[LINK] E-books: a quick calculation

[Michael Skeggs mike@bystander.net]

> On 07/02/2009, at 12:49 PM, Richard Chirgwin wrote:
>
>
> I find it spurious for people to claim that any kind of e-book
> production is 'green', unless they are myopic enough to only consider
> the current moment in time.


I read a lot of e-books on an old palm PDA and a few on the screen of
laptops.
I bought one with DRM once, but mostly I read free stuff, often things like
the novellas entered in sci-fi awards (they are available free online), and
promo books (Charles Stross Accelerando, Neil Gaimen American Gods, Cory
Doctorow are all examples). I have also read electronic versions of
questionable legality.
This arrangement is pretty green, and suits me. I have a few dozen books on
an SD card to read when a PDA is an advantage, such as when traveling light.
I would be unlikely to read ebooks exclusively, it currently is too hard to
get ebooks, and I can't get them from the library or a second hand bookshop.
If you want to argue greeness, how about getting the dead tree books from
the library.
Owning a lot of books AND owning dedicated e-book readers are worse fro the
environment than alternatives.

Regards,
Michael Skeggs