THE EXCELLENCE OF BOOKS

Maybe this doesn't come up for those using electronic gadgets, but what do you do when you're reading something, and it reminds you of something else you've read? As a concrete example, i was reading Margaret Elphistone's The Sea Road about Gudrid, whose son Snorri Thorfinnsson was the first European child known to have been born in North America. I was thinking that the narrative seemed odd, and while keeping my place in that book, i was able to consult Westviking by Farley Mowat, to refresh my recollection of the saga sources. Maybe kindle readers haven't needed to do something like that. A good deal of what i read is history, biography and ethnology.

It appears to me that most of the correlation inference was done in your head and consulting Mowat only confirmed your data.
A Kindle, especially if its WiFi , or on a system can do the same by doing a search.

I read all my books exclusively on my Ipod touch now. It fits in my pocket and is everywhere I go, which is convenient.

It allows you to make notes while you are reading - I just hit a button and put in a note to reference another work, or an idea to look up later. At the end of the book I can export all my notes into an email pretty easily and then do my online research based on it.

When I switch books, the Ipod automatically leaves me right where I left off. I tend to read 3-5 books concurrently and I never have to go back and see where I left off.

Biggest bonus, though? It's back-lit, and I like to read before I fall asleep every day. Makes things a hell of a lot easier for my wife when there's no light on.

Cycloptichorn

How would i consult Mowat if i were using a kindle to read The Sea Road? If the answer is to consult the book as i actually did, then what the hell do i need the kindle for?

Sure, i see the advantages of the things--but i see advantages to books, too. There have been times when i have been reading a biography, and i'll have one, two, three or more other histories of biographies stacked up nearby to check claims, an atlas--it's like having several "windows" open at once, except that i find it much, much easier. I only have to move my head slightly to look from one to another.

yup. I still find myself in situations like that from time to time, and the Ipod is just one book amongst many.

They haven't evolved to the point yet where they are TRUE book replacements, I totally agree with that.

Cycloptichorn

I love the smell of old and new books in the library, a bookstore, a bookshelf, etc....

I had a stroke 10 years ago, since then I've been able to read one book. I think it's a mental/physical/visual disability. I often consider buying a Kindle something to see if I could read again. I think what keeps me from trying is a simple emotional fear of trying the technology and still not be able to read.

My remarks do suggest a conflict, which is not real. It's not an either or--there's no reason not to have both.

they have this mahvelous new invention. Its called split screen.

By the time you'd have five windows opened, each sized to fit on the same screen, you'd be ruining your eyesight to try to read them. If they gave me a monitor the size of a dining room table, with resolution to match that of a book, then i'd be in business.

Ive got no dog here. I just see that kids have taken to the kindle without any reservations or interior preferences. I use a kindle sometimes and I too dont like the ability to page back or make notes on the margin without typing on a billboard.
When textbook marketeers discover the vast open unplowed field in front of them, they will be heavily lobbied by book publishers who are against e-booksPublishers hate e-books because it chokes off their revenue from unit printing and unit sales.
An author friend says that his returns from e-books are greater than published books.

dys- One of the things that I have noticed is that I seem to read faster on the Kindle. I have no idea why. Also, there is a way of adjusting the fonts from very small to very large. That might be helpful to you.

When I first ordered the Kindle, before I had received it, I was looking around on Amazon. I discovered that you could buy the Kindle books to use on the computer, as well as other electronic devices. I bought a few books (free ones for experimentation) on the computer before the Kindle arrived. When it came, lo and behold, the books that I had on the computer were also on the Kindle.

I spent a little more and got the Wi-Fi and 3G version. I did that because there is something wacko with my USB ports. With the Wi-Fi only, you have to attach the kindle to your computer to buy a book, or be in a Wi-Fi hotspot. With the 3G, you can access books anywhere.

You can check out the IPad at the Mac store without buying, but I suppose that you would still have the same problem re not wanting to try it out.

I have enough debilitating conditions that I'm reluctant to add more to my list be they real or not; it's to the point that I don't want to know anymore. I only subscribe to one magazine "Cabinent" which comes quarterly and I haven't opened the last two editions fearing I will feel a need to cancel my subscription.

I understand.. didn't mean to sound like "you should", at all.

That's interesting--did he explain how that works?

I'd imagine there's less overhead -- physical books need to be produced, shipped, stored, and there will never be exactly as many physical books as people who want to buy them. (If there are more people who want them than books, you lose those sales; if there are less people who want them than books, the books molder and give no return on the cost of producing them.)

By contrast, downloads need to be "produced" only once, and probably rather cheaply. Then it's on-demand after that.

I'm agnostic on the whole e-reader issue so far, I've done some reading on the iPod touch and it was OK. I generally prefer real books. Love having real books around the house (as has been discussed a surprising amount of times in the last several months ).

It's mostly b/c Amazon and other e-book retailers charge a ridiculous price for their books, compared to the actual cost of delivering the data. They've done everything they can to protect the handsome profits of their industry in the face of modernization, which should DRASTICALLY lower the costs - much as the music industry did in the early 2000's and still does.

And the effects of it are real. I'd be happy to pay for the books I read if they were offered at anything resembling a reasonable price. But they aren't, so I don't.

Cycloptichorn

So, you're suggesting the author gets a cut of gross profits?