An Entire Bookshelf, in Your Hands

[vicki]

Here's a cool article (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/09/technology/circuits/09basics.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin) from the NY Times about the growing market for electronic books.



WHEN Paul Biba, a lawyer in Bernardsville, N.J., finds himself stuck waiting, he likes to pull out his Nokia (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/nokia_corporation/index.html?inline=nyt-org) E61i cellphone and read one of the 20 or so books he usually stores on it.

The virtual bookshelf in his pocket currently has science fiction like “Falling Free” by Lois McMaster Bujold, all of the novels of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens, “Eminent Victorians” by Lytton Strachey and the September issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

“Once you get use to having books with you, you get use to reading in places where it never occurred to you. If I’m waiting in line at the supermarket counter, why not read one of my science fiction magazines?” he said. “Believe it or not, I’ll sit down in my chair at home, pull out my phone and read a book.”


Anybody here reading ebooks yet? I haven't, but I'll eventually get there, I suppose. I can't see getting entirely away from paper books, but stranger things have happened. I wonder if paper books will eventually become rare specialty items.

[AmyLizzie]

I do read ebooks quite a bit, because my job is very boring, and to be honest I'm not that good at it so take little interest in it, and I'm stuck to a computer all day so to pass the time I do read books online. It's not too bad, I do prefer paper books but I'm very grateful for them as the time at work passes much quicker!

Amy

[jtb1951]

I'm afraid I'll come across as an old curmudgeon, but I just have never been very impressed with the e-book experience. I'm typically a techno-geek but reading for enjoyment is not to be found for me in electronic type. I guess the feel of a real book in my hands, the ability to quickly move back and forth among pages, enjoying book-signings with my favorite authors, are too deeply ingrained in me to lose. Besides, I work in an analytical laboratory and deal with computer monitors all day; I am pretty e-texted out by the evening!!:)

John.

[azdolphin]

I work as the editor and publications director for an archaeological firm, and we recently "published" one of our reports on-line. For me, I really dislike the whole idea. I love having a book in my hands, flipping pages, smelling the ink (okay, maybe that is too weird!) -- love the feel of it. We did it as a cost-saving measure, because the report was over 1,000 pages long. While we've had some positive comments, I'm hoping this doesn't become the way of our publications...

[kitling130]

I'm suppose to be one of the computer generation since I've grown up with computers everywhere, but I don't really like ebooks. I do occasionally read an ebook but much prefer the old-fashioned paper version.

I can quickly flip back to a page when I remember something, I don't have to worry about batteries dying on me. I don't know if this happens to anyone else, I'm really visual and usually remember roughly the location of a word or a passage on a page. So when I read an ebook on Mobibook a lot of times, the page shifts so words or sentences get moved around and makes it hard for me to go back to a favorite passage.

Yes you could probably store a lot of books on one of those devices, but it's hard to curl up with an electronical device.

I also tend to tune out audiobooks. So those don't work for me either.

[Ms. Kay]

I also don't read ebooks but I believe I will, eventually. It's not always convenient to carry a book, but I usually have my phone with me. Having a phone onto which one can download ebooks is something to think about.
You can download and read/listen to ebooks and e-audiobooks through the library system where I work. It's, basically, handled like checking out a book. I haven't tried it yet, so I don't really know the mechanics of it. As I said though, I probably will at least try an ebook or two along with reading books with pages and listening to audiobooks.

Kippy:)

[Kiyomi]

There are over a hundred ebooks avaible online from Baen(major publisher of sci-fi and fantasy. Just go to www.baen.com and click on the 'Baen Free Library' link at the top.

E-books are nice when you are bored but I get a bit of a headache if I read them for too long.

John, what kind of analytical laboratory? I work for an enviromental testing lab myself, mainly GC work with lots of sample login and random paper work thrown in.

[jtb1951]

John, what kind of analytical laboratory? I work for an enviromental testing lab myself, mainly GC work with lots of sample login and random paper work thrown in.

I work for a medium-size (~25 people) environmental testing lab in Naperville, IL. I've been doing GC/MS analyses since 1979 (before there were fused-silica columns and bench-top GC/MS's!!:) ) and am currently responsible for the organics analysis areas (volatiles and semi-volatiles). Nice to know that we share work interests! Keep in touch!

John.

[The Grey Badger]

I'm suppose to be one of the computer generation since I've grown up with computers everywhere, but I don't really like ebooks. I do occasionally read an ebook but much prefer the old-fashioned paper version.

I can quickly flip back to a page when I remember something, I don't have to worry about batteries dying on me. I don't know if this happens to anyone else, I'm really visual and usually remember roughly the location of a word or a passage on a page. So when I read an ebook on Mobibook a lot of times, the page shifts so words or sentences get moved around and makes it hard for me to go back to a favorite passage.

Yes you could probably store a lot of books on one of those devices, but it's hard to curl up with an electronical device.

I also tend to tune out audiobooks. So those don't work for me either.

Audiobooks are excellent for long road trips, especially long road trips through the middle of nowhere.