes of sparking a discussion, I'd like to ask what keeps you personally from reading e-books?"
"Here are some of my guesses as to why people haven't taken up e-Books:
1. Form factor: They just prefer the feel and 'interface' of a paper book.
2. Lack of a compelling device (or perhaps lack of convergence): They don't own a reader (other than a PC or notebook) and can't take them with them.
3. Lack of content: Books they are interested in aren't available in electronic format
4. Distribution model: They don't like the DRM scheme their favorite publisher offers, or are otherwise unhappy with current offerings.
Maybe lively discussion from a prospective set of customers might spur the creator of the next generation of electronic book devices. Too bad the name 'iBook' is already taken."
What reason do you have for not taking up e-Books? Are they listed above or are there other reasons that you would like to add?
1. Form factor: They just prefer the feel and 'interface' of a paper book.
2. Lack of a compelling device (or perhaps lack of convergence): They don't own a reader (other than a PC or notebook) and can't take them with them.
3. Lack of content: Books they are interested in aren't available in electronic format
4. Distribution model: They don't like the DRM scheme their favorite publisher offers, or are otherwise unhappy with current offerings.
Maybe lively discussion from a prospective set of customers might spur the creator of the next generation of electronic book devices. Too bad the name 'iBook' is already taken."
What reason do you have for not taking up e-Books? Are they listed above or are there other reasons that you would like to add?
I'd like to ask what keeps you personally from reading e-books?
Lack of content and overreaching DRM. The selection of devices doesn't help either.
I'm a big fan of Baen's online books. They're quick to purchase, and simple to download to a Palm Pilot. And should you need to file again, you can easily redownload it from your "personal library" feature on Baen's site. Not to mention that they give away free books to get you hooked on new series.
Downloading to my Sony Clie was the perfect way to read eBooks, too. The backlight was pure white, the fonts were crisp, and the scroll-wheel on the side meant that I could hold the device in a pistol-grip in my palm rather than balancing it between my thumb and finger-tips so that I can thumb the up/down buttons on the front. (Sony screwed this up in later models, BTW. They replace the up/down buttons with a wheel, and eliminate the wheel on the side.)
The Clie wasn't so good for technical books (the layout is screwed), but for fiction it was great! I could stand on the bus and read without the difficulties of trying to turn the page on a paperback with one hand. Plus, the Clie fit in my pocket much easier than a paperback, and wouldn't lose its place when I needed to stash it away quick so that I don't miss my stop.
The only real problem I had was that I ran out of content. Baen has some great books, but they're no Simon & Schuster. I looked into other sites, but it was just too much pain and anguish for me to want to bother with. Most sites had a poor selection (though I have noted that selection has been improving lately), limited you to DRM formats (most of which don't work on a Palm Pilot), overcharged for their titles, and just generally hassled the consumer as if he was a theif who should feel honored to have limited access to stuff he paid for.
Thanks, but no thanks.
More publishers should pay attention to Jim Baen. Not only does he release titles you buy in open formats; not only does he give away free books; but he bundles CDs with many hardcover books that are chock-full of eBooks (such as the entire Honor Harrington series). In addition, the license on the CDs state that you can make copies and give them away to friends and family. No restrictions, as long as you're not making a profit.
Now THAT, is how you grow a business. Not by treating the customers like criminals, but by treating them like valued friends. =)
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Let's see. First is the ridiculously high upfront cost for a device that even allows me to read an ebook (yes, I know about cheap PalmOS devices and Project Gutenberg--I'm talking about commercially available ebooks). Second is that DRM-laden ebooks typically cost the same or more than an equivalent dead-tree version. Third, I like being able to walk up to my bookshelf and grab a book to loan to a friend. Don't get me wrong, there are some things that I think ebooks are perfect for (namely, a reference library). But when points 1, 2, and 3 are taken into account, I'll continue purchasing the dead-tree variety.
This guy's the limit!
e-books, what's holding me back?
I think there's a general misconception by the idiots making decision in their conference rooms about rolling out these products. They clearly have misidentified their priorities as technology first, customer experience second (if that). Invariably the emphasis is wrapped around protecting content to the detriment of any pleasure and easy-to-use experience for customers. As long as the e-book industry continues down this path (and all other future e-media) the long term impact is negative for the content providers. It only takes one or two disasters (reader stops working, customer can't get the "rights" transferred to new reader, etc.) for customers to pretty much wash their hands of the experience.
Other than that, it's all good.
I know this list closely matches the article's prediction... but it bears repeating... (I actually wrote up my list before going to the "read more", unaware the read more had the list.)
I, personally, like real books to ebooks. The portability of the paper book is a lot better than my laptop. There a few pound difference between them. Also, books require no batteries or AC power.
My favorite part about books, it that you can put them on your bookshelf. That way people think that you're deep and intuitive because you read pretty, leather-bound books. It also creates an ambience that ebooks just can't.
There are a few reasons in my case:
1) Paper is easier on my eyes.
2) Paper makes it easier to rapidly flip pages.
3) Most of the e-books I have are PC based. This means that I have to keep switching windows if I am reading a technical book while I am working.
E-Books are nice because I can carry them around without all of the bulk of paper, so I usually keep a few with me if I'm working on something away from my bookshelf, but otherwise, I tend to stick with paper.
Everything I need to know I learned by killing smart people and eating their brains.
And turning pages. Yeah....
I look at a computer monitor all day. When I relax with a book, I want a non-screen-refreshing, non-light-emitting way to read. It really makes my eyes feel better that way.
Baen if I'm nice and and amule if I'm nasty.
Would i ever buy a PDF? Maybe. Would I ever buy a DRM'd book? Not if my life depended on it. A book with worse limitations than paper is not useful, now or ever.
The answer is give up on mainstream eBook products.
I have several gripes with eBooks.
The first is that many are just PDF conversions of regular books, and you have to have a large, high-resolution screen to view everything in full detail. I want something that fits on a small screen.
Second, paper is much easier to read. If I stare at a computer screen, intently focused as I tend to be when I'm reading for absorption and retention, for the amount of time it takes to read that in a paper book, not only have I wasted more time with scrolling and futzing with controls and commands, but I also have a lot more eye strain. With a book, minor adjustments are innate motor functions, and there's no refresh rate to contend with and no strain from backlighting.
Third, books are much more durable than any eReader device will ever be able to claim to be. Stuff it in the front pocket of your bag or backpack and the eReader will have a broken screen in a few weeks. The book will simply develop some dents or curvature.
...DAMN there goes the battery.
I'm definitely in the book-as-UI camp. Books have pages, which I prefer to turn versus using a scrollwheel, and they work wherever there's sufficient light.
An additional factor would be comfort when reading. I prefer to recline when reading and my desktop doesn't really offer the ability to pick it up and lay down on the couch with a good novel. I could do this with my laptop, but I think it would be uncomfortable.
Still, with a plan, you only get the best you can imagine. I'd always hoped for something better than that. -CP
Those are all good reasons. I certainly don't want to be tethered to a computer just to read a book. The wife already gets upset if I take the laptop to the crapper. I suppose if there were a reader with exceedingly high resolution, long battery life and the cost was negligible I might be tempted. However, this magic device doesn't exist.
I also like to let people borrow my books. I don't see this being that easy with ebooks in our DRM'ed world
All in all, ebooks strike me as being like tablet PCs--kinda neat, but they don't really offer a benefit that makes their drawbacks worth it.
A publicly traded company exists solely to make profits for shareholders.
I've purchased one e-book. I'm an experienced and sophisticated computer user.
I cannot get adobe acrobat to authenticate so I can download the actual book. I log in at adobe's site, it tells me that my copy of acrobat is authenticated and then when I try to open the book it tells me that my copy of acrobat is not authenticated and that I must authenticate before I can access my book. I've reinstalled acrobat and re-authenticated more times than I can to remember.
So I say Fuck e-books! Dead trees forever.
I will have to agree with Yagu on a couple points.
1) Price - non-free eBooks are way too expensive. Free eBooks are not as comprehensive in selection.
2) Device - the Sony eBook Reader looks to be the end-all, be-all of eBook readers, so I was going to look into that when it arrives in April. It would be interesting to see if the new Origami devices can handle multiple eBook formats. Although since it has a full OS on there you could just up your favorite eBook ready software.
Anyways, once these two things are fixed, I could get heavily into eBooks instead of paperback.
On a side note, I did buy the reader from eBookWise and I like it. It is only greyscale and only reads a few formats (not including PDF or images), but it is nice for simple eBooks and Word Docs. I got this until something better comes along.
Z
2+2=5 for extremely large values of 2
and that includes sunny days.
I like to be able to throw a book in my bag to read on the train. I like to read whilst relaxing on my bed. I like to read in the bath. I don't want the risk of damaging my expensive e-book reader, or it running out of batteries when I've reached a good bit. I want to be able to lend a book to a friend, which with DRMed e-books is a practical impossibility (can't just pop it in an envelope and say "enjoy it!"). I like seeing my books lined up on my shelf. I want to be able to know I'll be able to read my books in a few years without having to worry if I'm authenticated, or I have the right hardware...
I guess I'm just old-fashioned like that.
And tomorrow the stock exchange will be the human race
Burning e-books with offensive material isn't as satisfying as burning paper books that offend me!
1. it's just easier to flip through a book and jump around then it is with an ebook.
:)
:) - I just don't like viewing things of this nature on the computer screen.
2. if i'm printing out the ebook i'd just adding to the time/cost and end up with a book that's 8 1/2" by 11" (larger than a regular book and only printed on one side), that just defeats the purpose.
3. i also like to get away from a computer. i'm already on a computer at least 10 hours a day with work and everything, reading a book is a nice way to get away from that
4. cant fold over pages, highlight for easy retrieval (i'm sure there's similiar tasks in an ebook - but with the physical book it logs better in my memory - i would see myself getting lost if having multiple ebooks on the same topic)
5. Screen dimensions - books are portrait, monitors are landscape - when i open up a PDF of a book it's always cut off and its actually really aggrivating
Personally whenever I get a PDF the first thing I do is print it out (at work so it's their dime to print
I'm a librarian who specializes in audio/blended learning, so I guess I'm supposed to be an advocate of this sort of thing. And of course, I msut concede that there are benefits to books being available in formats other than paper, and that they are helpful to people who learn differently, etc. etc. The truth, however, is that I absolutely hate not having a physical book in front of me. Many of the reasons behind this have been listed above; there are the DRM restrictions as well as the expense of purchasing a portable reading device to contend with. Additionally, considering that I spend 8+ hours a day at work staring at a computer screen, I sometimes find it somewhat refreshing to not be tethered to technology for a little while and to just relax on the window-seat with a book, a cat, and a cup of tea. I'm certainly not technophobic, but the portability and permanence of a normal, paper book is just something I don't know that I feel can be replaced.
Is all I need to start reading. I have read the Tarzan series, the Venus series, the Barsoom series, from Edgar Rice Burroughs, all in plucker format.
I have read Doctor Who books downloaded from BBC website in plucker format.
Three Musketeers books 1 & 2
And several others.
Currently, I have a Dell Axim, but am going to be getting a Nokia 770, mainly for the screen size, and the fact that there is already a Plucker reader. ( Or I can help make one.)
Scott Carr
I've got a very nice e-book reader on my PDA, actually potentially three of them, but two are so crippled as to be esentially useless.
.LIT format- it's damned hard to find free or even cheap e-books in that format (I personally see no reason why any e-book should cost more than the paperback equivalent- and preferably a lot less).
.txt reader I've got is Pocket Word and Pocket Notepad, neither of which designed for anything close to the task and both have horrible page scrolling controls that have a tendency to change the text.
1. It's a WinCE PDA, so of course it's a surprise that Microsoft Reader is one of those rare "Microsoft did it right" applications. Unfortuneately, nice as the UI is, they fscked it up with their DRM'd
2. I also have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed- unfortuneately the version I have has no "reformat to fit screen" option, and most PDFs are designed to be read or printed to 8.5x11 paper- not exactly a format readable when zoomed down to fit on a 240x320 screen. I'm stuck with either side scrolling (not something you want to do with an e-book) or trying to read 4x4 pixel characters on the screen (also not possible, though quite entertaining seeing what happens to certain fonts when shrunk to that size).
3. I also of course have Pocket IE installed- but that's the same problem as Adobe Acrobat, minus the zoom feature. Good for reading smartly designed HTML 1.0 files that don't have any tags more complex than paragraph and line break, horrible for anything else.
Worse yet, the only
So that's my list- not horribly useful, though I do carry around the standard set of Microsoft Rights-Free books.
SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
Last year, I bought an e-book reader for my ex-wife. She is an avid reader. I thought that I saw that it could be made to work with Linux easily. What a joke that was. It was wasted money. Now, I tell ppl to not buy a dedicated reader until they sort out the issues over DRM and clients. Sadly, That has cost that company about 25 sales, with more to come.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
What's holding me back? Everything. That such a product exists is completely beyond me. The disadvantages above are just a few of an infinitely-long list of complete flaws. They really are a dumb idea, when there is *NOTHING* wrong with a book, which are just *PERFECT*. They are a proven and timeless form of communication that will *never* be obsoleted, just as we will never live on the moon, drive flying cars or have robotic teachers at our children's schools. Wake up. There is technology that improves our lives (iPods) and there is technology of uninspired science fantasy that not only would never actually function, but more importantly we will never need (keys fitted with an RFID tag - I am perfectly capable of finding my keys myself, the RFID tag could never tell me I left them at the coffee shop, but if I *was* worried about losing them I would use a code).
So answer my question: Why the asdf would I ever want an 'eBook'?
it's tougher to take my ebook into the crapper
2) You can't lie on the couch and comfortably read an ebook.
3) The form factors for ebook readers suck.
4) The display quality of ebook readers suck.
5) You can't just pull an ebook off of the bookshelf and read it.
Its a simple matter of resolution. Typical photographic and typographic prints are 300+ dpi. A LCD screen is usually between 72-100 dpi.
It was the eBookwise reader that sux so bad.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Why? Books are inexpensive, durable, don't break, are replaceable for minimal cost, don't care if you fall asleep while reading and drop the book off the bed or couch, never need recharging or batteries, recover from water, don't require a Microsoft tax, store for years without bad effect - where exactly is the downside?
ebooks basically are inconvenient and a complete waste of attention and time to maintain as a format - yet another device to have break and fail, and yet more data to try and back up and be able to recover despite digital rights crap.
The only thing keeping me from really "adopting" ebooks is that I can rarely justify paying $20-30 for a text file, especially if I get some DRM-controlled binary blob that depends on a special device to read it. The only ebooks I've purchased are a half-dozen bible translations for the Palm.
It's just impossible for people to read from a monitor without increasing their stress. You just can't stare at a florescent light or itty bitty neon lights or itty bitty LED lights for hours on end without your brain realizing there's got to be something better to look at.
Either they can figure out a way to light a screen with natural sunlight, or they can create true electronic ink. No reflection like cheap LCD. No backlighting like expensive LCD. No light emission like LED/plasma. We need the ambient light to bounce off a primarily white surface and refract naturally into our eyeballs.
It someone hands me a tablet approximately the size of a paperback, let's say maybe 5" x 4", makes it as thin and light as possible (1" and 5 lbs would probably be the maximum allowed) and gives me a way to load any kind of rich-text format onto it, I will buy one...I'll buy ten...I will throw piles of money at them, and spent the next few weeks of my life copying every single digital document I have onto whatever memory card the device uses.
I have been trying to replace the book in my life for about ten years. I tried Palm (to small, too dim)...I tried PocketPC (too small, too bright)...I tried laptops...(to huge, too bright) I tried Tablet PCs...(ugh, what a turd that design is).
My only hope is that new portable reader Sony has been working on that they are releasing in Japan. If Lik-Sung offers one, I'll probably buy it. Of course, I may have to wait for someone to crack whatever stupid eBook format it uses to allow me to load my own content.
Or maybe Apple will create a real iBook and do for literature what they did for music. Pleeeeeeeeeease?
-JoeShmoe
.
-- I wonder which will go down in history as the bigger failure: the War on Drugs or the War on Filesharing
The right question is, for those people who are using ebook technology, why are you doing it? If someone wants to get a book, they can find it anywhere in real book format. It's well understood, easy to use, it's something most have us have been comfortable with since the age of 6-7.
I'm guessing the people who use ebooks do so because
- They want to try out the new format
- They need highly portable references which happen to be published in ebook formats and perhaps other portable devices like a laptop are too clunky or unavailable.
- They want to save shelf space? This doesn't seem very valid as one would imagine a small percentage of books are published as ebooks and most non reference books are read once materials anyway so you either don't need to keep them or do because you like have a shelf full of books.
- Improved searchability of references? This is a neat aspect, BUT an electronic version of a "BOOK" format is not an optimal electronic reference. For example, most knowledge webs link between related information while a book is far more linear/narrative.
Any other reasons? Usability perks? If you're sitting at an airport with wireless, can you just buy and download a book instantly right from your reader?Ask anyone who archives material
Music
Cyclanders -> 78s -> LPs -> 8 Track -> cassettes -> CD -> mp3
Any digital based media...
If the format ever changes the old formats are usless.
With out books our civilization would be lost. It is bad enough we are going to lose our music, pictures, and movies.
Just because it is digital does not make it good.
I use to have the Rocket eBook many moons ago. It was actually excellent to read at night or in dim lighting... no need for a booklight!
- However, you couldn't read outside because of the glare.
- You couldn't read in the bath or on the beach because... well, the thing was friggin $300.
- You couldn't get "used" books on it for cheaper.
- Books cost about as much for it as they did hardback, which is expensive.
- I dropped it once and had to pay $75 to get the screen replaced. I drop a book and its fine.
- Not all books were available for it (when they actually made books for it that is)
I don't see eBooks replacing books any time soon.
The perfect ebook reader would be something like a hybrid of the Young Lady's Illustrated Primer in Neal Stephenson's book Diamond Age and Nintendo's GameBoy SP.
An ebook reader should have:
That's just some of the things I would like in an ebook reader.
"All you have to do is be fragile and grateful. So stay the underdog." Chuck Palahniuk, Choke
I rarerly purchase any books new, mostly because I enjoy the experience of used book stores. There is nothing quite like paying 1/8th of the cover price or less for a good book.
As a geek, books are something I turn to when I am trying to escape from the daily grind. Since my daily grind involves computers, I like to step away from the screen to escape.
Also, I have never had to reboot a book.
I'm a happy pessimist. I expect and prepare for the worst, when it doesn't happen I am pleasantly surprised.
When I buy hardcopy, I can:
... not a good idea
1. use it in the bath - do that with an ebook
2. leave bookmarks in it that are stylish
3. leave it on top of my espresso machine while I steam a latte cause it's so light
4. give it to my friend, my girlfriend, my son, sell it at a garage sale, trade it at my library
5. use it to make paper airplanes
6. throw it at someone without trying to hurt them (paperback only, let's be careful out there.
But the REASON I refuse to buy ebooks comes down to one thing, and one thing only, Digital Rights Management.
I bought the book, it's NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS what I do with it.
[apologies to all my author friends, even ones recently deceased like Octavia Butler]
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
The question is -- why should I switch? The only reason I can think of is to read off-copyright books for free, instead of having to go to the library. There's no price advantage for current books, no space concern (a full bookshelf makes me look smart), no portability advantage, certainly no readability advantage. So why should I switch?
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
Okay, I've seen lots of reasons so far why ebooks suck, so I'll toss in a few things I like about them.
Device: I tend to read ebooks on my Pocket PC, which I tend to have along with me most of the time. At any given time I have 8 or 10 novels loaded (some are just favourites, others are new that are 'in queue). I enjoy reading, so having a mini-library with me comes in handy when I have a few minutes to kill (gassing up my car, waiting on lines, etc). I personally don't seem to have any problems with eye-strain, but as always YMMV. The screen is quite legible in sunlight, and I like the added bonus of being able to read in the dark without turning on a lamp.
Software: I like the Palm reader, available from Peanut Press (it goes by another name now, but I can never remember as they've changed a few times). To me, the prices aren't all that bad as I look at it as a trade-off....no physical copy, but I can re-download anything I've bought when I like, and my bookshelf is available to me anywhere I have an internet connection. The books are DRM'd, but it's not a particularly onerous form of DRM (again, IMO). The key to unlock the book is the credit card number you used to pay for the book. I've had no problems moving books from one device to another, and it's a fairly easy way to remember the code (I just look at my card). For those that like to loan out their books, I can see that being a problem, but I don't tend to loan many out myself. I suppose though that if it's someone you trust with your CC number, you could do it that way (I'm not recommending this though).
You can also software to format text files in the Palm format (do with that information what you will).
Anyway, I enjoy them, and while they're far from perfect you may find them worth looking into.
Some bring out the best in others, some the worst. Some bring out far more.
I am not willing to pay a hardback book price for an ebook. If an ebook were 1/4 the price of a hardback book (or paperback book if the book is in paperback), I would consider it. And I am not willing to try to use an ebook in some closed or proprietary format that I won't be able to use in a few years when formats and technologies change.
I have been reading free ebooks from memoware.com on my Palm IIIxe (using the free and simple text reader CSpotRun) for years. Most of these books are from Project Gutenberg, so they are from before 1925, but there are a lot of good stories that are still interesting and/or relevant now. Reading a book on a Palm Pilot is not completely practical, but I have read "War and Peace" that way and it's manageable.
I read lots of ebooks on my Palm Tungsten W. At the moment I'm re-reading the complete works of E. A. Poe (first time I read I's too young to perceive all the nuances).
Now, most of my ebooks come from Memoware, a site dedicated to free ebooks (and they have an extensive list of titles).
Plus, they have a store as well, where you can buy titles that are not public domain yet.
I also download free ebooks from the Project Gutenberg from Many Books, a site that converts plain text files from PG to a range of PDA readers' formats.
Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant!
Most of the books I read are references, as an engineer I mark up texts, making notes or re-writing equations. It is hard to earmark, highlight, or otherwise deface an eBook in such a way that helps me digest the material and assists me in future work. It is also easier to flop a book down on the desk next to me and read it, rather than alt-tabbing between a book and my work.
But the marking up issue is the biggest in my book (pun not intended). Handwritten notes are a killer.
A: Copy protection. Next question.
Seriously, though, I use eBooks all the time; I just get them from here or anywhere else that doesn't try to limit what I can do with them in any way whatsoever. It's my hardware, I'll do whatever I please with it, and that includes copying your copyrighted material; if you don't like that, tough: you shouldn't have released it. I'll pay you if I think it's worth it. If you don't like that either, you should have asked for money up front.
Nathan's blog
or use lots of energy that would be better used in providing light in the first place.
and ebooks can't be thrown at cats.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
The generic e-book cost the same as a general paper back, I can't say to a friend here go read this kool book with out also lending them my $XXX device as well... That for stories.
But I know a lot of professional who would love these for references if they came in a 8x10 2 page format for a reasonable price i.e. $1000-$1500, nothing to fancy they just need long battery life (12-24h) maybe 1 inch thick, (this is not unrealistic with the technology that is out there I have looked it is just the e-paper will cost you something like $10,000usd and well I think that is a bit much)... but you are looking at $3000 for a 4x6 development kit and I a guessing that translates to well we will go conservative $500 for a final device.
As for me though I prefer audio books http://www.audible.com/, often these are less then the paper back versions and for my reference book, well when the computer is not working or I need something quick nothing bets the reliability of a dead tree with printing on it. (I might change my mind if the above device was available)
I think eBooks are wonderful tools when we can really use them in a truly electronic fashion. As a D&D gamer, if I'm not gaming at home, it's really inconvenient to haul all the books with me. When I've been able to get copies that have been scanned, OCR'd, and put into some kind of format, I've found it to be really useful to haul a laptop with me to look up stuff, instead of hauling all 50+ lbs. of books I have.
That said, I really don't have much use for them when I'm not travelling or in the hospital (with limited space) or any other kind of inconvenient situation. When I can sit in a chair, on my sofa, or even lie in bed with an actual book, it is much easier to read and focus on what I'm reading. As mentioned elsewhere, fears of dropping my laptop are definitely frustrating, as is the resolution for reading.
I really don't care about DRM, but honestly, I would love it if after I buy a book, I get authorisation to download the electronic copy, and that hopefully when they make errata changes, I can find them included in the electronic copy (which will hopefully be made off the prep for the next printing). Of course, seriously annoying DRM is a turn-off. (Not use a code in the book to download, but use a code in the book to read the eBook? Or even better, let me download it all of once, so when my HD fails, I'm screwed.)
Linux - because it doesn't leave that Steve Ballmer aftertaste.
Most importantly, books are pretty much perfect - they are very easy to read (typography-wise), don't have batteries, only degrade gradually, instead of breaking catastophically; you can spread several around you, you can open them on the page you want and they'll stay there, you can underline important words or scribble in the margin with a pencil. You can choose between a new, expensive book, or a slightly damaged much cheaper used one. You can get them from libraries. You can read them away from the computer and its infinite distractions; in fact, you can read them on the train, in bed, in bath, etc.
In short, what more could I want? It seems to me that those handheld eBook devices can only aspire to become as good as actual books. And as long as they're not there yet, why switch?
Something like O'Reilly's Safari bookshelf has something that you don't get with paper books: an extreme amount of them for an affordable price. However, you still need to read them at your computer, and to me that means it's only usable for quick lookup stuff - I can't concentrate on a long, hard book for long enough behind a computer.
I believe posters are recognized by their sig. So I made one.
That said, unfuck orielly, I subscribe to safari.
Let me turn the question around. Can e-books provide any benefit whatsoever to the user that they could not get just as well from plain HTML text and images? I'd argue not.
I guess it is worth repeating here.
a lzis_ol.html
>3. Lack of content: Books they are interested in aren't available in electronic format
Generally, this is it. I am a fan of eBooks, not because I prefer that over a real book, but because it fits my lifestyle better. I can read in places I wouldn't have a book handy, carry more with me, take a few minutes here a few more there...
The problem is getting the content. I am not rabid for or against DRM, I understand both sides of the issue. I don't have a *real* preference for a reader I just use what I have on my PDA (although PDF format on a PDA blows donkeys, but that is another stopry).
Look at this:
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/02/22/sequel_to_sc
In spite of this being an author who is (apparently) pro-ebooks, you can't find much of his published work in that format. Pity, I find myself more and more turning to electronic books (and more recently--magazine subscriptions!) since it simply fits my lifestyle better. Do I miss the 'feel' of reading a good book? Hell, yes and I indulge myself when I can, but sadly that is far less often than I like. Someone already mentioned Fictionwise.com, they are an excellent place to start looking for content.
Lastly (and most on topic) look here:
http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=4346#more-4346
"Biggest complaints were about the costs of e-books, lack of enough titles, and, yes, DRM and format hassles."
Reading something that is supposed to engage your imagination for a long amount of time on an electronic screen is really really awful. So I personally will never read a fiction e-book. I generally won't read non-fiction either. I will always print out technical papers and dense material. The only exceptions are short and easier to read pieces - tutorials, Wikipedia, etc. If the material is too dense, it's too hard to read. But if it reads like a chat, or communication instead of Information, then reading on a computer is okay.
I mean, let's face it: paper is clearly the superior technology. There's no real advantage to ebooks except to increase the quantity of media - and we have enough shitty books already. The only function they could really serve is already taken up by the Internet - and that is distributing works by "unknowns" to a target audience. Having ebooks doesn't help these people because the only things ebooks have over current technology is portability and DRM - and I'm willing to bet that when "ebooks" become portable enough to be useful, so will laptops.
eBooks is just one of those 1960 science fiction ideas that seems obvious, but in reality is never going to be something people actually use. Like flying cars.
