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Post by Sleeping Like An Angel on Dec 1, 2010 19:10:06 GMT -5
This sums up my opinion. ^ I want to read from a real book, not some little electronic. Books have a feeling to them, the e-book is cold and empty. I have a love of reading stemming from the book, I don't think that these e-books will give such feelings to the next generation. Our children are becoming more and more apathetic towards things such as reading, I don't want it to be continued further. I completely disagree. The medium is not the message. Huckleberry Finn is a classic whether it's read on ink or e-ink. The e-reader puts entire libraries in a person's hand at much, much less cost than the printed word. I have about 200 books on my Kindle. The vast majority of those books are the old classics that I like to read - Twain, Conan Doyle, Dickens, etc.... If I had purchased those books, they would've cost me several hundred dollars. Because they're e-books, they're free. And I don't have to take up space in my house to store them. Look at it this way. Newspapers are dieing because the Internet puts news at a person's fingertips in virtual real time and at much, much less cost. Do you think that's a bad thing too? How is it a bad thing if people have access to all the literature in the world literally at their fingertips (which is Amazon's goal)? How is this a bad thing? A classic is still a classic and the medium is not the message. You get on a plane with 3-4 books. I get on a plane with 200. I don't have to get up and go to my backpack when I want to switch books. I don't have to carry bookmarks with me. I can read on my phone if I want to. How is all of this a bad thing? There's a profound experience to the book itself. It's hard to explain just how much the medium has to do with what you get from a piece of literature. The news I agree with because I've not gotten a newspaper since 2003 and quite like it that way, but to say that the medium in which you read the word doesn't have anything to do with the overall experience...you're dead wrong. For somebody as new-wavy as I am, I dislike how everything is just...there. I much prefer the discipline that comes with going to a library and using the card catalog. (computerized version, fair enough) There's a level of respect for gaining your knowledge from actually working for it in my book. However, that's just me. I might sound a bit like an old librarian when I say that the largest space used in my little Tudor is for a personal library, a collection of which has been passed down a few times and of course added to vastly by myself. Sure, it's an investment, but there's a love of reading there. When I crack open my worn, original hardback copy of The Lost World by Michael Crichton, there's a familiar feel and even smell in the air. Whereas, the little personal library you carry is about as sensually exciting as reading the Banter Board. Sure, e-books get across information just fine...but there's a history built on books. I don't like the idea of that getting thrown out the window. There's a reason why laws are put in paper, you know.
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Post by Double J on Dec 1, 2010 19:47:59 GMT -5
Technically, most of the most important laws like the Constitution, Bill of Rights, or the Declaration of Independence are written on animal skin so they wouldn't rot and fall apart...
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Post by K5 on Dec 1, 2010 20:10:42 GMT -5
no way, the constitution was written on hemp!
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Post by Sleeping Like An Angel on Dec 1, 2010 20:36:44 GMT -5
I didn't say the constitution and the like, but nevertheless, an e-book sure as hell isn't made from animal skin.
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Post by Hulkamaniac on Dec 1, 2010 22:49:50 GMT -5
I completely disagree. The medium is not the message. Huckleberry Finn is a classic whether it's read on ink or e-ink. The e-reader puts entire libraries in a person's hand at much, much less cost than the printed word. I have about 200 books on my Kindle. The vast majority of those books are the old classics that I like to read - Twain, Conan Doyle, Dickens, etc.... If I had purchased those books, they would've cost me several hundred dollars. Because they're e-books, they're free. And I don't have to take up space in my house to store them. Look at it this way. Newspapers are dieing because the Internet puts news at a person's fingertips in virtual real time and at much, much less cost. Do you think that's a bad thing too? How is it a bad thing if people have access to all the literature in the world literally at their fingertips (which is Amazon's goal)? How is this a bad thing? A classic is still a classic and the medium is not the message. You get on a plane with 3-4 books. I get on a plane with 200. I don't have to get up and go to my backpack when I want to switch books. I don't have to carry bookmarks with me. I can read on my phone if I want to. How is all of this a bad thing? There's a profound experience to the book itself. It's hard to explain just how much the medium has to do with what you get from a piece of literature. The news I agree with because I've not gotten a newspaper since 2003 and quite like it that way, but to say that the medium in which you read the word doesn't have anything to do with the overall experience...you're dead wrong. For somebody as new-wavy as I am, I dislike how everything is just...there. I much prefer the discipline that comes with going to a library and using the card catalog. (computerized version, fair enough) There's a level of respect for gaining your knowledge from actually working for it in my book. However, that's just me. I might sound a bit like an old librarian when I say that the largest space used in my little Tudor is for a personal library, a collection of which has been passed down a few times and of course added to vastly by myself. Sure, it's an investment, but there's a love of reading there. When I crack open my worn, original hardback copy of The Lost World by Michael Crichton, there's a familiar feel and even smell in the air. Whereas, the little personal library you carry is about as sensually exciting as reading the Banter Board. Sure, e-books get across information just fine...but there's a history built on books. I don't like the idea of that getting thrown out the window. There's a reason why laws are put in paper, you know. I still couldn't disagree more and I'm a big bibliophile or I used to be at least. As I said earlier, I got tired of tripping over all the piles of books in my library. A huge library is a PITA to maintain physically to begin with. As I said, a good book is a good book. Huckleberry Finn is just as entertaining whether you read it on ink or e-ink. Sherlock Holmes is just a rivetting whether it's in virtual or physical form. When you get lost in a book, you don't care what medium it's on, you just want to find out what's on the next page.
