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Computers v reading books
I recently saw an article regarding people who now find it difficult to concentrate on books due to using the computer.
I thought it was in The Times, but can't find it there. However the following article says much the same thing:
http://davidmaister.com/blog/259/Ive-Stopped-Reading
Comments
So thank you for an alternative. :)
As a lot of my work involves research, reading and editing, I find I have to print practically everything out in order to 'digest' it.
I just hope these new net-book thingy-ma-jigs don't take off. I'd hate to see the end of paper books.
Sometimes when I'm reading something on the computer I need to increase the font size to read some smaller fonts that can appear on web pages.
I don't think paper books will be disppearing yet MN, so huge sighs of relief all round. :)
I can't help but wonder what will be in a century from now though...
;-)
Is that because babies are getting bigger?
I have been thinking of this and I know that one day printed books will be gone (thank god I got some stuff in print before that) and I'm torn. I want to see the dawn of paperless technology that saves all those trees but know that books are not that big a dent in tree felling. I also want to have no books stopping me getting into rooms because there are boxes of them everywhere, yet want bookcases because they look cool. Also the books that fill them look cool. I want books.
I did think of a photo to sell with an Ikea Billy case full of Sony Readers and Amazon Kindles but who would buy it? Could make a good poster to cover that light rectangle of wallpaper where the bookcase used to be I guess.
a) I've never tried an e-reader, and
b) it would be so much more convenient than lugging paperbacks around.
Sometimes OH and I have seven or eight books in our luggage when we're travelling. I know it would make sense to have an e-reader each, if only I can get my head around the idea.
Your head, and your wallet!! How much do you reckon it would cost extra each year to have to buy e-books instead of paperbacks? Will libraries download them for free on production of a library ticket? Won't the cost of this put e-readers out of the reach of much of the population (me included!)
At the moment there is a battle going on with Amazon trying to corner the market with their readers and e-books.
I just have a basic Sony reader, and like ST I have been reading more, and a wider variety too.
I have 39 on my reader at the moment, about 12 of them I've finished, another 6 or 7 I'm reading, both fiction and non fiction. My library (on my desk top) has about 70 now as I've taken advantage of the big discounts being offered at the moment.
I'm particularly enjoying Alan Bennet's An Uncommon Reader- I just wouldn't have bought it as a physical copy, or read it.
My husband complains when I buy more books (fiction)- and space for them is a problem as ST mentioned.
So now I only buy my favourite authors in book form, and if possible e-book form for others I enjoy.
Otherwise reference books I buy are in solid form.
I don't find them tiring on the eyes either, unlike a computer screen.
Travelling they are ideal as you only have the device which is light and very compact. You can bookmark your page before you turn it off, and have bookmarks for the other books you've got on it and are also reading.
If you want to add notes then you will pay more for that reader, but if you just want to read books then a basic model is adequate.
I would never get rid of my paper books- and I will still buy them. But I'm finding the e-reader very useful.
Someone on ebay has 16,000 books for e-readers for £14.95!!!!!!
Some smaller e-book providers admitedly don't use DRM, and obviously out of copyright stuff that you will find on Guttenberg could be sold on by an unscrupulous person.
500 horror books for £3.29!
EBAY AND VERO PLEASE NOTE:
ALL OF OUR MP3s AND EBOOKS ARE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND COMPLY WITH EBAY RULES AND REGULATIONS. NO TRADEMARKS OR COPYRIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED THROUGH THIS SALE. THIS PRODUCT FULLY CONFORMS TO EBAY COMPILATION AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA POLICY AND EBAYS DOWNLOADABLE MEDIA POLICY. WE ARE NOT INFRINGING ANY COPYRIGHT LAWS BY SELLING THIS ITEM AS NO COPYRIGHT EXISTS OR AS EXPIRED.
THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING COLLECTION OF HORROR EBOOKS,THERE ARE OVER 500. THEY ARE IN EPUB FORMAT WHICH MEANS THEY CAN BE READ ON ANY EBOOK READER OR EVEN JUST ON YOUR PC.
DONT BUY IN PDF FORMAT AND HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CONVERTING TO YOUR EBOOK READER THESE BOOKS ARE ALREADY FULLY COMPATIBLE TO ALL EBOOK READERS, A FULL LIST IS HIGHLIGHTED BELOW.
IF YOU DONT HAVE AN EBOOK READER IT DOESNT MATTER YOU CAN READ THESE ON YOUR PC WITH THE SOFTWARE PROVIDED TO YOU FREE OF CHARGE!!
I can read PDF's on my reader, though most of my e-books are E-pub.
They have a genre list too so if you just want horror or romance you can browse through them without being flooded by everything else. They have over 28,000 books on their site all legal to download and in many formats including epub.