How do you feel about ebooks? [merged]

[bigrederik]

I have a Sony Clie, which i bought about a year ago. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but i hardly ever use the thing. I decided to get some more use out of it, and downloaded an ebook reader the other day. I have to say, I am really enjoying this. I downloaded a couple ebooks and enjoy the convienience of being able to read just about anywhere without carying around a paperback.

I have been using www.mobipocket.com, but would like to know if anyone could recommend any better sites.

[benedict]

For some interesting resources, check out these excellent threads:<ul><li><A HREF="http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=139088" target="_blank">One-and-only free "e-text" thread </a><li><A HREF="http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=103362" target="_blank">Electronic Books/Readers--Discuss them Here!</a><li><A HREF="http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=151032" target="_blank"> Anyone have info on MP-3 books?</a></li></ul>It may be that someone would like to check the links within those threads and maybe annotate some of the information.

Among other notable contributors to those threads, where oh where are the erudite Messrs. RDYoung, Startide, darkside [still posts, I know] and pagansoul!? :( Their regular presence in Book Talk is definitely missed.

[kevmalone]

I really like eBooks, and must have a hundred or so titles on my laptop/tablet PC. They're great for reading while travelling.

Tried Mobipocket and Adobe Reader but they didn't work for me. I now use Microsoft Reader which works well with the laptop in "portrait/tablet" mode.

I do a fair amount of "last minute" travel and it's great to be able to download a couple of books for a trip at the last minute (especially now Amazon doesn't take 6 hours to make the things available after they've been bought. )

Probably the three most annoying things about eBooks are
1. Not being able to "stumble across" eBooks - I generally have to know that an e Version is available before buying.

(Amazon is extremely poor in this respect. I've mailed and asked why they can't use my hardcopy purchases to make ebook Recommendations - I mean, it's still me, right?, but they don't seem to be listening)

2. Things not being available in e format for no apparent reason.
For example - I just finished parts 1 and 2 of Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle in e Format - but part 3 isn't available in e format. This is Neal "Snow Crash" Stephenson we're talking about.*
Some of Joe Lansale's work is available in eFormat, some isn't.
and so on.
3. Lack of decent software to manage eBooks, but maybe that's an MS reader shortcoming.

The first two of the above are the things most likely to stop me from continuing to prefer this format, and the ones that tell me that eBooks are not yet "mainstream"

But I will persevere, I was moving stuff around recently and I manhandled a box containing about 40 books up a ricketty ladder to the attic, I came down, picked up my laptop and decided whether to started in on "Choke" or finish up Wilde's essays. It was at that point I figured out what my library's going to look like in future.

*update - I lied I checked and it just became available. That's my weekend taken care of.

[tasha99]

My stepdad is frustrated about the limited selection of ebooks too. His vision isn't very good anymore, so he likes to be able to read large font with a high contrast on his tablet pc.

[Beaver]

I love the physical feel of reading a book. I do like the concept of an e-book though. I like the ability to search for words (maybe to see where a character popped up before or for an event). I also like the idea of a built in dictionary to click on a word and see it defined. I do still see myself reading normal books first and foremost though and using e-features as reference.

[Lateralus]

I think ebooks are great, but I spend too much time looking at a computer screen as it is I have got to give my eyes a break.

[NeggShmellow]

grrrrrr. Give me a real book please. The thought of trying to read a book on a computer screen frankly disgusts me. I have one, but never made it through. Yeeech!

[PopcornTreeCt]

I don't see how its easier to read on a laptop. Books are smaller. I download movie scripts to read on my laptop but that's only because they're free.

[Psych1]

I really thought that by now ebooks would be all we had - I still think I was right but my timing was off by about 20 years. Other places, like China, will be way ahead of the US. We still haven't harnessed the power of the handhelds. When they are fully integrated with phone and net service they will become indispensible tous and ebooks will finally take off

[darkside]

grrrrrr. Give me a real book please. The thought of trying to read a book on a computer screen frankly disgusts me. I have one, but never made it through. Yeeech!