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Post by K5 on Dec 1, 2010 23:39:50 GMT -5
you cannot speak for everyone. i prefer an actual book any day of the week. i find it much more of a calming and relaxing way to pass my time than to focus on a screen and ignore the machine's hums.
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M
Main Eventer
BWF.
Joined on: Jul 9, 2010 21:38:40 GMT -5
Posts: 4,334
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Post by M on Dec 1, 2010 23:42:51 GMT -5
Physical Books, you can't dog ear the pages on ebooks...
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Post by Sleeping Like An Angel on Dec 1, 2010 23:49:16 GMT -5
There's a profound experience to the book itself. It's hard to explain just how much the medium has to do with what you get from a piece of literature. The news I agree with because I've not gotten a newspaper since 2003 and quite like it that way, but to say that the medium in which you read the word doesn't have anything to do with the overall experience...you're dead wrong. For somebody as new-wavy as I am, I dislike how everything is just...there. I much prefer the discipline that comes with going to a library and using the card catalog. (computerized version, fair enough) There's a level of respect for gaining your knowledge from actually working for it in my book. However, that's just me. I might sound a bit like an old librarian when I say that the largest space used in my little Tudor is for a personal library, a collection of which has been passed down a few times and of course added to vastly by myself. Sure, it's an investment, but there's a love of reading there. When I crack open my worn, original hardback copy of The Lost World by Michael Crichton, there's a familiar feel and even smell in the air. Whereas, the little personal library you carry is about as sensually exciting as reading the Banter Board. Sure, e-books get across information just fine...but there's a history built on books. I don't like the idea of that getting thrown out the window. There's a reason why laws are put in paper, you know. I still couldn't disagree more and I'm a big bibliophile or I used to be at least. As I said earlier, I got tired of tripping over all the piles of books in my library. A huge library is a PITA to maintain physically to begin with. As I said, a good book is a good book. Huckleberry Finn is just as entertaining whether you read it on ink or e-ink. Sherlock Holmes is just a rivetting whether it's in virtual or physical form. When you get lost in a book, you don't care what medium it's on, you just want to find out what's on the next page. We're two different types of readers, here. See, I like the sensory experience of reading. It's hard to explain. Sure, you get the same words and the same information, but you lack the sensory side of a book. I like reading an old, old book and imagining the kinds of people that read this EXACT book in the past, where this crease was made from, why this page has a small tear, why the binding is so worn. I worked at a library all through high school and college, so I guess I'm biased. Although, I'm going to get pissy and yell at you and pick out one sentence. There are no pages on an e-book!
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Post by Hulkamaniac on Dec 2, 2010 8:37:18 GMT -5
you cannot speak for everyone. i prefer an actual book any day of the week. i find it much more of a calming and relaxing way to pass my time than to focus on a screen and ignore the machine's hums. I have no idea what e-readers you've been looking at, but none of them hum. Also, the e-ink screen looks identical to paper. Go check one out at Best Buy or B&N the next time you're there. The screen looks like paper. As I said, when you get lost in the story, you get lost in the story and it doesn't matter what medium it's on.
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Post by Double J on Dec 2, 2010 12:34:54 GMT -5
I have a feeling a lot of times people think e-readers are just black and white tablet computers, and not solid state devices that don't have a LCD screen, but a display unique to the device.
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Post by K5 on Dec 2, 2010 12:44:37 GMT -5
you cannot speak for everyone. i prefer an actual book any day of the week. i find it much more of a calming and relaxing way to pass my time than to focus on a screen and ignore the machine's hums. I have no idea what e-readers you've been looking at, but none of them hum. Also, the e-ink screen looks identical to paper. Go check one out at Best Buy or B&N the next time you're there. The screen looks like paper. As I said, when you get lost in the story, you get lost in the story and it doesn't matter what medium it's on. i was more talking about when people read books on their comps. once again, like it or not, you can't claim everyone is the same rather you believe so or not. my mother simply would not comply to the e-book, and therefore would never be comfortable with it's format enough to ever read anything. she adores books. and there is definitely a value to possessively holding a book - you form a relationship with it almost.
