Monday, July 16, 2012

E-Readers – Are They the Wave of the Future?



A recent discussion on this topic got me thinking about the advances in technology that have occurred in my life time. I was born in the early 60s – a child during the Civil Rights Movements, the Viet Nam War and the age of hippies and free love. So many things have changed in the world since that time that we now embrace.

I remember listening to the top 40 on my AM Transistor radio. I got to listen to it with an earphone, with a little white cord that plugged into the radio and then snuggled up inside my ear. The quality can’t compare with what we have to today but at the time, it was the best thing available to the masses. Later came Sony Walkmans that improved the sound quality and everyone had to have one. Boom boxes were those who wanted to share their music with everyone – whether everyone wanted them to or not!

The medium music has been delivered on has changed too. From the LPs and 45s made of vinyl that I listened to as a teenager (and still own), we passed through the 8-tracjk and cassette tape phase. I spent countless hours listening to the new and improved FM radio, trying to record my favorite songs without the DJ talking over the beginnings or endings. Tapes gave way to the CD and that was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Today people download their music. They listen on their computers and iPods or other MP3 devices. While CDs are still available, it looks like before long, all music will be digital and we will no longer buy music on disc or tape, but in cyberspace. At least it won’t get scratched and quit playing!

Even movies have changed dramatically. As a child, I waited anxiously for the seasons to pass so I could watch my favorite shows or movies when they came back on television. You could only watch Frosty the Snowman one night a year – at Christmas time when it aired on network TV. If you missed it, you waited until the next year. Now you can watch it anytime on DVD or Blu Ray. You can even watch it on your computer on sites like YouTube and Hulu.

We have by and large embraced this advance in technology and most people own many of the devices that allow us to indulge in our entertainment media today. Oh sure, a few folks came along kicking and screaming but for the most part, we enjoy our new toys and the improved quality the give us.

So why is it that with books, there seems to be such a divide between the e-reader camp and those who cling to the world of printed books? Books are the last hold out in the technological march into the future and many would argue that the days of printed books are numbered.

If you visit my home, you will see literally thousands of books. They have homes in almost every room in the house. They are a huge part of my family’s life. In recent years I have dreamed of seeing my name on the spine of one or two books sitting on the shelf in my office. With today’s self-publishing options, that is certainly a possibility. Still, one cannot ignore history and the trend is moving decidedly toward a digital world when it comes to everything else so why not books? 

I still enjoy reading an actual book, holding it in my hands as I get lost in the world the writer created for me. I am a writer of eBooks and I am waiting for Santa to bring me an eReader for Christmas. There are generations coming up behind me who will read their books on Kindles and Nooks. In years to come, they will laugh at our attachment to paperbacks and hardcover books that took up ridiculous amounts of room in our homes and libraries. 

How do you feel about eBooks? Are you a die hard for the paperbacks? Do love your eReader? Are you on the fence waiting to see where technology takes us?

14 comments:

  1. I love books. . . the feel of them, the smell of them, the way they sit in my hands. Alas, life has altered how I manage them. I have lupus, fibro and arthritis and a lot of it has hit my hands. I had all but stopped reading when I found the Kindle. Now I can read to my heart's content due to its light weight and the fact that I only need flick one finger very lightly to turn the page. I still love everything about books and they line the bookshelves in my home, but I can no longer hold them. My Kindle solved that, so I am grateful that this technology exists.

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    1. Thanks for the comment Carla. I can definitely see how the Kindle would be an advantage for you. Hopefully your health issues don't keep you from enjoying other aspects of your life,too. At least you can read to your heart's content and with all the free ebooks available, you will never be at a loss for material.

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    2. It is also a big deal when the eyesight starts to go. When I developed diabetes, my eyesight got so bad I could not read magazines or books anymore. However, Kindles have the option to increase the size of the text and I could read on them. I know there are large print books available, but those are so big. Besides, Kindle books are cheaper than print books. BUT, there are some books I will still buy only in print editions. Print won't die but it is changing.

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    3. You make a good point about the ability to adjust the print size easily. Large print is not available for all novels which makes the Kindle and other ereaders a good choice for those with vision issues.

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  2. I grew up with books. I fondly recall my parents searching my backpack to make sure I had only school books in it though they almost always found at least one if not two or three sci-fi novels in there as well. I love the smell of books. However, I have had a Kindle Fire for almost a year now and I had my eye on e-readers since the first Kindle was released. I love being able to carry around my digital library with me every where I go. I love not having to worry about keeping the book nice so I can read it again and again. I have not read a paperback or hardcover since I got my Kindle. I am not thrilled at having to purchase all of my books again, especially since they cost ever more now than when I originally bought them. For me, the portability wins out. An e-reader takes up so much less space in my purse than a solid book. And with some you can download an app for your phone and it takes up even less space. As much as I love my Fire...there are still some books I want to have in hard copy as well. Bookcases filled with books I love is still a point of pride for me. :)

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    1. I would have to agree. Even if I replaced all of my books on an ereader, I would have to keep certain ones on the shelf. I have always dreamed of having a library but with the Kindle, I'll have to daydream another use for that room!

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  3. I love books in any format. My Kindle is a constant companion and I love the ease of having all those books in such a tiny device that is just as easy to read as an actual book, possibly even more so because I can adjust the text size! It saves room and clutter, but there are still book collections that I will purchase in hardback format to enjoy over the years as well.

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    1. So far that seems to be the consensus - a little of both. What series do you think you'd want to keep in print, Sass, and why?

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    2. I will always get Laurell K. Hamilton's books in print, it's like a ritual with me to read her books. Eventually I want the entire Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series in hardcover (you know when I have a bestseller and can afford it).

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  4. I was slightly reluctant to get an ereader at first, and it took me a couple of years before I got one. I just wasn't interested in reading a digital book, and I couldn't afford to buy an ereader. But they went down in price, and the fact that I published my books as ebooks made me interested in getting one. So I bought the Kindle Touch this year and I love it! I prefer reading ebooks now. But I still get paperbacks occasionally when they are a great price, because I am a bargain shopper. I don't, however, have room for any more print books in my apartment now, because I have so many. That doesn't stop me from getting them though.

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    1. I still don't have an ereader but it's on my wish list. I have used one or two that a trusted friend let me see. I know I will adjust to them. I'm really looking forward to it but I doubt I will ever be able to give up books completely.

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  5. I love the feel of a book in my hands and flipping the pages! Oh, and the smell of a new or old book! Takes me back to my days in school. Lately I find myself preferring to read everything online. And I think the fact that when I hold an actual book it reminds me of my childhood is proof that kindles and ebooks are the new thing and will continue to grow. Still, nothing beats an actual book in your hand!

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    1. I have to agree with about having memories of childhood when I read books, especially when I read them to my own children. Nothing takes away that feeling. Still, the ereaders have so many advantages that I think a blend of both is the way to go.

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  6. Hi, new follower from Book Blogs! I have really had a hard time warming up to E-readers, I love my paperbacks!

    My blog is: http://endlessdaysofbooks.blogspot.com/ I'd love a follow back!

    If you stop by make sure to register in my Giveaway of an autographed copy of Shannon McCrimmon's The Summer I Learned to Dive!

    Candace

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