Reading on a LCD PDA screen is a totally different experience. I've been reading ebooks since 1999 and I love them. I have a library of around 300 ebooks most of them purchased at places like www.fictionwise.com and www.ereader.com

The LCD screens in PDAs are very easy on the eyes and you can blow up the font to whatever size is comfortable for you. I usually read at night, so having a backlit color screen is excellent. You can change the color and font to anything you are in the mood for and its easy to place bookmarks and make notes while reading. I also have a College Dictionary on my PDA so I can double check definitions if I run across a work I'm not familiar with by simply highlighting the word. The greatest thing is I can always carry dozens of books with me for whatever I'm in the mood to read in a very small PDA.

I have owned several Clie's over the years though now I have a Tapwave Zodiac. The Clie is a great PDA for ebook reading with its jog dial.

The selection of Ebooks is actually very good now and many of the new release books that are $25 at book stores can be bought for $10 as ebooks.

Check out www.ereader.com and sign up for their newsletter. You get 10% off of their books using the code in the newsletter. They use the eReader software which you can download for free from their site. They also have a better Pro version which is $10, but comes with several free books. During Christmas they are giving away a different Classic Book every day on the site.

Another great site is www.fictionwise.com They are frequently running promotions where you can get big rebates on the books you buy. Sometimes 100%. The support all different types of ebook software including Mobipocket and eReader. They also give a way a few classic books every week.

Ebooks will never replace paper books, but for those of us with PDAs it is really a great way to read. I haven't read a paper book other than the Daily Show America book in years.

[Giantrobo]

I would rather read a book printed on paper than on a screen.


TREEKILLER! :mad:

[Giantrobo]

And where does plastic and cpu's come from? Hmmmm?

Texas Instruments?

[Jarrett]

Well, I'm a traditional printed book guy myself and don't see myself going the e-book route. Then again, when CNN first started up I thought a 24-hour news network was a stupid idea.

[darkside]

And where does plastic and cpu's come from? Hmmmm?

From Trees? Do elves make them in trees? I'm really lost on that reference.

I agree ebooks are a niche thing and not for everyone. If you have a PDA or laptop though its worth trying out. You can build an entire library of classics for free. I'm much happier with my entire library on a single CD-R instead of all over my house like they use to be. I just don't have the room. My DVDs took over all the bookshelves. :lol:

[natevines]

Well, since most everything that I read are old classics, it would be a pain in the ass to find the annotations, which greatly assist in reading. Is there an effective method for this on PDAs?

[wlj]

Just wondering if anyone read e-books?? I might give it a try, but it seems like you would strain the heck out of your eyes.


wlj

[Baron Of Hell]

Yeah, all the time. I read Dracula, Alice in wonderland, and a bunch of others as ebooks. No strain at all but that would depend on your pda. It might be even better for your eyes because of the color screen and changeable font size. Its not like reading a computer screen. My eyes will start to hurt if I read on a computer to long.

[Scarecrow]

I've got a bunch of them for my PDA & Laptop, but in don't generally read them. For some reason I like having the book in my hand. Perhaps a dedicated device would make things different. I know Toshiba had an intriguing device coming out, but I don't know if it ever actually hit the market.

[movieking]

I've read some. I'm finding audiobooks are much easier though.

[darkside]

Huge ebook fan. I've been reading them on PDAs since 1999. As mentioned above you can change the fonts and colors so its actually much easier on your eyes than you would think. I can see how it might not be so good on a CRT, but I always use a 480x320 Palm PDA. Not to mention reading at night is easy with a backlit screen. The only "print" book I have read in the past few years is America the Book. In that same time I have probably read 150 ebooks.

The major downside is no paper feel to the book. Some people like that. And the fact it is digital so you can't sell it later at a used book store.

