Comments on: Will e-books ever be a best seller?

Sony's Reader has been little more than a footnote so far. Now Amazon is looking to light things up with its new Kindle device.
Photos: Amazon's Kindle device

[ebhunt]

too $, too limited and limiting

I can lend my paperback to whomever I want and I can mark it up however I want and in general do whatever I want to my pb once I have bought it. Not so this very expensive piece of tech.

With what intrusive surveillance do they plan to enforce this user agreement?

"You may not sell, rent, lease, distribute, broadcast, sublicense or otherwise assign any rights to the Digital Content or any portion of it to any third party, and you may not remove any proprietary notices or labels on the Digital Content. In addition, you may not, and you will not encourage, assist or authorize any other person to, bypass, modify, defeat or circumvent security features that protect the Digital Content."

[navajosnow]

Can't curl up with a good laptop

There are two types of reading I think of--one for information and one for entertainment. I can go to an electronic screen for information for a limited amount of time. However, my image of sitting in my favorite chair beneath a warm light falling on the pages overwhelms anything I can imagine of an electronic screen.

[Calicoe]

Parkinsons and e-books

Having to deal with Parkinson's disease is frustrating and reading a book is sometimes impossible. E-books may be the solution.

[crloftin]

Try a Tablet-PC. . .

A tablet can alleviate many of your concerns, either by adjustable print or though audible- either way!

[pingeyez2]

ebooks

I have a Sony reader and I love it. I like the fact it can hold many books ,which saves the time wasting gas at the pump. And can a paper back ? show slideshows, lisen to music or read and save pdf documents.It's more than just as reader. The Sony is pricey , but in the long run,it will last longer and do more things. I have one cell phone , one reader , one MP3 player and carrying the reader is no problem and I can read it in sunlight without glare like PDA'S. Now , which one of my 7 boooks will I read first or will it by digital photos of the grandkids or listen to some music? no, I want to open a docu,ment from a university research. Can a paper back do all of this.It's 2007 . Enjoy the what is new and keep the old where it belongs, in the past.Will they last,probably,unless the trend is paper to cut down more trees.

[archer75]

Too expensive

ebooks will of course catch on. I've been reading them for years on my pocket pc.
The problem is the devices. Both the amazon and sony products cost way too much. And I don't want to be locked into their stores. Nor will I purchased ebooks with DRM. I've done that before and it was a huge headache to actually get my book to work. and now I can't read it at all.
I also just want a device that supports the most formats, .txt, .html, .pdf, .lit, etc. and these devices are somewhat limited. I also need them backlit so I can read in bed. I'm not sure if either the sony or amazon products provide all that. But my pocketpc does and it was cheaper than both the sony or amazon products and does far more.

[TimDLocklear]

LOL - Just Blogged About This

I find it hilarious that I just blogged about this earlier and I open my email to find CNET thinking about it as well.

In short... at least with the Kindle... I don't get it.

Check Out: http://virtualbizweb.com/?p=9

~ Tim

[crloftin]

What about Tablet PCs?

While I am all for reading (I read e books, listen to audio-books and even do the low-tech thing picking up an occasional book... I must admit that I do it mostly on my Toshiba Tablet-PC and have never been able to figure out why more people don't do the same. In fact, my son who is in graduate school takes all lf his notes on a Toshiba Tablet. Wish I had had one in school! You can easily download, read or listen on the Tablet, annotate or even write your own. I'm even hand-scribbling this note on my screen... and the OS translates my chicken-scratch into text! Why buy something else?

[Binhlv]

Maybe e-books will be a best-seller one day....

I have about a hundred e-books in my laptop, but I'm frustrated as every company tries forcing cosumer like me to use their formats, which only work their devices. I'm still looking for something that gives me more choices.

[pizzmoe]

E-Books

I don't own one yet, but I have pondered it. Do I need it? I don't NEED most of the gadgets that I have, I just like them. With most things, you don't know that you need them until you have them.

