Comments on: I'm Curious, George: E-books Kindle Buzz

By: walt crawford

walt crawford — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 17:48:59 +0000

I want to comment on the subtext here: “Pushing” I’m Curious, George via BlogJunction. I think it’s a great idea. Keep it up.

As for the Kindle? Haven’t used it, so have no direct opinion. Ebook readers for textbooks? Great (multibillion-dollar) idea, has been for many years; the big hangup is the textbook publishers, I think. Otherwise…no opinion, great column.

Oh, one comment to Annie: I have a way to read voraciously without taking out a second mortgage or buying any e-reading device. It’s called a public library. People hereabouts, almost all of whom can afford to buy all the books they want, use it a LOT.

By: Annie

Annie — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 17:00:31 +0000

As an ebook site, I love this discussion. Yes, Leo, I hate that the big media is trouncing on my niche world. But, the $300 and $400 reader price tags give me hope. My reader is FREE and offers 3D page-turning technology that makes e-reading fun – not that boring PDF/Word format. No, it’s not portable, but I’m betting most e-readers will prefer curling up with their laptop than trying to read on a puny screen.

And, George offers two compelling reasons why ebooks can make it. Text books are heavy in more than one way – like price. Anytime we can reduce the barriers to education, it’s a good thing. As is removing the impediments to free speech. Publishing is mass production – authors that can sell thousands, millions of copies. Aspiring Authors with rich voices, sublime stories, compelling characterization, have much to offer. Ebooks will give them an outlet and E-readers, those who don’t want to take out a second mortgage to read voraciously will embrace them. And, did I mention, we’ll save some trees. THINK GREEN…READ ONLINE!

By: Leo Klein

Leo Klein — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:58:41 +0000

There’s nothing new about eBooks, particularly in this most recent manifestation. It’s the same-old-same-old: companies heavily invested in media ownership or sales trying to foist an extremely limited device down the throats of consumers when there are better alternatives practically everywhere you look.

An “open mind” would involve looking at the alternatives, which range from umpcs to the lowly cell-phone and asking yourself cui bono this particular technology.