Upside is you can carry your entire library with you on a memory card, customize the fonts and colors of your books to your liking, read at night with no problems and PDAs are small (many Series 60 phones also work with ebooks) so its easy to always have a book with you.

It will never replace paper books, but it is a great option to have.

[Mordred]

I read E-books on my computer at work and have a physical copy at home for reading there. Helps me get through books a lot faster when I can cover at least a chapter every day during lunch.

[Aaron Campagnone]

I have whole heartedly embraced e-books. I read about 4-5 books every 2 weeks. This translated into weekly trips to Waldenbooks at the mall for my paperback habit. Back in October of 2002, I bought a book that came with a free CD-ROM with a bunch of e-books on it. By the end of 2002 I was reading 50% of my books as ebooks, and the % has grown to 99.9% now. I still read the same amount, but now use my TREO 650 smartphone with mobipocket reader for almost all my reading for pleasure. Am I unique in this? I have seen a huge growth in availability of ebooks as well as a bunch of new web sites to purchase ebooks from over the last 2 1/2 years, but I dont actualy know anyone who reads ebooks.
Anyone want to comment on this?

[wendersfan]

Until I have something less cumbersome than my notebook computer on which to read them, e-books will be just an occasional thing for me. Eventually I can see them being quite popular.

[Aaron Campagnone]

Have you checked out Mobipocket? They offer reader software for a large range of platforms including some "regular" cell phones.

[jmj713]

Nothing will ever come close to actually holding a hardcover book in your hands, smelling that crisp book smell, feeling the pages.

[Aaron Campagnone]

Ill give you that, but the ability to carry a book (or multiple books) with you everywhere is great. Waiting in line at the grocery store, pop out your phone and read a book. Pumping gas at the gas station, pop out your phone and read.
In a large boring "required" meeting at work, pop out your phone and read, everyone else assumes you are reading/responding to an email, and you are good to go.

[Aaron Campagnone]

I guess I am still waiting to hear if there is anyone else out there who reads a good amount (over a book a week?) and does so almost exclusively via ebooks.

[Dmacsg1]

I don't read as much as I used to but for me there will be no replacing having the actual physical book in my hands!

[Birrman54]

I guess I am still waiting to hear if there is anyone else out there who reads a good amount (over a book a week?) and does so almost exclusively via ebooks.

where do you get your ebooks? I could read on my iPod, so I'd definately be willing to give it a try.

birrman54

[DRG]

Ill give you that, but the ability to carry a book (or multiple books) with you everywhere is great. Waiting in line at the grocery store, pop out your phone and read a book. Pumping gas at the gas station, pop out your phone and read.
In a large boring "required" meeting at work, pop out your phone and read, everyone else assumes you are reading/responding to an email, and you are good to go.

See, I could never do that just because I have to sit down and immerse myself in a book. I can't just pick up a book and read a half a page, then read another page ten minutes later, etc. I've read ebooks on my computer though. It's pretty decent, although it's missing the comfort of lying comfortably in bed reading.

On a related note there's a homebrew e-book reader out for the PSP that I've been meaning to try. I tink it'd be a nice additional for trips, as I could carry a few books that otherwise I'd have to lug around in a backpack. But I'm not sure I could get used to reading on a smaller screen.

[reverie]

I also could not give up the "real" thing. Maybe it's just me, but even for my eyes, reading a book in more comfortable than staring at light (my monitor).

[Josh H]

Never for me.

I hate reading on a computer, PDA, etc.

[Diabolita23]

For me, there will never be a replacement for clear cutting and the toxic effects of paper mills...

[tasha99]

My stepdad reads them all the time and bought a flat computer that's a lot smaller than a regular laptop (looks like one of those pads on Startrek). His eyesight is going, so he likes to be able to have large letters and a lot of contrast. I wish more books would come out in digital form for him--he would really like to read some Tom Clancy books, but can't.

I wish they would put all books out in ebook form for those with limited sight.