[CathWren]

Do I need it?

I suppose I'd survive without my ebooks but it wouldn't be my choice. Especially as I've gotten older, reading dead tree books has become harder and harder on both my vision and my hands. A small unit with sizeable type has kept me from losing my last real pleasure in life.

CathWren

[Don Goldberg]

Too Expensive

It would be nice to take a device like this with me on a trip, rather than an armload of paperbacks. But pay $300 to $400 for the privilege? No thanks. Let alone pay more for each title than the actual paperback would cost. Maybe when the cost drops under $100; certainly if under $50.00.

[Fishculture]

I use ebooks all the time!

I have been purchasing ebooks for many years now and reading them on my Palm pilot. I am constantly hearing people say how they prefer to have a "physical, paper book that has tactile response". Whatever! The fact that I can carry a library in my pocket is amazing and now I can read anywhere and anytime I want by taking out a small unit from my pocket. I often take those "in-between" times when standing in line, waiting for someone, etc. to pull out my Palm and start reading. Books are bulky. From an ecological standpoint, not having to transport, produce, etc. physical books is great. In fact my major gripe about ebooks is that they are too expensive - why the high expense when these factors no longer apply? (Shelf space, paper, transport, etc.) When I see these dedicated ebook readers I wonder why they keep coming out with the large sizes. The major benefit I see with ebooks is portability, why make it a large unit again? Hopefully this is just a bridge to get people weaned off physical books to ebooks in a smaller format. And for you traditionalists - yes, I still buy books, but now very rarely. It IS nice that the battery doesn't go out and such, but I find with my highly mobile lifestyle that ebooks are just so much better in general.

[maryfrei]

Agree, ebooks too expensive

I would switch to ebooks in a second if the price were right. From my experience there is little difference in price for the digital version, and I refuse to support it to any degree until some of that savings is passed along to the consumer!

[bapoomalcolm]

Books forever!

Hope not. Not at least till I can curl up in bed with one, relax with one on a deck chair, mark it, shove it in my back pocket, give it to a friend, resell it,read it in the bus or train even while standing, line the book shelves with old dog eared ones showing the owner's name and date of purchase..............,

Not till then

[crloftin]

I can do almost all lf this on my Tablet...

The only thing you talk about is mark it as my own, but I can underline, make notes, etc. Ownership is less important to me... I'll go with the Tablet anytime...

[Ardy Mattox`]

RE E-Books

I've used my 4705 Ipaq to read e-books for about 3 years now. also keep all my notes, business contacts and friend contacts on it... only wish I could use it as a phone and camera too!
E-books are great! I like reading at night since the screen lights up...don't need a book light. I'm completely hooked on e-books. Used to buy from Amazon, but lately haven't been able to find any there.

[blaknwht]

ebooks

Try fictionwise.com for ebooks.

[lsochia]

older eyes

As much as I love holding, smelling, touching a book it would be such a pleasure to change it's type size or increase it's background light. Sorry, but being "able" to read the book trumps the book reading experience.

[rnorris]

My Older Eyes

Right on. I have had eye troubles for years and ebooks are the answer. Change type and colours help me.
I couldn't read without ebooks on my PDA.

[crloftin]

Try a Tabet-PC

You can adjust the font and type size to fit your visual acuity. It's like having a desk-top in your hands!

[warjo]

Sounds good but costs too much

Most people have tons of books that have a nice, tactile, feel to them, and they could buy a bunch more for $300. On the other hand, it would be cool to be able to access any part of many books when you're out on a stroll. So if they get it so that it really is about the size of a book, and it really does look like paper and doesn't give you a headache after about an hour, and they get that price reasonable, they probably will sell some. And someday, some kid trying to leaf through a book to find something, will say, "I don't see why they ever invented these things."

