I guess I am on my way to being a Dinosaur

[puppetmaker]

I don’t like e-books. The few I own are mostly pattern books that I have printed out, three-holed punched, and put into a binder. When e-book readers were young and much larger, I got to play around with a number of models while at Del Rey. Formatting was still being sorted out for the readers as was what would and would not be allowed. I read a couple of books on the train just to give back a report on how well the devise worked but I found that my eyes became tired much faster when reading an e-book and the format wasn’t really to my liking.

Many Amazon Kindle owners found out recently that they were renting rather than buying books. You can’t give the book to someone else to read unless you give them the whole electronic device. You can’t sell it or even give it to charity to be resold. Your ownership is limited. I like being able to lend a book to someone and know that the book is going to be there the next time I go to look for it.

I know that Barnes and Noble has a new format that they are trying to convince people is better than Amazon’s (think Beta vs. VHS at the moment). They won’t have a device until later this year but it does work on your computer and iPhone. I don’t think that in this form it is any threat to the Kindle.

I have had a number of people list the conveniences of the devise and maybe for those long train commutes or plane rides it makes sense but I am still willing to carry around my books and magazines to read and I don’t think that is going to change.

Yes, there is a piece of tech that I want nothing to do with which I know is the first step to dinosaur-hood.

I am grateful that books and magazines exist outside the electronic realm.

Comments

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

I don't like E books either. I prefer holding a physical book in my hand. Screw those annoying screens!

[wookiemonster.livejournal.com]

Just want to add my $0.02...

I agree!

I like having so many shelves of books that I basically have a library in my room. I like being able to give books as gifts. I like being able to set out the current book(s) I'm reading and display the cover art. I like being at lunch or at a coffee shop or something and have others see what I'm reading and on occasion spark conversations.

I don't mind reading articles and such on-line. In fact, I love the fact that we have a Trekkian equivalent of searchable databases. And I have to say I am enamored with PDF format, which is pretty universal and has a good bit of power for searching, saving, and options for printing. Some things I will read on the computer. Other things I will print out and read later.

But books? Comic books? I treasure the quest for shelf space to house them all...

[yendi]

Small note -- although what Amazon did was unforgivable, it was not a case of folks renting the books; when Amazon nuked the digital copies, they also refunded the money.

[dungeonwriter.livejournal.com]

Hey, I think it's worth holding on to things you cherish. My grandfather recently presented a family Torah to his great nephew on the occasion of his engagement. I doubt handing someone an e book can have the same resonance.

My favorite children's book is going to be given to my nephew next week and I like the doodles in the corner and the smudges, it's a great book that went through many years with my family.

Books are more then words, they're friends and memories.

[jendaby.livejournal.com]

I have both Kindle and B&N for my iPhone, and I do like B&N better. While I like the tactile element of a real book, and really love the whole ability to lend it, have it on a shelf to look at, etc., I must admit that when my joints are really acting up, I cannot hold a regular book very easily. My fingers cramp up or lock in place. I've been having more trouble with this lately, and so have been reading a bit more on my phone...

But you don't have to charge a book. You don't have to worry that it will lose power. You don't have to turn a book off during takeoff and landing. You can bring a book with you when you take a bath and not worry about what might happen if you were to drop it in the tub (well, it wouldn't be excellent, but it could dry out, and replacement cost is much smaller). You can't squash a creepy crawly with an iPhone (probably don't want to with a Kindle).

I enjoy customizing the font and colors. I like reading at night with no light on. I really like getting sample first chapters to see if I like a book before I buy it - and I could conceivably get the free sample to read in kindle format and then buy an actual paper book if I am still interested.

Getting classics for free in digital format is awesome, though, because I do not have to fork out any extra money to read the ones I don't already own in book form. So I guess I am saying that I like using both formats, and will probably continue to do so. :)

[neeko-rae.livejournal.com]

I am grateful too. There is just something about grabbing a book and holding it, being able to pick it up as you please and take as long as you want,anywhere you want with it, without having to worry about batteries dying, sun light reflecting off the screen or a download issue whiping it away for good, not to mention straining your eyes.
plus if you meet the author you can get a book signed but its probably best not to get your machine/kindle signed...

The fact these things are so popular is starting to concern me (like there is a book i wanted to get thats only available on Kindle now, same goes for comic books more available online than in stores)... but I guess it was the same when books on tape came out, right?

always support the hardcopies/paperbacks!

[millysdaughter.livejournal.com]

Roar!

**I** am a dinosaur for sure, having no ipod and no ebook interest. **I** like books, real books; as well as glossy paper magazines and smudgy newspapers and real live letters that come from the post office.

