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pcernie
Legend
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:30 pm Posts: 45931 Location: Belfast
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Can't EVER see myself buying one for a multitude of reasons: Books rock in the sense that there's nothing else quite like them Consequently, libraries are cool too It'll likely be years before lending someone an e-book legally would be possible/feasible/practical etc, if ever No such thing as second hand e-books The list goes on, meaning I'd always struggle to ever justify owning one... So what's your take on it? And remember, the emphasis is on EVER owning one, short of a printed word apocalypse 
_________________Plain English advice on everything money, purchase and service related:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
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Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:10 pm |
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rustybucket
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:10 pm Posts: 5836
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I want one.
There's a long list of out of print titles that I want to read and I simply can't afford to buy them all.
_________________Jim
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Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:14 pm |
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ProfessorF
What's a life?
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:56 pm Posts: 12030
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No.
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Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:30 pm |
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JJW009
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:58 pm Posts: 8767 Location: behind the sofa
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I like the way you get free access to Wikipedia and a few other websites on an easy to read screen. I'd buy one just for that for my mum; but it's only available on the American networks as far as I can work out. Something to do with extortionate data rates in Europe.
Personally, I'm not that fussed at the moment. I'll probably end up getting one when the technology is more mature. I can't imagine a full-colour graphic novel looking anything other than rubbish on today's hardware, and I don't really read books. Heck, I don't usually read the one magazine I subscribe to.
_________________jonbwfc's law: "In any forum thread someone will, no matter what the subject, mention Firefly." When you're feeling too silly for x404, youRwired.net
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Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:51 pm |
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forquare1
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:36 pm Posts: 5150 Location: /dev/tty0
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I'd get one. I can see O'reilly pricing some of their openbooks really cheaply in the future if they take off. I don't think the device would replace paper books, but rather compliment them, like the laptop hasn't replaced the dektop, only complimented it.
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Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:13 pm |
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ProfessorF
What's a life?
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:56 pm Posts: 12030
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I can't shake the feeling these things are poor solutions to a problem that doesn't exist. What I think is more likely, is that a device will come along that's more like a portable touch screen computer (but done well) which covers all the stuff an e-book reader does and a whole lot more. I'd consider one of those, but having a large battery operated device that's more fragile and needy than the things it's meant to replace doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Instead of reinventing the wheel, they need to make their own thing out of it. The only time I don't like books is moving house and lifting boxes of the things. Besides, there's a certain pleasure to well laid out book that you're not gonna get with an electronic display - or at least not at the moment.
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Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:18 pm |
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cloaked_wolf
What's a life?
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:46 pm Posts: 10022
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Quite possibly.
I'm currently reading a book on my iphone. It's not brilliant but it's good enough to allow me to lie in bed, in my sleeping position and read rather comfortably, in the dark. However, I do like reading books whilst I'm taking a dump and I don't think I'd use an e-reader in this situation.
_________________ He fights for the users.
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Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:19 pm |
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belchingmatt
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Fri May 15, 2009 3:16 am Posts: 6146 Location: Middle Earth
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Yes. Plenty of public domain books. Portability, especially good for me as I move so often. Being able to change the font size so when I'm drunk and trying to read I don't have to close one eye in order to focus. 
_________________ Dive like a fish, drink like a fish!
><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><(((º> •.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><(((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><(((º>
If one is diving so close to the limits that +/- 1% will make a difference then the error has already been made.
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Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:31 pm |
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big_D
What's a life?
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:25 pm Posts: 10691 Location: Bramsche
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When they are waterproof, maybe... I went to England in the summer and got caught in a downpour running to the train station, me and all my luggage was still wet when I got back to Germany 8 hours later! My paper book was double the thickness that it should have been, an eBook reader would just be a brick! The format also isn't convenient for reading in bed or reading in the bath, there I want something without hard edges that I can, literally, throw on the floor once I've finished with it.
_________________ "Do you know what this is? Hmm? No, I can see you do not. You have that vacant look in your eyes, which says hold my head to your ear, you will hear the sea!" - Londo Molari
Executive Producer No Agenda Show 246
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:37 am |
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bobbdobbs
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:10 pm Posts: 5490 Location: just behind you!
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Yes. My wife all ready has one and I have found it quite useful. The publishers will have to come to terms with a better buisness model or they will lose so much buisness. A new ebook at full price when you can get in at half that cost from a traditional bookshop 
_________________Finally joined Flickr
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:26 am |
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HeatherKay
Moderator
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:13 pm Posts: 7262 Location: Here, but not all there.
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I'm with the Prof. I love books. I love the way they look, the way they feel, the way they smell. You can makes notes in the margins, put bookmarks all over the shop, they never crash and don't rely on electricity.
_________________My Flickr | Snaptophobic BloggageHeather Kay: modelling details that matter. "Let my windows be open to receive new ideas but let me also be strong enough not to be blown away by them." - Mahatma Gandhi.
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:37 am |
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veato
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:17 am Posts: 5550 Location: Nottingham
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The gadget freak in me wants one (it helps that I also read books mind you) but I dont really see a need to replace printed books.
_________________Twitter Blogflickr
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:39 am |
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Zippy
Spends far too much time on here
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:20 pm Posts: 3838 Location: Here Abouts
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Yes, I love books and love to read, and I wouldn't replace the old books we already have, but I would like an e-book reader for a number of reasons, firstly and foremostly due to the space saved by storing books digitally, we have a house crammed full of both books and movies, if we could buy new books on disc and store them digitally then it would take all the guilt issues out of buying new books for me.
Secondly, I like reading in bed and I prefer reading lying down, but I find it very difficult to do because of holding the book open with one hand, holding an e-book with one hand would be much easier, thirdly, I don't seem to be able to find a book mark that stays in my book, when I fall asleep reading. My Mister picks my book up off my face when he comes to bed, but by that time my place is lost, an e-book that could remember which page I was on would be invaluable.
Perhaps these are tiny considerations and I'm certainly not saying that I would stop reading books because of them, but an e-book would just make them better.
_________________The Official "Saucy Minx"  This above all: To Thine Own Self Be True "Red sky at night, Shepherds Delight"..Which is a bit like Shepherds Pie, but with whipped topping instead of mashed potato.
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:42 am |
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Geiseric
Doesn't have much of a life
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:35 pm Posts: 1657 Location: Ipswich
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I had no interest in them until we started making a component for one, I then got introduced to the product and what it could do and how it worked and I was impressed. The make and model has not been launched yet and is going through intensive testing but it looks good, very light, very robust and the screen technology is fascinating.
Personally I think it will make the same sort of impact as the ipod did, it's just so different to any other e-book in all respects.
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:45 am |
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l3v1ck
What's a life?
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:21 am Posts: 12700 Location: The Right Side of the Pennines (metaphorically & geographically)
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No. I much prefer the medium of paper. Even now with office documents I prefer reading a printed copy to a copy on screen.
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:04 am |
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