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Post by Hulkamaniac on Dec 2, 2010 12:54:41 GMT -5
I have no idea what e-readers you've been looking at, but none of them hum. Also, the e-ink screen looks identical to paper. Go check one out at Best Buy or B&N the next time you're there. The screen looks like paper. As I said, when you get lost in the story, you get lost in the story and it doesn't matter what medium it's on. i was more talking about when people read books on their comps. once again, like it or not, you can't claim everyone is the same rather you believe so or not. my mother simply would not comply to the e-book, and therefore would never be comfortable with it's format enough to ever read anything. she adores books. and there is definitely a value to possessively holding a book - you form a relationship with it almost. Just out of curiosity, have you ever read a book or any portion of a book on a Kindle or Nook? It's not text on an LCD screen like a computer. I would never read a book on my computer. I'll read a book on my phone in a pinch if I want to read and am not in a situation where I have a book with me. I'll kick back and read on my Kindle any day of the week though.
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Post by Deep Figure Value on Dec 2, 2010 13:35:45 GMT -5
Additionally, once I've purchased my (several) hard copies of 1984 and Slaughterhouse Five, refund or not, no one can legally remove it from my possession just because someone in the line of publishing f*cked up.
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Post by Double J on Dec 2, 2010 13:37:36 GMT -5
I hate my phones nook app. My eyes are shitty enough as it is, that thing's not helping.
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Post by K5 on Dec 2, 2010 13:39:41 GMT -5
i was more talking about when people read books on their comps. once again, like it or not, you can't claim everyone is the same rather you believe so or not. my mother simply would not comply to the e-book, and therefore would never be comfortable with it's format enough to ever read anything. she adores books. and there is definitely a value to possessively holding a book - you form a relationship with it almost. Just out of curiosity, have you ever read a book or any portion of a book on a Kindle or Nook? It's not text on an LCD screen like a computer. I would never read a book on my computer. I'll read a book on my phone in a pinch if I want to read and am not in a situation where I have a book with me. I'll kick back and read on my Kindle any day of the week though. only for a small amount of time - i wouldn't say i've been properly exposed to them.
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Post by Deep Figure Value on Dec 2, 2010 13:41:11 GMT -5
On the subject of the eyes - I've sampled B&N's Nook in store, browsed a couple pages, didn't care for the interface, and let it be after the nice lady was done with her sales pitch. I'm aware that the display isn't your standard LCD, but it is certainly back lit, and with the rate at which I read, I have to give my eyes a rest even when reading a traditional book. I can only imagine a back lit display would cause more strain when done at great lengths, just like watching TV or farting around on the computer, no?
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Post by Double J on Dec 2, 2010 13:51:14 GMT -5
The standard nook is NOT back lit. Period. The nook Color, which is just a standard screen tablet PC basically, is the backlit one. In fact, if I want to read in the dark on my nook, I have to use a book light, just like any other book.
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Post by Deep Figure Value on Dec 2, 2010 13:53:10 GMT -5
The standard nook is NOT back lit. Period. The nook Color, which is just a standard screen tablet PC basically, is the backlit one. In fact, if I want to read in the dark on my nook, I have to use a book light, just like any other book. Ahhh...well, that tells me which one I sampled.
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Post by Double J on Dec 2, 2010 13:56:18 GMT -5
Yeah, non eink/epaper displays for e-readers are HORRIBLE ideas. The backlights on displays are terrible on your eyes for extended periods of time.
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Post by Hulkamaniac on Dec 2, 2010 14:07:32 GMT -5
I hate my phones nook app. My eyes are poopty enough as it is, that thing's not helping. Reading on a phone is not ideal and it's completely different from an ebook. Just out of curiosity, have you ever read a book or any portion of a book on a Kindle or Nook? It's not text on an LCD screen like a computer. I would never read a book on my computer. I'll read a book on my phone in a pinch if I want to read and am not in a situation where I have a book with me. I'll kick back and read on my Kindle any day of the week though. only for a small amount of time - i wouldn't say i've been properly exposed to them. I would advise not bashing them until you try them. I used to have similar opinions to yours and couldn't understand why someone would buy an e-reader in the first place. Then I looked at them in the store and later bought one. They're much more convenient than books. The screen looks virtually identical to paper. The reading experience is virtually the same. I recently read a 600-700 page book on my Kindle. I would've hated to read that same thing in paperback just because of how bulky it is. An e-reader is much thinner and lighter than a paperback.
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