Did you ever notice that *nix doesn't even cover Linux?
1. DRM
I do NOT like being locked into one format. While it's true that I've been using Palm PDA's for years, that could easily change, and an investment in DRM's eBooks would be useless.
2. Form factor of reader
Again, my PDA of choice is PalmOS-based. Using a Tungeten T3 in its "extended" mode makes reading easy, but I still like paper. I'm looking at a Tungsten T|X, but it really is the same as the T3.
I'd really like a PDA that would be pocketable, yet have a larger display--maybe something along the lines of a T|X in size, but with a clamshell, double-fold, dual display. Is this nuts, or would this work?
My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!
I hate reading long texts on a digital display - it just makes my eyes tired. Until digital paper that has similar viewing characteristics as real paper & ink can be used, I'll stick with paper.
The pricing models are absurd as well. There's just no way I can justify paying as much (or in some cases more) for an eBook when it's "just" data than I pay for a nicely bound and printed paper edition.
The absolute and only texts that I currently work with electronically are references/working books. Anything I'm reading for fun - that's paper, and likely will stay paper until such time as I can have an eBook+eReader that is easy on the eyes, priced reasonably, and I can curl up in a comfy chair with.
Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
Nothing at all.
Unfortunately not the legal ones. Even though I buy books often, paper, I'm not going to pay for some DRMed file. If they offered it to me in HTML for a few dollars (say 2-3) I'd buy many of the books, as long as they came with no DRM at all. I don't buy DVDs, software or music because of DRM.
As it is IRC and google are my friends, I can find preety much any book I spot in a minute or so, it's actually more convinient than buying from a website.
Having something nice to read them on is essential.
ebooks are also great because I'm allergic to dust, so often the library books that I want I can't read.
The Pocket PC is a nice reading tool, but it's still just not quite up to the paperback experience. The screen only holds about 30% of the text from a paperback page at a time, and I have noticed some slight eyestrain after reading for more than an hour, which I do not experience with traditional books. Plus I will not pay the same price as a paper book for a DRM-hobbled e-book.
At the moment, 95% of my books come from my local public library. I can order books online from a huge library catalog and have them ready for pickup in two days. Thus there is little incentive for me to pay for e-books. I do keep about 20 books on the Pocket PC, for times where I have to wait in a line or have some other "downtime".
I expect Ebooks to be successful useful and valuable
For Reference Volumes
For works of Rarity
For works of Obscurity
For Items where interfacing with the original would damage it irreperably, but the exact format of the original must be maintained
I do not expect Ebooks to be successful
For casual Reading
For Volumes that are easily Replaced or Lendable
Food not Bombs is a nice platitude but it breaks down when you notice that the Bombees are usually well fed
I'm a reader. I like books. You know, the physical objects. I like the way they fit into my hands, I like the way they smell, I like the way I can stack them, I like the way in which having many of them leads to having quite an impressive looking library, where I can walk past the shelves and relive memories and randomly pick one up and leaf through the pages and remember. I like the ways they don't use electricity, I like the way I can read them in bath without worrying, I like the way I can fall asleep with them, I like the way I don't have to worry about them being stolen, and above all I like the way they will last me forever. I expect that, barring a catastrophe like a major fire, 99% of the books I own will outlive me, and will remain readable during and beyond my lifetime. eBooks... *shakes his head* there's just no way they could ever come close. There _already_ are eBook formats that were introduced just a few years ago which currently are currently pretty much unreadable. There are already eBook services which have gone out of business (and good riddance too!), causing their early adopting customers no end of trouble if they ever want to switch devices or re-authenticate and all that other DRM crap. There is every indication that not a single current format or implementation of eBooks will outlast the next decade. There is no way I'm going to be tricked into having to continuously upgrade my entire library to "the next format" like music and video had/have going. There are times I would like an electronic copy of a book. These times are 1) when I'm travelling for a long time, having spots of 10 minutes here or there to read (an eBook device here would save space over carrying multiple books, and because of the short amount of time, my eyes probably won't complain too much about the screen), but mostly 2) when I quickly want to look up a quote or specific scene, and so will want the ability to _search_ the electronic text. Unfortunately, from what I've seen, the interface for the latter is usually severely lacking. The one strength eBooks have, and they cripple it with DRM... *shakes his head* Give me plain text - completely free of DRM - eBooks, which I can grep through and which cost at most 10% of the real-world paperback version, and I'll probably buy my entire library in that format, just for searching and for having a "backup". (Yes, I know I could download such of usenet or p2p programs right now - but that's just too much effort.) That's pretty much the only scenario in which I could ever see myself adopting eBooks though, and really, it'd be only as a supplement to real-world books.
I view the notion of e-books analogous to the upcoming (and present) movie format wars. Right now, I may own a movie on a format as old as VHS. Some I have on DVD. Maybe I want PSP or iTunes versions. If I want the ability to watch ONE movie on all of the aforementioned hardware players, I have to buy N copies of it, once per format.
/.-ers sit around the computer all day at "work." Sometimes, I just want to divorce myself from a desk and a computer for a while. Even if it is a technical book or manual, it's nice to be able to just thumb through it on the couch.
Books strike me as similar. Through most publishers, you can _either_ buy the e-book format or the physical copy; and you only have rights to one format. Especially in the case of books, you should be purchasing a specific collection of organized information, not the medium that contains it. I would gladly buy an e-book version if the physical book were shipped to me later.
Aside from this, the notion of buying "used" e-books is almost nonsensical. However, for students, used textbooks have a huge market, and involve the savings of quite a bit of money. If I purchase a book in electronic format for almost (if not the same) price, I cannot recover any of that cost at a later date.
Lastly, most of us
for fiction and some nonfiction, books are just better. just face it and move on. when people read fiction they tend to read one at a time. you can create a paper thin diplay thats as good as any lcd display, sell it for 10$, and have a battery that lasts forever but if its just for fiction no one will buy it. evfar.
but fur everything else... a document distribution and management framework combined with a flash based tablet that runs on AA batteries and linux, 7 inch screen. call it the NOTWEN (newton backwards). it needs wireless, bluetooth, bittorret, email, pdf reader, and mp3/ogg player, boot from SD and storage on a USB flashdrive. set up an effective gui for subscribing to online document libraries and getting updates to docuements delivered automaiticaly (RSS/bittorrent??). users will be able to set up corporate and personal document libraries and the device will mesh them together to help them manage access to written documents. its a PDA and a document organizer. my boss will get one and he wil leave it on his desk for weeks useing it as a digital picture frame, then he will pull it from the cradle and plug in his usb flash drive and read docs while riding to some meeting or use it to listen to podcasts.
no sig today, come back tomorrow
I like paper, and DRM makes information next to worthless even for my personal, non-pirate use.
My biggest annoyance with eBooks is that they generally are not available with the release of the hardcopy. You have to wait months (or forever) to see the eBook come out, which is ironic given that the book was almost certainly published from a digital source!
My second issue with them is that I generally would like to get both the hardcopy AND the elecronic version at the same time, but to do this I'd have to pay for the same content twice.
I have plenty of gadgets to view electronic books on, from handheld to desktop. The issue for me is the distribution model. Why is it that I can't get a free electronic version of the book I purchase in the store? Perhaps if they're greedy I'll give them five more cents to cover the cost of exporting the data to an eBook format, but paying full price a second time?
I do read ebooks on my computer, although I would like a decent sub $200 handheld reader(or a crappy $20 one).
But as long as publishers charge paperback prices for DRM-laden unreformatable files, I'll be grabbing the cracked versions with a relatively clean conscience(Relatively since after I read them, I usually buy the physical book, but I know most authors get about the same % as musicians).
Right now, the only ebooks I pay for come from Baen. And lately, they've been getting most of my other book dollars as well. I don't really take the publisher into consideration when buying an unknown author, but when I check out Baen's free book library, that gets me looking at the sample chapters of their new authors, which means their new authors get noticed when I'm at the store.
I'm just an evil bastard, and enjoy killing trees. I usually try to find books in the large print edition, just so it takes more paper.
I got this copy of The Hobbit when I was 16. I bought this copy of Dune at Haslams in St. Pete. I stole Thomas Covenant from my roommate in college. That history does mean something to me. Provides a continuity.
Easier, much, on the eyes, also.
I'm a cheap bastard.
I generally buy books after I've read them, If they entertained me, then I reward the author (and publishers) by buying the book. Otherwise I don't bother. I borrow books from people, or get them out of a library, it's rare that I buy books that I haven't already read (unless I have book tokens to waste, or there is a special offer on books by a favourite author).
This is what eBooks are lacking, I can't borrow them from other people, I can't go and get the out of the library for free. I have to buy them and THEN enjoy them, the amount of money isn't directly related to the amount of enjoyment I get out of them.
I do the same thing with all my media, I rent DVDs, then if the film is worth it, I buy it (it generally has to be awesome to get me to do this).
I borrow CDs off friends, and generally rip them to my computer, where they will sit for a while and get played occasionally. After a while I either buy the album, or delete the files. I buy a lot of music un-heard as well though so it's a slightly different case.
eBooks came too late, and they are DRMd so that I can't try them out without breaking the law, at the moment it's still much more convenient (they don't need re-charging, they are much less affected by variable light levels, smaller - I have a laptop, not a PDA) to get an actual book. And having a bookshelf which is overflowing, actually makes you look quite educated!
Other reasons include the fact that generally I read a book to get away from technology for a while - If I'm going to have a gadget in front of me I'm going to want to play with it, tweak it, work on it, take it apart, customise it, generally mess around with it, install linux on it, you get the idea. Books are more focussed in this respect
.sigs are for losers
The lack of killed trees killed in the process of publishing eBooks! but seriously though, here's my reason: I have no PDA or laptop so reading a SciFi eBook before going to sleep isnt really going to happen unless I move my 21" screen to the bedroom and that's not gonna happen. Although I am thinking about buying a UMPC when they come out. So I might start buying more eBooks when that happens.
In spite of this being an author who is (apparently) pro-ebooks, you can't find much of [Scalzi's] published work in that format.
You will soon. Scalzi's stuff will be included in Tor's move to Webscriptions.
Editor Emeritus and Senior Writer, TeleRead.org
In case Sony and other manufacturers have been living in a cave the last few weeks...the UMPC platform is here. I predict that it will eat ALL of e-book's lunch! Why pay $300-500 for an e-book reader when you can spend slightly more for a much more powerful device? Then again, on the flip side the battery usage of these readers can go on and on and on and on unlike the 3-hour usage that was recently reported. http://www.paperbackpc.com/forum/showthread.php?p= 16#post16/
1) I don't own any portable devices. I'm a poor college student.
2) There's no way I could stand reading a book from any kind of computer screen.
3) DRM can eat my ass.
Perception is the thin dividing line between reality and fiction.
Just like a regular book, but harder on the eyes. Possibly unreadable for your children due to obselesence. Can't be read if the batteries fail. If a publisher tried to build these "features" into a regular paperback, and charge more for it, they would be laughed out of the market.
In other words, just because you can apply a technology to something, doesn't mean you should.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
My books never have battery problems. I don't have to turn them off when planes are taking off and landing. I can loan them (and borrow them from) friends without onerous DRM hassles. They don't require a reader that marries me to a format or playback device. And frankly I read computer screens all day at work, I don't want to go home and do it.
"I have never won a debate with an ignorant person." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
(1) My eyes don't like monitors, both LCDs and CRTs. Maybe ePaper will be better, but right now regular paper is the best way to prevent them from hurting.
(2) Currently, only PDAs are as portable as books. Laptops and especially desktops are just too bulky. But this is overshadowed by...
(3) Books feel good. They have a cozy smell, and they're just fun. They're not going off the shelves anytime soon.
I didn't even know eBooks existed. So maybe the *problem* with them is a marketing one? But other than that I am open to the idea. I spend time online reading news, so reading an eBook can't be any harder on the eyes. But if the price of an eBook was anywhere near the price of a real book - no way! I'll stick to my free news thanks.
After coding for anywhere from 8-3x hours a stretch, if I am reading a book my favorite setting is in my backyard, sitting in a lawnchair with a nice glass of water holding a piece of bound paper in my hands without any extra beeps, bells, or whistles involved. Sometimes it's just nice to get away.
#5 - Lack of longevity
I have books that are well over 100 years old, some of them being one of a handful of copies known to exist. Nobody is going to convince me that any eBook I buy today will survive the test of time, especially with DRM preventing me from doing anything with it.
Plus, I can't stick an eBook in a copier, then pin up the photocopies on the wall and scribble on them while I work.
My biggest gripe about eBooks stem from the pricing model. They seem to run just about the same cost... But you are the only one who can read it (legally). But with a book, you give a copy of a good book to a friend and they enjoy it.
You are getting less functionality for the same price... only because its in paper and ink.
Victory is gained, not in knowing your opponents next move, but in preempting them.
Why would I want to read a book on my PC? If I am sitting at my computer, then I'd rather be playing a game or surfing the web or posting silly replies on Slashdot.
Ebooks lack portability, which sort of defeats the purpose of it being a book in the first place. I don't want to take my laptop into the bathroom, ya know?
I post my short stories online, but most of them can be read in 10 or so minutes. As far as downloading a full length book to read...well...screw that!
...All I can say is that my life is pretty strange...
I used to. At the peak I was maybe buying and reading maybe 100 books or more per year, mostly sci-fi. I stopped for a variety of reasons. Storage of books was a problem. eBooks would be ideal from a storage point of view. But I've been through several media format changes (video and music) where basically you lose your previous collection. I doubt very much I'd invest anything in something as ephemeral as digital media unless it was cheap enough to put it into the disposable entertainment range.
DRM done right is not a bad thing.. but the DRM on e-books (at least, those that I've had exposure to) is terribly implemented.
I bought (well, most were actually free, as in beer) some e-books through a promotion Microsoft was running a few years ago for the new version of their Reader software (similar to how there is the "free download of the week" on iTunes).
Read parts of some of the books, and all was good.
Then, I upgraded my computer, and I could no longer access the books that I legally acquired. E-mailing Microsoft tech support was fruitless - I still, to this day, cannot read these books.
Lesson learned. I'm staying away from e-books.. at least until I can be guaranteed that I'll never lose access to the books I legally acquired/purchased.
I am the maverick of Slashdot
I can't imagine this response is going to be very popular (hence the A.C.), but I've always just downloaded my ebooks from IRC channels. I know it's technically copyright infringement for me to do so, but I just don't feel that bad about it. I download the book in DRM-free HTML or txt, read it on my PDA once, delete the file, and go about my business. Sort of like the public library, except without the grouchy old lady at the front desk.
I know a lot of people will thumb their nose at this one, but I suggest this thought:
5. When we run out of oil to power our world, I'll still be able to read my real books?
Get thee to the bomb shelter...
-- Hey, what the hell, it's only slashdot..
>I make a point never to buy anything that's got DRM from them,
how? I looked for 15 minutes for a book from them that came in enough formats it had to be DRM free... wrong. at least 6 months ago if it was possible to find DRM free books their, it wasn't obvious.
I am not completly anti DRM, but I got a pocket PC app that plays many formats, I see the same format available at fictionwise, no go. I don't blame them, the formats need to have a seperate format name for DRM'd, and non-DRM content. The DRM as I saw it had nothing to do with not copying, it was about locking to a player. Some DRM mediaplayer crap I got did nothing to stop me from copying it from XP box to XP box, but it sure kept me from playing it on my otherwise compatible DVD player (well just the sound), and non XP computers. (same with the e-BOOKs.)
Ba-dum-bump!
Besides, dont want to shoot my eyes reading a 500 page DaVinci Code eBook on a bright TFT screen :=)
I actually wouldn't mind DRM e-books, if the price was significantly lower. An e-book I can't resell has to be no more expensive than buying the paperback second hand, and ideally cheaper than that.
I'd also like an e-book reader with e-ink display--but it has to have search, which the upcoming Sony reader lacks.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
I have heard that the erotic fiction market has carved out a niche with e-books, like Ellora's Cave and Sensorotika. Warning! Those links might not be safe for work...
I'm tough on books - especially paperbacks. I just finished Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged - 1K+ pages. I bought the book in Houston, it flew to Rio de Janeiro .br with me, got some sand and Atlantic Ocean water on it, was read while living in two different apartments, survived a caipirinha spill or two,spent a lot of time in the pool, was dropped or knocked off the nightstand several times, and is *still* in pretty good shape. ~And~ a .br cutie wrote her email address on the front cover.
Consider subjecting an eBook reader to this kind of trip... If it being stolen or lost wasn't enough of a concern to keep it state side, then just plain old non-durability would have.
Why I do not convert, nor am I likely ever to do so.... :)
I can mark/comment in the margin
I can loan it to a friend(s)
I can trade it
I can sell it
I can shelve it and read it again years later (technology changes in platforms, batteries, displays, etc. prevent this)
I can collect sets of them.
I can carry without fear of dropping it.
=====> I will NOT convert. (at least not very likely)
The Sony reader looks interesting but it doesn't have search?!?!?! I mean to me that's the whole point of ebooks. Also it'd be nice to have a good way to create an index/glossary, especially when you're reading something like Jordan where he likes to mention characters you read about 10 years ago.
Finger to spiritual emptiness underlying everything - pointer to void in a translated C manual
Back in '99, when I got my first Handspring Visor (with 8MB of RAM!) I tried reading books from Gutenberg on the device. I gave up and went back to paper. Here's why:
- Books don't need batteries.
- Books are instant on.
- Books show more of the surrounding text than any ebook reader I've seen. For some reason that's important to me. Just seeing a couple of sentences on the screen bugs me.
- Paper is easier to read than a (small) lcd screen.
- Paper doesn't come with insane DRM.
- If I leave a book on the train, I'm only out $5-$10.
- scrolling thru text on a reader / palm device is hard on my thumbs. Especially when you remember that you only see a couple of sentences at a time - I'm scrolling pretty much constantly.
There are a couple of very specific circumstances where a palm device is better. At night, for example, they're great with backlit screens for reading in low ambient light; or on a plane during cruise. But not during taxi/takeoff/last 20 mins of flight. Searching for specific quotes can be useful, too - but both these are pretty rare occurences.
-EvilMagnus
I've been a big ebook fan for some years now. As a Palm user, I'm pretty much limited to Adobe ebooks (at least when I comes to mainstream purchases from places like Amazon). Well, Adobe associates my purchases with whatever computer I happen to be using at the time of purchase. I get a new laptop and a new Palm about once per year, and I just found out that I've exceeded the number of computers I can activate under Adobe rules. I wasted a whole day trying to find a solution to my problem (I just bought Stephen King's new "CELL" and found I cannot read it -- locked out by Adobe's DRM). I finally found a number at Adobe that led me to one of those, what do you call it, "human beings." I explained my situation to him. I stressed that I'd been a loyal Adobe customer for years, and had my Amazon receipts to prove it. I mentioned all the rage I'd read on forums discussing other people's utter frustration with Adobe's hairbrained DRM scheme. I asked him to help me. He put me on hold (for about 3 days, I think) then came back and informed me that I was out of luck. Nothing he could do about it. I swear I'm not making this next part up: he then said "thank you for calling Adobe today, Mr. Eggenberger. Are you satisfied with the service I've provided you?" I chuckled, then informed him that yes, I was very happy! I couldn't imagine a better customer service experience, thanks! So here's where I am now - I've got hundreds of dollars worth of ebooks that I cannot read on my new laptop. I did not steal these books, as Abbie Hoffman might have encouraged me to do. I paid hard earned money for them, and now they sit on my hard drive as useless, steaming little piles of encrypted gibberish. Congrats, Adobe, you turned a paying customer into an active participant in the downloading and distributing of illegal e-books. Hope you don't miss the money I used to spend on your e-books!
I am not left-handed, either!
Every book that they list as 'Multiformat' is DRM free. Any book they list as 'Secure' has DRM. Simple.
The multiformat books are avalible in the DRM formats, but the DRM isn't used.
'Sensible' is a curse word.
I for one, enjoy ebooks. Although I prefer real books, I can install and read from dozens of books on my palm wherever I go. More convient than trying to carry a library around with me. However, recently my University has been making a push towards e-textbooks. They are limited in that they allow for limited printing, and some of them expire after a time period. I will never use an ebook for textbooks, only for general reading.
I don't care how much people hype them up -- eBooks are just plain ol' inferior to their dead-tree versions.
Namely:
- Lack of a single format/DRM scheme
- Lack of a good, cheap, player
- Portability. I can throw my paperbacks around. Leave them for others to use if they want to. I wouldn't be doing that with an expensive reader.
- I also don't need to worry if one of the books gets broken/ripped/stolen. I'll buy another one.
- REAL books are easier on the eyes. I can't stand staring at horrible looking text on a tiny screen.
- It's easier to open a REAL book to any given page, rather than having to scroll forward or backwards or try to navigate through any menus.
- As somebody else said, books have a history. An old book is like an old friend.
- Books are substantial. They have something to them. Something you can hold on to, feel, and smell.
No, the /. crowd isn't the most likely early adopters. WE're tech-savy.
What you're looking for is a bunch of people who'll buy the hype without thinking critically about the product. Find a place where managers and marketroids hang out instead.
There's nothing e-books have over normal books that exceeds the flaws of e-books compared to regular books! It's a solution in search of a problem.
You can read a lot of good example of this in the posts above, here's one I didn't see there yet:
I'll never have to change the batteries in a regular book.
You can't take the sky from me...
Those are all the major areas where current e-books are deficient for me. I like the concept of an e-book and am willing to pay real money (up to maybe $4K for a really nice one) but until they are as functional as regular books in most respects they are just not worth it. Right now they have one real advantage for me (easy portability for many books) and the above laundry list of disadvantages. The fact that e-book creators/sellers think they can intentionally add even more handicaps and raise the price of the books themselves just speaks to their greed and lack of market research.
To misquote the dead professor in _I, Robot_ (the movie):
``That, detective, is the wrong question.''
Why *should* I take up ebooks? What is the compelling case? Until there is a compelling case *for* switching, the reasons against aren't crucial, IMO.
I don't see the compelling case. There are environmental issues, but the biggest ones there have more to do with our book economy, which encourages inrcedible amounts of waste. If we only printed books that were worth having, instead of mass marketing thousands of worthless titles a month and having to dispose of the rest, there would be *far* less waste. (Yes, I realize we can have a huge debate about how to determine what books should be printed, and that ebooks would solve this; my point is simply that there are other ways to solve it as well.)
For me, personally? I like having some things online. But sometimes I want those things in paper as well as online, so offer me paper, digital, or both.
When ebooks have the convenience and price of paper books, ask me again.
Having said that, I will now answer the wrong question. 8^) Not exhaustively, but just some major issues for me off the top of my head.
I can read a book in the bathtub. Are any of the ebook readers waterproof? None I've heard of. (Then again, I don't pay that much attention. That compelling case thing.)
I can drop a book almost anywhere but into a fire or vat of acid and it'll survive. But the ebook isn't as hardy. (At least anything I can afford.)
I can loan, give or resell *any* book easily. With the legal nigtmares today over DRM, copyrights and everything else, I have no ieda what I can do with ebooks, and the rules change from title to title.
I don't get eyestrain from spending hours with books, as a rule. I might get a headache or cramps form sitting in one position, but that's easily solved. That's not the case with any sort of digital display I have used.
In many cases, I can spend more money and buy a book that should outlast several generaltions of my family and appeals to several of my senses, or I can buy a cheap paperback that will fall apart after a couple of readings and has less sensory appeal, or I can buy something inbetween. I like that flexibility.
I like the smell of a new book. Build that into your reader, OK?
A book is stone simple for serial reading, and not that hard (if less handy) for jumping around in. Any ebook UI will have to be as easy to use for the base case (serial reading, saving your spot, etc), and better for the other case (reread earlier section, find random stuff). Both are fairly easy to do, but being able to do both well and easily isn't as easy.
I can grab a book to use as a writing surface. I do this a lot, as it turns out.
I can take a book almost anywhere. I can read almost anywhere. While there might be places an ebook works better (rainproof it and you will have started on that compelling case), there are still plenty a book wins for me. Remember that bathtub thing? And a book won't normally slow you down getting through airport security, whereas electronic devices sometimes do (I have experience with this!)
In short, while there are a couple of advantages to ebooks, they don't even begin to make a compelling case for me. Perhaps the above will help you understand why.
I also like the Baen books system, and I've bought quite a number of their Webscription titles. What I like about eBooks is the opportunity to get titles that may not be stocked in various bookstores. It might be that it's out-of-print, or just not from a 'best-selling author!', and I just don't feel like going through the hassle of wading through Amazon or B&N to try to find it. If it's available as an eBook, great, I'll get it.
However, that doesn't mean I'm giving up 'dead tree' versions. Most of the reasons I have are the same as everyone else's: Lack of portability, poor reading experience, and cost of readers. Plus, I have yet to find any format that enables me to do the 'page flip' - that is, where I'm doing a quick scan of an already-read book and looking for a certain section - but I'm not quite sure where in the book it is, or precise "search term". With a paper book, I can scan through pretty quickly, with an e-book, it's a major pain-in-the-**s.
1) Books aren't that expensive.
2) There are libraries with lots of great books, essentially for free.
3) I can drop a book on the sidewalk and know I'll still be able to read it after I pick it up.
4) Books don't need batteries, power supplies or cables.
5) I don't have to angle a book just right to see the words.
6) I don't want some company deciding I can only read the book 3 times before I have to pay for it again
Sounds like you need some sort of non-screen-refreshing non-light-emitting display. Now, don't take that as an advertisement... I just couldn't find a better link right away.
There are two types of people in the world: those who divide people into two types and those who don't.
Used bookstores and a damn good public library have a lot to do with it.
Ebooks are the main type of book I read. I travel a lot and I like to have a big selection to pick from. I have an ebook reader on my phone that I use a lot.
Personally im not going to be willing to goto an ebook until they start producing tablets similar to what stare trek the next generation had, individual tablets that each contain a book, of course i would expect the tablets to be able to switch what books each on has on it. Feel free to troll away at my misspellings and gramer issues.
Real books make me look smart when they are sitting on display in my book case. People see them and assume I've read them and probably understand their contents. If they have nice covers than they also add to the decor. E-books are only good for reading.
Yes, Digital Restrictions Management (as I borrow from Stallman) are my sole reason for avoiding eBooks. Besides that, eBooks don't really give me any real advantage over regular books, aside from, potentially, the ability to search large volumes of text (that is if the publisher gives me permission to). In my views the small technological advantages do not win over the basic freedoms I value so highly.
I may not have more rights with regular books, but at least I know I have rights that can't be taken away at the publisher's whim.
I have, however bought eBooks, but only those that come in forms that freely allow me to do as I please with them (such as PDF files).
Perhaps my feelings are inspired by Stallman's article that appeared in ACM about 10 years ago, The Right To Read
It's true no man is an island, but if you take a bunch of dead guys and tie 'em together, they make a good raft.
One of the reasons that I carry a Treo 650 is for ebooks. On a plane, In the bathroom, (like at work) At my desk at work at 4:30pm on a Friday afternoon when all caught up, At night in bed when the wife would prefer I not have a light on, etc etc etc In the last year, I have read 19 novels completely on my phone, using mobipocket. Couple the ebook on the phone, with the mp3 player on the same phone, and the experience is quite rich, anywhere, any time, even outside. You sould know: Many Authors publish all their works in ebook form; David Weber delivers his complete works on a CD in the cover of each of his hardbacks, including the current book! When I buy his books, I put the new book on my phone, so when I cant have the hardback nearby, I can continue the book on my phone. just look around a bit, there is LOTS to read in ebook form.
