Do books really need technology?: LiveSimplicity discussion forum

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There have been many attempts by companies to create methods of distributing books electronically. Ultimately, it seems that the old fashioned paperback wins out every time. Are there some areas where advancements in technology are simply not needed?

View A

I like reading a good, old-fashioned book. I don't have to worry about powering it and it doesn't cause a strain on my eyes after reading it for long periods of time. Plus, i like the tactile feel of quickly flipping through a book i'm interested in.

View B

I'd love to be able to store and read any book at any time on an electronic device. It would mimize the environmental impact of cutting down trees for paper and distribution would be as easy as a quick download.

21 comment(s) so far

Simpler thinks: If the e-book device didnt have all the usual eletronic illnesses, such as clunky adapters, pc drivers, incompatible file formats, low battery life and poor contrast then yes. In theory this would be great. Lets see how many generations of products it will take before we are there. I will not be buying the first generations but waitings for most books to be available for the e-book and a device that works wirelessly and without any setup from my side. Hopefully I dont even have to buy it but can wait for my book club to lend me one. Oh, and I also need to be able to drop it on the floor without breaking it...

JBonnin thinks: Once again... why only one of them?

I love the smell of old paper of a book I desired for long and that I end by finding! This doesn´t mean I don´t download loads of e-books. Ideally, I would have them all in beautiful old editions. But the e-books save me time and, very often, money.

jesshd123 thinks: Look - it's quite simple. Can you read an e-book in the bath? No? Well then - the choice is clear. I'm not going to give up one of life's greatest pleasures just to appease the Gods of Silicon :-)

Roadmeister thinks: Have to agree with JBonnin. I cannot see (and do not want) books to dissapear but there are times and places where an e-book would probably be more suitable and cost-effective.

I remember thinking that audio books were stupid until I discovered that they were great for long car journeys.

jtstobbs thinks: Books are my comfort zone, when the world kicks you in the teeth, the best thing i find is to disappear into the world of books. So you need to hold them find a comfortable spot and shut everything else out - even just for a while

dhama thinks: Making things easier doesn't always make things better, however there are times when either electronic form or paper printed form are very useful for the job in hand. The point of new technology is not always to replace old technolgy, but to enhance the user experience or usefulness of it for any given purpose.

anna thinks: I agree with the ecological points of B. My Ideal would be to have a code with it so I can fit a microphone/s to my mobile telephone and listen to the contents hands free---i.e. on the beach!

ssp thinks: I only buy books or novels in paper form because:

1) I don't have to worry about the battery running out

2) I don't have yet another proprietary charger/adapter to carry

3) If I lost my book I lose only $10 or so compared to a $300 piece of kit.

However, when I was at university I used to spend hundreds of dollars per year on books which were only used a few times. This is a waste of money and paper resources. The university library only had a certain number of text books and I could never get hold of the books I wanted during assignment time at the end of term. e-books would be the absolutely perfect choice here and I would happily pay for an e-reader for academic purposes.

anna thinks: Yes, They are invaluble for those with physical handicaps,hospital patients who do not have any real choice other than whatever their visitor brings, sometimes none at all. Who wants to carry in their weight allowance on flights a pile of books? Great for subliminal studying, better still insert a brain chip!

We do need to top up all aspects of information to provide a considered opinion, maybe we would be better at negotions if we read/listened to cultural and religious backgrounds?

View conclusion