Thursday, September 9, 2010
E-books: will they be the end of the printed book?
The article I read discussed the possibility of e-books making paper books obsolete. I feel this is relevant in today's society with all of the technology people have access to. The article listed pros (more portable and cheaper) and cons (reading at length on a computer screen can be hard on the eyes and people can read faster on paper) to e-books along with some sales statistics (sales of e-books grew from 2.9% last year to 8.5% this year). After reading the article I feel that e-books will give paper books some competition but that there will always be a demand for paper books. There will always be people like me who want the feel of the book in our hands. There will also always be people who just can't afford to buy their own e-reader or the e-books, so they will read the paper book. Lastly, there will be a part of the population that is not or doesn't want to be "tech savvy" and will want nothing to do with e-books. So what do you think? Will e-books make paper books obsolete?
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Deb, I totally agree that e-readers will never supplant paper books with most readers. Reading is also a tactile enjoyment; the feel of crisp paper, the smell of the binding and ink, the weight of it in our hands. The romance of a paper book is hard to compare with a slick electronic toy that's hard on the eyes and pocketbook, as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a con to have to read on a computer screen for hours at a time. However, I don't feel this is a drawback anymore for e-books. I have a Nook and the screen is so paper-like that it doesn't bother my eyes at all(there is no backlight). I am not sure how the other e-readers stand up to this. The sales in e-books most likely correspond to the availability of effective e-readers to consumers. There wasn't really a great alternative in the past. I don't think that paper books will ever be completely abolished. It comes down to preference and how best we can give users what they prefer.
ReplyDeleteI have a nook and really like it, but I'm sure I would miss the feel of a book in my hand if ebooks repaced printed books.
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