A book is a human-readable permanent way of fixing information. It has evolved from stone walls (Lascaux), clay (cuneiform tablets) and leather to cellulose. The next evolution will replace cellulose with some other permanent surface, hopefully made from less environment-impacting materials, immune to ageing yet easily wipeable/reusable.
An eBook is a rendering device. The permanent medium is either flash memory, magnetic platter or even dynamic memory. None of these are human-readable.
To me, an eBook is more similar to a television or a movie projector than to a book.
The crusade for DRM, of remotely manipulating practices, is below the radar for most people while in the meantime it's incarnating into digital prisons whereby content, documents, art and knowledge are locked and wrapped into a technology encrypted barrier of which only few large operators hold the keys and thus control the way these files, future archives and other resources can be accessed. 'Content Providers' or the intermediaries who enforce DRM are in fact Gatekeepers.
Some wonderful anecdotes have accumulated lately about DRM nested content of e-books: purchased e-books that expire after certain time or disappear if vendors go out of business and plethora of other madness, as prologue to a new digital utopia that awaits us and beyond.
*
If you drop a dead-tree book, it is still readable.
If the batteries run out you can still read a dead tree book.
You can sit *outside* in the *sunlight* and read a dead tree book -- somebody point me to an ebook reader with sufficient contrast to allow outdoor reading in broad daylight with no glare.
You can scribble in the margins of a dead-tree book.
You can buy used dead-tree books.
Dead tree books don't hurt the eyes -- some of us spend quite enough time staring at pixellated displays as is.
My not-even-considered great great grandkids will be able to read my dead tree books -- unless no-child-gets-ahead manages to render the schools total inert.
Bottom line, reading is an activity that engages the mind's eye; data passage through the occipital cortex is only incidental. With other things like games, movies, TV that trip through the occipital pathways is a critical part of the experience. No matter the e-book display mechanism the fact that reading is not primarily a visual activity means there is little to be gained relative to dead tree publication. So there is little to be gained and that is outweighed by every one of the other issues mentioned in the poster's reasons against e-books.
Disclaimer: I'm member of one of these projects.
Oh, and feel free to add other projects as replies to this spam... er, mail.
This troll is over. You can now resume a normal activity.
Who has time to read? I vastly prefer to load an audiobook onto my MP3 player and listen during my lengthy commutes. That way I can consume books without consuming more time out of my already-overloaded days. Audiobooks and e-books both suffer from the same two problems, though: 1) Lack of content I want 2) Stifling DRM that makes it difficult/impossible/illegal for me to listen/read on my own terms
Nothing to see here. Move along.
When you're reading a hard-copy book in bed, there's nothing like that to distract you.
Yes, I know, there could be something/someone there distracting you, but we're geeks, remember?
It's like the recent article about how Linux is not a replacement for Windows, it's an alternative. Same thing applies to ebooks vs. books.
I download .txt files and pdf files and read them on my laptop all the time. Yes, entire novels. I also have over 1000 encyclopedia pages at wikipedia on my watchlist. I'm not sure exactly how this "ebook" thing can help me do whatever the fuck I want, or how it is superior to .txt or .txt.bz2 (these are very tough file formats to beat :-P )I'll grant that .html, .xml and .pdf have their place though. Can I grep it? sed it? Throw it through some python filter? Diff it? Toss it on my apache server? Throw it through a translation tool? Print out pages of it and make notes on the paper? (Granted, I hardly do that), toss it in a wiki?
No? Then there's your answer. Superior methods exist to deal with text.
I've read my fair share of e-books - years ago during slow summer jobs, or more recently on a laptop in bed. They have their advantages and disadvantages. Advantages: in certain ways, e-books are more portable than plain-old-books; I can keep them in my gmail account and access them from any computer, for example (or on a PDA if I had one). There's lots of quality free content out there (been lately making my way through some of the java books from http://www.theserverside.com/tss). There are, of course, disadvantages, many of which I agree with and have been mentioned in other posts.
:p)
Even though I've read a fair number of e-books, I haven't BOUGHT any, and I don't see myself doing that anytime soon. Buying anything electronic is, at best, renting it. Paper books don't become obsolete; they don't get lost in hard drive crashes, left behind when you switch computers, put on a CD and forgotten about, etc. They just sit there on a shelf, you can take them out, read them, and put them back with no fuss, and the only time you really have to worry about them is when you move. It's a physical object you OWN, and which is superbly suited to its purpose, which is not the case with e-books. Perhaps even more importantly, books are expensive, but they're not THAT expensive - I generally feel it's a fair price for what you get (an exception would be university textbooks, but that's another story
At most, I could see myself paying for a subscription-based system - pay a fixed fee, have access to all the e-books in the system. Even then, I'd only really see myself doing that for technical books - I find the information I need, I use it when I need it, and I don't worry about it again.
ClutterMe.com - easiest site creation on the Net. Just click and type.
The fact that they are books. Although I got a huge spare time, I got no time to read books, i started reading Animal Far last summer i'm still at the half of it. Plus I still prefer a book rather than an eBook. Plus I usually read Animal Farm while I'm reinstalling Windows, so unless I'd buy an eBook device...
You just got troll'd!
Cost
Batteries
Control (or lack of it)
General inconvenience
On average, I read a paperback a week. I've got an ebook reader on my Palm, and I have read a few books on there, but honestly, I'm just not interested in changing my reading habits. I like turning pages, I like having cover art, I like the mystique of shopping in a book store trying to find the perfect tale to satisfy whatever it is I'm in the mood for (lately, Tamara Thorne and Douglas Clegg). For me, that's part of the whole experience. Reading for pleasure is a personally satisfying experience, however like most things digital and computer, ebooks aren't 'personal' - they're tools.
Ebooks will be the norm only when paper books are no longer made.
I think that any book publisher would quickly get the point of why no one is getting on the 'ebook bandwagon' if they:
1. Made the first paper book that you bought from them cost $300 or so (to cover the cost of the 'reader' you know).
2. Made sure that they fingerprinted each purchaser of each paper book (DRM) and stamped the fingerprint on the purchaser's copy of the book so that later on the lawyers could come and find out if the person with the book was the 'legal' owner.
3. Made sure that each paper book cost at least as much as their ebook offerings, i.e. the hardback price.
4. Made sure to print the book license at the front of each book with a requirement that each time you opened the book you HAD to look at it.
5. Forbid the book's purchaser from lending the book out to a friend.
6. Forbid the book's purchaser from selling the book to a used bookstore.
7. Forbid the purchase of used books, obviously with lawyers inspecting each used bookstore.
8. Probably would forbid libraries from purchasing paper books
9. Made sure that the lawyers sued occasional violators as though they were murderers.
Perhaps after the publisher had done all this and quickly gone out of business the reaminder of the industry would get a clue about what customers want, rather than what the publishers want...
1) DRM. This is the same reason I don't own an iPod. Yes I know I can use an iPod with my own unencumbered MP3's but I don't want to give $$$ to an arm of Apple that thrives on DRM content. When Apple can convince the record companies to release unencumbered content via ITMS, then I'll get an iPod. Similarly, I don't want to buy a reader that was intended to handle DRM'd book content.
2) Random searching. Something about flipping through a book is so much more satisfying than fumbling with an electronic device's user interface to do an explicit search for subject matter.
3) Yet another electronic device to carry. I even gave up my PDA so I could carry a far more practical Gerber multitool.
Though there is something to be said for having a device that can hold a whole library in something that will fit in a fanny pack.
I don't think the technology is "there" yet, and more importantly I think DRM is severely holding back progress on technology.
Also, charging *more* than a paperback is ridiculous. Not only have they cut out the entire physical distribution system (which is the main cost for print books anyway), they don't even have to print the damn things. If it's not cheaper and more convenient for me than going to a bookstore (or a library...) then why should I bother?
What's with this loaded "holding me back" BS, anyway? Didn't your mommy tell you "if everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?" You have the additional problem that very few people seem to want to jump off the cliff in the first place...
I often read large PDF, PS, html, and text files offline on my laptop. If that counts as E-books, I'm an avid user already.
I'll bite... ebooks simply don't offer much by way of benefit over paper books. The only real advantage an ebook has is that it is easily searchable. There is a minor advantage in that they take up less space, but that's not really a big deal. The disadvantages are many, though. The devices are cumbersome to move around: heavier and larger if you want equivalent sized viewing area compared to even a small paperback. They require electricity to work, and are less pleasant to look at. The current ebook offerings also make it exceedingly difficult to use in the same way as a book. Moving it around, lending it out, etc.
Computers are great for accessing information for reference, but I don't think it's the ever going to be the right way to read for pleasure. Perhaps the electronic paper concept will change that, for what it's worth.
>>what keeps you personally from reading e-books?
The same thing that keeps me from having sex with a rubber doll.
It's just not the same as the real thing.
Ryosen
One man's "Troll, +1" is another man's "Insightful, +1".
They don't like the DRM scheme their favorite publisher offers
I think that's one major problem right there: I don't have a favorite publisher, and I doubt that most other people do as well. (Unless maybe you count O'Reilly, but then that's different). When talking about materials other than technical manuals (e.g., fiction, non-technical non-fiction), I buy books b/c they interest me, and rarely if ever pay attention to the publisher. Therefore, publisher-specific DRM schemes are a nuisance. I couldn't care less about the publisher, or the specific DRM scheme they've chosen to implement.
A foolish inconsistency is not excused by a reference to Emerson.
I am reading ebooks right now.
Having said that, there are a few reasons why I am reading ebooks, and there are still plenty of things I would like to see improved.
First of all, I use my Palm to read the classics with. The advantage isn't even so much that of price, but of availability. Project Gutenberg has scanned pretty much all of the classics in the English language. (And where it hasn't, that's your fault for not warning us.)
Ah, there's the second reason: I am a Distributed Proofreaders volunteer, and my Palm helps me read the books I helped produce. For instance, currently I am reading H.G. Wells' Certain Personal Matters (not published since 1901, and a lovely collection of satirical essays!).
As for the things that need improving: devices. I am someone who carries books with him, and so I have this wishlist that devices currently do not live up to. Weight, price, size, power consumption, ports, software, none of the devices currently available get all of these right.
And of course it speaks for itself that I own the device, not the publishers. That is why I will never buy Sony.
Some people and institutions are major users of books (public libraries, universities, dedicated readers) and for them, e-books are a big win.
Advantages of e-books for the serious user:
The main disadvantages of e-books are currently display quality (at the moment, quite poor), power technology (battery life is still way too low!), and social acceptance issues (restrictive notions like "copyrights", DRMs, and nostalgia for paper books get in the way to moving ahead).
There will soon be no reason, in principle, why we can't give everyone in the world an e-book reader, and the entire Library of Congress on a shelf in their home. The reasons we won't decide to do it will be increasing social and political, not technological.
--
AC
I think quite simply I don't find it comfortable enough. Sitting in front of the computer with just moving the mouse once in a while is not pleasant.
http://stephan.sugarmotor.org
I like to lay down on couch with a book and read, not sit at a desk glued to a monitor for yet more hours...and I'll be damned if I buy a tablet PC or something like that for just reading ebooks...
dB Masters
Some reasons. I don't because it's another expensive gadget to buy, money is tight all the time. I've gotten a few laptops and they become obsolete quickly with no cheap way to upgrade them, so I sorta stopped getting laptops, and NO WAY will I pay for any ebook/PDA thing what a laptop costs, just ain't gonna do it. Therefore, I don't own any PDA because I think they are way to expensive for what they do. And there are different formats, perhaps there is not an industry ebook standard? I don't know, except there is a variety of formats from what I recall.. I get used paperbacks for like a nickle or a dime, hardcovers for a buck, and I have thousands, and given away thousands TWICE before when I moved. Still have several hundred backed-up unread because I spend too much time on the web and actually like working for a living, not too much time to just sit and read books much anymore.. Anything brand new like a repair manual I just buy a paper copy, because now that I have a copier I can copy the pages I need, then not worry about getting the original pages greasy. I got one ebook before that was a PDF and just printed the thing out because reading on a screen without a lot of surfing in between gives me the willies. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense but it's the best way I can describe it. An article or 6, no probs, a whole book starts to get tedious. Prefer to sit in the easy chair and hold the actual book if it is that long a read. If most manufacturers, especially heavy equipment and trucks, had freely available detailed repair manuals for free or cheap download I would consider it. That's a crapshoot, some do, some want serious folding money, just depends. Anything computer related is usually just a small specific problem, I go google up the solution, so no need for an entire ebook, just a few pages usually does it, easy enough to just look at it on the screen or print out a few.
I think ebooks are more useful for schools that have to purchase WAY over priced text books. That seems to be a cheap workaround for school districts to stay current and to have a lot more books "on hand".
There ya go, one guy's answer. When PDAs with decent screen sizes drop to a hundred bucks and are in essence small good computers that you can attach various other things to,plus they are an integrated phone and wifi deal for the net, I'll buy one and try some ebooks on it, what the heck. But not 500$ or anything ridiculous like that. I have a desktop and a cellphone, that is gonna have to do it right now.
I really only prefer to read while on the crapper. It's the only time I really have for it. Real books sit nicely on the shelf in my bathroom as opposed to my computer which having in the bathroom would make it difficult to wipe.
Using Microsoft's e-reader app, reading ebooks is actually quite pleasant. On my palm, also not a bad experience. However, the few times I've tried to purchase some, the DRM really got in the way. As in, made the .LIT reader crash alot, and so on. Also, the price of the ebook was pretty out of wack. Why buy for $10 what you can buy for $5 or $6, especially when the paper form is probably going to give you less headaches?
I think the problem with ebooks is that they are a high-tech version of something that already exists. It seems to me that, for a high-tech version of something to succeed, it has to have a major advantage that the older version lacks. Photography, for example, produced a more accurate representation with less effort than painting.
By contrast, ebooks may have an advantage in storage space over hardcopy books, but they are harder on the eyes, have less selection, and require more technology to sustain them. Until they can overcome these things, they will probably remain either a novelty or something used mainly for non-fiction that is scanned rather than carefully read.
Even then, they won't do away with hardcopy books altogether, any more than photography eliminated painting or TV nuked radio. The two forms will co-exist, perhaps with hardcopy books finding a new, somewhat more limited niche.
The Slashdot crowd cares about things like security, stability ("uptime"), system integrity ("backups"), accessibility, open formats, etc.
Some books have lasted physically for hundreds of years. Some eBooks have been around for, what, some number of months? With no guarantee to be accessible after 5-10 years pass?
We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes
The screen technology is awful. Maybe when "electronic paper" is available, we'll have sharp, useable screens. I read books to get away from my computer screen, and I don't have a handheld because I have no use for one.
I have never seen a proprietary book-reader, so I'm assuming the screen is as bad as the typical hand-held. Also, for a single-purpose device, they seem to be pretty bulky and pricey.
I don't like DRM. Something would have to priced pretty low for me to want to buy it, knowing that anything from a dropped reader to a bankrupt Net startup company could render my investment useless. Why would I pay almost as much as a real book for a bunch of electrons that could vanish anytime? If I buy a book in electronic format, I should be able to read it wherever whenever I want. I haven't bought music online for the same reason. I have downloaded audiobooks (P2P) and listened on my iPod, and the concept is Ok for long trips... So, price - if a book is only $9.99, why would I pay more than $2.50 for a file I can barely read anywhere?
Content? Well, since I'm not even considering buying, I've never bothered to look. Any companies that are limited to specific suppliers and formats are only shooting themselves in the foot, knee, and higher. After all, I could go down the hall to the company photocopier and scan to PDF a book in an hour or less, email it to myself. If it were big enough (magazine?) maybe I could chop off the spine and use the sheet feeder.
Perhaps the fact that my computer reads them to me, via programs like SayzMe. It's great when I'm on the go or relaxing listening to my laptop. Music without a lot of speech or percussion, such as trance, is also great when played behind the dictation at lower volumes. Now when I'm getting from here to there, I can be reading as well. Try that with a paperback and there's an awful lot of bumping into things.
There is nothing holding me back from purchasing ebooks. I have no problem reading on my laptop. How many ebooks do I actually own -- 2. Both of them have come from http://pragmaticprogrammer.com/ [no, I'm not affiliated]. The reason I purchased these books was because of the price, and because I am supplied with any updated versions for free. Now while this doesn't necessarily matter in a literary setting, it matters significantly in a technological one. I'm getting more value for my dollar. So when it comes to ebooks, bring them on, just make sure they have enough value for me to consider the purchase.
Peter: I got an idea, an idea so smart my head would explode if I even began to know what I was talking about.
The ideal eBook - please let me know when it's available:
1. Is a blank 400-page paperback book with eInk.
2. Plugs into some sort of dock where you can download a book file onto the blank pages.
3. The book files themselves are unencumbered by DRM, cost less than a physical book, are widely available, and have a library of millions of titles.
4. Ideally, the eInk paperback book itself would have enough memory to store several books, which you could switch the entire book between via controls on the cover without having to plug it back in.
This would give all of the advantages of a physical book, combined with the advantages of digital distribution.
I still primarily read petroleum products on dead trees. But, eBooks are a very convenient secondary source of reading material to me.
I download free, as in expired copyright, books from sources such as Project Gutenberg to my PDA (Palm Tungsten E right now). Then, when I'm stuck waiting somewhere, I pull out the PDA and read. It fits in my pocket much more conveniently than most books.
Doing that for the last three or four years, along with listening to audio books while driving or walking the dog, has increased my cultural literacy dramatically during that time.
~*~ Tara
I've broken the DRM on my ebooks and put them in a secure location on web site but my blackberry isn't fast enough. It can't hold the entire book and it takes a minute or more to download the next chapter. Imagine the page in a book refusing to turn for 60 seconds. Its just too darn slow!
.txt and then I'll read it. You won't get paid then but that's your problem.
.txt or a .rtf that's an easy source to convert from.
I have AT&T/Cingular. I've tried Verizon and Nextel and they seem faster but still not fast enough.
Other than that, I'm happy. I'd much rather read the ebook. So I guess its really three things:
1. No DRM! I won't buy your book unless I know I can read it the way I feel like reading it. If I know I can crack your DRM I'll buy it but then why would you bother? If I can't crack your DRM I'll just wait for someone to scan it to a
Ironic, isn't it. You treat me like you suspect I'll steal your book and - cause and effect - I do exactly that as a result.
2. Convertable format. Whatever format you give it to me in, its wrong. You can give it to me in exactly the format I specify and next week I'll decide I like something else. Don't worry though, I'll convert it to a format I like. Just make sure one of your formats is a
I should mention that BAEN Books (http://www.webscription.net/) passes both of these requirements with flying colors. Kudos to a publisher that gets it. I've spent hundreds of dollars there.
3. A blackberryish device that's fast enough to keep up. I don't want a special bookreader that I have to download books to. I want my phone/email/pda device that I take with me everywhere to serve as a reader. I want it to connect to my home server and fetch whatever book I feel like reading and I want it to happen fast.
Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
...and let me start by saying I purchase (at least for fiction) almost exclusively Hardcover books at $19-29 a pop generally. I love to read and to collect books. Ebooks don't offer me the same expirence. In a tangable sense or in a cost sense. I am willing to spend that kind of money for something that I can put on a shelf and loan to a friend.
Ebooks and the readers would need to become more available. I mean this in three ways.
1. Price for the reder in the books needs to be cheaper. I would be willing to pay paperback prices for Ebooks, and pay perhaps as much as $99.99 for the reader.
2. I see very few books in the generes that I read, and I see extremely few readers or books at the local B&N or Borders.
3. DRM has got to go. Ebooks need a universal format that works in any reader I choose to use (dedicated, PDA, Notebook, PC, etc)
Ideally I'd prefer that there be a disc (or some sort of media) in the back of an actual book so I can read the paperbook if I wish or take the book with me on whatever device I have.
Power Corrupts,Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, leaving one person(group)in charge is absolutely corrupt.
Fuck safari.
.docText { font-family:'Times New Roman',Times,serif; }
g (.com) takes a much better approach.
Just look at their CSS:
Pure malice. Especially if you compare it to the rest of the safari site, where they use
font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;
Mannin
Oh, and I'm still waiting for a decent reader using that epaper as display.
have been my main problems with ebooks and downloadable music. I believe that any downloadable media needs to be cheaper than the one on the shelf. eBooks/MP3s don't have shipping, storage, stocking or any of the usual costs, and when they cost the same its because they company selling them is greedy. But recently I've seen DRM and costs start to change. I purchased Pro C# 2005 and the .NET 2.0 Platform, dead tree edition and you can go to the website and when you answer a question about the book, (ex. last word on page 123) you get a free PDF encrypted with your email address as the password. This very low level of DRM works well because almost anything can read PDFs with standard encryption. I keep my 1000+ page hardback book at home and carry my PDF on my iPaq. Since Apress is the only company I've seen doing this, they're now my prefered publisher.
I don't have a laptop or PDA. I've looked into "e-book" readers and maybe the PSP for that purpose. Most of what I've found is near useless. All I really want is a device that will read lit, pdf, html, rtf, txt, pdb, and maybe office documents that either uses standard compact flash cards that you can buy anywhere for storage and can connect with to a computer with a simple USB cable. I'm willing to only pay $100-150 for that though. I don't want to shell out 300+ for a custom e-book reader that can only use a single publisher and just the files of a single DRM format. I've seen several good e-book readers, but they all wanted you to have all your content in their format. Um, no thank you. I have tons of media already in several different formats. I esp love Baen books. I've made it a point to buy almost every hard cover book of theirs with the CD in it. It's been mentioned before, but you usually get the entire series and just enough to hook you on a couple of more series on that CD. I've only bought Baen books lately. (On their CD, you ge t the same book in rtf, doc, html, and lit. I don't remember if you get it in txt though.)
The only reason I even consider using ebooks is the same reason I Google: searching.
Some authors/publishers do a decent job with the TOC and Index, others don't. Searching an ebook for a pattern is easier than trying to guess if I can't find what I'm looking for because it's not in the book or because the index sucks.
What stopped me was that dedicated readers could only do books, and PCs weren't right for various reasons.
Now, I have a tablet/laptop. The battery lasts for 4+ hours. The screen size is big enough for some of my ebooks that are scans of large-format pages.
I read ebooks just about daily; I'd say at least 6 days a week. I also use that laptop for everything other than games; I use a more high-powered desktop-replacement laptop for that.
There's a stack of dead-tree books on my bedside table. If they were available in ebook format cheaply at the time I got them, they wouldn't be there; they'd be on the tablet.
As someone about to head off on a 6 month trip around asia, I would love to have a functioning e-book to take along. Currently I have a pile of travel books at home a bit over a foot high (borrowed from friends) - I would love to take them with me, but just dont have the space in my luggage. I would also happily read some 15 novels or so during my trip - again, no space. So I am kind of stuck with a single travel book which covers all of asia without any detail, and a hope that I will be able to find a good english novel somewhere in a village in northern Burma.
An ebook would be great - as many books as I want to take in a package smaller than my current novel; easy searching in the travel book, preferrably with hyperlinks.
Whats stopping me - battery power, and a lack of titles to choose from. Once ebooks supported a huge range of titles, each at a reasonable price (ie much cheaper than the dead tree variety, because I assume I wont be able to ever transfer it to another reader) and once the battery life issue is solved (ie no backlight!) then I would jump in.
I already have around 300 e-books. Most come from http://www.webscription.net/ This is the e-publishing arm of Baen publishing. They come in 4 different formats and are DRM free. Now, most of the books are science fiction or fantasy. So, you do need to like those formats. Also, you can get all the books Baen releases in a month for $14.95. This is usually 4-5 books.
I also read The Da Vinci Code on my 770. Unlike Dumas, that book is still in copyright. I read an illegal copy of it. But then, as it turns out, it really does suck; and so I have few qualms about not helping to line Dan Brown's talentless pockets (except maybe that I'm not contributing to the fortune that would allow him to retire from fiction). European Slashdotters may not be aware, however, that there is no softcover edition of The Da Vinci Code in the United States. The publisher planned one, but when it saw how briskly the hardcover edition was selling, it cancelled the paperback. In this case, I am borrowing from the popular "Slashdot MP3 defense": The publisher is not providing me the format I prefer, therefore I took the initiative into my own hands. Don't bother arguing with me about the ethical fine points of this decision -- I've already thought it through myself and I've decided I just don't care. I pirated it; come and get me.
Breakfast served all day!
I don't mind the DRM, because the DRM uses my credit card number as a password to decode the book. That means that the book can go wherever I go and be used on any system I want, but I can't give it to other people without giving them my credit card number.
usually in a hard to read font and after 15 or 30 minutes of reading on my computer, I need to take a break and rest my eyes. It is better to print them out and use a binder to bind the pages together and then read it like a book. My college had eBooks and that is what I had to do.
A trick is to print out all the even numbered pages, and then flip the pages upside down and back into the printer and then print out the odd numbered pages. That way I got two sided printings and can save paper than one sided printings with a blank side on each page.
DRM can be beat really easilly using a PDF printer type program like PDF Factory or an OSS PDF printing program. The new PDF file will not have the DRM in it anymore. The Acrobat Reader will think it is printing to a printer and not include the DRM parts.
Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.
It comes down to two primary things. Value and experience.
Value: I just spent $50 on a book (Pressman, _Patent it Yourself_) and took the time to find a store where I could pick it up instead of downloading it for the same price. I will have that book as long as I want it, and it will be a valuable reference. I could easily sell it, and recoup half or more of the purchase price. The used price might be a realistic starting point for pricing e-books, but books can be re-sold more than once. Paper books are an expensive proposition, but somehow, e-books don't manage to give any of that savings back to the consumer. Paper, shipping, shelf space and taxes on inventory all have significant impact on the price of books, and are irrelevant to the cost of an e-book, but e-books still generally cost the same. Why bother?
Experience: Pressman's is a large book, but it's still far more convenient than an e-book of the same information. We don't just read books. We browse them, shuffle through them, and dogear them. I have notes inserted between the pages of that book in more than one place. In the book _Cat's Cradle_, a couple describe the subtlties of indexing a book, and make clear how a keyword search is no substitute for an index.* E-books are inconvenient. Laptops aren't very portable, but tiny screens suck.
Even though I am a book geek, I have used e-books. I read a few, as well as reading several out loud to my family, all from project Gutenberg. The self-lighting on my Clie and Zaurus was nice. They worked well for the carpool or train. I bought a couple of technical guides. I never used the O'Reilly books on CD that I bought at LinuxWorld, although I read the bonus physical book that came with them. Even though the value portion of the proposition was met, I couldn't be bothered to interact with the media. In retrospect that's pretty surprising.
I'll be interested to see what gets done with e-paper in the long run. For now though, e-books are almost there.
I think Safari may just work out, but I'm afraid it just ain't for me, since the content isn't for me. The model seems quite workable though, and O'Reilly seem to be able to do things right in the strange world that is publishing.
* Note to the excessively literal: It is entirely possible for an e-book to have a manually composed index, never mind that they often do not. I use the couple (durass, ibid.) to invoke the subtlety of apparently analogous functions in different media.
Assembly is the reverse of disassembly.
Quite often when I read a book, it's to get away from my jobs and all the computer-related things that go with it. Having to deal with an "e-book" won't help that much. However, I've often thought that the idea of the various paper-style technologies that change text would be very useful here... having a simple device with a laminated-style page and a little dongle for a flashcard and page-flipper of some sort.
