the price for me is the turning point. I think ebooks are expensive for a book that I can't lend to someone. I like that about print books. "I read this great book, here it is, you should borrow it and let me know what you think." Losing that was an issue for me.
I like my nook, and I definitely prefer reading on that versus my ipad or smartphone. I like if I'm traveling I can bring several different books with me on one device.
But I don't like paying ebook prices when I can buy the book in paperback for cheaper or go to the library and get the book.
These are my exact thoughts.
Also to note about price if I can purchase a physical book at the same price as a digital one I'm left thinking why a digital file would be the same price as a book. To manufacture the books would cost a bit but to setup a digital file for download is simple and quick making 'manufacturing costs' of each digital file far less then that of the physical book.
Post by bernsteincat on Sept 23, 2015 12:27:19 GMT -5
I have a first gen nook and I haven't use it as much as I used to (it was great when I had 20 minutes for lunch at work, but now that I have an hour and can go home, I'd rather watch today's Dawson's Creek episode). I also have a literal stack of books on my nightstand waiting to be read. I'll take this thread as my hint from the universe to get my butt back to reading more frequently.
The other awesome thing about real books: Little Free Lending Libraries.
This is, after all, how I got Flowers in the Attic (which I have not yet read, ESF).
I have really been converted to e-books, though. There are very few books that I will re-read because the number of books I want to read is so great. I still check physical books out of the library, but I also check out a lot of e-books because a) I don't have to physically go to the library, and b) they are automatically deleted when they are due so I don't inadvertently run up lots of fines. My iPad mini fits in my bag better - I'm already carrying lunch, snack, coffee, gym clothes, and soon work laptop.
But the biggest issue of all for me is space. I have moved 10 times in the last 10 years and live in a two-bedroom apartment. My mission for the last three years has been GET RID OF EVERYTHING!
Post by sunshine608 on Sept 23, 2015 12:44:00 GMT -5
I feel like I mirrored this trend. I was against them until I got my first Nook and then OMG- I was sold. I loved no late fines, and since I always carry a book- it lighted my load. I paid for FLOP membership and it was great until everyone caught on and the wait lists b/c ridiculous. Then the prices shot up and were the same price as the regular paperback and I just refused to pay that much for something that someone else controlled and then the fact that the formats were not transferable turned me off eventually.
I'm surprised piracy wasn't mentioned in the article. I remember back in 2011 ( I was recovering from surgery and bored which is why I remember it so well) there was all of a sudden a surge in ebook "borrowing" groups on goodreads and I joined them all. It took me a minute to realize they were all essentially pirated- people bought them and removed the DRM and they were sharing them. They migrated off of GR but I know there are entire sites dedicated to ebooks and they are shared through torrents which makes their detection difficult. Also many of the sites are .es or other foreign domains.
The sad part in all of these is that many BN stores have closed and so have Boarders but I wonder how much of that was amazon vs. ebooks. I know I was guilty of browsing BN and then buying the book for $4 off amazon at times.
I'm thrilled to read this. I've always thought the predictions about the imminent death of physical books were quite overblown. As noted upthread the codex has been serving us well for mmm millennia. It's unreasonable to think it would be abandoned so quickly.
I use a my library's physical and ebooks a lot. And I usually buy an ebook if I pick something up on a whim. But if it's a book I love and want to re read, I will get a physical copy too.