Of course, we all have an opinion -- mine is worth what you have paid for it. I believe that there will always be a place for written books, but the future will also hold a place for e- readers. I have to admit that I have become enanmored with the idea of the e-reader. I fell in love with the Nook from Barnes & Noble. Even though I had asked for one for Christmas I really wasn't expecting to get one. Hoping - yes, expecting -- no. However, the love of my life surprised me Christmas morning with a card telling me that a Nook had been ordered. Of course I was beyond myself with excitement. There have been so many people ordering them that the next shipment is not due to go out until February 1. But, that is okay I can wait.
There are many reasons I think this will be helpful to me, but here is one. Because of my fibromyalgia and arthritis, it is hard for me to hold books open with my hands. I will no longer have to do that. Of course that is just a one of the features it has. For another feature, Barnes and Noble offers thousands of books for free and when I was going over just a few I noticed several Love Inspired books available. How cool is that!
I have copied a picture. And of course you can go to Barnes & Noble to read more about it. I have also heard good things about the Kindle which you can find on Amazon.com. I will be updating you as soon as I receive mine and learn how to use it. Stay tuned for further updates
Hey Deborah,
ReplyDeleteThe nook appears to be in color, that's something the Kindle (note spelling) doesn't have.
You are right that this topic has become a heated debate. Mostly centering around self-publishing versus traditional publishing.
On the e-book versus paper book side, the e-book market has already demonstrated it's pretty well here to stay. The public doesn't understand how a downloaded file could cost as much as a physical book, but they buy the books that way anyway. (It's mainly royalties and publisher/retailer cuts that keep the price so high. The cost per physical book is pretty low anyway).
There will continue to be demand for paper books as long as they are offered, though I think it will dwindle down to more 'print on demand' once there is a way to print a book at the touch of a button. (And not have to wait more than a few minutes to get it).
Will brick and mortar 'go away'? I don't think so - there are many people who enjoy going to the library or a bookstore and browsing through the titles, looking for a new author or a new book that 'grabs you'. Other than that, you are limited on how you could even find a good book in all the slush that's out there.