Really, I just want something small that I can sit back on the couch with, not change batteries, and not strain my eyes stairing at a screen or playing with a clunky UI. At this point, dead-tree format does all I want, and is still quite convenient. In other words, if it ain't broke - it don't need fixin'
E-books would be great for technical books, which obsolete in a few months or a few years at most. However I won't buy anything really important on a medium as volatile as an e-book. Most of my paper books will survive me, but I still don't have evidence that any of my electronic data will last so much. Instead, I'm pretty sure that I'll lose more e-data due to media and hardware failures than paper due to water or fire.
As a minor concern, I want also a crisp display and light reader. e-ink is a good candidate.
I have the odd e-book or pdf of a textbook laying around, and they're nice enough for refference materials. They're certainly nice enough when they let me not carry my 2k page calc and physics books around, but when it comes to reading something for enjoyment, or technical manuals, I just can't do it. There's something about the feel of a book that is unique. Kind of a squishy reason, but there you have it.
"My heart is in the work." - Andrew Carnegie
Furthermore, a cheapskate like myself never pays more than $0.50 for a book, usually $0.25 for paparbacks, since books are one of the more common items found at yard sales and thrift shops. And then there's sharing with friends...books are actually one of the cheapest forms of entertainment.
Further furthermore, lots of classics are now on-line at places such as http://www.bartleby.com/ and http://www.bootlegbooks.com/ These books are HTML formatted and easy to read in a browser. Maybe not as convenient as a book or ebook reader, but as cheap as possible.
-----
Sorry, I'm only a 1336 h4x0r.
I for one have found no reason to pay for both an expensive electronic reader (that may break) and the e-books themselves. Anything that produces light creates eyestrain when read from for too long. Regular books are too easy, and much more convenient. However, I might be convinced to buy an e-paper reader when that becomes available. E-ink would be the breakthrough that would make me finally consider buying books in anything other than the regular form.
eBooks are simple pdf or html files that one downloads (either for free or for a few cents) from digital libraries like aldebaran or lib.ru.
In Russia, the government does not enforce copyright too hard. Hence, illiteracy is an order of magnitude smaller than in the US.
A small monitor, my printer, a case of black ink, three crates of paper, and an uncomfortable desk chair.
I'd love to have a simple "tablet" that allowed me to flip pages with a simple button, and which allows me to take it anywhere easily. This would allow me to comfortably read my many ebooks, at my leisure, and wherever I wanted to.
I hate being tied to a PC when I just want to read a book. Laptops are too bulky, and are really overkill for a simple PDF/ebbok reader.
Ideally, i'd like something the size of my older Wacom drawing tablet (6x4, I believe), with a simple forward and backward button at the base of it. But rather than a drawing surface, I want the surface to display the book/magazine/periodical I'm reading. The drawing tablet's a good example for another reason: It's small, light, and thin. I always thought it'd be the perfect size/aspect for a handheld reader, and if a CD or DVD could slide in the side for reading in files/ebooks, it'd be even better.
But that's just a dream/ideal... I'm personally keeping an eye on MS's Origami project as possibly being the answer to what I'm looking for.
"3. Lack of content: Books they are interested in aren't available in electronic format."
It is not just that some authors refuse to publish their works as ebooks, but also that the important books (say: the Harry Potters) do not appear exclusively or first as ebooks. I believe Ellora's Cave's erotica appear as ebooks first, and as printed second, and that might be the sort of thing that will lead people to reading ebooks.
Another thing that might help ebooks gain prominence is improved print book "piracy". Currently hobbyists have to invest quite a large amount of time and trouble to get books scanned and OCR-ed, but with prices of digital camera's dropping, speedy conversion of a book is going to be less of a problem. (I am a Project Gutenberg volunteer, that's why I know how much time it takes--in case you were wondering.)
Authors have been saying that they don't publish their books as ebook because of concerns about wide-scale copyright infringement, but at some point the analogue hole will be larger than the digital one. At that point, authors will either give up their resistance, or even switch to ebook only.
i've been reading project gutenburg texts via weasel (formerly gutenpalm) for a couple of years now. Both are free, and more to the point gutenberg texts are, well, text of the non-drm'd ascii variety.
the thing that's really held me back is i've never seen a book i wanted to buy available for online purchase, let alone in a plain-ascii form unencumbered by a need for a particular reader or bizzare and frustrating licensing requirements. i'm well aware of the reasons publishers don't want to release their precious ip into the wild this way, but there you have it - the only form i'd be interested in buying an ebook, they can't sell it in. impasse.
I read mostly on my Palm. I tried on my old III, but the screen was too cruddy.
The Tungsten E did it for me.
The big problem, as others have said, is lack of content. I actually won't buy files that have DRM, which leaves me pretty much with Gutenberg and Baen Books for legal content.
If I want to read anything else, I pretty much have to get a pirated copy from Usenet and then buy the paper to get legal. I would, I REALLY WOULD, give them money if they were providing what I wanted.
If they printed books that required you to read them through a special plastic sheet that was keyed to you personally, do you think they'd sell many books?
For technical references, I've liked the O'Reilly online bookshelf scheme, but for my core of technical references, I want them on a real shelf that doesn't disappear when my management decides to stop paying the bill.
Luke, help me take this mask off
I check out eBooks from the Denver Public Library. They're available for 21 days, after which the DRM makes sure you can't read them any longer. I like having several titles in my pocket that I can pull out and resume any time I have a few minutes - on the bus, anywhere I have to wait in line or am waiting for an appointment or for someone to show up. Plus, I don't even have to go to the library to get or return them. DPL also checks out audio books online. I don't know why more people aren't into them.
I've been using ebooks at work and pleasure for about a year and a half. The only thing that held me back was having a good portable reader. My Handspring visor just wasn't quite good enough, but my Palm T3 is excellent. The LCD is easy to read, and it can read or convert any format I've come across. The ebooks for sale are still way overpriced, but the Gutenberg Project and Usenet have pretty much anything you could want.
I like to read on the throne, what can I tell you? There is no way I can put that delicately, but I can fire off 20 pages a day that way. If I drop my paperback on the floor, the worst that will happen to it is that it might get a little germy or dog-eared. But if I drop a $300 e-Book reader? Will it survive the fall? No, it's doubtful. That's the main problem. If I lose my 10-dollar paperback (which has never happened), I can just spend another 10 bucks or get it from the library. But what if I lose my reader? Perhaps if readers got to be less than 50 bucks, could hold the same amount of info on the screen as 2 paperback pages, and wouldn't break when you dropped them, I would consider getting one. But the refresh rate would have to be good enough not to hurt my eyes, the battery life would have to be long enough to allow me to sit on a train for a few hours, and the weight would have to be less than or equal to a paperback novel. Frankly, that is asking much too much for too little. The great thing about books is you never have to turn them on. They never run out of batteries, nobody worries about them getting scratched, you can take them anywhere without worrying too much about losing them, they are easily replaceable, you can lend them to friends without worrying about when you will get them back. The advantages just go on and on... Frankly, I can't see e-Books ever eclipsing paperbacks. DD.
I have no desire to purchase books with DRM. Until books stop coming with DRM, I'll never purchase an e-book.
If that means I never purchase an e-book, so be it.
I use a Palm Zire 72s as my reader. Best thing I ever did.
* I can carry as many books as I want on a 1 gig SD card. This is handy when talking with people who want to dissagree with you on the content of the bible, constitution, sagen etc.
* one thumb page turning is really nice when it is 30 deg F outside.
* via PG I can read all those classics I didn't read in school and it doesn't cost me a dime.
I originally had a Zire 3x and this sucked because the screen was just a little too small, it didn't have a high resolution, it was completely unreadable in bright sunlight. All of these issues were fixed with the 72s. Since I find that sometimes I need more than 4 hours of battery life I made a 9V USB charger for it solving the power problem.
I do not recomend people just go out and burn $300 on a ebook reader. I recomend the barrow someone elses or get something like a palm which will serve them for things non-book related.
If Sony or MS can sell a game system at a loss for $300 then some ebook maker can sell a device that isn't nearly as complicated at a loss and make the money back on the back end book buys.
I do not buy ebooks. Thy are often over priced and have DRM issues that make them completely useless if you are not running 'approved' hard/soft-ware.
Ascii artist &
Read all the System of the World on my Palm, don't own physical copies.
When we went on vacation we both took our Palms with several books on them.
Still buy some core technical books hardcover but for others use my libraries' 30,000 ebook collection for spot reference.
Still buy some magazines hardcopy, but core news et.al. done online.
But still looking for THE killer reading device (good resolution in sunlight, long battery life, wide availability of material).
There are two websites about ebooks and the portable devices to read them on, and I am mentioning them here because they delve much deeper than Slashdot generally does: Mobile Read and Teleread.
Disclaimer: I am a Teleread contributor.
of an e-book. I mean seriously, most of the books I read are technical manuals of some sort. I need to quickly flip back and forth between different section of a book while it sits on my lap or on my desk. An e-book makes that more difficult, even though I can set many bookmarks, I have to "think" about this, rather than just sliding a piece of paper in the pages of a real book and flipping to it quickly.
Now for casual reading, maybe it would work better, but I'll tell you this. . .
There is something about the constant bombardment of photons from an LCD (or CRT) screen that eventually makes my eyes buggy. That's all I need is to leave work, go home and read a book that uses a backlit LCD screen that continues to bombard my eyes. A nice paper page does not do the same thing, it's much nicer and easier to read.
Sorry, but to me, those are the simple facts. Even if someone -gave- me an e-book reader, and a ton of e-books, I'd rather have a paper library on several bookshelves.
I keep news updated in AvantGo and browse through articles from CNet, The New York Times, Wired, and many others. Many times the downloaded articles are never read. But they're there if I feel like reading something. It's also handy that I can read some in bed without needing external light (and waking the wife).
But that does not preclude me from reading news on other mediums: web broswer, newspaper or even a newscrawler on the TV.
Likewise reading a book may happen by holding a physical book, and I have read a number of books bought through Palm's eReader store. I don't get too hung up on DRM as I choose books that are priced to sell, typically less than $10. I've read a few of the Dan Brown books, a book on poker, and a few children's books on my Palm.
When it comes to the devices such as dedicated readers, I can see the hesitance about making the purchase for many of the reasons spelled out by others: price, fragility, proprietary. If you're in a situation where your device - Palm, laptop - is comfortable for reading, then it is what it is: something you can use for reading just as you might choose to read on paper.
- as it could be more convenient
- as it could be cheaper
- as it could be easy and simple to share a book I loved with my friends (just 10s seconds transfer), to upgrade my reader when they'll do a better screen, to have a reader for the bus (small, bulletproof, iPod autonomy) and a reader for the house (bigger, less autonomy but better rendering)
Here's why I don't think I'll see that working soon. Point 3 is what I want and what some authors want (they could even get a more direct relationship with the reader and earn a bit more), what the public want. As for music and cinema and software, digital age is doomed and there are, as for me, only two scenarios:Hey wait, not really because there are multiple incompatible models/formats
How could it be? Books are just plain text even if some (10-20%) of them could need some html basic tagging and some others (1-2%) could need a bit more (like pdf).
Oh yes, it's because of point 3
Hey wait, it's not really cheaper. It's sometimes even the opposite. How could it be? As I pay for the paper, the ink, and the shipping/handling/storing is free, a pocket book could cost around $1-3 instead of $5-10.
Oh yes, it's because of point 3
Hey wait, it's not what "they" (editors -of books and software-, manufacturers) want. "They" want repetitive costs for me, DRM, new way of "consuming" books.
- Consume. eBooks (and eSongs and eMovies and eSoftware) going more and more expensive (remember the price of a vinyl, a VHS/ticket, MsOffice in the early 90's?). Old fashion becoming luxury and less accessible to the public. More and more mainstream content.
- Get. eBooks are shared (some initiatives, legal ones especially but also some less legal, are really good) using commonly accessible technology (Palm if it can survive, why not next gen. iPods). more audio-books are made by the public and shared over P2P networks. Isn't it what's happening to eSongs and eMovies and eSoftware?
And I believe it's what will happen until some of "them" understand that "digital age" also means sharing knowledge, software, art (well, some of "them" are on the right way, and iTunes gave a good help for the music/TV "them" as did Sun/IBM/Apple for the software).ClaudeBBG
I seem to be in a minority, but I vastly prefer ebooks. I'd read them exclusively if I could get DRM free versions of new books. I started reading on a palm pilot and now use a nokia 770. No, they are not the same as a book, but I had no trouble adjusting, and really prefer it to a book now. The nokia 770 has a high-res screen, wifi and web access for $350. If I hit a word I don't know, I can look it up online in seconds. I don't have to dig up a physical dictionary. This is great for reading in bed.
I would gladly buy all new books I want as e-books, but not if they are drm'd. Who knows what gadget I will want to be reading on in 5 years? The odds of any proprietary format being available are not good. Give me a plain old ascii text file and let my software format it to fit my screen.
But the general user cant do it my way.
REader : Nokia 770 Absolutely AWESOME display, and right size for reading.
Content: I read non drm files. Legally and illegally. If I find a book I want that is not availabel in a non drm version I either torrent for a cracked copy or get it in audiobook version from audible and crack that DRM myself. (Yes it is easy to crack audible drm.)
Why do I do it this way? If I have to pay $300+ for a reader then I might as well get a reader that can do other things. my Nokia 770 does all that. Books? DRM is what I can not stand. I was burned big time with DRM on the franklin ebook reader as the content is locked to the reader and if you send your unit in for repair and they give you a refurb ALL your content has to be bought again.
So I made the decision to simply break the law. it works great.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
What's great about the iPod? It lets me listen to a large personal collection of music and is very small. The equivalent of my iPod in previous technology would be a portable CD player plus 200 CDs. So the iPod is smaller, longer lasting, and drastically lighter. Do eBooks have any similar advantage over paper books?
What eBooks do share with the iPod are the drawbacks:
One area where eBooks might have potential is as a replacement for magazines. If the eBook were cheap and durable, then having the equivalent of twenty magazines in my backpack would provide convenient entertainment. And magazines are already filled with advertisements, so the downloads should be cheap and DRM-free. For this purpose, the ideal eBook format might be 8 by 10 inches, 1/8" thick, 8 ounces, and durable.
AlpineR
Books can sit on a bookshelf for everyone including myself to see. ;)
Books smell like books.
Books can give you paper cuts.
Books can be borrowed and shared.
Books can be marked up (albeit with poor handwriting recognition
Books can be thrown across the room.
Books can be burned.
Speak truth to power.
The device is far from perfect -- I've criticized it a lot elsewhere. But for reading e-books I've had no complaints with it. The one strike against it, based on your list, is the battery life -- which sucks. They don't seem to have gotten the low-power mode right, and if you don't make a habit of regularly charging it (like a cell phone) you're liable to lift it off the nightstand one morning and find that the battery has suddenly gone completely dead. But at least the battery is replaceable and is a standard Nokia part.
Breakfast served all day!
Paper books I own hand up being read (eventually), while eBooks do not.
Almost all of the books I own are technical "how-to" books. While one might think that the eBook version of these books might be more useful (because you can quickly search for what you're looking for), I find myself cracking opening a book for no other reason than being bored. If I find something interesting, I'll read that entire section and related sections. Eventually, I usually hand up reading most of the book.
eBooks tend to be out of sight, out of mind. I don't see the book, and say to myself "I'm pretty bored, let me pick that book up and see what might look interesting," they kind of just sit their, hidden deep somewhere in my filesystem.
Download free e-books, lectures, and tutorials at bookgoldmine.com
When I purchase a few thousand copies of Harry Potter to burn in protest, people for miles can see by the light of the fire how much I refuse to support Rowling and her pagan teachings. Deleting an e-book just doesn't give the same visual effect.
in 1988 and have never had to change the batteries.
I am a voracious reader but can usually fit all of my vacation reading in my luggage with room to spare for my 'delicates'
I like e-books for reference but to sit and read, like a novel, I like something that if I only get a chance to read a paragraph from at a time it's not a task to pick it back up and start reading again. If I could dedicate the time to reading chapters at a time I might be able to do it but I often don't know how much time I have until my phone rings, I get new e-mail, etc etc.
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
In my case, I am dyslexic and reading from a book is less painfull than trying to read from a monitor. At least, in my case. ANd these image verification schemes (the ones with letters in them that you have to type in) are a pain!!!!!!!! Sorry. Tangent.
http://wrexallen.blogspot.com/
Today, found in old shelving in an empty cave-like room were found thousands of little paper books from the late 20th century. Many are in very fragile, but still readable forms. Scholars are exstatic at the find. "It will provide us with unbelievable amounts of knowledge about our development during the peoples of the late 20th century". Scholars are expecting to spend the next 5-10 years cataloging and converting the information from these tomes to learn about our early ancestors.
Curiously, there were some small electronic devices with primitive displays found with the books. The storage mediums degraded centuries ago and all the non-volatile storage was lost. On top of that, there seems to have been some sort of primitive cryptography which has made analysis very difficult. "It's unclear what purpose these devices played, and it is strange they would garble the data in such a simplistic and easily broken method by today's standards. Also, they seem to rely on some sort of authentication system which has long been lost. We may never know what they were for or contained."
Grab it while you can. English and Russian versions. Alas, no annotations included (I'd pay for them!). P.S. The second link is an online library that actually honors remove requests from the right holders/authors.
17779 eligible voters in a district, 17779 'vote' as one. This is Russia.
'nuff said
--- RFC 1149 Compliant.
But there are things I don't like about them. For one, I don't like sitting at my computer for long stretches of a time to really get into and read and enjoy a book. So that means I need a portable device for it. I had an iPaq for awhile and I ran different E-Readers on it and found them to be all lacking. While I liked the back-lit screen so I can read in the dark (perfect for reading all the HP Lovecraft stuff) I really didn't like display only showing 1/2 a paragraph. I can see the potential here, but the application so far is not quite up to snuff. If you want a premium title, or a new book, the downloads were the same bloody cost of the printed book. Considering the streamlined product delivery channel and production costs - the ebook should be much much cheaper. I've not tried reading an ebook on a tablet/notebook... but this new MS Orgami looks like a good ticket for this. I'm a writer... I also digest about 3 books a week on average. I take this stuff seriously and the experience of sitting down with a good book should be the same with a printed book as an E-book, but with some added multi-media features. A PDA is too limited and a full laptop is too clunky. The E-Book Reader Devices that I've seen have all been too narrowly focused. Again, this new MS Orgami looks like something that could really bring Ebooks out of the closet again.
MadOgre.com
1. Cheap, available readers. Ebook readers have always been too expensive to justify buying one.
2. Overpriced ebooks. It's no secret that paper is the most expensive component of books. Removing paper from the equation should result in a dramatic drop in book prices, but greedy publishers and ebook middlemen have kept prices too high.
3. Too man ebooks are sold with silly DRM systems. I want my ebook DRM to be just like the DRM in iTunes - a perfunctory system that does nothing more than shut up business types who don't know a damned thing about DRM but insist on using it.
I give this speech several times during the year.
If you want a book, you can go down the street to your local bookstore and buy the item. You have the satisfaction of having it fairly quickly, but have to get up and leave the house (not a bad thing).
You could also go to Amazan and order the book and have it in a day or two. You don't have to get up, but you won't have the item for a day or two.
if there was an eBook available, you could buy and instantly download the item giving you access immediately. That is the advantage of an ebook.
No, they are not great for reading stories or fiction, but they are great for technical references and how to guides.
PayLoadz.com - Buy and Sell eBooks
Now, I bought the Zire for other reasons, and not primarily as a reader. And I don't sit down and read things on it at home. But I've loaded a bunch of things on it (Mark Twain short stories, Machievelli, Plato) which is great if I find myself stuck somewhere with time to kill. It's great for business travel and waiting in long lines.
So it hasn't replaced my regular reading, but certainly has found a place in my reading habits.
It's not wasting time, I'm educating myself.
Ebooks simply don't have enough to offer me. The only advantage to me is for a technical manual that since you have a digital form, you can simply do a search in the ebook to find a keyword, instead of having to go through an index of general concepts and hope the term you are looking for is listed.
The disadvantages are many:
A paper book is just so much nicer than an electronic one.
I can highlight it.
I can photocopy pages to keep myself or give to other people.
I can put sticky notes, fold over corners, etc to mark a page that I will need to refer back to.
I can lend it to a friend, and they can lend it to another friend.
I can sell it to a friend.
They are much easier to read, since it is the originally intended medium and not transposed/transcoded.
I can refer to the book while configuring a system (two different physical devices, I don't have to switch between screens to get the exact config command).
I don't have to buy anything extra in order to use it, or I don't have to use my laptop to read a book.
Zero chance of a harddrive failure wiping out my costly book collection.
In short, I prefer my books to be paper for the same reason why I do not print out my email. The information is supposed to be delivered a specific way, and it works much better in it's original medium.
"I can read it in the dark. This is great in bed when the wife is sleeping or on long car trips when my wife is driving. It works in trains or airplanes or at a bus-stop"
I can read my real book during a long power outage (in the daytime). Admittedly, they don't happen often, but when they do, I read even more than usual, and I don't have to worry about battery life.
"I can carry a library with me wherever I go. Do I want to carry 2 600-page books with me so I can start the second when I'm done with the first? One real book is not too bulky, but several together are"
That's probably the best advantage of the ebook, but the drawback is, if my books get lost, I've lost 3, maybe 4 books max. If my Ereader gets lost, I've lost hundreds of books.
"When I finish reading a book, if I like it I can get the sequel immediately, anytime, day or night. This means no more buying the first 2 or 3 books of a series so I'll have the second book ready when I'm done with the first, only to find out that the first wasn't as great as I was hoping"
Usually, when I read the first book, they haven't even written the next. I'd have to wait in any case, unless they released the whole series at the same time, or unless it's been out awhile.
"It lays flat on the table, so I can read it while I eat a hamburger or pizza or whatever other messy two-hand food I have. You can hold a book open with one hand and eat with the other- any serious bookworm is good at that- but an ebook reader is better for this. Like just about anything else, it's not all good and it's not all bad"
It's probably easier to brush crumbs off my book than it is getting them off my ebook, judging by how hard it is to clean my keyboard.
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
usually I read a lot of comic books in cbr file and eBooks (magazines and books) in PDF. usually I do it in my desktop... I tried to do it in my pda and realized that a small screen is not comfortable enought. I need at least a A4 sized screen with a good contrast. Unfortunatelly the ideal solution, a TabletPC is really overpriced. anyone knows a good hardware for this?
I do enjoy e-books, but only the freely-available stuff on Project Gutenberg. I wouldn't buy an e-book unless I had a very specific reason for doing so because of formats and DRM, but the reason I do enjoy Project Gutenberg ebooks is because I can put them on my TI-89 Titanium and read them wherever I want. Not so with PDFs or proprietary formats.
Remember, open source is free as in speech, not free as in bear.
I've been reading eBooks on a Palm device of one kind or another for 6-7 years. I still read paper books too,
but with publishers like Fictionwise, I find I can generally get books $1-$4 cheaper in ebook format, when I go on a trip,the extra weight of those electrons is a breeze. I have even hooked several friends on ebooks, a couple because of books that ONLY come in ebook format.
Another poster talked about the Baen website, and I belong to that as well - and have really enjoyed reading several books before they ever show on a bookshelf in paper.
As to form factor - the palm device is darn near perfect - hi res screen, weight (less than many paperbacks) one handed holding and page turning. What's not to like?
I think several of the folks complaining here haven't looked at it in a while.
Oh yeah, one more thing - the majority of both Fictionwise and Baen's books (or is it all of Baen's books!) do NOT have DRM crap.
This has most likely already been said, but ok. Mainly, when I want to read something in terms of a leisure activity, I like to kick off my shoes, sink down into a comfy chair or lie on my couch, and read a paperback book. Light, easy to read and navigate.
/. post already mentions the fact that for a lot of people, most of the books they want to read aren't available as e-books. Same here.
E-books, on the other hand: Requires a computer to read them, and computers aren't great when you want to relax. Even if you have a small handheld reader, it just doesn't FEEL the same as turning that page to find out what happens in the next chapter or the next part or whatnot. Just doesn't.
Even if something was available that meets those requirements of being able to relax and read at the same time, the
So until some of these problems are solved or mitigated sufficiently, I won't be reading e-books daily.
search and get 16000 free ebooks
http://www.onlyebooks.org/
I, too, have been reading Gutenberg books on a Palm for at least a decade. My current PDA is a used Palm m125 that has the wonderful feature that, when the backlight is on, the letters are lit and the background is dark.
There are currently six large novels on my Palm (Free Space: 5M of 7.7M). Try lugging that many books around. And I replace the 2 AA batteries about once every six weeks.
- long battery life (several hours absolute minimum)
- sun/shade usability, good visibility
- light, sturdy
- compatibility
- ability to read open formats (text, PDF, html, html+image "page archives")
- no endless monthly fees, spam, and tracking
- ability to mount as a filesystem and copy files to/from (not only !Shiny!Gui! access)
- ability to back up what I purchase in case I lose the thing (and so it doesn't have to have a giant powersucking hard drive)
- don't need color; I'd rather have more-visible greyscale
Extras:
- crossreference
- bookmarks, post-its (backed up with the file)
- stylus notetaking
I use MobiPocket with my PocketPC. It can convert and upload anything and everything I've thrown at it. It's also very customizable, with the ability to go into full-screen and scale the font size to whatever I wish.
LOOOOAAAADS better than the Microsoft Reader, which I was never able to get to work AT ALL.
swanker than you
My major gripe is the pricing of ebooks.
When I looked into it a few years ago, publishers wanted nearly the same amount of money for an ebook as they did for a hardcover. It just didn't make sense to me, and I felt ripped off.
The other concern is of course DRM. I want to purchase the book and be able to read it anywhere I want: on my desktop, laptop, palm pilot, ipod, whatever.
You actually turn off your iPod while taking off and landing? I never do... and on the rare occasion that a flight attendant asks me to, I tell her it is off and I am leaving my earphones in until we can turn them on.. (whatever) If my iPod has anything to do with crashing the plane, then something else is VERY wrong... How many times have you accidentally left your cell phone on in your carry on? The FAA needs to get off their lazy governmental butts and pay companies to test and prove once and for all that the plane's electronic equipment can't fail due to interference. Sadly, until a plane crashes and the NTSB determines the cause was due to "electronic interference" from an on-board item, the government will sit back and do nothing.
Nice setup. Seriously though, I got mine new on Ebay a year and a half ago for $50CAN, so interested slashdotters can get them for much cheaper than $79 if they shop around.
Pick One: http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~stremler/sigs/sigs.html (Note - disable Javascript first!)
It doesn't make sense to ask 'Why not eBooks?' (unless you work for an eBook company). I can't think of a single reason why I would want an eBook instead of a real book. A paperback costs $5 and I can jam it into my pocket and bring it anywhere with me. If I lose it or destroy it, no big deal. The print is at least 16 times better resolution than any electronic screens available today. The user interface is simplicity. Fold a corner to bookmark. Flip through pages. Table of contents.
When eInk is available, it will improve the resolution problem, but I still don't see the benefit...
Then again, my PDA is a version of the HIPSTER, so my opinion may be biased...
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
Proprietary formats that aren't portable between systems at predatory prices that don't reflect *any* of the cost savings of digital vs. physical distribution.
I read public-domain e-books constantly - I'd love to be able to include more up-to-date stuff..
However, since I am a computer science major, and my work around computers has developed a short attention span interms of reading the great classics and modern literature, read becomes a slow process outside of my computer nerd habitat, unless it is a Calculus or Physics book.
Maybe it is the fact that English teachers make read as about as exciting as going to some fancy art-house event. As much as I respect those things, I am about as uncouth as a redneck at an opera performance.
I have to take English to graduate college, however just about every English teacher has taught english in a way most English majors look at computer science.
