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

[Marty Varon]

eBooks

I decided to try reading ebooks on my palm T|X and though it took some getting used to, I've come to like it very much. It's especially good for traveling because it holds a slug of books.

It's not good for reading outside in bright light, but it's wonderful indoors, especially where lighting isn't good, because the pda is backlit. On a train in Botswana, where I shared the sleeping compartment with three other people, I was able to read without bothering anyone.

I also like the ability to purchase a book and download it (to my PC) on a whim.

My only complaints are these:
- The battery life on the T|X is not long enough sometimes for very long flights. I hate it when my book goes dead!

- While the availability of books is quite good, there are holes in what's available. For example, I saw an interview of the author who wrote the biography, "Ike", about Dwight Eisenhower, and it was not yet available on ereader.com.

- Also, I think the pricing structure stinks. If the book is available only in hardback, then the ebook price approaches that price. Not nice. I think "Ike" is $35.00. I hate to think what the ebook price would be. Here's where the Amazon model for the the Kindle is much better.

Cheers, Marty

[hran]

e-books

I have been buying and reading e-books for years. I started when I was using an Audiovox Pocket PC, then went to a Sharp Zaurus 5500 (which I still have 2 of), and now I read on my laptops and a Palm Tx. I still buy printed editions, but I usually buy the e-book as well. The publishers must LOVE me for buying the same books twice. I have over 600 .pdf, over 600 .pdb and over 700 .lit book files. I read almost every day from one of my devices. The only gripe I have is the STUPID encryption of e-books. I will only buy unencrypted e-books anymore since I have upgraded my devices and am TOTALLY tired of trying to keep track of device IDs for the encrypted files. Everytime I get a new PDA or Laptop, my files are unreadable on the new device. But I still love reading on a PDA or laptop. I'll keep buying e-books forever! I will not buy encrypted e-books any longer, though.

[marvinpierce]

e-Books Can Be Very Rewarding

I don't think enough people understand e-books and their various formats. Personally, a standard e-book doesn't interest me as you have to read it but an audible e-book is a wonderful thing. I load them onto my iPod and listen to them like the old time radio theater shows. I usually listen while driving or at bed time. I find that I now have the time to read/listen to a book or more a week. It's a digital age and we get info any way we can - I just don't have the time to sit down and work my way through a good book like I use to.

[crloftin]

Try a tablet!

You can READ or LISTEN on a tablet!

[mharring]

Need killer app

It's ridiculous to debate the value of a new product that is just a replica of the old, but costs 20 times as much. eBooks can never replace printed books - they must complement the printed word by offering capabilities not possible in print. The power and value of eBooks will only be realized when people can search, catalog, take notes, cut/paste/share, use audiovisual enhancements, and hypertext link across its contents. These features are best exploited with nonfiction books and fact-laden historical books. A grad student would LOVE to carry all his books in a 10 oz. reader, but who else? When the publishers and sellers finally realize that they need a new concept of the book to fit the technology, THEN everybody will see an eBook as a must-have product like the iPod. After all we've been through in recent years, WHY isn't this obvious?

[al1432]

Conveniences outweigh negatives

At this time I can only speak of my Palm PDA. Although it's slightly different technology than Amazon or Sony employ, the basic concept is the same. I have a multitude of books stored on my PDA, and I've found it to be a blessing in several regards. I can carry my library with me, I can hold an otherwise heavy book in my palm (no pun), and I don't need to keep cluttering my house with more and more paper books. I can read in bed without disturbing my wife, in my instance since the Palm is backlit. When I first began reading "electronically", I found it awkward, but now, having adapted to it, I prefer it to paper books, finding them confining...pages to turn, trying not to bend or tear sheets, etc., whereas there are no such concerns with the electronic versions of same. And, of course, there's always the issue of the environment...yes, it WOULD be nice to save a few trees! My take on all this...over time, people will adapt to the new technology, as they always have in the past, and someday in the not too distant future, no one will even remember what the hubbub was all about.

[crloftin]

Hear, hear... try a tablet...

I agree with all you've said... but imagine switching between .pdf, word, excel, and anything else you can imagine... try a tablet!

[shorty331]

To read or not to read...that is the question!!!

I really like sitting with a book. I guess I have been reading for so many years that it's hard to teach an old dog so to speak. On the other hand I love electronics and gadgets and like having the newest on the market. I have a few book collections like Agatha Christie, Tom Clancey, Nora Roberts and Dianna Gaboldon. I can see the benefits of having ebooks but my old eyes hurt enough being on the computer so much. Besides, I have a 19" laptop which is harder to hold and charge etc. I could invest in something smaller but it all seems like antics to me. Also, sometimes I pick up a book or two at second hand stores that are like new. I lend my books to those I trust to look after them and friends have lent theirs to me as well. I just can't seem to throw any away. I have a few that I have read 3 times because they were just so
good, like Tom Clancey's "Without Remorse." I always have to have 2 books in the waiting while I'm reading the current one. It's funny that I hated reading in school but once my mother-in-law got me reading at the cottage....I got hooked. Books or Ebooks....it's each to their own for sure!!!!!