I am dino, hear me roar!

[beldar.livejournal.com]

Amen!
The Kindle Orwell fiasco has further soured me on the devices, that and I don't have a couple hundred bucks handy to buy one. As an unrepentant library addict, I'll stick with real books and mags. The only way I get electricity involved is by listening to audiobooks on my commute.

Besides, I knew I was on my way to dinosaurhood when I got giddy over getting a new record turntable for Christmas. That and I have the obsolete skills for working in a film darkroom.

btw, I sent a private message last week; did you get it?

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

I will give up my non-digital books when they pry them from my cold, dead fingers.

[ladytalker13.livejournal.com]

This sums up my feelings exactly.

It took me 2 years of college before I got used to reading assigned texts on the screen... I'd still rather print them out...

And having just spent the day in a Borders at a Sherrilyn Kenyon signing, I still have the glow of touching all those shiny, new books... LOL

[worldofcharlie.livejournal.com]

I have a hard time reading stuff off the computer screen when I have to scroll up & down...

I just prefer to to have it printed out on paper and read it that way.

I know not the best for the environment *well Paper's recyclable*...just that our eyes...

[thenodrin.livejournal.com]

I, personally, prefer to have a book, CD, DVD, etc. than to have an electronic copy of it on an iPod or hard drive. My main reason is that drives crash, but hard copies never do. My CD of the Battle of the Planets soundtrack will play in any CD player I put it in. My iTunes purchase of Lay it on Me will only play on my desk top (now that my iPod has died.)

A few years ago, WWE sold an album that was only available through iTunes. I notice that subsequent albums from them have been in stores. I assume therefore that I'm not alone in prefering the non-electronic copy.

But, I will also say that I recognize the convenience of having it all in one portable location. I can't possibly carry around all of my CDs, so it was incredibly convenient to have 80 megs of music on an iPod. And, gamers have been putting hundreds of pounds of books on PDAs for years, so that they have that obscure rule they need at their fingertips.

So, I guess I'm like jendaby in that I like both, each for its own reason.

Theno

[readinggeek451]

I don't like e-books either, for all of the reasons mentioned above, plus a few idiosyncratic ones of my own. That being said, however, sometimes the portability is just the thing. On my recent Alaska trip, I took along an extra ~30 books on a flashdrive, to go with the netbook I was bringing anyway. Without that, I probably would have packed an extra half-dozen paperbacks, and my luggage was heavy enough as it was.

[trinalin.livejournal.com]

I love my books in my library and sitting in the comfy chair reading my with cat on my lap. But I also love being able to read books on my phone (AT&T Tilt using eReader software). Indeed, I'd prefer it if all of my textbooks were eBooks versus paper books (much lighter that way). I think both have their place, but don't ever take either away from me! :-)

[hergrace.livejournal.com]

I have to agree about the comfort and versatility of a real book. Many books I have were lent to me by friends (or from our church's take one/leave one book stall.) I love the copy of "Twlight" that my son and his friends passed around, filled with footnotes, grammar corrections and notes on the (lack of) plot. I'd spend over an hour reading just one chapter because it took that long just to read all the delightful things the kids had written. (note: I never finished it -- had no interest in the actual story, and my son wanted it back so he could pass it to the next 'editor'.)

Having said that, I can see the usefulness of e-text. During the school year I love it when my kids can access their textbooks online (rather than dragging them home). Also the online versions also offer interactive learning features. I can see how have an e-version of your favorite newspaper could be great while on a commute. However, I dislike doing crosswords or number puzzles electronically. Nothing can beat pen and pencil for usefulness when working a puzzle.

I've also loved downloading the full text of Dickens's stories and being able to easily search for certain phrases or characters. I can see e-text as an excellent tool while writing reviews or book reports.

I doubt I'll get a reading device (Kindle, B&N or otherwise) any time soon. Real books, crowding the family bookcases and spilling over everywhere in the house, are far more comfortable and pleasant. But I'll still love the convenience of e-text when I can't find the book I want.

[wherdafux-d-cat.livejournal.com]

I have such mixed feelings about ebooks. When they're available on thin, flat screens that can be rolled up and tucked in a pocket, when your entire library is available at your whim to read or share as you choose, when they're comparable to paper in the eyestrain/readability department, I might start to be interested. But even then, it would only be as a backup to my actual, paper books. I love the feel and smell of books, from old friends that are older than I am to the cheap 'pool books' and airport 'desperation buys' (I treat even my 'throwaway' books better than most people treat their favorites).

What can I say? I love (and miss) card catalogs, too.