Sure I would be interested in reading about Swift, Pope, and Keats. But my instructors have taugh it in such a way its like I should have read alot of other literature before I signed up for the class. However, as a Computer Science major, it is hard for me to keep up with those more tuned into English Literature.
I feel that puting more books, espeically English textbooks, in eBook format would make things more comprehensive and easier to read. It would allow readers who are more into techincal fields to better understand the subject of English literature, which for about a few weeks now I have just skimmed through.
The Rapture is NOT an exit strategy.
My main reason for lack of adoption of eBooks is really very straightforward: I like holding the in my hands. I enjoy the look, smell, and feel of book/newspaper print. Don't misunderstand... there's more to it:
When I read something that is in my hand, the format of the size of the page is such that I can bring it closer to my face, change its position in relation to the light, and easily flip back and forth in such a way as to make me more comfortable during the reading process.
Most online/computer-based reading suffers from the fact that I don't have tons of screen real-estate, and there are always issues with getting things jockeyed around to make the e-reading marginally comfortable. In addition, I almost never read printed materials sitting at a desk. I also find it very uncomfortable trying to sit in a chair (a chair that I find relaxing in which to sit) and have a laptop positioned to make the screen readable.
With all of that said, I do have one very good future use for eBooks in my life: The ability to read books and printed material to which I have no access - like an online viewable book of a real Gutenberg Bible, or maybe one of Poe's original manuscripts of The Raven . Reading priceless (and sometimes fragile) texts from the past would be REALLY exciting. As a musician, I'd love to have easy access (even on a computer) to scans/images of original musical masterpieces and even some folk traditional stuff from centuries gone by.
A Passionate Independent Musician
eBooks are only of value to me if they are at least as convenient as both their printed counterparts and other electronic files.
I don't want to have to think about how I use them - whether I'm allowed to make copies, or transform them into different formats. If I need special software (beyond common, standard ones such as Postscript, PDF, etc) that limits their use to certain platforms, or worse, to individual machines, then there is no value there for me.
I think newspapers are perfect for distribution as 'e-books'. That saves us a lot of paper, and the distibution costs of all that paper. If you have a subscription like a subscription to a podcast, your paper is automagically downloaded every day, and sits there ready for you when you wake up. Not so good for all the people who lose their jobs if this catches on, but alas...
-- Cheers!
Content that publishers ... or loose your freedom forever!
remotely control, whether text/eBook or
music/movie or software, is EVIL. Resist
now
I took a college course which used an eBook in pdf form for the course text. Once the course was complete, the eBook disappeared. It simply wasn't practical to print this "book". So I have no reference for that course. I'm one of those people who saved almost all of my textbooks from all the college courses I took. I just can't remember all the details I might need later on. Occasionally, I need to look up something. If I have the textbook, I can quickly find what I'm looking for. Going to the library isn't practical and most libraries lack books on esoteric technical subjects. Those textbooks have come in handy on numerous occasions.
Wansu, th' chinese sailor
Books are free/cheap. eBooks and readers are expensive for no particular value (ie. as much as the *AAs would like to believe otherwise, I actually prefer to OWN something tangible when I hand over money, if I have the choice). Books free? Yeah, effectively:
- Libraries
- friends
- the stacks and stacks of books in my attic that i haven't read yet, all bought from used-book stores, garage sales, flea markets, etc.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a 'gadget' sort of guy. I love gizmos.
Successful model for ebooks?
Here you go:
I have a [device] of whatever OS (palm, WinCE, whatever).
I walk into the airport, go to the news stand and look through the available publications (or pop it on from anywhere in the terminal and browse wirelessly).
I find five or six periodicals and a sci fi book that I'd like to read, select them, hit download.
I get a popup saying that they are each $0.25. The book is $1.
I hit ok, and in a moment I have them on my [device] and I run to catch my plane.
(Alternately, when I turn it on and my 'subscribed' publications are available, it asks right away if I'm interested in downloading them.)
The key elements:
- NO proprietary software bullshit
- SEAMLESS integration with my account and micropayments
- MICROPRICING that recognizes that for this content, you didn't have to hack down a tree to print it, suck oil from the ground to distribute it, or pay anyone's salary/rent to sell it. If major news papers can do all those things for a buck, why would an e-magazine cost more than a quarter of THAT? Hell, I'd even give you feedback on rating articles I like, adverts I bothered to look at, etc that you can use to improve/sell your content. The data stream CAN be two-way, you know?
- SPEED fast downloads. It shouldn't take me longer to download a magazine than it would take to pick the real one off the shelf, stand in line, and pay for it. I know wireless doesn't always have that phat a bandwidth, so do the ipod thing and give it a USB base port, so I can physically go to cutting edge news stands and get the data REALLY fast. But I should be able to browse the index of items without needing to be connected.
- SCREEN. Reading is already a visually intensive/demanding process. Your screen should have at least 75dpi (video) resolution in all light levels (plus a variable backlight...actually a feature where it can improve over books! You can read in the dark!)
- LIBRARY kick a few bucks into project gutenberg, and offer their enormous collection of free ebooks for....FREE.
- BATTERY work on battery life, or use extremely low-power screens because if I'm sitting in a hammock reading for 4 hours, I don't want to worry that I won't be able to keep reading unless I find a plugin.
- WATERPROOF again, an improvement over books. I'd like to be able to take it camping or to the beach and not be terrified it's going to get wrecked.
In other words, play to the ebook STRENGTHS: flexibility, cheap distribution (because electrons really are free), portability, low light readability.
-Styopa
I have no problem with purchasing ebooks, and do this all the time from either Fictionwise or eReader to read on my Palm Zire (yes, the older one), which I upgraded to 8 MB. And I use to read many hours on it without any problem.
:)
Before I began reading ebooks I did some research and found eReader's DRM scheme to be very nice, unlike others. The ebook comes encrypted with your name and the number of the credit card you used to purchase it as the decryption key. In other words, the ebook isn't device-locked, so I can open it in any Windows, Mac, Palm, Pocket PC and/or Symbian machine (no Linux version so far) I have access to. Also, the standard versions of the reader software are freeware, and the purchaseable Pro ones also aren't device-locked, so I install and reinstall them anywhere. Thus, so far I've purchase both Windows and Palm eReader Pro. And the Fictionwise store has the advantage of also having DRM-free copyrighted ebooks. These don't come nicely formatted as the DRM'ed ones, but they are as readable as any Project Gutenberg text file, so no big deal there.
However, the main advantage I see on ebooks is that they're much cheaper to purchase than printed versions, at least for me who don't live in USA. The shipping charges practiced on online stores such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble to send printed books to Brazil are outrageous, while on ebooks they're $0.
All in all, my ebook reading experience, with both DRM'ed, DRM-free copyrighted and public domain ebooks, has been almost excelent. I've around 200 ebooks and will keep purchasing them no matter what.
Conservatism: (n.) love of the existing evils. Liberalism: (n.) desire to substitute new evils for the existing ones.
No standard format, lots of different types of readers. Books come in a standard format that everyone is used to, paper pages bound together. E-books come in so many different formats that don't work on all platforms.
What's holding me back? I don't know where to find them. Show me where I can buy a reader and how I can load it up with all the Java/Ruby/HTML/CSS/JavaScript books from O'Rielly and I'll enter my credit card number right now!
I bought an eBook a while back. Now in order to unlock it and read it today, I have to use a credit card number that has long since expired and been replaced. I don't have that problem with paper.
90% of everything is crap. Also, crap is relative.
it's why I still carry a compass in the BWCA instead of rely on my pretty GPS, which doesn't like being underwater, and eats a load of AA batteries in 2 hours. compasses and plasticized maps don't break, either.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Lets start with what I DON'T have a problem with:
Now, I will go over the reasons I don't like e-books:
And, the number one reason: What do I do with my current collection of books? Do I have to buy them all again?
/usr/games/fortune
adobe is what holds me back. I havnt tried lots of ebooks, but the majority of the ones I have are in the rediculous pdf format. PDFs are so inefficiently rendered it makes it pointless to have to wait to read something just because I scrolled to the next page.
Hurry up and wait!
I only good use for an ebook that I've found is that you can read the book at work and still look like you are being productive.
DRM.
I love ebooks that I compile myself, but I'm not going to pay $20 for an ebook that has a life expectancy that is dependant upon a device that will be obsolete in a few short years.
http://hownow.brownpau.com/archives/2003/01/free_d mitry/
Having read Harry Harrison's interview about Soylent Green, it entered my head this morning to get a copy of his book "Make Room, Make Room," on which the movie was based.
Book is available in E-book format only, says the Amazon product page, so I am required to get Adobe E-Book Reader. Okay, I say, I'll download the E-Book and export it to a text file so I can read it in my Palm. First faulty assumption.
I purchase the text and go to the library download page. No E-Book reader for Mac OS X, it informs me. Okay, I say, I'll get the OS 9 installer, and run it in Classic mode. Second faulty assumption.
Once installed, I try to run the E-Book Reader. It starts up Classic, as expected, but then returns an error: "Will not run in OS X." Then promptly quits. Darn, I say, this isn't working out, and it won't let me download the text without the Reader. Maybe I should return this and get a refund. Third faulty assumption.
No returns or refunds on e-books, says Amazon's return policy, so I'm stuck with this thing. More determined than ever to get it working, I start up Virtual PC and download the E-Book reader for Windows. It takes a while on dialup, but it finally installs, "certifies" (that gets me leery), and downloads the book.
And that, my friends, is when I discover the true nature of the E-Book Reader environment. There is no way to save or export the document to another format, and it will not allow me to copy text to the clipboard, effectively trapping the document within itself. Nor will it allow me to print. I am forced to read the entire text on screen, in the E-Book Reader, with no alternative offered for readability or portability. My desire to export the document to another format is not intended to break copyright law in any way, and it falls well under fair use, but the Reader's copy-protection is hostile to any such will.
So, I'm poorer by $5.99 and an afternoon of struggling with this stupid E-Book Reader, and if I'd only done some simple research before jumping into the swamp, I could have avoided this whole mess. As it is, now I have a copy of Harry Harrison's Make Room, Make Room! trapped in an Adobe application, waiting to be read on screen.
Congratulations, DMCA, you've just gained a new enemy. I am adding my voice to the cries of "Free Dmitry!" because I want to be able to legally read my E-Books in some format other than what Adobe restricts me to.
(As I read, maybe I should take screenshots of each page and save them to GIFs which I can OCR to a text file, just to be muleheaded about the whole thing. Within fair use law, of course.)
It's bullshit like your torrent post that screws these things up for everyone else. Baen is simple, fair, inexpensive, DRM-free, and doesn't ask for much in return... but what he does ask you ignore anyway. Thank you so VERY much.
And no. The entire /. community does not count as your friends, nor your family...
Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
First of all, as mentioned, I like the UI, it is clean, easy to grasp.
;)
Then there is clearly the form factor. A device that is light (maybe ePaper?) and "folds" like a book would be converting me.
Then lastly there really is that I find eBooks rather cumbersum. I read a lot online (Web pages, PDFs) but books tend to be nicer to read in a dead tree format.
Plus, they can help stabilize the dinner table
If you want to e-mail me, use my PGP Key.
Those are my number 3 and number 2 reasons, but the #1 reason I'm not even *thinking* about eBooks is simple : PRICE.
It's great for you that you like your Clie, but I don't own one and am not about to run out and spend, what, over $200, or heck, even $100 to be able to purchase a book. Then... what's the price of an eBook ? Is it more than the price I'd pay to buy that book on eBay, Amazon, or a local book store ? Might I find the book in question at my local library ?
In short, that reader better be damn cheap, or do something more than just be a reader... and the content better be cheaper than a paperback, too.
IMHO, the whole eBook concept is a solution looking for a problem, or rather, a product looking for a market. Without publishers discounting the price of ebooks tremendously, they just don't make sense for the consumer. Can I sell my eBook when I no longer want it ? If not, it has a lot less value to me than a book- that's just the way goods work.
An eBook might make a lot of sense for something that I know I'll only ever look at once - a newspaper, maybe, or something that I'm going to want in electronic format, or won't read sequentially, like a web site ( call it a 'blog' or whatever you want )... but uh, why not use a laptop or computer for that ? Oh, you want your eBook reader to be smaller ? Maybe you want your laptop smaller, too... oh, yea, like a Clie...
So... eBooks haven't taken off because there is no demand for them. Make them more attractive ( i.e. in price, resellability, *something* ), and maybe we'll *think* about buying them... but until you can convincingly explain to your mom and the guy standing at the bus stop the reason why an eBook is better than a paperback... no sale, dude, sorry...
... I'll be a convert.
Until then, I'll stick with the dead-tree version, they're much more convenient.
Quidquid Latine dictum sit, altum videtur (anything said in Latin sounds important)
Many libraries are lending eBookos now. However much PR we try, we can't get patrons to use eBooks.
Why?
Picking up a dead tree book to read it requires no technical skill at all. ANYONE can checkout a book, and read it.
eBooks (at least the ones through NetLibrary) require:
You download and install NetLibrary eBook reader on your computer
Then you download the book from NetLibrary site
Then you install the book into NetLibrary Reader
Then it deletes the books if you don't read it within 14 days.
Plain and simple: eBooks are unfriendly.
As a submariner I have a serious lack of space to take books with me. My palm loaded with a large library makes so much more sense than trying to pack everything in a rack that's a few inches deep and the size of a sleeping pad. I don't like the cost of ebooks. An ebook doesn't cost them anything so why not sell it for half the cost? I hate paying the same amount that I would for a paperback. I would buy so many more if they would lower the cost. That and why should I pay $300 for a dedicated ebook reader when the ebooks cost the same as the paperbacks! Now I read a lot so if they dropped the price of the books to a dollar or two then I may be able to justify the cost of the reader, but until then I'm going to laugh at Sony and their overpriced gadget.
I worked with an eBook publisher outside of Seattle a few years ago. It was my job to devise the conversion schemes for content sent from major publishers, from hardcopy (loose and bound) to electronic (Word, text, html, god-knows-what-typesetter-or-word-processor package).
We would get surveys, with results like:
Some of the responses that contradict each other came from the same person. In other words, the public doesn't know what it wants, they just know that what you are going to offer them is not going to make them happy until you can read their subconscious desires.
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong fix.
I switched to eBooks about a year ago. I was driven to it by discovering BitTorrent. I now have a larger collection of SF/Fantasy than my public library, more than I could read in a lifetime.
Before this I was very active at my library. I would even buy books occasionally to fill the holes in their collections, and give them the books. I haven't been in a year. Why bother when I can sit down search my collection and be good to go in 5 minutes. Does this make me evil? Maybe, but Baen has it right folks. I now spend 2-3x more money on books than I did before to fill in the gaps in what I have. In the process I have discovered:
>>1. Form factor: They just prefer the feel and 'interface' of a paper book.
No way. My GEB1150(ebookwise) is way more convenient. Long battery life, backlight, configurable fonts, automatic bookmarks, and the list goes on. I read it in the tub all the time.
>>2. Lack of a compelling device (or perhaps lack of convergence):
$99 for a library worth of books. That's what my ebookwise cost. Forget a $350 Sony Reader.
>>3. Lack of content: Books they are interested in aren't available in electronic format
Content is what drove me to ebooks in the first place.
>>4. Distribution model: They don't like the DRM scheme their favorite publisher offers
DRM effectively doesn't exist in the real world. All the content I get has long since been decrypted, converted, etc.
I probably even read more than I used to. I no longer have cable TV we just don't watch it much. If I am not eating, sleeping, working or gaming... then I am reading.
Edward Tufte makes a big deal about this,and he's right. It's the resolution, stupid! 300+ dpi vs. what, 100 dpi if you're lucky? Gonna be a while before I'll even consider e-books.
Or at least DRM that is not multi-platform. I can't buy a book in a PocketPC format and read it on my Zaurus.
Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
1. You cannot annotate them. No writing in the margins, no circling or underlining interesting stuff, no putting in a footnote proving the author's argument is illogical or flawed. With a book, you can scribble in it and then pass it on to a friend. This is a major irremovable flaw in any DRM system.
2. They're not efficient. By this, I mean that it's more difficult to vary your reading speed, and in particular to skim to the juicy parts.
I don't like e-books because:
* It's harder to lie in bed and read with a laptop. They're a lot heavier, and you have to fiddle with power supplies and such. Also, the text is not nearly as crisp.
* I'm not about to go out and spend money on a piece of hardware (an ebook reader) to do something my existing computer could do just as well if the books were supplied in a sensible format (pdf, html, text, etc.).
* As far as I'm concerned, DRM = no purchase
* It's kind of hard to get the author's autograph on a disk file.
I refuse to use books or music that includes DRM.
I don't mind paying for content. I subscribe to several online news publications and I would buy my local paper everyday if I could just avoid getting the (paper) part of it. I will continue to read it online for free until they wise up.
I just don't like paying for it over and over again when I switch devices. I stuff my IPOD with full size MP3's and I have books in txt and html format archived from the early days of the web.
Thanks for the links to the TOR website.
I used to spend $100.00 per month on SF books but so much of it has turned to crap based on the "established author" rule caused by the cost of publishing on paper. Baen will get my cash from now on.
*"Cogito Ergo Liberalis"*
At a previous job, I had a work-provided PocketPC and was starting to get into ebooks... But I had to give it back when I left. My wife has a 12" iBook that she uses for reading ebooks, but I personally don't have anytyhing suitable. My phone is way too small and my laptop is way too big. Good PDAs are too pricey and bad PDAs aren't worth having if they're only useful for reading ebooks.
Still waiting for the perfect device, I guess.
Once the mechanics of film was resolved, that is when movies first started as an art forum and not a technical marvel movies were often liked filmed versions of plays. It wasn't until people like Griffiths invented film editing that movies really became something truly different and worthwhile. Similarly things like television news became effective only when the separated from radio news and newspapers.
Its the same with ebooks. What real substantial advantages are there to ebooks over paperbooks? There are huge advantages to freely copyable, openly available text files and these get used by techies all the time. That is the electronic medium has created: quickly reproducible at no cost, long tail economics, and other models. The official ebook world has rejected any of these things (understandably since their whole basis is a per copy fee). Most likely that means the electronic written medium will continue to be dominated by things like slashdot, wikipedia, alt.sex.stories, which took advantage of the medium.
Ebooks fail for the same reason that no one wants to see an actor "walk onstage" during a movie.
It is just that simple.
Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.
- W. Wriston, former Citibank CEO
Baen's Webscriptions actually offers "prerelease" versions of books. That is, the un-proofed electronic version of the book, available before the print version.
Too bad Baen's library is so limited.
Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
Indeed, reading light text on a dark background is the only way I can bear to read the hundreds of e-books I go thru every year.
I also prefer by e-books in plain text -- even to the point of missing italics and bolding -- just for the convience of being able to read it with pretty much any device.
Hell, my favorite 'reader' is KWrite, and that's just an fancy text editor.
Inverting the colors in my PDF reader is an absolute must!
Why on Earth would I buy eBooks? Can anybody give me one compelling argument?
I can give you one good reason not to buy eBooks: I've never had the batteries on a paperback die out on me 1/2 way through a 9-hour flight.
I think the idea is cool.. but when I buy a old-fashioned paper book.. I pay EUR 20... Or even less when I get one at the library. Now.. I want to go on the subway and read an e-book... Where do I get the equipment (issue 1.. you might nog be able to buy it in the store next door) and... the initial buy is not even close to EUR 20. So costs is a huge issue.
Currently on my Palm I have :-
20,000_Leagues_Under_the_Sea.pdb
Accelerando.pdb
Adventures_of_Sally,_The.pdb
A_Strange_Manuscript_Found_i.pdb
Beowulf.pdb
Canterbury_Tales_and_Other_P.pdb
Cathedral_and_the_Bazaar,_Th.pdb
Celtic_Fairy_Tales.pdb
Concrete_Jungle,_The.pdb
Cyberpunk_Fakebook,_The.pdb
dracula.pdb
earthbnd.pdb
Eves_Diary.pdb
Food_of_the_Gods_and_How_It_.pdb
Frankenstein.pdb
GNU_Manifesto,_The.pdb
History_of_China,_A.pdb
Human_Machine,_The.pdb
Land_That_Time_Forgot,_The.pdb
lexal.pdb
lost.pdb
Moby_Dick.pdb
New_Hackers_Dictionary,_The.pdb
Oldest_Code_of_Laws_in_the_W.pdb
pbound.pdb
plague.pdb
Relativity_-_The_Special_and.pdb
Report_on_Unidentified_Flyin.pdb
Runaway_Skyscraper,_The.pdb
Scorched_Earth.pdb
Secret_of_the_Ninth_Planet,_.pdb
Silas_Marner.pdb
Stephen R. Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - 7+ ebooks
Strange_Manuscript_Found_in_.pdb
The_Arabian_Nights.pdb
The_Emancipatrix.pdb
The_Raven__The_Masque_of_the.pdb
The_Voyage_of_the_Beagle.pdb
The_War_of_the_Worlds.pdb
Ulysses.pdb
Wailing_Asteroid,_The.pdb
War_and_Peace.pdb
and I have still got 25 MB free out of my 51MB built in memory.
I had an issue with the appearance of the text on the screen, but after a little judicious tinkering with the text and background colours, plus adjusting the brightness slightly, I now have it set up so that I can read at least as long as I can with a real book. I like using my thumb to turn the page with just a touch, and I like having a selection available when I finish a "book" while on public transport.
In short, there is really nothing wrong with the concept, it's just the usual attitude adjustment that need to take place.
I read e-texts all the time and I think most people participating in this discussion do as well. Some of my examples are the Common Lisp Hyperspec, and Python and emacs documentation. I rarely buy a print manual for a software package if the e-text documentation is sufficient. Just about every bit of documentation that I use for research is in some searchable digitial form.
On the other hand, there are other genres where I prefer print texts. With a library card, I have access to more than a quarter-million texts on a wide variety of subjects. I don't have to worry about contrast or battery capacity with a paperback. Although I probably shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, the art and typographic design are important aesthetic values for printed text. When I work 8-14 hour days in front of a screen, print provides me with a nice break.
IMNSHO, treating e-text as just a new medium for the novel or the short story collection shows a profound lack of artistic creativity. The novel owes its existence to the printing press. It didn't take long for artists to realize that the photograph was unique compared to the painting, woodcut, etching, lithograph and pencil drawing. Cinema quickly established that it was a different form of performance than the stage play. And radio and audio-recording involved changes in vocal and instrumental style as various forms of electric amplification and effects became available.
In the middle of all this, you offer the tool which would have given a thundering woody to any of the likes of Hitler, Stalin, and Musolini, to say naught of George Bush, namely the DRM with which we may usher in the Farenheit 451 of tomorrow to imprison wisdom and knowledge for all time, and marvel that I do not hasten to tie your rope around my neck and kick the stool out from under me. Big F-ing mystery, huh?
You're an embarrassment to the slug you were in a previous life.
I have purchased more than $1000 worth of e-books during the last five years. I read them exclusively on my PC monitor. I am highly motivated because of a mobility impairment that makes reading e-books much easier than mass paperback and, to a lesser extent, hardcover. I would read more, but there are serious issues that need to be resolved. Here are some of the salient issues as I see them:
My reader of choice is Microsoft Reader. I won't extend the length of this post by discussing the pros and cons in of the different readers, but this choice will inform the discussion that follows.
E-books with no DRM are typically marketed as "multiformat books" in that you can download them in any format to match the reader that you have. They have no DRM whatsoever. The downside is that most books with no DRM are probably not the books that you want the most. I purchased most from the two largest vendors -- Amazon and Fictionwise. Nearly all of recently released titles by these vendors have extensive DRM. After you've choose a format you are stuck with it. If you buy a device and the device maker goes out of business then all of your books based on that device are essentially useless -- money down the drain. Not to mention the cost of the device itself, which can be substantial. In the beginning, vendors allowed you to re-download your book from your "bookshelf" in a different format -- no more.
Typically there is an activation process which ties the particular e-book that have purchased to one or more devices -- a limited number depending upon the particular DRM system of the format. The obvious purpose of this is to prevent you distributing the book to others for free. The editor of Baen books points out the folly of this -- most authors would very much like to have their books distributed so that their "fan base" can increase. A practical example of this folly as I see it looks like this: You just downloaded the third book in a three book series by your favorite author, Peter F. Hamilton. How many people do you know that are waiting with baited breath for a free copy of that volume from you. You could believe you are a white hat kind of guy (information wants to be free) and post it to a web site that collects bootleg copies of books. However, many people have a "relationship" with their favorite author, may understand the precarious economics (i.e., financial rewards, or lack thereof) of authors not on the New York Times top 10 bestseller list and would voluntarily refrain from doing something like this -- either posting or downloading instead of buying.
Regarding hardware, I have yet to see a dedicated device was sufficient resolution, backlighting or reflective properties close enough to a PC monitor or paper, light weight, long battery life, at least five is diagonal screen, etc., for under my price point of $200. Since most of the readers are Windows-based, except for maybe Adobe Reader, the device would require at least a thin Windows OS. While Palm is ubiquitous, I haven't seen the reader by it which meets these specifications. I seem to remember it was on shaky ground for a while. Personally I would not be comfortable with spending a lot of money on e-books in that particular format. I am sure others have different opinions. The actual point I'm getting at here is that a number of physical devices have come and gone leading to purchasers with orphaned books.
The DRM on books is outrageously restrictive. When reading at a PC you cannot copy even a couple words to paste into Google. Nor can use the read aloud features of Microsoft Reader I have posted on this extensively elsewhere on Slashdot, but briefly, all of the blind people who could benefit from the wide dissemination of e-books without any extra modification (large type, Braille, speech translation) is callously eliminated. I know from law school that blind people can listen to enormous amounts of oral text at high-speed with pitch control. The text to
the advantages of an ebook are searching and storage. the disadvantages are that you need power and a good screen. personally, I will resist ebooks for leisure reading; I bought one ebook that was available no other way, and it totally sucked to read it. (a big part of that was that the drm required it only be read in 1 program which sucked)
- you can't use it everywhere you would use a book (airport, anyone? Or what if your batteries run out?)
- you need a special device, which costs more money (PDA or reader)
- the price is comparable (depends on what books you're getting and where - but eBooks are often as expensive as hardcover books)
- there's no guarantee your eBook will still be readable in 10 years
- you can't (easily) lend or sell your eBook when you're done with it
- and the list goes on...
Unless these comparisons begin to tip favorably toward electronic versions, they will still be much rarer than the paperbacks I buy in my corner bookstore.Have you read the Moderation Guidelines Addendum?
One big reason is that I usually only use one computer at a time, with one monitor.
If I want to reference a book while I'm actually doing something on a computer, it's MUCH easier to have the book on paper. Although I could flip windows the whole time, or go use a humongous monitor rather than my laptop, it's just much more effective to have a book open while working -- I can see everything I'm _doing_ on the screen, and what I'm _referencing_ in the book. I only need to move my eyeballs to switch from one to the other.
Paper in general is much better at getting a broad view of the matter, because you can lay out lots of paper at once, something that would take many monitors to do electronically.
Now, if we get visor displays that can fling windows all over my field of vision, and keep them stationary in relation to my head movements, this might start to change.
I keep a large library of ebooks on my Treo because I take my phone with me everywhere... and sometimes it's "inappropriate" to have a paperback.
