It appears to be the year of the portable eBook reader - the Amazon Kindle DX has been the fastest and best-selling gadget for quit some time with the Barnes and Noble Nook coming in at a close second. EBooks outsold traditional paper books as gifts for over a year now. However, the news has prompted much debate over the question - Will the eReader make traditional books obsolete?'
The Argument Against the Portable eBook Reader
BARNES AND NOBLE
The eReader is undoubtedly becoming more and more popular, there are several factors, however, that could slow the pace of it's growing popularity. First off, the price of an ereader - even the cheapest model - is many, many times more than the price of a book. On top of the reader itself, there is still the cost of each new eBook to consider. Unfortunately, the price a paper book versus an ebook...well they're just about the same price.
There is also the fact that the traditional book is a part of our history, and sometimes culture is a difficult thing to change. There are people who love the feel of a book, who love to fold down the pages and love to make notes. People love going to the libraries and roaming the bookshelves. They love seeing books in their physical form, which can never be completely replaced with the ebook.
In fact, books become an artifact from history in their own right. Some people feel that paper books have a greater lifespan than a gadget could ever have - electronics tend to break down eventually or another gadget comes along that takes their place.
The Argument for the Portable eReader
Many people say that you can't understand the experience of an eBook reader until you have one of your own. Even some of the strongest book lovers have found themselves converted to digital format, and see eBooks as the format of the future.
Indeed, many business and universities already make use of digital forms of books to help make them more accessible. Students can simply read papers and chapters from home, rather than having to go out to the library and carry heavy books back with them. Most of the major brands, including the Amazon Kindle DX and the Barnes and Noble Nook, allow for annotations - making eBook readers far more valuable than simply displaying words on a screen.
A Middle Ground?
The middle ground states that, eBook readers will continue to grow in popularity, and eBooks will become more and more widely accepted. It's doubtful that the physical book will ever be completely replaced, however, the portable eBook reader will make books more accessible, especially through the help of free libraries such as Project Gutenberg. Good news is we don't have to make a definitive decision. We can have the best of both worlds...electronic and physical books.
Will The Portable EBook Reader Make Traditional Books Obsolete? BARNES AND NOBLE
0 comments:
Post a Comment