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Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

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Re: Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

#41

Post by manojlds »

waffle_ss wrote: post #9

I got a Kindle about a month ago but have since returned it. It seems to be an excellent device for reading any book that should be read serially (e.g. novels), but any type of book that requires "random access" (e.g. reference/technical) doesn't work well due to the small screen, inability to jump to page X (which makes it difficult to use an index since you can't easily jump to it from anywhere), and poor search fu…

Technical books are so HEAVY and I actually prefer the Kindle for them than carrying those books. Also, reading a huge technical book in say, an airport, would bring you lots of stares ( don't say you don't care about them!)

Yeah it is tough to jump around and some books just cannot be read on a 6" screen ( and I doubt that the DX fares better.) but for most books I found that I am good with reading them on Kindle. The benefits far outweigh the cons for me.

Re: Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

#42

Post by pcole »

jaysonelliot wrote: post #17

Anything that gets more people reading more books is a positive in my opinion, but I'm still disturbed by the idea that ebooks are acceptable alternatives to physical books overall. If the future is one of ebooks and real books coexisting, I'm all for it. But if the more likely scenario plays out, where publishers use the higher profit margins and control that come from cutting out the printers and stores, and books…

I feel the same way about this. It makes me sad and I can't even envisage getting a reader. As the obvious target for this kind of gift (techie that loves reading), I have asked all my friends and family to not even think about getting one for me. I dream of having a whole room full of books, a confortable sofa and a fire place in the future!

One of my fears is that digital books will change people's reading habits, by having too much choice available instantly it seems too tempting to start many at once and not finish any. With time this could result in books & stories becoming shorter and this can't be a good thing.

I do however realise that these feelings of mine do not make much sense and that one day, when the book I want to read isn't available in a physical form, I will have to surrender and get the digital version. I agree that that day will be a sad one, but many people felt (and still feel) that way about vinyls, and it hasn't prevented the mass from evolving and embracing the new capabilities of the new formats.

I can imagine a future where the books as we know them now are just one specific (and old fashioned) way to tell a story, in a world full of other formats and possibilities. I believe that change must not be feared and as long as the whole world doesn't go crazy, we should be fine :-)

Re: Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

#43

Post by mapleoin »

jaysonelliot wrote: post #17

Anything that gets more people reading more books is a positive in my opinion, but I'm still disturbed by the idea that ebooks are acceptable alternatives to physical books overall. If the future is one of ebooks and real books coexisting, I'm all for it. But if the more likely scenario plays out, where publishers use the higher profit margins and control that come from cutting out the printers and stores, and books…

It's easy to imagine a world in the not so distant future where the idea of reading just words alone is sneered at as primitive and boring.

Were you ever in highschool?

Re: Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

#44

Post by jaysonelliot »

Turing_Machine wrote: post #39
jaysonelliot wrote: post #17

Anything that gets more people reading more books is a positive in my opinion, but I'm still disturbed by the idea that ebooks are acceptable alternatives to physical books overall. If the future is one of ebooks and real books coexisting, I'm all for it. But if the more likely scenario plays out, where publishers use the higher profit margins and control that come from cutting out the printers and stores, and books…

I get your point, but as a counterpoint consider this: my mother's cousin recently scanned a picture of my grandmother and her brothers (one of whom was the cousin's father) as babies, along with many other old family photos. I posted the scans on Facebook, so now everyone in the extended family (dozens of nieces, nephews, cousins, what have you) can see them. The pic of my grandmother is around 85 years old. Is the…

I don't dispute anything in your first paragraph. The ability to preserve and distribute rare or unique documents and photos is amazing.

I'm not talking about rare books and antiquities, though. I'm talking about something far more common and mundane, and (to me at least) far more special.

The books I've inherited from my grandfather are not precious or valuable to anyone but me. They're precious because I know I'm touching the pages he touched, and when I come across the notes he's made in the margins, they're in his hand, written with the pen I remember watching him use when I was a child.

Most of us can't afford to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on rare books. But most of us can afford a couple dollars for a paperback at the used book store—even those of us who can't spend the $80-$200 that the OP calls "cheap" for a Kindle.

This is one of the reasons I like ebooks for their convenience and ability to be widely distributed, but I would be devastated to see them replace bound books as the only choice.