[cygnus9th]

Avid E-book Reader

Well I have been an avid e-book reader for about 8 years now. There are cheaper alternatives to the 2 E-book" readers that Amazon and Sony market. Any $100 PDA can use pocket pc reader (they make it for palm as well), Adobe reader, and Microsoft reader. (all of which are free). And there are many websites with a huge selection (ereader.com is my personal favorite). Some books (such as Scott Addams "God's Debrie" came out on e-book before it came out on print. It was also not copy protected, he "encouraged" you to share the book with friends. Also, website keep track of your books you bought, so in case you loose your reader, (Or card it is on) it is a simple matter of logging in to your account and downloading the books you purchased.

I am active duty military and it is nice to be able to pull out the PDA and read a book while standing in line, while laying in my sleeping bag (I don't need an external light) and being able to bookmark passages and go right to them. Also most PDA have wi-fi capability already...

If Sony and company want to make a good "reader" Then here is what they should shoot for:
Cost no more than $100.
Manageable LCD Screen (4"x7")
Large Memory (@ least 2GB)
Good Battery (16-20 hours)
multi card reader (SD/Memory stick/etc)
Touch screen / jog wheels

My "reader" is an Ipaq 6315 PDA, that has most of these abilities (on SD cardreader). Wasn't the greatest as a phone, but great as other things, including a reader. I paid $500 for it in Singapore in 2004, so there is no reason the technology can't give us something similar at the $100 mark for just a "Reader". As for the paperback issue, if made affordable, it just like i-pods, they cost enough that you will care more about your reader than you do the paperback.

My 2 cents!!

[rnorris]

E-Reading: Can't Beat It

I've been reading ebooks for years on my PDA. I love it. I carry around thirty books in my pocket and read to fit my mood.
I won't be buying a single purpose reader since a multi-use gadget is the answer for me.
Long live ebooks!

[scsurfer]

eeh maybe, but. . .

I've been a avid reader all of my life but the numbers don't work. I would have to read from 80 to 150 books to save at all. The only draw then is immediacy or status. It's a book the first doesn't matter, and if the second matters you probably can't read anyway.

[CathWren]

80 to 150 books in how long?

I read well over that number in a year.

CathWren

[soupnazzi]

evolution

I think that e-books will evolve into something else. I think it would be great for downloading the morning paper or magazine subscriptions. The paper saving factor is great but it will take a while to evolve into something would resemble an actual book or our perception of a book.

[crloftin]

Try a tablet!

I read the New York Times everyday on my Tablet... I know I sound like I'm proselytizing, but I have no other interest than being a user... a convinced user.Try a Tablet!

[jimspooner]

Ebooks

Being partialy handicapped and having a difficulty in holding books- I look forward to the future of this device, however, I will not buy one of these yet. The general public doesn't know it but the printing business has got a lock on our schools. The students books average over $100 each, weigh up to ten pounds each, and are constantly being outdated. The average grade schooler has a 50 lb backpack if they take home all their books at one time (If you think I'm egsagerating - you haven't checked out the school lately.) I would like the reading screen to be capable of a larger reading area for these types of books, a way to bookmark, and a way to color-code/highlight interesting or vital portions. I would like to be able to buy the book TO KEEP at the price I can get a hardbound used copy off the web. (right now you get a three month viewing liscense on textbooks that offer online versions) and I would like to be able to take clips from the books I read - they are welcome to automaticly attach source and copyright info- to use in school paper I or my gradkids write. (Yes- I'm back in schol , too).

[scsurfer]

Okay those two make sense

School kids and college and handicaped. Text books take waaay to long in print and things are moving too fast anyway. But schools should rent them to students (with allowances for poor folk) same for handicaped.
Also Paper.
Oops, forgot about those, but still it costs to much. Now

[crloftin]

Try a tablet...

Your comments reflect many of my own... until I discovered the Toshiba Tablet pc... I'm concerned because I am not tied in any way to Toshiba or Tablets other than being a user... but I am convinced! The issues you raise are generally addressed by the Tablet... try one for yourself! I'd be really surprised if your concerns weren't addressed.