Book News: Sony Reader to Kill off Paper Books?
September 8th, 2008From The Telegraph:
The £199 Sony Reader, which will be available in more than 200 Waterstone’s stores from Thursday, could throw the future of the traditional book into doubt.
Haven’t we gone through this already with the Kindle? Why would the Sony reader do what the Kindle has not done so far? The odd thing about this article is that it makes no mention of the Kindle. It’s almost like it is an advertisement for the Sony reader.
I am intrigued by the e-readers…I think they could be interesting. But unless I can get a e-book from the library, I’m not sure what purpose it would serve for me.
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September 8th, 2008 at 9:47 am
The latest buzz in the publishing industry is all about the iPhone (and similar devices) and their potential to beat out Kindle and Sony Reader as the primary ebook device.
I think most industry experts are prepared for a dramatic rise in sales of ebooks through some platform, but nobody seems to seriously think that ink and paper books are going away in the forseeable future.
September 8th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I’m not sure what a Sony Reader is but I get the main idea. However, I can’t imagine reading very much on an iphone or Blackberry, etc. The screens are pretty small for reading for any length of time.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:16 am
While I can see the benefits of digital readers (less waste, no need for shipping, etc.), I would really miss the feeling of holding a book in my hands or looking at my bookshelves. (Seriously, there’s just something warm about a room full of books.) I think they have a part to play in the industry, but I doubt that paper books will ever cease to exist. (I’m in complete denial here. It’s not just a river in Egypt!)
They’d have to come down in price significantly for me to consider either the Kindle or the Sony Reader. Until then, I’ll stick with paper books and the occasional audio book.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:23 am
We had a discussion about the Kindle on LibraryThing awhile ago and I still think the same now. I can see the point of an electronic reader for travel convenience and such…but they will have to pry my books out of my cold dead fingers!
Also there is no way I am going to invest money in a book format like the one Kindle uses that might change or disappear in a year and then be left to try and figure out a way to move them to a another, new format. And worry if that will even be possible.
The format of my books never changes.
September 16th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Not many people know about it, but you CAN get an e-book from many libraries, along with downloadable videos, audiobooks and music. Here’s an example of what it looks like on my library’s web site. The e-books come in either Adobe or Mobipocket formats. As long as you have a device that works with one of these, you’re all set.
September 16th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Here’s that web site: http://maricopa.lib.overdrive.com/