[crloftin]

Try a tablet...

I am convinced, for may of the reasons you've cited, that a Tablet is the way for you to consider. See my notes above...

[hardwarethree]

E-ink and new technology

I am totally enthralled about new technology display and avidly read about the latest breakthroughs. I was considering at one point of buying one of the new e-readers that are currently available but have been somewhat dismayed by the price range, proprietary file formats, screen size, and the limited gray scale range.
The e-ink display really shines when in comes to power consumption using the current battery technology except when you decide to attach a Wi-Fi device then you are back to the power limitations of the conventional laptop. This leaves in a lurch when it comes to having thousands of documents at hand only to find yourself lugging a transformer around your local coffee shop or bookstore seeking out that hidden outlet to insure that you are able to download your electronic newspaper or new book and begin a comfortable reading experience.
I tend to vote with my wallet when it comes to new technology and will wait till the 5th or 6th generation
of e-ink technology is available in at least 8.5?x 11? display size, has the same white appearance as generic #20 bond paper that you put in your printer, has a video refresh comparable to your personal computer, is in 16 million colors, is flexible and can be folder into quarters or eights and stuck in your back pocket, needs to be recharged approximately every three months with a solar cell recharger that runs on ambient indoor light and can be purchased for $30 off an unsecured display rack at the Wal-Mart check out line.

[camerams]

No e-books for me

I like paper books - they're usually lightweight, fairly inexpensive (in paperback), easy to carry and, if you happen to lose one you can replace it for a couple of bucks. All you need is a book and a light source, and you're set to go. I don't really understand the benefit of downloading an e-book to an expensive device. Really...what's the point? And, downloading magazines is foolish - part of their appeal is their larger format. No e-books for me, thanks.

[crloftin]

Try a tablet...

Congratulations... You obviously have no visual impedediments; for the rest of us there're Tablets!

[azdeb]

Avid eBook Reader on my phone

I've been reading eBooks on my PDA phones for several years now. Before PDA phones, I read them on my color Handspring Prism with it's really bright screen, then the Kyorcera 7135 Palm OS PDA smart phone. Now I have the Sprint HTC Mogul (6800) WM6 Mobile phone. Both Windows Mobile and Palm OS allow me to use eReader which supports Palm and Windows mobile as well as several other formats. I don't have an extra device to charge and carry since my phone is my eBook reader. The little screen is like reading a newspaper column - seems very easy on the eye to me. A really nice benefit is being able to use them to read in bed without a night light. If I fall asleep reading, the screen automatically goes dark when it enters powersave after a while, so I don't have to wake up and turn off a light. I still prefer a paperback for the beach, but for indoors eBooks are great. I wish someone would offer a promotion that allowed you to purchase the eBook for $1 when you buy the paper version. I sometimes buy both so that I can read one outside, but have the other for when it's not convenient to have the paper version or for night reading without having to turn on a light or if I want to give the book to someone else to read But generally the price of eBooks is too high to splurge on both. I have not found them to be particularly cheaper than the paper counterpart. New releases are priced a lot like hardback new releases and older best sellers are about what you'd pay for the paper version at a store like Costco or a little more. The traditional paper versions are actually a lot easier to share. I like the eBook format and convenience, but I think they are somewhat overpriced. They must be selling fairly well or the selections wouldn't be growing as fast as they seem to be, but it seems like a lot more people would give them a try if they were less pricy and I would definitely be an even more frequent buyer if the prices were more reasonable.

[mennoniteman]

MP3 is a better solution for many books

I vote for audio books. My city library has downloadable versions of fiction and non-fiction. It takes an MP3 wma digital rights device to accept them. The library also has "playaways" which are MP3 players preloaded with a book, that you take out from the library in the same way that you would check out a book. Of course there are audio books on cassette (they're still around)or CD. Listening is very convenient while you commute on trains, buses, bicycles, in your car, or on your walk to work. I listen to two books a week this way - spanning from history to mystery. The History of Afghanistan was 13 hours of fascinating information. In was for 200 plus years the largest Empire ever, in the history of the world.

[Cyreeen]

Bothers my eyes

Haven't tried one yet, but if its anything like reading for hours on a computer screen, I'll pass: Books don't bother my eyes as badly.

[Goddess614]

Maybe...maybe not

As one who is faced with moving four large bookcases full of large, heavy books from one state to another, I'll admit that the idea of storing all of those and more on something that fits into my pocket intrigues me. However, I'll agree with the sentiment that nothing quite beats relaxing with a "real" book and an iced tea. So I'll vote a definite 'maybe.' :-)

[ddougcpa]

eBooks

I started reading ebooks about 4 or 5 years ago on a Toshiba e700 series PDA. I enjoy reading them this way for a lot of reasons but 3 stand out: 1) at my age (62) having variable font sizes is better. 2) a book that has it's own light source is handy. In bright sunlight, I was surprised to find out the Toshiba's screen be read easily with the sun's reflection. 3) The ability to carry around a lot of reading was valuable... Not just purchased books, but articles printed to a txt file and published as an ebook (using Mobipocket software), public domain material from Project Gutenberg which is available at no cost in a txt format and published the same way. Bonus) a hyperlinked dictionary us great for the vocabulary-challenged reader, not that I would need such a thing.