[Scarecrow]

I wish they would put all books out in ebook form for those with limited sight.
It would be nice. Certain authors, like Clancy, don't want their work in e-book format for various reasons, at least that used to be the case & I think still is. Therefore none of his stuff, along with a few other popular authors, have legal ebook versions out there.

FWIW if he wants to read the Clancy books they are all available in Large Print format, that might help.


Here's an article the Washington Post ran on ebooks early in the year...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A30379-2002Jul5&notFound=true


I've got a ton of them on my Palm, mainly public domain stuff, but I've never really gotten into reading on it. I stick with regular old books for the most part. One area where I really like ebooks if for reference. I like being able to search reference books for the info I need, saves lots of time.

[Aaron Campagnone]

Birrman54: I ge them from a lot of diffrent web sites....
mobipocket.com (good mix, all for mobipocket reader)
fictionwise.com (good mix, mobipocket, adobe, palm reader formats)
palmgear.com (good mix, palm reader format)
baen.com (Good SCI FI, with lots of free books, every new BAEN book released is in e book format)
amazon.com (mainly LIT format (for pc reading) but you can convert fairly easy.
If you are less discriminating, do a search for a particular title or author in your favorite file share utility (kaza, exeem, limewire etc)



Tasha99, email me about clancy books.

[Aaron Campagnone]

just read the article posted above. Interesting read. I hope that if nothing else, ebooks remain for those who want them. I disagree that its harder to find books today than a few years or months ago. I can only think of a single book that I wanted to read that was not available for purchase as an ebook in the last year..Harry Potter 6. I bought the real hardback at midnight. I got about 100 pages in on the following morning before I "found" a copy online.

[tasha99]

Aaron Campagnone--YGM :)

[darkside]

I've been an ebook convert for years. I probably read 99.9% of my books on a PDA. I buy a lot of books as well from places like Fictionwise and eReader.

Will eBooks ever replace paper books? I seriously doubt it will happen. However, I think eBooks have their place and hopefully will find a wider audience as time goes on.

The problem with eBooks is the problem hurting all digital media. Unfair DRM. Granted the DRM on eReader books is fairly mild and they support PC, MAC, Palm, PPC and Symbian Series 60. However, who is to say they may not go out of business one day and your whole book library will become useless on new hardware that doesn't have anyone to write software for it. Microsoft is a stronger company, but they refuse to support anything but their OS. You own a Palm, Mac or Symbian phone and you are out of luck.

We need a universal standard for digital books and music to happen at some point. Until that happens this stuff will remain a niche market. For most people it just doesn't make sense to buy restricted books and music when your paper book and CD will work anywhere you choose to use them.

[brizz]

Never. I can't even imagine "reading" a cell phone...it's about the silliest thing i've ever heard.

[GatorDeb]

I would if they made affordable portable readers that took pdf also. The letters on my Palm are too small.

[Scarecrow]

Toshiba was supposed to be making a reader that looked interesting, don't know what ever became of it though.

[ben12]

e-books will DEFINITELY eventually replace regular, paper books. It's inevitable. The whole "nothing can replace the smell and feel of a paper book" only exists for people who grew up with paper books. The first generation to be raised with easy, accessible, small, handheld e-books will not care that they don't smell like paper.

[Scarecrow]

Maybe

We need those devices first. The current stuff out there doesn't cut it. If they are to be replaced it'll be decades in the future. There are no devices out there that are even close to good enough for a lot of folks. There are to many different formats & to many works unavailable (not talking about pirated stuff). Many publishers don't take the market seriously at all. IMO

[Josh H]

And of course most parents will still buy their kids books rather than eBooks afraid that they're kids will break an e-reader, thus kids will always have their first experience of reading books be with real, paper books. So the "nothing can replace the smell and fell of a book" experience will never be totally lost. Or at least not for a hell of a long time.

