[LINK] The once and future e-book: on reading in the digital age

[Ivan Trundle]

On 05/02/2009, at 3:18 PM, Michael Skeggs mike at bystander.net wrote:

> Fair enough, but this argument is very similar to one that says  
> iTunes will never work because people want their CD covers (or CDs  
> with their little covers will never replace the gatefold LP with its  
> accompanying context).

I didn't suggest that e-books won't work, but simply that they don't  
offer me a rich enough experience. My music collection has already  
lost the 'richness' of covers etc, but with books, there is a  
different level of immersive experience: music can be listened to  
whilst doing something else, whereas books are mostly the whole kit  
and kaboodle (although I concur that I've often read text books whilst  
doing something else.

> As for the environment, I tend to buy books second hand, indeed only  
> buy new books as gifts. Recycled electrons on my palm or iPhone  
> would be even friendlier.

'Even friendlier'? - I doubt it. There is a cost involved in design,  
development, production, disposal. Even the cadmium in most phone  
batteries is enough to pollute up to 600,000 litres of water (which I  
read today in the Guardian discussing e-books, of all things).

iT