Now comes the new E Ink models from Sony and Amazon, which are very exciting. Depending on their ability to had some of the free or self generated material, both the Sony and the Kindle are something I would buy... at a much lower price. $300... $350... $400? No way unless they provide great, long-term warrantee and cheap insurance against loss or accidental damage. Ever leave a book on an airplane? I have, many times.

Right now, I would buy the Kindle for $99 and books for $5. If they want these to catch on they have to lower the price point, quickly.

[betacrusis]

wave of future

I swear I saw Jean Luc Picard reading ebooks all the time. I think ebooks will hit big eventually. I love reading. I love books, but "easy on the eyes" is my mantra. I plan to buy a reader soon.

[whinco]

eBooks

i'm an avid reader - 2 or 3 books at a time - and i've been buying ebooks and loading them on my IPAQ for years... it's great!... always have the IPAQ with me, so if i get 10 or 15 min free, i can get in some reading... still buy the occasional first run in hardback, and agree with the comment that there's nothing like a book (paper), shade tree/fire place, and several hours to kill... but it's hard to find that kind of time...
as to ebook readers, i wouldn't spend that much money on another gadget to drag around - don't need one b/c of the PDA... if i hadn't stumbled onto ebooks, i wouldn't give one a second thought; from the reactions i've gotten from people who have seen me reading on my PDA, i doubt any of them would give a reader a second thought either (especially when they cost more than a top of the line music/video player)...
bottom line - without a marketing strategy to attract first time buyers, they're doomed...

[ashitsarkar]

E-Books

A very valid question, Lee - that I was thinking of as I learnt about the latest gizmos to e-read books! For quite some time, I have been using my PC to do so, and now that my LCD TV is also enabled, once in a while, I have laid back & have (uncomfortably) turned pages!
While each person may have their own good reasons or logic, for the huge price (which will easily fetch me two/three dozen or more choicest books!), I will surely not use them for now. As the price comes down, perhaps I will reconsider...
Lending libraries and public libraries - besides borrowing or exchanging books - also reduces the need for this gadget - though the amazing on-line collection of material will always remain a gold mine to me for very readable information, books, articles, pictures or news!

[colonnade]

E-Books have not yet Found their Niche

As with the first portable cell phone, transistor radio, "Compaq" computer the "e-book" will need time to mold, shape and find it's fit for the "feel" of the hard back, paper back and newspaper. Like the addiction and the feel of a cigarette, pipe, coffee mug or the chewing on a tooth pick, the e-book will probably go through several evolutions before it finds itself. The cost will have to be an incentive and will not move at the same price of the "physical book." If you try to compare to the MP3 it is similar, but the demand is not as prevalent and more listen to sound than read print. There will have to be a driving force to invigorate the demand, a price, an availability and a major supply force that makes it available with such ease, that it will force/entice the switch like the change from the electric typewriter to the PC.

At the college level, the swing from a $50-100.00 text will be motivation at a nominal fee.... this might be motivation. A new release of a popular medium item, like a best selling series, news magazine, daily paper.... will have to be the catalyst.... then all the pieces of the universe will fall into place and something not seen today will become the new hot item.....

[Loraneb]

Not on a separate device

I have had a Palm since 1997 - I read lots of ebooks on my Palm (now a 700p). I would never think of carrying a separate device just to read a book - if I'm going to do that I'll carry the paper kind.

[daviddearie]

EBooks on my Treo

I enjoy having ebooks on my Palm Treo. I can read at night, or anytime I have a few minutes to spare since I always have my phone with me.

I find I read a ebook in half the time as a paper book, just because of the convenience.

[tridentpro]

Not ready for prime time

Amazon and Sony better hope Apple doesn't show up, because the one tipping point feature that trumps price, killer "app-titude" or usability, i.e., ?design cool" just ain't there. No eye appeal in either e-book package. These things are both butt ugly; they scream prototype even though they aren't.

Nobody reads 170 books at one time, so who cares, capacity is a non-starter at this point. Add to which they're way out of the price range of the one market they make the most sense for, the poor beleaguered students who have to cart dozens of monster textbooks around in their groaning backpacks. If my kids could replace all their textbooks with the one device they plug into their school's server or the net, I'd jump just to save them the backstrain and myself the doctors? bills. But for now, fuggedaboudit!

Back to the drawing board kids, but don't take too long. Mark this. Apple will sit out a couple of cycles, then jump in with a sexy, far prettier face, toss in some of the cool interface doodads they do so well and we will all go oooh and aaah and cue up overnight at our nearest Apple Stores to buy the first ones.. Then they'll further solidify their market by giving them away to public schools along with Itunes textbook downloads and Steve Jobs will finally and irrevocably become William Randolph Hearst.