My boss would not be happy with me reading a paperback in meetings (even meetings where I have little or no place). It appears "rude" to read a novel during the VP's presentation on our new marketing strategy, but looking at my PDA makes it seem like I'm being "productive." More importantly though, is my wife. If she wants me to go out shopping with her and I take along a paperback, then it's like I'm planning on being bored. She wouldn't put it quite that way, but I know that's the impression I'm giving (after 10 years I still don't completely understand her, but I have a clue on this). However, if I put my phone in my pocket, I'm just taking along my phone, right? And if I happen to take it out and read an ebook while she's in Ann Taylor (or wherever) that's different. (Don't ask me why it's different, it just is. Again, I don't understand why it's that way, I just know it is)
I also like the ability to choose among the hundred-or-so titles on my 1GB SD card based on my mood. It's like having a whole library in my pocket.
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I would like to read ebooks, especially project Gutenberg books on my iBook. All the ebook readers either support their own proprietary format only, or don't do a good job with text and usability. I insist on at least the same functionality of a real book:
1) one key press to page forward and back
2) the book returns to where I left off when I resume reading
3) I want to be able to place my own bookmarks & annotations
Also, a decent reader should let me choose the font. It should have decent automatic formatting and pagination of unformatted text such as from project Gutenberg. Most text editors and word processors make lousy readers.
Computers obey me.
DRM. If I buy it, I want to be able to read it wherever I want to, on whatever device I like, at any point in the future, even if the device I was using when I bought it has broken and the company that sold it to me is out of business.
Price. If an ebook costs the same as a printed book, I might as well get the printed one. It works anywhere. No need to worry about electricity. If two products cost the same, I'll take the better one. The ebook should cost much less than the printed book, both because of what the publisher saves in printing and shipping costs, and what I give up in convenience.
That said, I have purchased some ebooks. They are non-DRM'd PDFs and plain text files.
My trouble with ebooks has always been the cost of content. If it is no cheaper than a physical book, why buy it? I don't mind the upfront cost of a reader and I don't mind the DRM. What I want is cost savings passed on to the consumer from cost savings regarding distribution and printing. I even don't mind the interface. Ideally a two screen reader (given flat enough sides and a light weight) would be my top choice, but I can deal with a single page one. I'm excited about the upcoming sony ereader (even though their have lost my respect with DRM). If they get the price right and the content availability right I may buy into it.
I first used MS's ereader software which I really enjoyed (with the free content they provided), but battery life sucked. The new eink tech being used now makes me more hopeful. I did get my hands on the sony hardware at CES and was really impressed.
-Xen
I can't wait to jump on the ebook bandwagon. I'm raring to go. I've got my credit card out, ready to throw money at the first person to offer me the right platform. They almost exist, but not yet... I need a long-battery-life, light, high-contrast, open-format reader. No one sells those yet. They're all LCD-based or proprietary, if they even exist.
Luckily, sometime this spring three readers will be released that meet these criteria in varying degrees:
The Sony eReader will be long-lasting, light, and high contrast. Being Sony, it will not be open-format.
The iRex Iliad will be long-lasting, light, and high-contrast. It will be slightly more open than the Sony, and also have a touchscreen, a larger screen and higher resolution, and wifi. Unfortunately, it costs an arm and a leg and will intially retail only in Europe.
The Hanlin v2 will be long-lasting, light, high contrast, and run Linux, supporting all sorts of exciting formats. Not all the features of the Iliad, but cheaper than either of the others.
So... I won't be held back any more, once these manufacturers finally get around to releasing their hardware.
I yearn for you tragically. A. T. Tappman, Chaplain, U.S. Army.
Price, selection, and DRM is keeping me away from eBooks. $400+ for a reader that doesn't kill my eyes. Can't reliably get a book I want digitally. And if I get it, can't be certain I'll be able to keep it forever. Not to mention the cost of each book...
But that's all... ergonimics is not. I like the newer readers. I've dabbled with them, and I think I could read novels on them without frustration. I really like being able to search through books, and hold a library of books on one device. I read a LOT, but I'm not really attached to paper... I'd give that up without qualm.
I buy PDFs regularly though, because they cost a little less for reference books, and are not DRM restricted. I like being able to search through them. I have a couple programming references in PDF and Dead-tree... and I use the PDF more often than the tree. That's because I have the PDF copy at home and at work, and I'm almost always at my computer when I need it. The tree version is nice as well... I use that more when reading through whole chapters on the couch.
The eBook industry would have my complete reading budget (about $1000 per year) if:
- A good reader cost under $200 (I project this will happen in 2-5 years).
- eBook costs fall to 1/2 to 2/3 the physical costs ($4-5 for fiction, $20-30 for reference).
- DRM restrictions are greatly loosened or abandoned (The thought of being forced to re-purchase $2000 in books because my eReader is damaged is laughable).
"I will trust Google to 'do no evil' until the founders no longer run it." Hello Alphabet.
"ebooks" are a ghetto. They're a little mini-subset of digital text. I don't need it.
We have HTML, and that presents a fine enough format for presenting digital text. Those who want a higher resolution can use a truetype font of their choice. PDF isn't bad either. The web was designed for digital text, and has been refined to pretty darn useful status in that application niche.
Increasingly, proprietary DRM formats are do little more than lock content out of the market, rather than pirates out of the content.
If more books were released under licenses I could afford, I'd read them.
And in most cases, especially when reading for relaxation, I too prefer actual paper books. Leather bound paper, if I can get it (I have some Easton Press books that I'm especially fond of).
The portability issue I can see going either way. Since I read eBooks on my Treo (PDA/phone) it's actually smaller than a paperback (with the associated screen size drawback) but with a 1GB SD card, I can drag a whole library of electronic books around instead of having just one paper book.
And I agree 100% on the ambience. I wouldn't trade the bookcases in my house for any other furniture.
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I don't desire an ebook so much as an enewspaper. If I had a device that would automatically fetch the Wall St. Journal, the New York Times, and some magazines, I'd happily pay for subscriptions to each.
I'd LOVE to adopt e-books...but so far they don't have what I want....here's what I'd like...most of my requests are from the point of view of someone who routinely takes 5-6 books on vacation, always has one in the car & on the bedside table, reads a couple at a time, and likes to pass them on when I'm done. It has to be: Portable, lightweight, flexible media that is comfortable to hold in your lap - a flexible screen with a little thumb-pad for controls would be awesome. The controls don't have to be extensive. The equivalent of a bookmark & highlighting are fine. For 95% of the reading I do - a bookmark does the trick. Lightweight so you can take it in your carry-on, backpack, or pocketbook easily. USB port (or similar) so that I can download books at home, copy them to a 1 or 2 GB USB drive, then have a library with me. Of course, a licensing scheme that supports this. Water resistant. Low power needs. Easy to recharge, uses over the counter batteries, or solar charger. Current popular books and standard references. I would even consider a proprietary chit sort of thing that has the book on it - if I can buy, say, a credit card sized thing that is actually a book, and I own it as I would a regular book, then I can also give/loan it to my friends as I would a regular book. It IS a copy of the book. I can still carry & store them easily, so it doesn't defeat the purpose of the ebook. I wouldn't mind ordering these cards from an online retailer or buying them at a local bookstore. There has to be a way to make something like that work. Would like to read books, magazines, & newspaper on it. Who's gonna build it?
Book readers have been around, virtually speaking, since well before Asimov. Telzey Amberdon, James H. Schmitz' domesticated superkitten, had an entire law library in her kit, and let's not forget Douglas Adams' HHGG. Not one of these encyclopedic monsters lived in a clamshell laptop. The format was flat, convenient and pocketable -- exactly like a PSP. Or like that reader Annie Skywalker flipped down on the couch when Portman angsted lithely into the room. Not a PC in the bunch! Just as curiously, all such devices that support actual reading (as opposed to the HHGG, which was multimedia with as little of the written word as possible) have a common data format, viz., BLT ("booklike, transparent"). Not to plump Sony's version too much. Nintendo's alleged Revolution sounds like a perfect library delivery system. However, none of this will EVER happen, except in North Korea, because of draconian copyright laws that embalm a 19th century look and feel in a 21st century legal nightmare. Or worse: Google delivers it all, complete with Amazon.com ads next to Frodo's vision in Galadriel's mirror.
``Tension, apprehension & dissension have begun!'' - Duffy Wyg&, in Alfred Bester's _The Demolished Man_
The problem I have with e-books is the form factor. They look like slates and not books. They are also unreliable. Here is what I want. o A 'book' that has two pages with a spine that can be closed and opened. o A 'book' that retains its image for 10 years. It uses no energy to display a page but only to change a page (see eink, etc). o A book that gathers its energy from the sun. Photovoltaic cells on its front and back cover. o A book full of blank pages. Pages that I can write on with a stylus. o A book that can convert my handwriting to printed form. o A book that can check my mathematics (proof checker) o A book that can down and upload information from the web. o A book that can hold a library's worth of information (1,000 books). So, that is all I want.
i am an avid reader and i can say i at least considered the idea of getting an e-book reader. it's a pretty straightforward argument: e-book readers don't offer anything useful over a book, and they add significant burden.
where's the upside?
- ability to store multiple books. okay, but i only read one book at a time. and once i've read it, it'll be years before i might consider re-reading.
- backlit display (which seriously reduces battery life)
- gadget factor for geeks.
- MP3 player - but it doesn't have enough memory to be useful (8-16MB)
- many PDA-like features that i already have on my cell phone
- ?
pretty obvious decision for me.I buy both the monthly and single-book Webscriptions, and I really appreciate the price, DRM-free format, and the fact that the books are by authors whose actual paper books I have bought in the past. I remember as a kid looking for the Tor logo on the spines of books (our tiny library didn't have a separate SF section) and I have fond memories of some of the cool SF I read back then. I wonder if they will make their back catalog available if this takes off?
I'll be anxiously awaiting further developments.
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Like nearly everyone else: form factor and DRM. The format itself, isn't so much an issue but opener
things are preferred (PDF, etc.) Why? For the same reason that eBooks are in one way better than
physical tomes (beyond saving material), as Crow puts it, "Because you can't grep a dead tree".
Were that I say, pancakes?
..are the only things I can see e-books catching on for. Most software manuals are already pdf or similar format.
If it has DRM, it does not offer the flexibility I require.
Here's what's holding me back from ebooks: Regular books are better. On all counts, regular books are simply better.
The only thing I've ever wished a regular book would have in common with computers or electronic communicat is text search. So if someone can make a device that is basically exactly like current books, but allows you to do quick text searches, I'd jump all over that.
The only (current tech) solution is probably to publish all books with a built-in chip (or disk or CD-ROM even) that contains the text of the book. (This can be all DRM'd up in a special interface or whatever if they want, as long as it runs on my Mac or Windows or Linux machine (or PDA or iPod or whatever I need).)
The point would be to be able to search the text and find where in the book __BLANK__ occurs. Give me a page number so I can flip to it in the book, and not have to read it on the screen, because, again: Books are just better.
To me it boils down to two areas:
Physical attributes of the reader. It needs to be about the same size as a medium-thickness paperback book, big enough to have good display area but small enough to be conveniently carried. It needs to be tough enough that I can throw it in a backpack and otherwise treat it roughly the same as I'd treat a book without overmuch damage (dings in the case are OK, damage to the display isn't). The screen needs to be large enough and have a high enough contrast to hold a page of text and still be readable. The screen has to be readable outside in bright sunlight, while still ideally being readable in a dim room indoors. It's got to have enough battery life that I don't have to constantly worry about where I'm going to recharge it, and enough storage capacity to hold everything I'm going to want to read over the course of a couple of days.
Attributes of the content. Content needs to not just be available, it's got to be available in forms that let me do what I normally do with books. I've got to be able to move it around from device to device, much the same way I can move a book around to wherever I want it at the moment. I've got to be able to back it up so failure or loss of the device holding it at the moment doesn't also mean loss of the content. And it should be manipulable, I want to be able to put it in whatever form I need to to do whatever I want to do with it. If it's electronic data, I want to be able to treat it as electronic data for purposes of searching, modifying and the like. I can add margin notes and highlighting to a physical book, I should be able to do the same with an electronic one. Or, if the electronic form's going to be severely limited to where all I can do is read it, it needs to be significantly cheaper than a physical book or I'd frankly be better off buying the physical book instead.
It's amazing to me that the industry is still scratching their heads as to why people aren't falling in love with eBooks. The answer is so obvious - there's little or nothing wrong with paper books! On top of that, ebooks have a huge number of downsides:
-Staying power- 5 years from now, if I want to read one of my eBooks again, I'll have to find where I backed it up to, probably have to convert it to the latest and greatest file format (because the device I bought it for will probably not be the device I have in 5 years), load it onto my device and so on. With a book... I skim my shelves, grab it and go. With the widespread use of acid-free paper these days- books last as long as I'll live.
-Hard on the eyes. Staring at a screen, any screen is not as pleasant as paper.
-Comfort. I want to curl up on the couch and read- not sit at my computer desk. If I use a portable device... I don't want it to run out of battery power (I read for hours on end), and if I fall asleep with it on I don't want it to lose all it's juice.
-Durability. I want to be able to cram it in my purse... drop it, throw it to someone, or slam it on the ground if I read something that pisses me off.
-Format. I want to be able to use it anywhere on anything. Give it to a friend who doesn't have the same device. Sell it, trade it, donate it, display it nicely on my bookcase, or use the same file in 20 years. I want to read, search, bookmark, highlight, jot notes, stick pieces of paper in the pages, etc as easy as with a paper-book.
-Sensory experience. I want to smell the bookish smell, feel the cover, see any pictures in it etc. A portable eReader is just rather cold and impersonal. I want to be able to fall asleep with it wedged between me and the cushion and not get a bruise.
-Cost! A paperback novel costs around $10can. I would expect an ebook to cost much less than a dollar. Hell, give me a subscription so I can download as many as I want for a flat fee. When I buy a book now... I feel like it's an investment in my collection. It has value beyond the info.
Basically- eBooks have a long way to go. If they ever get wider popularity over paper books. I'll be shocked.
1: DRM. When I buy something, I want to own it, not be restricted in where or how I can use it. If I have a choice of a locked digital version or a real book, I choose the real book.
2. Screen. I cannot stand reading text on computer screens for extended periods. I'm not talking typical computer usage of clicking, surfing, and working on my computer, which I do for 8-12 hours a day with no problem. But, sitting on the train with a PDA-sized screen, or even a laptop screen, can be unbearable for long periods. I'm not sure if it's the brightness of a screen over paper, the crispness of paper of a screen, or what, but it's intolerable reading long passages (i.e. short-story or longer) on a PDA-sized device.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
San Francisco Photographers
1) Don't have a good reader other than my palm and I would want a bigger screen for serious reading
2) I loathe DRM. I try not to download or use any DRM material based on the sheer concept that DRM takes away legal fair use along w/ illegal use. Way too many e-books are DRMd
Thus,
Not worth it to me yet.
...quicker, easier, more seductive the darkside is...but more powerful, it is not.
I'm not sure where to buy traditional eBooks (Well, ones I would be interested in anyhow), but some programming books that I own (that are usually a couple inches thick) come with some sort of electronic version that's very convenient. I can understand the fear of this getting out on the net, but bundling a traditional book with an eBook would be a great way to get it out in the mainstream. Each format has it's own benefits, I would love the ability to pick up either when the time is fitting.
Seriously, even if all the other problems were resolved, e-books require an expensive, delicate, reader that doesn't have very good resolution. Even on a desktop system my eyes quickly tire if I'm reading dense text. This isn't too bad a defect there, as I'm continually switching from item to item, or from tutorial to the editor to the command screen. Lots of changes help reduce the effect. But when I come to a huge block of text my eyes glaze over...and that happens.
I can enjoy reading a book when I'm even too tired to play anything more challenging than solitaire on the computer. Why, then, would an e-book be a good choice.
If I'm really interested in something I'm reading, I can read it all the way into the shower, put it down while the water's running, dry off my hands, and pick it up to continue while drying the rest of me. How would an e-book reader fare if I treated it this way?
I frequently dump a few books into my backpack and throw that around as I move in a bus. Pick one to read, occasionally drop it onto the street or sidewalk. How would an e-book reader fare? Even if it continued to work, wouldn't the screen be damaged?
E-books don't seem ready technically. They are still inferior technical solutions to books. They are also inferior at a price-performance analysis. They are also inferior at a straight price analysis. Why would anyone want them? (To look "cool" is all I can think of, but look cool to who*?)
* I don't know whether that should be "who" or "whom", and since I'm a native speaker of English, I'm presuming that's a good piece of evidence that "whom" is obsolescent, and probably deprecated.
I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
non-stop.
.lit if only because of how smoothly the page transitions happen on my older hardware.
... I love these very basic features. imagine, even without a bookmark, opening your book to exactly where you left off. nice. what if you'd doubled back to re-read a section because you were unclear... then go to the furthest read. what if you'd skimmed through the book and decided it was worth reading, but now are somewhere towards the end? "begin reading" ... those plus linked tables of contents are great!
... geez.. gimme a 99 cent per book thing with DRM that will end my reading it in a week or so. or gimme a $2.00 first publication that's released at the same time as the hardcover. or give me something that's not LUDACRIS.
lots of them.
my ancient ipaq 3650 (or something) has a 512 meg compact flash half full of ebooks.
my preference now tends to be in microsoft's reader format -
PDF's take too long and are too jerky between pages.
html & txt just don't have any "features" to them.
what features you ask? what makes my love of ebooks so grand?
-bookmarks that my toddlers can take out (until they get enough manual dexterity to maliciously and purposely remove them. hah! the stylus is a couple of months beyond their control)
-backlighting. I love it. the spouse loves it. and with an heavy duty after market battery, I can go days between charges.
-notes & diagrams. i don't use these features. but they sure seem spiffy. I guess if I'd read anything beyond scfi for leisure I might make use of them.
-"most recent page" / "begin reading" / "furthest read" / "picking up where you left off"
now, do I read legal books? honestly, probably not. I try the Baen library. like a lot of it. but it leans kinda heavy on the space opera-ish and fantasy which isn't my bag.
I'd be glad to read "real" books from "real" online book stores, but DAMN! are they expensive. I mean I've seen them from $4.95 to $21.00
(actually I like ludacris.. good tunes.. snese of humor, I gotta respect him)
Why is an ipod useful and an ebook not?
If ebooks had been available when I was in college, I'd still have every book I read. And probably my own searchable digital notes hyperlinked to the text. I'd never have been unable to find a passage I was looking for when writing my final papers.
If I had an ebook on the train to work, I wouldn't have to decide which book to carry with me each morning. I'd be able to take 3 books on a plane with me. Remind you of the convenience you get with certain other portable media devices that you consider life-enhancing?
iPods, on the other hand, replace the time-honored tradition of 300-lb. record collections. How can you not be outraged by that?
Imagine a world where it takes up to a minute just to pry a book open, and what's more, you need the right pair of glasses to read the book depending on who published it. Maybe you have a favorite pair of reading glasses you'd rather use, but no, you have to use that publisher's glasses or nothing. Oh, and you may have to use a smart card just to crack the cover on the book, because heaven forbid you should ever loan it to a friend.
I reached a similar point with eBooks a few years ago. As with mp3s, the availability is dependent on the subject matter (think scifi/fantasy/tech/current bestsellers). But if it's out there, an eBook is so much more convenient than its dead-tree counterpart, I would have no use for the bound version.
With eBooks I can:
-Carry a vast library with me to read on my Zaurus or cellphone while waiting in lines/offices/meetings.
-Load it to a friend (and still reread it)
-Perform text searches, and cut-and-paste quotation excerpts.
-Make notes in a text, while retaining a pristine copy.
-Read in bed at night with a backlit display. No need for a flashlight!
And best of all, I don't have to make room on one of my four bookshelves when I acquire a new book to read.
If you're the sort that read books, and you can't figure out why you/people don't take to e-books, you really gotta sit down and figure out where you lost your senses.
I got a subscription to Audible where I get two audio books a month for about $11 each. Those are first run mainstream books, at prices less than half that of the hardback, and typically a quarter that of the CD audio discs.
And I can "read" books in the car, at the gym, and in other places where reading on the iPaq or a real book would be impossible. Plug the pod into a set of speakers, and I can read while doing moving around, working, cleaning, or yes, in the bathtub.
Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
If I drop a paperback in the while reading on the throne - I only ruin 1 $10 book.
I've owned a RCA REB1100 for several years now, and I still use it every day. Once I discovered eBooks, I was hooked and I've had this one ever since. To me, the most important qualities are battery life, level of eye strain, and portability. The REB1100 suits all of these perfectly, as I get around 80 hours of use between charges (with backlight at normal level of 20%, I can read for hours without my eyes bothering me, and the unit is compact and yet durable, as it has withstood savage beatings with no ill effects. I've looked at other reader devices, and I cannot say I like any of them when compared to my REB1100. I highly recommend any avid eBook readers check one of these out, because I cannot be without mine. I believe there are always a few for sale on eBay, and they can be bought for around $200. Gdevash
The powers-that-be at my workplace won't allow me to read books on my workstation because of firewalling, and won't let me read them from a PDA or smartphone for fear of privacy (personal information) violations.
Because of that fear, my books and magazines must be paper.
I agree... when a beautiful, light, 60hour battery life, e-paper based reader comes out that is easy enough for my mom and light on the drm, I'm in.
Spoon not. Fork, or fork not. There is no spoon.
I believe that publishers are the ones responsible for most of your complaints. Take for instance Twilight Times.
In answer to your post:
1) Price - Less than 1/3 the cost of a paperback of the same story. ( usually under $5 for new release ).
2) Compatibility - Deliver the book to you in one of many selectable formats including PDF and HTML.
3) Convenience - Will even deliver book in DRM laden format for your reader if you special request it.
4) Quality - While the e-book readers aren't there, but neither are most e-books. This is where publishers should really help the e-book market. A publisher should only publish works of excellent quality. What good is it to have a beautiful e-reader, but nothing worth reading off the screen?
5) Portability - Having documents delivered in Open Formats allows conversion to different types if required in the future.
6) Selection - If you don't want to base your decision on what is available what do you want to base it on? I want to base my decision on quality works and I see that as one of the biggest things that Publishers can do. While self publishing is great for some, I have found that most people can not write as well as they believe they can. I have proof read many manuscripts and am amazed at what some writers believe is quality. Part of a publisher's job is to weed out the great from the not. I look forward to the day that there are 500 billion e-books available, but how to do tell quality at a glance. This is what I hope publishers give us.
7) Price - While you may think $5 for an e-book, it doesn't cost anything to upload/download. The expense in e-books should be people. If you are paying for technology there is a problem. Good editors are not cheep and a e-book should have the same quality as a print book (don't use the last Harry Potter Book as an example of good editing). I was looking the other day and a newly released paperback by someone who is not uber famous is going for $15.45 on Amazon.com on average (uber famous people cost less, I guess it's a quantity thing)
Above and beyond why are e-books just like their print siblings? An e-book should be much more innovative and dynamic. There is not a good reason you can not have music associated with chapters, much like games do. Moving graphics I think I would find annoying, but I am sure someone would find a create use for them that worked. An interactive story that is what I am waiting for. There is no reason a e-book should merely be another version of a print book, it should be above and beyond. I point out Twilight Time merely because I saw an interview with the owner in which she agreed with what I believe e-books will be one day. I hope other publishers are doing the same as this small one. I should also note that all non book like features should be able to be disabled, and should still display like a book if the reader does not support them.
For publisher with some vision, check out their website:
http://twilighttimesbooks.com/
I haven't read treeware for about four years... I have read hundred of books on my Palm. Great for the subway and I don't have to worry about misplacing a bookmark. When I show people text scrolling up for the manner of reading some people cringe, others like it.
I'll pay for paper, but I'm not paying for bit reproduction. And I'm certainly not going to pay to be told I can only read the thing on Windows Version X with reader Version Y from company D.
Thanks, but my eyes stare at electronic screens when I work. It's nice to have a break and read some paper now and then!
I've been reading Newton books lately. There are several good sources of free, un-DRM restricted titles, and it's an open format. There's a good source at Newton's Library. A Google search pulls up lots of others.
I have to circumvent the DMCA every time I load a title on it. I either have to break the encryption on lit or pdf files, transfer them to word docs, transfer from word to html, and then into the propreitary format.
It is a pain in the ass process, especially since the hardware itself is powerful enough to display these formats natively.
Otherwise, I love my ebook reader. It proves to be an excellent place to put documents with limited graphics - however, I can't see myself buying any titles for it.
I basically used it in college to read scanned documents that professors put on the website - however, this made it even more challenging to move documents to it, because you have to rely on OCR systems.
So basically, this is what the problem is:
Lack of universal content - inability to read *all* PDF's, word docs, HTML, etc - reliance on asshead DRM bullshit that limit the value of the reader
Poor image reproduction - documents with lots of embedded images look horrible.
Inability to fetch content using a direct web interface.
Until a ebook vendor comes up with a reader that is format agnostic, fully supports Word 2003, PDF 6.0, and HTML 4.0, and get the content as painlessly as podcasts on an ipod, the ebook reader will be a loser.
Blame it on greedy PHB's who only care about their stupid DRM - this is a perfect example of how DRM kills technology.
I my world, Rural California, they just don't seem to be available.
I've never touched an eBook.
I don't know if the manuals and such I like could be put on ebooks.
And until I see tools for getting what I have to an ebook or something compelling about an ebook that makes me forget about the first reason, I don't think I'm going to be interested.
I have bunches of novels, manuals and tech guides, many PDFs, scads of ascii files and such, I would like to have them more manageable in an eBook, you know, something that works like a (generic) MKP3 player, where I can encode my stuff, download it to my ebook and off I go.
Thought Reader (I think that is the right spelling) looked cool when I saw it at Liux World but I have yet to get the app to work on my Linux Box (Haven't tried to hard wither) I think a lot of that is I'm sick and tired of asking for "permission" to do the same things I already do, especially to read manuals I already own on paper or free content from the internet.
But I encourage all those out there developing the technology to keep plugging, eventially you will get it right.
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
When I buy a book, I pay one price, take it home, and read it at my leisure. I can highlight, fold the pages, or give it to my brother to read.
OTOH, with eBooks, I have to pay continuously to read it: pay for the book, pay for the media, pay for the power consumption (batteries!), pay for the hardware, and not least, pay with bleary eyes from reading on crappy displays.
And, of course, the subject content matters; try reading a thousand page work.
Even a short novel can be a real pain in the eyes.
But wait... technoids do not read. Never mind.
I use my palm daily to read ebooks. Yes there are the issues of the palm being expensive, not waterproof etc. But for me the real issue is lack of availablity, price, DRM of ebooks. In my personal collection, I have hard copies of my favorite books, and have downloaded or scanned in copies for my palm. I won't use a crippled DRM'd anything. The good and the bad for me are as follow.
Bad:
1. Price. An ebook should not cost as much as a hard back book. period.
2. DRM. An ebook should work on all devices I want to read it on. If I upgrade my PDA, I shouldn't
have to worry about whether my books will still work.
3. The publisher has the book in an electronic format somewhere. There is no reason that I can
conceive, that they can't sell electronic copies of all books. If its not available, I can't
buy it.
4. Due to screen size/resolution they suck for technical books.
Good:
1. Extremely portable. Goes everywhere, taking up much less space and weight than the same number
of hard copy books. Great for doctors office, bus, etc.
2. Keeps my place. No more "what page was I on" cause the bookmark slipped out, or got misplaced
while I was reading.
3. Backlit. I can read at night without keeping my wife awake with the lights on.
4. Instant referrence library. Quickly find the data to support your arguement, find syntax, etc.
5. Since I don't use DRM'd materials, if someone want to borrow one, it takes very little time to
beam it to them. Who know's if they like it, they might buy it.
On the whole I prefer ebooks, but there needs to be some work done on getting a good selection of quality, DRM-less books. Until the industry gets these some of these issues resolved, e-books will only be adopted by hardcore readers such as myself, and then only from sources without DRM. IMHO of course.