[darkside]

Paper books being replaced is something I don't see happening in my lifetime. Ebook readers will need to be very, very cheap and they will have to unify the format to get full support from publishers and authors.

That just isn't going to happen anytime soon.

There are also people that think digital music and movies will also take over completely and again I just don't see it happening in my lifetime. People in general want to own a physical copy of their movies, books, and music. I don't think you get that same feeling of ownership with pure digital sources. All three will slowing gain acceptance, but taking over completely I just don't see.

[Geofferson]

I'm not a fan of eBooks. I enjoy the tangible aspects of a good book and is a better experience when compared to reading on a computer screen.

[BloodyDrake]

For those that feel that there is no substitute for a book in your hands check out the links below..it will be the future of books i have no doubt.
being able to use wireless to download and store over 500 books in one portable device.. the device isn't backlit and only uses power when it changes pages so you have an extremely long battery life..
Definately worth checking out
http://www.research.philips.com/newscenter/pictures/downloads/display_elpap_04_h.jpg

http://www.eink.com/

[dtcarson]

I've tried ebooks, not any fancy proprietary versions, just freeware. They were good for the specific purpose I used them for [allowing me to read at work incognito], but it's nothing i'd pay money for or go out of my way for.

It's been said, but there's something about a book. Or a magazine, or newspaper.
Cost, reliability, convenience, etc.

I will admit you can get hundreds of ebooks on a computer or PDA. I personally don't need to read a hundred books at once; on vacation I'll bring 5 or 6 or so, and read one at a time. At home I read 2-5 at once, depending on where I am.
I also don't buy new books; I either go to the used bookstore, or the library booksale [a box of books for 5 bucks] or the library.
I certainly want my child to appreciate and learn to use technology, but I want him to appreciate good old print as well. There's something about having your dad give you a scifi book he grew up with, and keeping that book to give to your own child. It's not the same thing with handing down a CDR with 700 ebooks on them.
And a lot of people spend a lot of time working or playing on computers. I'm not against computers by any means, but sometimes it's nice to 'unplug'.

Now, I'm not necessarily *against* ebooks, and I'm sure they will be incredibly popular in some settings. A doctor having instant handheld access to all of Grays Anatomy, and hundreds of patients worth of records, maybe. A lawyer having access to hundreds of volumes of legal research. Engineers or mechanics having every car's schematics on one disk. Things like that would be a very useful and productive application. But personally, I don't think ebooks will ever fully or even mostly replace regular books for "pleasure reading". I don't want to sit on the beach with a hundred dollar electronic thing that could get all sandy and scratched and stolen, I'd much sit out there with a three dollar paperback that I toss back in the beachbag when we leave.

[slacker6]

The DRM for ebooks is the killer. Can you change an entire society that is accustomed to lending, swapping, borrowing, and giving away books to one another? I doubt it. This is like trying to change a way of life. Everyone borrows books, we all loan them to friends (althought I am very particular).

[kitkat]

I occasionally read public domain stuff on my Palm. I like that it's an option, and the portability is very convenient, as well as the ability to read in low/no light. I usually have a few web articles or somesuch on it so I always have something to read if I find myself having to wait for something.

I haven't yet been tempted to spend money on a ebook, though. I may be wrong, but it seems that the prices are about what a used paperback costs, and for that money I'd rather have a real book every time. More comfortable, more flexible, and you never have to worry about the batteries being charged.

[Rubix]

i bought a really sweet black and white sony palm clie (peg-sl10) pda off ebay for like $24. then added a memory stick. for strictly reading books and using as an address book you don't need fancy colors. it has a nice backlight too and is small and light.

i have like 300 books on it so far and found that iSilo compresses text files the best, so i use that.

the lamest thing about pdas though is the whole 50 different formats often with the same extension and many are protected etc. i would never pay for a book until they offer the plain text file of it, that way i can convert it to whatever format i want.

gutenberg.org has all the free books. there's always irc/newsgroups too...