We're seeing the way that movie and music companies are eager to trample over consumers in the name of protecting their copyrights. Do we really want to turn books into something that can only be read if you have the right device to display them? I don't trust Amazon, Apple, or anyone else to be the gatekeeper of my books. I want the ability to turn my back on them if they start editing, deleting, or censoring books. I want to be able to say "fine, then, I'll just go to the store and get a real book, and your Kindle can suck it."

Some of my worries seem almost silly today, but we've seen too many things go from far-fetched to reality in a generation or less.

Re: Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

#45

Post by joelhooks »

manojlds wrote: post #41
waffle_ss wrote: post #9

I got a Kindle about a month ago but have since returned it. It seems to be an excellent device for reading any book that should be read serially (e.g. novels), but any type of book that requires "random access" (e.g. reference/technical) doesn't work well due to the small screen, inability to jump to page X (which makes it difficult to use an index since you can't easily jump to it from anywhere), and poor search fu…

Technical books are so HEAVY and I actually prefer the Kindle for them than carrying those books. Also, reading a huge technical book in say, an airport, would bring you lots of stares ( don't say you don't care about them!) Yeah it is tough to jump around and some books just cannot be read on a 6" screen ( and I doubt that the DX fares better.) but for most books I found that I am good with reading them on Kindle. T…

The DX is fantastic for tech books. Code and diagrams look great.

Re: Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

#46

Post by joelhooks »

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #38
waffle_ss wrote: post #9

I got a Kindle about a month ago but have since returned it. It seems to be an excellent device for reading any book that should be read serially (e.g. novels), but any type of book that requires "random access" (e.g. reference/technical) doesn't work well due to the small screen, inability to jump to page X (which makes it difficult to use an index since you can't easily jump to it from anywhere), and poor search fu…

I agree. Between the refresh rate of the e-ink screen and the general speed of the Kindle, I could never imagine using it as a programming reference or some such. Though, I've yet to try it and the ability to search would be great. Some books, even reference books, have pitiable indicies.

For general reference while working I just crack open the desktop app.

Re: Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

#48

Post by gte910h »

FreeKill wrote: post #4

I completely agree with the OP, at first I thought I would miss having a physical book in my hands, but to be honest I don't really miss it at all. There are so many advantages to eBook reading such as light weight (compared to some hard covers), increased font size, etc. I now find myself thinking of buying a hardcover book as more of a painful inconvenience rather than a benefit.

I can't Stand the weight of a hardback book anymore

Re: Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

#49

Post by pshc »

jaysonelliot wrote: post #17

Anything that gets more people reading more books is a positive in my opinion, but I'm still disturbed by the idea that ebooks are acceptable alternatives to physical books overall. If the future is one of ebooks and real books coexisting, I'm all for it. But if the more likely scenario plays out, where publishers use the higher profit margins and control that come from cutting out the printers and stores, and books…

Yes, they will coexist. Physical books will always exist just like film cameras and ham radio, for both nostalgia and timeless quality. Bookshelves have their virtual counterparts. Movies haven't killed books and video games haven't killed movies. Libraries may largely become museums.

Pure information like a book has to go the digital route--there are too many advantages, practically, economically, environmentally. And many would cite the lack of chrome and physical presence of a Kindle an aesthetic advantage over books.

Re: Amazon Has Drastically Changed the Way I Read

#50

Post by forrestthewoods »

jaysonelliot wrote: post #17

Anything that gets more people reading more books is a positive in my opinion, but I'm still disturbed by the idea that ebooks are acceptable alternatives to physical books overall. If the future is one of ebooks and real books coexisting, I'm all for it. But if the more likely scenario plays out, where publishers use the higher profit margins and control that come from cutting out the printers and stores, and books…

I hate reading novels in paper form. Each of the books in the Game of Thrones series is 1000 pages long. Holding a super fat book in your hands is not pleasant. You have to break the spine to keep it from closin. You need to physically rotate the book as you move from the left to the right page. It's heavy and cumbersome. Urgh.

Reading on a tablet type device meanwhile is a dream. Thin, lightweight. I hold the device the same for every page at both the start and end of the book. I can comfortably hold it with one hand even.

Being able to look up definitions is wonderfully useful. If you're on an ipad a quick internet search can be incredibly useful. I just read a Clash of Kings (sequel to Game of Thrones). I regularly looked up characters to refresh my memory on what they did or what they looked like (from the TV series).

When it comes to novels I would be quite happy to never hold a dead tree again. I much prefer burning dead dinosaurs.

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