I'll buy when it follows me into the shitter room Pure and simple, the e-book is not very handy. Sure its nice to be able to scroll through a book. But I hate the page concept used by e-books. I like how html scrolls seemlessly through what would be several pages of a book, yet appears as one page. They should publish chapters in this way. Hell, I could read my daily news from Slashdot in this way! Right on!! Maybe they'll create a jPod (aka the "john pod"; the bathroom material reader edition of an iPod) in the near future. Until then, no thanks!
Three years ago a friend of mine who loves surfing for warez, said: "Hey, you like reading don't you?" And sent me a 500 megabite file titled "Ebook collection 600+ books" I have been reading from the file with my palm since then. Hardly touched any real books.
My company did a pilot for a year and then bought the right for all employees to use Books 24X7, unlimited. This is a large (65,000 employees) computing services & outsourcing firm. I use eBooks routinely. I just wish that I could more easily load larger chunks of the books onto local storage, but I'm certain that threatens the revenue stream or digital rights management for B24X7.
I don't read hardcopy newspapers any more but I read the Washington Post and most of the NY Times daily. I also load and read from the Gutenberg library and read Corey Doctorow's electronic novel.
Am I abnormal? I'm definitely old-school, being 53. I suspect that the Gen-X & Gen-Y cohorts don't read much of anything, compared to my and previous cohorts. It takes too much undivided attention. But then I don't track a whole lot of things at once, like you learn to do in most games now. So you win some and you lose some.
To hear the gods laugh tell them your plans.
...from that grand library known as the Internet ;)
;)
I was given an iPAQ as a gift - don't think I'd pay for one. Anyway, I despise the silly restrictions of the ebook format it supports so in protest, I just steal them
All in all, I LOVE reading on my iPAQ. It's light enough that I can hold it one hand. Turning pages is simple enough with a thumb. Less words fit on a screen/page, but once you get reading, you simply don't notice. For novels, anyway, it's a very good way to read books. You can read in a totally dark room and the reader software remembers where you left off and of course has bookmark, annotation and search features.
For reading books with lots of pictures or IT books, though, with code examples, this would REALLY suck - the screen is simply small.
I've been awaiting e-ink to get to the market for years. The concept of walking around with my entire library at my disposal is one that appeals to me. But there's not a chance that I'll be purchasing SONY's new e-ink reader.
... when the tyranny of objects are removed, an ebook shouldn't cost more than a buck or two. Perhaps $5 at most. But come on - $20+ for an e-book?!? Not a chance.
DRM is the one thing holding me back, but moreso is the price. Explain to me how - how, in gods name, I ask - a digital copy of a book costs the same as a hardbound printed copy? Bandwidth is cheap. Storage is cheap. The books are already in a digital format for the print process. What justifies charging the same for a digital copy as for a print copy. If we're eliminating the bookstore, the shippers, the warehouses, the printers, the pulp and paper industry and the lumberjack who chopped down the tree... if we cut it all out save for you, the publisher/distributor and the author
--- No Boom? No Boom today. Boom tomorrow, there's always a boom tomorrow.
1. Form factor
2. Lack of a compelling device
Both of these are god reasons, but if you made a reader about the size of a small book, very easy to use, and had it so it appeared to be like a real book (viewwise for text), so as to not strain the eyes. Backlit text tends to hurt my eyes after a while, LCD, CRT, or otherwise. If it could be clearly visable, even in low-light, like a book, I would definately be interested.
> It seems that the readers of Slashdot are the most likely early adopters of
> electronic books,
Based on what logic? The Ooo! Shiny! factor?
Many slashdotters aren't as drawn to shiny as some people.
> 1. Form factor: They just prefer the feel and 'interface' of a paper book.
That's part of it. It's difficult to tell if you are discounting this as a legitimate factor, however. It sort of seems that you are. The size, ease of use, and dead-simple, legible interface of a paper book are -highly- compelling factors. Bluntly, eBook readers still can't offer anything better.
> 2. Lack of a compelling device (or perhaps lack of convergence): They don't
> own a reader (other than a PC or notebook) and can't take them with them.
I think you under stressed -compelling- there. I read electronic books on my PC and notebook. Where the books refer to PC-centric subjects and that makes it convenient to read -as I work with the content I am learning-.
If it were merely a matter of dragging the notebook along in order to read something non-pc oriented, I'd have just added a lot of weight and inconvenience for very little benefit. I also see no compelling reason to buy a separate device for this purpose.
> 4. Distribution model: They don't like the DRM scheme their favorite
> publisher offers, or are otherwise unhappy with current offerings.
-Big point-; the only corrections I would make are to change "They don't like the DRM scheme their favorite publisher offers" to "They don't like DRM" -period-, and add that the rights of consumers are given little or no protection under recent DRM legislation. Why buy an encumbered book, especially when publishers are unwilling to cooperate in securing the rights of consumers to use the content they purchase -as they see fit-?
> What reason do you have for not taking up e-Books? Are they listed above
> or are there other reasons that you would like to add?
I want to make sure this isn't misunderstood. Don't read anything into what I'm writing. There is no subtext; it's all clear and open.
Plain paper books -work-. They offer the right combination of features, properly balanced, with adequate protections for both the consumer and the publisher. It ain't broke; it doesn't need fixing.
In order to be a compelling replacement, eBooks have to offer at -least- a close approximation of the same benefits, plus something else.
They don't.
They're getting better; eBooks are not as atrociously hard to read as they once were; but they aren't as easy or easier on the eyes than paper books.
They aren't as annoyingly crippled in terms of conflicting/limited/proprietary DRM schemes as they once were; they're still encumbered, though, and paper books aren't.
The devices aren't stupid single function toys anymore, so you can use them even when not reading an eBook. And the devices generally support decent battery life/durability, etc. But paper books still don't need -any- reader device, and hence -never- have battery life or electronics failure issues.
They might be getting to be nearly, almost as good at being books as books are. Maybe. But in some ways, they may never be as good, or even really that -close-.
I can pass around a book, scribble in it, prop it open on my desk, give it away, etc. eBooks are -never- going to reach the same convenience in these areas. Maybe -close-; maybe with -additional enhancements-. But not the same; never exactly equal.
And that means they don't make it past the "if it ain't broke" test. If I am satisfied with paper books (and I and -many millions of other people are-), then I need to be drawn to some other feature. Something outside of being a good book, that draws me to eBooks instead of paper. I haven't found one yet.
Some people say they save trees; I do more for that by reusing paper bags and not buying useless magazines. Some people say you can save a little money; I save more by buying used
> 4. Distribution model: They don't like the DRM scheme their favorite publisher offers
This is the one and only issue for me. Otherwise, I would be an avid e-book user.
Actually, I already am an avid "e-book" user, it's just that I require my "e-books" to be in an open standard format -- i.e. HTML, TXT, or PDF.
before reading ebooks, thought device price and availability of content were not right for me.
now i supplement paperbook reading with ebooks because device prices fell, content availability increased.
every tool has its use. i never envisioned that ebooks would replace paperbooks in my life. and they haven't. i use each where i need 'em.
Nothing is holding me back. I read them on my old palm IIIc or my cell phone all the time. But only read non-DRM books. There are enough DRM free books to keep me busy for the next 10 years. I still buy dead-tree books from time to time.
I've spent close to $700 at Baens site because I get the book quickly and in an easily readable format. For those on move or in remote locations there is no better way to get your literary fix then by an e-book. They dont take up physical space so you can have as many as you want and they dont take a month to be delivered to your physical location. What is not to like!
I have bought one DRM book from Amazon and will never buy another...its just to much trouble to deal with and you can only get them in Adobe PDF because of the security restrictions. No thanks, I'll stick with Baen.
RM: Thanks for the info on Tor...now I have more options to support my addiction *grin*.
Distribution. I don't know that I'll still have the book in two years if the publisher has a snit.
It's also easier for me to read books and magazines because the contrast is better on paper than on screen, and since I buy about 90% (== 10 a week) of my books at used bookstores for a very small fraction of their new cost, it's largely a matter of impulse purchases.
Since I really enjoy regifting, I think the hip new term is, many of those books to other people, electronic versions also fall short there, unless they all have the same sort of reader I do (and then we're right back to the DRM issue.)
Nostalgia's not what it used to be.
I have read hundreds of e-books, first on a Handspring Visor Deluxe, and then on a Sony Clie pda (Now I'm back to another Visor Deluxed, because it runs for many hours on two rechargeable AAA batteries, unlike the Sony, which had to be recharged on the cradle every couple of hours). I love the convenience of being able to carry multiple books in my pocket, being able to download books instantly, and with such sites as eReader.com, fictionwise, and others people have mentioned here there is plenty of reading material available. I also read a lot of classics from Gutenberg.
I don't think it has to be either/or. I still read paper books, too, but I love e-books for the portability, for reading in the dark, and they are usually considerably cheaper than the hardback versions of new books.
I have been reading e-books for several years now,
m a_Fictionbook_2.1/
on windows CE and windows mobile PDAs.
They are in an XML format described here:
http://www.fictionbook.org/index.php/Eng:XML_Sche
with this
http://haali.cs.msu.ru/pocketpc/
software.
I have a small library of about 2-3000 books on two flashcards.
I am very happy about it.
I don't own a laptop. I prefer reading off of printed paper, can take it outdoors or other pleasant locations, can recline on a couch. Even for things shorter than books, I almost always print them out and read the paper. I'm hardly old fashioned (20-something year old graduate student in electrical engineering). Sorry but the ebook idea just seems stupid to me.
I really do not see any reason why to even bother with ebooks. I do not see any advantage for me whatsover. On the other hand there are many many disadvantages with nearly all solutions so far.
So let me ask back: why even bother?
1.) As much as a full day staring at the computer screen does wonders for my eyes, I doubt I could sit here and read a whole book, no matter how many sittings it would take me. 2.) If I didn't want to read it on the monitor, it would be a waste of paper to print it out, unless it was a book I was already planning to buy and it would be cheaper for me to print it on my own paper.
=*^.^*=
I was an early adopter of the Rocket Ebook. It had a large format - 3x4.5 in - good ergonomics and it was open. It was possible to convert text or html pages to it's html dialect with images, so that I could read wired or other content. But it was consolidated away. Any system that I find interesting will have to be:
(1) open, DRM be hanged. Must support any type of protected book. Not just one. Protection is ok. But it still must be open.
(1.2)I have to be able to create and move any type of content that I have or can get to the thing or I'm not going to invest in it.
(1.5)And it's got to have open connectivity too. No special protocols. Gotta look like a USB storage device, so no special cables, or programs on host to make it work.
(2) support multiple e-book formats. PDF, HTML, and whatever else comes along with plug-ins.
(3) have expandable memory capability, Some standard memory card slot as well as reasonable internal memory.
(4) guarantee some sort of future compatibility, with a big company behind it. Be consolidation proof...
(5) these days, be in color.
I'm still waiting...
As permanent as my book library and as future proof.
ww
I get mine from Baen Books, and usually "carry" four or five books loaded on my Palm VX. They're great, when waiting for appointments or buses.
Baen does not use DRM. They're good folks. They even have a bunch of free books, to get you hooked on their authors.
Lemon curry?
(Yeah, that's an inflammatory title.)
A lot of people have just read through a dozen screenfuls or more of Slashdot commentary to get to this comment. For most of us, it's not a problem, reading - or at least skimming - large amounts of text on a computer screen.
Nobody complains that you can't read Slashdot in the bath, or in bed, or on the beach. Nobody complains that the screen isn't natural or like paper, or it gives them headaches. Nobody complains that Slashdot-reading devices can't be put on a bookshelf, or dropped off a table.
Yet people make these complaints about e-books.
I think that, in some sense, comparing e-books with traditional books is unfair. Like comparing recorded music with live music. E-books don't have to replace traditional books. I read a lot of both. The trick is to play to their strengths.
For example, an e-book can be searched really quickly. Faster than skimming through a paper book. I come across some person or event that's been referenced before, but I can't remember quite where... the search button lets me know.
Something I'd never admit to doing: it's easier to read an e-book whilst slacking off at work. It looks like just another window on your screen. Much more discreet than reading a paperback. Nobody reading Slashdot from work will be able to identify with this...
As with online music, there's the instant gratification factor. No waiting around or having to drive to the store, you see something, a few clicks and it's ready to read. I like that. With DRM, I've found that for e-books, the norm is DRM that's much less restrictive than music. Generally, the "key" for your e-book is your credit card number, so you can copy your e-books to as many devices as you're willing to give out that key for. And there's a lot of e-book providers who go DRM-free.
And as with iPods, there's the hundreds-of-books-in-my-pocket factor.
Anyway, yeah. There are a lot of drawbacks to e-books (well-documented in this thread) which mean that paper books will never go away. But you have to say, they've got some strengths too. People are asking, why should I read e-books? My answer: because they fill a valuable niche. You've just got to take advantage of it.
I picked up an SL-10 on eBay a while back. I spent < $20, including shipping. It runs on AAA batteries (I have NiMH rechargables and a charger) and has a good screen and a working scroll-wheel. If you want the absolute latest and greatest, you can drop $100+ if your really want to. Otherwise, you can get your feet wet for less than the cost of most hardbound books (typically $24.95 or more).
I tend to prefer Plucker as my e-Book reader. Anything which is posted on the 'Net can become portable content. It comes in real handy when I'm waiting for the wife or a kid to get through with a dental appointment, not to mention the fact that it also trips an alarm a week before my wife's birthday (so I can remember to get her something) and a week before the anniversary (same reason). My point is that it is ALSO an eBook reader, but it's useful for other things as well. The last time I filled out a job application, all my previous job information was in my handheld (a Palm IIIXE, at the time). The last time I filled out a lease application, all my previous address information was there, too. Did I mention that it was handy? Does that cover the "more than just an eBook reader?"
I replace the batteries every couple weeks (rotate in a different pair of rechargables), but this thing uses so little power that I can literally spend hours reading on it without the batteries dying on me. I believe I've had that happen a grand total of once in the last few years that I've been using Palm-compatible machines.
I also have an account on Safari, so I tend to spend a lot of time reading from a digital display. I guess I'm just more comfortable with that than most people. I just wish there was a way to put my Safari bookshelf on my Clie.
... by the Dew of Mountains the thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning
All of the reasons listed are valid. I like books, I like being able to carry them around with me, I like the feel of them, I like not having to plug in a password every time I sit down to read one, etc., etc..
Here's the real question: Why on earth should ebooks be considered a desirable target? Why must we try to put EVERYTHING into electronic format? The human/computer interface is so incredibly limited, and doesn't add anything to what books provide, except in the case of reference material searching.
Why is this culture so obsessed with turning everything we do into a computer application?
"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
If I lose my book, it is a $7 fix ($25 hardcover). If I lose my eBook, I lose my whole library and ability to read it. What about the beach? I love to read on the beach. One of the greatest gifts is lending (permanently) a great book you have enjoyed - there is an awesome connection there. Ebook? No. Sorry, no Ebooks for me.
I have a dozen or so. Full screen, portrait mode on an iBook turned 90 CCW (for a righty) using the trackpad button as a page turner is pretty cool.
Price is #1. If they didn't have to spray it onto a pound of paper and sew it together, ship it, pay the local bookstore, then I want to see the value of it reduced. I'll pay for the intellectual property, but they did this because it's bits not atoms and electronic storage and distribution is cheaper for them, then it shoud be cheaper for us. Half price is interesting, so is paperback or trade edition pricing. But the DaVinci Code (let's try something everyone apparently wants) is a $14 (eBooks) or $10 (Amazon discount) download while the paperback is $8 everywhere. Sorry, that's upside down. It worked for music ($9.99 iTMS albums vs $16.99 CDs) and it can work here.
The library model is another thing they're missing - I can go to the local library, borrow a book, read it, give it back - all for free. An astonishing number of people still do this. If they can time limit an application demo, why not a book? You check it out, you have a few weeks to read it, then it collapses. If you want it forever, you buy it and reactivate it. Apple does this with iWork with every new mac. Thirty days free, nothing crippled, then you can convert it with a key or delete it.
Adobe DRM is another consideration. I like DRM, really. At least at the Apple iTMS sort. Adobe is a different beast altogether. It blows up when you - get a new computer - move your copy of Acrobat Reader - rename the folder containing Acrobat Reader - rename the folder containing the books - rename the hard drive - the DRM is in a set of files that don't have any apparent connection to anything called "adobe" or "DRM" or "where are &%#$@ my books" - it goes south when you look crosseyed at it. OK maybe the last one was a stretch, but I'm a geek - to a plain old user it's not a clear path. Last two times it took anguished phone calls to Adobe and enduring things like "We don't HAVE to do this for you, you know..." I don't need a scolding aunt in charge of my software license. I did migrate an old iBook to a new iBook last week and I think the migration assistant is the reason it went smoothly - only a visit to a series of Adobe pages to reauthorize and a few magical downloads later I have my dozen books back (n.b.: it did lock down all my digital editions - even the handmade originals that were plain old PDFs of my own writing... odd, but I know why - I loaded wvery PDF I wanted in the reader in the same "official" folder.)
Here again Apple is an object lesson. They've sold a billion songs, TV shows are apparently doing very well. What's so freaking hard about doing the same thing with books. Especially if you're Adobe and own the base technology. My iTunes has a pull down menu that says "Authorize" or "Deauthorize" and knows which one you need.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
I bought a book for my old computer. It was a royal pain in the a$$ getting it authenticated. Then I upgraded computers and I have been completely unable to access the file on my new comp. Pass on that...
Nothing is holding me back. I have downloaded probably 2000 books that have been liberated on alt.binaries.e-book or #bookz on Undernet. I have read probably 700 of these and keep the rest on memory sticks for my clie.
My eyes are bad and I appreciated being able to change the font size. I also have a paper library of >1500 books that are also a pleasure to read in their own way. I like to swap contexts a lot and really like all my books with me. I like being able to text search and to give snippets of books, or entire collections, to friends through email.
I live in a rural area with a horrible library and worse interlibrary loan. I am also underemployed and am trying to learn new skills (through books on alt.binaries.e-books.technical) to get a better job. Thus buying the books is out of the question.
Through my habit of intellectual deviancy I have been introduced to scores of authors that I missed after completing four year technical education. Not just DeLillo or Morrison or Borges or Faulkner or Camus or Achebe or Hurston or Rhys, but also Clive Cussler, Stephen King, Dashiell Hammett, William S. Burroughs and a host of other popular writers.
I understand I now have a debt to pay for my reading. I think I will be better able to pay it if I continue. In any event like the kid who steals bread even though it is a hanging offense, I will continue to steal books and to read them.
I do a lot of reading for the degree I'm taking at university, so let me take a shot at this (and I always read e-books which are in the same or similar feel). For this explanation, I'll use a PDF-file interchangeably with an e-book though they are different formats.
;)
1) Form factor. Give me something I can hold in my hands as a reader which displays full pages.
2) Screen type on my computer doesn't matter much. I thought having a 19" LCD would make reading easier. It does, but I still print out the majority of stuff.
3) I find I process (read, highlight, understand) the information better in paper format that I do in an e-book. Acrobat reader with highlighting is better, but the highlighting process is too vectorized (not a word I know) -- but everything with it feels like your typing too much and not enough like a pen-and-paper feel to it.
Make it feel more like paper and I'm all for it. And I'll save a few trees every year -- and gobble lots of power instead
Well other then having a lot of E-Books, I think the main reason people don't read E-Books is cause there used to hardcopy (reading on a screen I guess can hurt peoples eyes). I don't read E-Books as often cause I used to run a text phile BBS (Celestial Sanctum BBS) when I lived in Vancouver, and editing a ton of txt-phile based books tends to burn ya out. These days there's cool formats avaliable like .PDF and .LIT, things that weren't really avaliable back when I ran the text file BBS. Had those formats appeared when I was running the BBS, I would of converted the TXT files to one of those formats. And speaking of, what the hell is Microsoft thinking about not having a public domain LIT generator (the cost for an app that does LIT is $180 US) there's PDF generators out for free, shouldn't LIT creation be part of there OS, or at least released by a third party? M$ tends to try to make money off stuff there missing, like a Firewall (I run Win2K).
I used to commute by train, and I used to use a Palm 3 (later Palm 7), and I downloaded a number of free non-DRM ebooks to the Palm. Sure, I also carried a laptop, but that's a lot more awkward, especially if I got stuck in the more cramped seats as opposed to the less cramped seats, and I could read ebooks on the Palm while waiting for the train to arrive as well as on the train, which was a lot less trouble than the laptop. Once I got settled on the train, if I had work to do or enough news downloaded to read, I might switch to doing that, or else I might just keep reading the ebooks and/or playing DopeWars on Palm (until I'd learned the trick for reaching improbably high scores and gotten bored.)
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Sure they had DRM in 1981 or soon after that - it was called "Copy Protection", and it was designed to keep people from stealing games and business software. It didn't work very well, got cracked, and got into an arms race of increasing annoyingness (put the specially mis-formatted floppy into the drive while tweaking the switch on the dongle and typing your password three times backwards to start the program, etc.) Eventually users told the software manufacturers to blow off and started buying usable software, though the PC games business kept at it a bit longer.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
The biggest problem I see is between the publishing companies and ebook readers. It comes down to the medium itself: copying a paper book is a hideous hassle whereas copying a digital book in any sort of accessible format is going to be easy. The music industry has begun to deal with this in the form of "indie" productions where artist record and market their own music. I an artist becomes popular enough the big guys take a profitable interest in producing them. If most new books were independently offered in digital format for a few bucks apiece and those that go gold get papered the industry could end-run the whole ease of copy issue. The whole change would have to take place at the author's level though to bring the industry around. We're already seeing some of this with podcasting authors coming on line.
An ebook should be universally readable. I want to be able to see it on my pda, website, linux, windows, mac osx. Only a universal, non-proprietary, open standards, DRM-free format allows all this. Namely plain text, OpenDocument, and ACID2-conformant HTML. I think for-profit books will never quite fit into the world of computers because of this. They will perpetually stumble over how to limit access, as there is no such system possible that cannot be circumvented (with enough effort).
0 /10802
Project Gutenburg has it right. They are the only true ebooks in my mind. All their books are plain text files. You can download a DVD with 10,000 public domain books from them, and it all fits on a DVD!
ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/1/0/8/
I like the sound of flipping pages, and being able to make a little cartoon in the corner of the book one page at a time is fun too.
The only real gripes I have with eBooks are to do with the delivery of content; most of the formats are DRM'd and only work in eReaders I don't own, and the publishers for some reason want to charge the same amount for eBooks as they do for first edition hardcover books... even when there's third printing paperbacks of the same book on the shelves in stores. I mean, come on! I can buy an audiobook of the same text for LESS than the eBook, and the AudioBook can be converted to a DRM-less format. The audiobook requires the exact same amount of time and energy to produce, PLUS it has to be printed in transcript form, PLUS someone has to sit down and read it, PLUS it needs a recording studio, and whatever background sound effects they decide to add (whether I want them or not).
Do they think that charging high prices for eBooks will offset piracy? I'd think it would do the opposite. It's more likely that one person will buy the book, split the cost with friends, and extract the text from the DRM.
I've been buying ebooks almost exclusively for some time now and reading them on my Treo. Works great, though I can't wait for Sony's new Reader to come out...
Never once have I seen an ebook offered to me. I don't know what software they would use, what it would cost, or what my rights would be. So I read books from Project Gutenberg instead.
Sell it on Amazon for $1 and get it in my hands in less time than it takes to get in the car, and I'll bite.
http://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
I'm an avid reader and I love the idea of a single electronic book with a practically unlimited amount of storage, but there are some serrious issues that are holding me back. They are, in no particular order, as follows:
1) DRM. When I buy a book, I can keep it forever, lend it to a friend, share it in a class or at a coffee shop or give it away. Most of the DRM schemes that I've looked at are as restrictive as music DRM and are designed to forbid this type of sharing. I would adopt an e-book medium if there was some method for transfering the digital rights from one e-book to another. In this way I could share my purchased book, or pass it along instead of round-filing it when I'm done with it.
2) I love used book stores. There's hardly a better way to stumble onto literature, fiction, cooking or anyting else than by carefuly perusing a used book store's shelves on a sunday afternoon. Some of my greatest literary finds have been through used books stores. I don't think I can give up that sort of experience. If used book stores could offer such an experience with e-books, I'd be an early adopter.
3) The interface. I can't stand the cold electronic feel of reading a book on my computer. I need the experience of being able to turn the page, dog ear a corner and scrible in the margin. The smell of a well loved book is something very, very special too. If I could have an e-book that had pages that could be physically turned and written on (via a touch screen type interface) I would serriously consider buying into this technology. I would have never made it through college if I wasn't able to write in my books.
4) DRM. What can I say, they suck.
Palm Zire 21: $99 new. The front-lit black-and-white screen is much easier to read than an LCD or CRT monitor, so I've got no trouble reading ebooks on it. Between Project Gutenberg and the Baen Free Library, I figure I've more than made back the purchase price in savings on paper books.
"They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
One of the first things that impressed me about Unix was the "man" command.
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
I'll never have to worry about the condition of my books. It will never require a truck to move my library. I'll never worry that a fire will entirely wipe out the collection of literary treasures that I have amassed over decades, and letting go of most of my books will remind me that people and their ideas are more important than the objects that record them. There are a long list of things that motivate me to switch.
Do I treasure books? Yes, I do. Are there some books that I will keep? Yes, there is a small number of books that I revisit frequently and have special significance in my life. In a way, moving most of my collection to digital will make me appreciate the books that I do have even more. Like the value of a real owl in Blade Runner.
Maybe those reasons are no good for you, but I personally have plenty.
Battery life: I would want it to last at least 24 hours without requiring a recharge.
Durability: The device should be able to be dropped, kicked, be able to withstand the day to day bashings the real world gives out.
Form Factor: Just make it about the size of a normal hardback book that is open and it should be fine.
Readbility: It needs to look like a printed page. Jagged fonts at 80DPI will NOT cut it at all. My eyes are already sore from reading these crappy computer screens all day.
Price: I am not too picky about the initial costs for the hardware but I will be damned if I will pay more for an electronic version of a book than for the hardcopy. The electronic copy had better be significantly cheaper.
DRM: I won't really care about this as long as I can make a dump of the filesystem of the device. Make it all one large encrypted file, I don't care. There is no excuse for not allowing me to protect against loss. Creating a method where I can loan my copy to another person with an electronic reader is rather necessary too. Have it delete from my filesystem when it goes over to my friends filesystem is cool.
Ummm what were the reasons you were thinking might be holding me back? They were unmemorable.
strike
"Someone needs to talk to the tree of liberty about its ghoulish drinking problem." by ohnocitizen
The nerds have spoken! We love computers, but you'll have to pry books from our cold, dead fingers. eBooks, we all seem to agree, have nothing to offer over traditional books: not cost, not convenience, not content, not portability or durability, sharability, quality... nothing.
The blindingly obvious thing to do, it seems to me, is for Apple to build an interface into iPods so you can read text on iPods.
I spend roughly 80 hours per week in front of my laptop. I very much value an opportunity to lay back in a bathtub and read a book, cover-to-cover, at least once a week. This tradition has kept me from "going postal" more times than I could count.
Unfortunatley, after destroying my GameBoy "back in the day", I realized that bath + hand-held electronics = bad. As a result, I've preferred to stick to "old fashioned" books.
However, I hate waiting form my books to come in the mail. They are already costly, so I'm usually too cheap to front more for faster delivery. However, if I had a waterproof "bath-friendly" device, I'd be sold: cheaper + no waiting.
Perhaps the "bath demo" is too small to count, but what about beach readers? What about kids? IMO: a simple, cheap, durable (think Tonka-tuff) e-book reader could be a boon to the entire industry.
Math is math. Regular expression is regular expression. The tools are there. The future is now.
Here is a site that lets you read gutenberg ebooks on your java enabled mobile.
There are a few books already converted to read.
You say that like $99 is nothing... and you also say that like I only want to read free books. How about new books? How about a non-pirated version of Harry Potter?
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you that $99 is no big deal... but plenty of people are going to look at that, then look at the size of the Zire's screen, then say "I'm going to spend $5-15 bucks on a paperback this month, and I have no desire to spend $99 to read something different.". Of course, I'm touching on the "no content" argument here, and yea, plenty of those books you're talking about are great, but... I actually might be more likely to read them on my computer, or even print them out, then buy a Zire just for that use. And Harry Potter? I know a group of 10 people who passed around a single copy of that, and everyone else I know who read it got it from a library... but you can't even buy it, because the author/publisher are too freaked out about illegal copies.
Of course, I might use a Zire for other things, too, and it might be a neat thing to have, and I might not mind getting fan-generated or pirated versions of new books and reading a lot of old classics... but my mother-in-law isn't going to think that's a good plan, and neither is the average consumer.
Oh, and how many eBooks did you *buy* last year ? Yeah... I wonder why the publishing industry isn't getting behind ebooks more... maybe it's because they've actually done market research, and people said "why?"... that, and they were already freaked out about photocopiers, then scanners came along, then they watched Napster happen to the music industry, and now... they might be just a little bit gunshy. And as good as the display on a Zire is, I'd rather look at a printed page, really...
Don't get me wrong. I love the idea of a portable electronic device that does away with the need to cut down trees for paper... but the implementation of the eBook idea has a little way to go yet before it's going to be ready to catch on. A real, inexpensive ePaper display will be the first step. Getting publishers on board ( via cheap price, transferable eBooks, something, likely with DRM that we'll object to ) is going to be the second ( very big ) step. There will have to be niche uses for that technology first... your use of it is a nice proof-of-concept, but do you see all of the non-tech-oriented folks around you doing it some day the same way you are ?
The single biggest problem with ebooks is that my permanent access to the content isn't guaranteed by the publisher. Computers, software and consumer electronics become obsolete quickly. I don't want to lose every book I own when I upgrade Windows or my old ebook reader dies. As an example, I purchased an $80 textbook in ebook form for Adobe's original ebook reader software. Six months later, Adobe began using Acrobat for ebooks and my $80 book became inaccessible after installing their new reader software. I spent several days trying to find a way to transfer my digital rights to the book over to the new software. I ultimately found a way to do it, but I had to rely on cached Google pages and mirrored copies of a conversion utility. (For some reason, Adobe had removed the instructions and conversion software from their site.) If I buy access to fixed electronic content -- be it music or books -- I expect to have a persistent and irrevocable right to access that content _forever_. Unfortunately, the creators of ebook systems put very little effort into protecting consumers, and instead concentrate almost solely on protecting content providers. If ebooks are to succeed, our DRM rights need to be guaranteed, even when content companies and reader manufacturers go out of business. ---Gary
And enjoy the formfactor.
Fran
:):):)
1st 1st Poster of the new Millennium!
Apart maybe from searching (which is dubious - see indexes in dead-tree books), e-books seem to have no real advantages and some very real disadvantages. Books are tough (can be dropped/have coffee spilled on them/get scrunched in bags etc mostly with only cosmetic damage, still readable), don't need batteries, don't crash unexpectedly, don't have irritating drm, are easy to flick though/scan quickly and even the lowest quality ones last 10/20 years at least (or a lifetime if you treat them ok + they're ok quality). Plus they're are first/secondhand book shops full of them just asking you to browse. What more could you want?
And ebooks? Searching?, maybe price? Hardly compelling advantages imho.
Reading from a screen is too hard for the eyes.
<obligatory quote>My eyes, the goggles do nothing!</quote>
The perfect solution: audio books. You can carry them around on your mp3 player and listen to them anywhere.
I only have a desktop PC or an old SONY Clie to read an e-book on. I don't really want to read a book on one of them. I want a device that uses the e-paper that is coming to market. The only problem is that all of the devices that I have heard have have DRM or you have to convert files to a special format for it to work. I want the e-book to be able to display txt, html, pdf, rtf, jpg, bmp, and maybe doc files natively. I understand at least at the beginning that image files, jpg and bmp, would display only in black and white and that is fine. All of the e-books I have heard of can't use the file formats that I want natively and that means I want to wait, the image files I can even give up for now.
I would like to get e-books from Baen books as there is no DRM and they have five different formats to their e-books. I would start purchasing them as soon as I had a device that I wanted. I would prefer a real physical book but would not have a problem using e-books. Those are my views at this time and may not contain everything that I can think of as I am sure that I will think of more in the future.
Nothing. Nothing's holding me back from eBooks. I have a Zire 71 that gets amazing battery life, has a bright and sharp color screen and holds a massive amount of data with my $40 1gb Secure Digital card. I can carry EVERYHING I own on it, plus all the mp3's of my Japanese courses. All the sortware I use is open source or freeware. Ha. Pay $500 for an ebook reader? I think not. For that much, I can get a cheap laptop that'll do everything except gaming. When eBook readers like the new Sony one are $75, then maybe there will be a market. Hardware isn't cheap enough. It's just ANOTHER device to carry and worry about charging and making sure it's synced up, etc.
I do have quite a lot of e-books which I would constantly use for reference when coding... but to be honest, if I was to read a book I just prefare to have it in it's physical form. Why? 1. So that I can write little small notes to jog my memory for when I need it 2. Well, I just feel more comfortable reading from a book (explanation?, god only knows)
Books might be inexpensive for you, they are not for me, or others who do not live where you are.
Not Free SF Reader
Ebooks can be revised quickly, so where information changes frequently, it's a no-brainer, really. Newspapers and magazines are the best example. Of course I'm stretching the meaning of a "book", but wherever information is topical or becomes obsolete rapidly, that's a good application for an ebook.
Obsolesence doesn't solve the "reading from a screen sucks" problem, but it does explain why you haven't even thought of printing and binding your email or slashdot articles.
Be heard || Be herd
As it takes most of my non-working time.
Not sure about a palm ebook readers, but on a pc I don't like reading because..
1) The screen is bad for my eyes.
2) I like the feel of paper and lack of distractions, (other programs, etc..)
3) The fact they cripple them with DRM.
4) The lack of titles.
5) I spend enough time with computers each week and it's bad enough having to read about them in books for college, than to do so on a computer!
6) It's nice to flick through a book. As opposed to clicking next lots of times.
7) They look nice on the shelf. They don't look nice as an icon.
8) Palm Readers make you look like a geek/nerd atm.
I would also probably say that, there's not enough reason to have your entire library of books with you all the time. If your going to want to look up some strange chapter or get an urge to read some book, you can easily wait untill you get home and lie down with a book.
news://alt.binaries.e-book.technical
Why would anyone need a computer? Computers are a dumb idea; there's nothing wrong with doing calculations by hand! It's just perfect! It is a proven and timeless form of computation that will never be obsoleted. Cars improve our lives, but computers are just the product of fantasy and they will never function. We will never need them; we have powerful brains that are better than any computer could ever be! I am perfectly capable of doing math on paper instead of having huge machines from the Devil.
So! Why would any sane person want a computer?
First, small screen size. Unless a reader can reproduce two full pages of the book faithfully, it's greatly inferior as a medium. Color is less of an issue but would be nice.
Second, the ability to rapidly find and flip between pages I've been to before. This is really only an issue for technical books but it becomes crucial there as I end up using them as references rather than just tutorials.
Third, technically based interruptions in usage. Readers that can only display for two to four hours at a time are a problem.
Fourth, visual representation. Books are just easier on the eyes and get in the way less when focusing on the material.
Fifth is the format and DRM constraints. Those would have driven me nuts if I'd ever really invested in ebooks.
Finally, being able to embed markup in the text is important in critiquing my own or others work. It's also important in embedding notes in a published work. Again, this is limited to technical works.
There are serious advantages, however. The one that is most pressing right now is reduction in required space.
A close second is being able to find the work easily when I want it. That goes hand in hand with the former observation. A very nice corrolary is moving is less painful.
A third advantage will require some special engineering but should be eminently doable. A reader can and should be water resistant and stain proof. By water resistant, I mean it should easily survive being dropped in the tub or having a drink spilled on it (even ones that are conductive like coke).
Having said all this, I'm very hopeful about the e-ink reader from Philips/Irex. It appears to address most of my concerns including the ability to do markup. We'll have to see how well it stacks up in reality.
I can read books printed 400 years ago in my living room without any special equipment. Books I purchase today will be able to be read by my children, and their children.
2 7 /. story from 2002 "1086 Domesday Book Outlives 1986 Electronic Rival" gives many good reasons why printed books are here to stay.
eBooks will not likely have this same durabilty, since they depend on some technology. As the technology changes you may not be able to read your eBooks on the new reader, and once your reader fails or is no longer supported, the eBooks you own may not be able to be read any longer.
The http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/03/03/18212
"In spite of this being an author who is (apparently) pro-ebooks, you can't find much of his published work in that format."
Well, there is that entire novel of mine (Agent to the Stars) that has been freely available on the Web since 1999. And as noted by other folks, Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades are both slated to be part of that Tor/Baen thing. So all the novels I currently have in print either are or will (reasonably) soon be in e-book format. My non-fiction work is not readily available in the format, I will admit, but I'm working on that for my reference books.
John Scalzi, freelance troublemaker
See the subject. Once I can read text files on an electronic ink device I'm all over e-books.
LS
There is a fine line between being a cultivated citizen and being someone else's crop. - A. J. Patrick Liszkie
I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I would be more inclined to use ebooks if
1) I had a device that would allow me to sync up my books from linux, was fairly cheap and simple, and had a long battery life.
2) There was a good ebook distribution system where the books are cheap.
3) I could buy my school books online. It would be great to have textbooks for class that I wouldn't have to haul around. And maybe then it wouldn't cost $200 for some books.
There's probably other things that I'm missing. Honestly, even if all of the above came true, I would probably still buy book books. All this technology seems like overkill for something so simple as books.
I really won't consider e-books until I own one of the new ultra-mobile computers. At that point e-books become more natural because it's easy to carry ONE device around.
No, I will not work for your startup
Most e-books that I've found are a) to expensive (you can buy a used book on Amazon for less) b) there is not a lot of content out there c) there is no standard format that work's from device to device.
On the plus side I do find them very convient (I always have a book with me). Reading on my Palm has two big plus's 1) I can increase the size of the type (as I get older this is a real plus) 2) there is less crap to carry around ( books, note pad, camera, address book, phone, and on and on all in one small package). The battery life could be better, but..........
"What's holding you back?" is a wrong question, and others have explained why. You need to search for reasons to read e-Books (and pay for them). Let me offer you a couple of scenarios.
I already have a device that is capable of reading e-Books (iPAQ). Reading books is not the principal reason for buying it, but it is a nice and useful feature. Where is it useful? 1) Travel: taking a few books with you on a trip, especially by plane, is easier if they fit into the small form factor and weight of a device that you are taking with you (for business reasons) anyway. 2) Occasional: if you are stuck for a while waiting, e.g., for a doctors appointment, and the choice is either to stare into the ceiling or read an interesting book on a device that - you guessed it - you have in your bag anyway, the choice is pretty clear.
Other than that, I don't see why anyone would prefer an e-Book to the real thing, unless saving trees in an obsession. Well, if you have already started a good book while on a business trip or waiting for an appointment, then maybe you'll want to finish it.
Bottom line - the only reason I see for e-Books is occasional convenience, and this is exactly how I use them. Corollary - you must have a suitable device for other reasons.
If you mean: what's stopping me from reading books on my handheld (a Psion 5mx), then the answer's absolutely nothing: I have a large library (about three bookcases' worth, in the open Palm Doc format), and read more on screen than on paper. I find it really convenient: my Psion's always with me, so I don't have to worry about leaving books around, and I don't have to bother with bookmarks. The backlight means I can read in bed with the lights out! And while the screen's not perfect, I still find it comfortable enough to read from -- after all, once you get engrossed in a story, you're not so aware of the screen anyway.
However, if you mean: what's stopping me from buying gadgets specifically designed as e-books, then I share the same concerns as anyone else: the hassle of carrying around another gadget, especially one that doesn't do much else; the inability to get the books I want on it; the inability to use open-format books; the difficulty of transferring stuff to/from it; and of course the expense.
And if you mean: what's stopping me from buying texts online, then that's a two-parter. Fictionwise sells lots of good stuff at fairly reasonable prices; the latest big-name stuff is only available in encrypted formats (MS Reader, Adobe Reader, etc.), but the other half is available in open formats (PDF, Palm Doc, etc.). Needless to say, I only buy the latter! (Partly because there is no MS Reader or Adobe Reader app for the 5mx, but also on principle. I like to edit my texts -- fix the formatting, use British English spelling, use curly quotes, etc, -- and I can only do that if the format's open.) Of course, I don't buy all my texts; many are from free sites, or various other sources.
So no, nothing's holding me back; though wider support for non-dedicated gadgets, and greater availability of texts in open formats would certainly help. Does that answer the question? :)
Ceterum censeo subscriptionem esse delendam.
I have been working ok with my ebookwise reader under linux.
.lit file .imp file the reader needs
There are some annoying things about if for sure, but it wasn't too terrible to get going.
So far the best way of getting books onto it is this:
1- Buy Microsoft
2- Use convert-lit to decrypt
3- Use the e-book publisher (free and works under wine) to generate the
4- Transfer the file to the smart media via card-reader
Annoying? Yes. Automated and easy? No.
Worth the effort to carry 100 books with me, be able to read in the dark, and not have to turn pages? In my opinion yes.
I have been reading eBooks since I got my first Clie, and with my new V902SH (had a Moto StarTAC 2004 befor this capable of reading eBooks) I can read eBooks on a decently large and hi-res screen. I like this a lot because I have an extremely long bus ride to school (from one end of Shanghai to another, like going from Los Angeles to San Franscisco or from London to Manchester in terms of time depending on conditions- waking up at 6AM after doing AP Chemistry homework until midnight is not fun) and it is handy to read books on my mobile phone while I am sitting on the bus otherwise bored. I also read while on the subway or local city bus. I read books instead of watching movies because I don't really like mainstream cinema, and I listen to music on my phone too sometimes. Befor the Clie what held me back was the lack of support for eBook technology (I am an early adopter by nature, but because of financial restrictions my dreams are often unfulfilled... *insert extremely loud sobbing here*)(just kidding about the sobbing part, I'm not that obsessive)
OSx86 FTW
Most of the books that I use are reference manuals for languages, algorithms, data-structures, etc. It's just more convenient to have the paper book open where I can get to the parts that I need (maybe even highlight something here and there) without having to close what I'm working on to look at an e-book on my pc.
Even if I had a separate device for the e-book, I don't think I'd like them anyway. I'd probably turn the device into some very expensive book-end or something.
These days, I do most of my 'reading' via audiobook, espescially fiction. With programs like Audible.com, listening to a book is more convienient than reading it on paper OR via ebook. How so? Because I can 'read' and drive at the same time. Because I can 'read' and walk or do other exercises. As someone brought up before, these are the overwhelming reasons for me to switch to audio. Are there similar reasons for ebooks? No. Yes, there are a few things to be gained from ebooks, but the advantages have yet to reach a critical mass where enough people will go "AHA! Ebooks are better!" Right now, ebooks are just 'a little better for some things'. Not good enough.
Obviously some books can't translate well into audio. Text that contain graphics, charts, code fragments, or which must be highlighted or marked-up to be useful don't make the transfer. They don't make the transfer to ebook for pretty much the exact same reasons.
Taking audiobooks out of the equation for a moment, here, in specifics, is why I don't make the total switch to ebooks:
Although e-readers can hold dozens or hundreds of books, the number of words on a page is still (usually) less than with a typical physical book. My eyes and 'reading style' are accustomed to reading a certain amount of text before I have to take some action like turn a page. With a PDA, I'm reading two paragraphs before I have to put my brain on 'pause' for a second to 'flip the page'. Yes, this is a really minor nitpick, but when people say that ebook readers just don't "feel right"... this is what they're talking about.
I don't do a lot of reading in odd places... like the toilet or the bathtub. Yes I DO take a book or a magazine with me on occasion, but the time I spend in there isn't worth investing in some new technology.. . espescially when, once I get out of the bathroom, I'll want to switch back to a physical book.
Screen size and quality. 'Nuff said.
And that's pretty much it. But, as stated before, the REAL reason ebooks haven't taken off isn't because of any list of disadvantages, but because the list of advantages isn't long enough yet. What have you got so far? Portability? The ability to take thousands of books with you on vacation? I don't really need either, so NOW what do they have to offer?...
Yeah, that's what I thought.
Dark Icon
1) Everything I want to read is already on the 'Net.
2) Anything with DRM, I don't want to read.
End of story.
-I like my women like I like my tea: green-
Designers, here's an idea for you...
Let a notebook computer open like a book,
ie, with 2 facing LCD screens.
Perhaps the outside could look & feel
like a hard (or, perhaps, soft) cover book,
as well.
Higher-end designs might add the "Essence
of Olde Book" to touch the reader's nose.
An all [FLASH-] RAM memory storage system
with clear, non-reflective LCD screen coating
to make outdoor reading [in the shade] work.
Perhaps the design could include a multi-
format audio player (eg, for author intro's
or full/partial talking book functionality.
What'cha think?
Your use of the word "just" seems dismissive. There are quantifiable advantages to paper. The contrast ratio of a cheap paperback is spectacular compared to what any ebook seems to offer. At the same time the light that is reflected by the page is far more diffuse than anything an ebook screen can do.
Additionally, we use tactile bookmarks without effort or thought. Being able to flip (again, tactilely) is a huge feature that we rarely think of. But how often have you flipped a few pages to see if you're coming up on a chapter break? Also, simply holding the book while reading gives a very clear idea of how long it is, how far into it you are, and how much is left.
Also, the "device" is the problem. The fact that books are inexpensive and completely self-contained is a huge feature. With ebooks you need to worry about vendor-lock and other format problems. And you have to keep track of a relatively expensive device. Grabbing a copy of Chriton's latest disaster book in ebook format at the airport doesn't do you much good if you don't have your $200 reader on hand.
Finally, and I can only speak for myself on this point, I have an emotional attachment to many of my books. How can you have that with a bunch of bits?
(This isn't a rant against ebooks. I've read tons of books on my Palm. Ebooks have a bunch of advantages . . . but that wasn't the question!)
-Peter
Computer screens are at a good angle for reading. and easy to minimize the book and come back to it later. I was using a pdf and had to write down what page I was on if I had to close the program, but other than that it worked pretty good.
The book I read was Accelerando by Charles Stross. The price was right for the electronic version (Free). Feel free to get both the electronic and paper version and decide which one you like better.
From a post on his web board today:
"There were no limitations beyond those stated. Copy freely and share with
whomever you like. You have the Boy Scouts mailing list? Share with the boy
Scouts."
You can use MobiPocket Reader to read Palm PRC books on Pocket PCs and other devices. And it's free.
"Those who consume the bulk of goods are those who make them. We must never forget this secret of our prosperity."
Weasel Reader?? Have a look at PalmFiction (Russian website, but you can always use the fish if necessary).
...
It's also opensource, but it supports beautiful anti-aliased fonts (included, and also has Windows software to make your own) and, best of all, reads text, gzipped text, zip files containing text, whatever, directly from your SD card! No need to convert them into some crazy format, just throw the files on your card and away you go. It's fantastic
There's only two real main factors regarding the adoption of electronic publication formats, and that has to do with portabilty and legibility. With and electronic publication you are forced to be in front of a computer, whereas a magazine can be carried anywhere, anytime. A magazine is lighter than a laptop, and most people don't read magazines or books in one sitting. Picking up a printed magazine is not necessarily premeditated, whereas booting up a computer and starting up the publication software is. You think twice before needing to wait 5 minutes to read a digital mag. Legibility is also another issue. If you don't have a high res LCD monitor then staring at a cruddy LCD or CRT screen is not really a good option, as it's very fatiguing to read. Affordable high quality LCDs finally hit the market 1 or 2 years ago, but haven't fully proliferated into the market yet. How many people have a Dell 20" ultrasharp at work or at home? Probably only 35% of you. Another issue is with the publication itself. Staring at text with a bright white background is very fatiguing. High quality LCDs can reproduce the color white with no problems, but who wants to stare at a white screen. I think DRM has worked itself out quite a bit. The only problem I've encountered with DRM is windows media player or adobe PDF third party DRM plugins like EBX Handler used on amazon. I noticed that Zinio Textbooks are locked to the harddrive, but should you need to get a new drive you can always download the pub again. I think the transition from printed material to digital will take some time. You can expect the free industry circulated magazines to be fully adopted first, then monthly mags and then educational textbooks. Novels will come in last because people don't want to take a laptop with them everywhere they go. Ever take your laptop to bed the sunday paper? Letting the public decide what format they want could take a couple of decades, instead I think advertisers will be the one's choose what format to back.
I suffer from fast reading. That might sound crazy, but its true. I go through books so fast, I find it difficult to maintain a steady supply of new material. I do not possess a license, and with four siblings, its difficult to make it to the library regularly. I dont work, so the only books I buy are purchased with any birthday money I might receive. .... Admittedly, you're probably going to want some kind of mobile device, but you can get a decent Palm for $30. Or, if you're one of millions who own an iPod, you can load linux onto it, and turn it into an eBook reader. I have read six hours straight(Tolkien's Silmarillion caused even myself to reread a few sections) on my Palm, and been no more bleary eyed then if I had read a paperback copy. .... I feel that my comments are starting to grow Palm-centric, but thats what I have the most experience with, and is what the majority of my opinions are founded upon. With the software I use, I can jump to certain pages, create book marks, and search the entire book for any string of text. To use the Silmarillion as an example again, I often wanted to go back and look up the background on a particular Elf or Vala or Maia etc. and found it quite simple to do. This was EXTREMELY helpful, due to the similar unfimiliarity of the names used in the novel. .... You could always leave your eReader sandwhiched into some obscure guide to potato mashing at your local bookstore for a few weeks.... Seriously, if the SMELL of a book is a concern, I think you're not really thinking about the issues. The way the book smells cant seriously be your only problem. If it is, well, you just fail at life. Sorry, but thats the way it is. *wink*
Ebooks provide me with an easily accessible, cheap or often times free, source of books. I own a Palm Zire, which is excellent for book reading, using preinstalled software, I can get the screen to show almost a full page from a standard paperback book. I have several tools on my computer that allow me to convert a variety of formats including txt, HTML, PDF, and several eReader variant formats all to a format easily utilized by my Palm.
The variety of tools available allow me, with the help of Google, to access virtually any book I want. I have not yet come across a single book that I wanted to read that was not to be had with less than thirty minutes investment of time. Often times all I had to search for was something along the lines of ' pdf -"price"'.
I feel I should give a shout out to Jim Baen, who has really pioneered DRM-less eBooks. I think I've read all of the Baen Free Library, and I have at one time or another posessed all of the Baen CD's. And despite the standard thinking that once you give something away, no one will want to buy it, I have purchased quite a few Baen publications. Admittedly, I normally buy them when they're new releases, still in hardback form, but the gist is, by introducing me to new authors, Baen has created a new revenue source out of me.
Finally, I want to debunk some common misperceptions about eBooks.
-They're uncomfortable to read
-They are conducive to flipping through, page marking, or otherwise browsing
-They lack the new book smell
Lack of content, poor distribution model and poor readers.
I have been reading e-books for atleast 3 years now, and I have used 4-5 applications to do this.
Sometimes the application itself is buggy, ex. bookmarks isn't saved, application crash when open large books, bookmark is saved, but is removed as soon as application is closed.
I use a Sony Ericsson P800 and most book applications work well on the UIQ/Symbian platform, but they don't work so well on my Qtek 9100 (HTC Wizard) which uses Windows Mobile 5. I mostly use Microsoft Reader, because my all time favorite Mobipocket reader can't save bookmarks, hangs quite a lot and the support isn't very good.
"I want my whole library on a single device, and I want a backup that fits in my pocket. I will keep the backup in a safe place (not my home) and carry the library with me wherever I may roam. "
If ebooks could do this, it would be a reason to switch. But they cannot: most of my library is not now and never will be available in digital formats. Then again there is the time issue - how long will it take to find, download to PC, and upload to the ebook device the available books ? In my off hours, I'd rather read than futz with technology. Add to this the DRM nonsense, and it's a complete deal killer.
That said, I do read ebooks from Project Gutenberg on the laptop when travelling..
well, for me, it would be "all of the above"
simply, i would love to get eBooks, as often, the books that i read are rather large and don't fit too well into my pockets, rather limiting my reading time, and rather happen to like reading good books whenever i have some free time.
a "PADD-like" device would be absolutely perfect, especially if i could, say, wander over to the library (or goto the library website) and download-borrow a book which then i can have on the device until i finish reading it, then it wipes itself from the device (minimalistic DRM, which is fine), though allowing me to "reborrow" the book if i want to. this sounds perfectly feasable to me. if they publishers really wanted, they could have the libraries charge a "membership fee" of about $5 bucks a month to borrow ebooks. i wouldn't have any problems with it.
with recent developments in screens (flexible screens, OLED, etc.) , memory (always getting bigger and you don't need all that much space to store text. a single compactflash card could store dozens, if not hundreds, of books), and batteries (still a bit of a problem, but with such minimalistic hardware, it shouldn't require much power), it could be quite feasable within a couple years, if not now.
now just to yank publishes out of the past, as IMO, that's the whole reason why this haven't ever gotten anywhere yet.
upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
I listen to books on tape, or CD, from my local library. Free, and they will do interlibrary loans. Why put up w/ all of the DRM BS.
"Beware of those who point their finger the LOUDEST"
Still can't reasonably and safely read them while lying in the bath until the water is cold and toes are wrinkled albino prunes.
New mod option wanted: -1 DrunkenRambling
and that's all I have to say about thaT.
Environmentalism is the new Victorianism. Everyone ties on a green corset and pretends we're virtuous.
So, can you do the opposite on that Mac - make it so the same thing shows up on both displays? Such as when doing a meetingroom presentation without a projector, and have your laptop monitor pointing towards you, and have the other monitor pointed towards the other people in the meeting room, both with the same content displayed? WinXP can do that, can the Mac?
Actually, the environmental impact of eBooks is not likely to be smaller than the impact of paper books, because the readers will have all the usual heavy metals, plastics, short lifetimes, warranty-voiding cases, and non-user-serviceable parts. I.e., you will change your reader every year or two and the mountains of old readers will poison streams in some developing country for the next 50,000 yr.
David W. Hogg -- assoc prof, NYU Physics
A lot of the posts talk about ebook readers that are "going to be released on XX/YY." Given that the entire point of this article seems to be "People aren't picking up ebook technology" some, if not most, of those will probably never see the light of day (and if they do, expected low volume will make them prohibitively expensive).
What I want to find is something like my old clie(R.I.P.) with the side jogdial and the blue/white-blue backlight. That was easy to read in the dark, and easy on the eyes. The only downside was that it was Memory Stick. I find my Zaurus SL-5500 doesn't have the battery capacity to last very long, and the lack of the side-dial makes it awkward to hold.
Something older would be cool, too, so I didn't have to skip a payment on my motorcycle to afford it. Any suggestions?