Will The Portable EBook Reader Make Traditional Books Obsolete?
Could this be the year that the ebook reader overtakes the traditional paper version – the Amazon Kindle DX has been the fastest and best selling gadget for months with the Barns 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
The popularity of the ebook reader is definatley growing, there are several factors, however, that could slow the pace of it’s growing popularity. For a start, the price of an eBook reader – 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, eBooks cost roughly the same as traditional printed books.
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 far more reaching lifespan than a gadget could ever have – electronics tend to break down eventually or simply become obsolete.
The Argument for the Portable eBook Reader
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 realize the ebook is the wave of the future.
Indeed, many business and universities already make use of digital forms of books to help make them more accessible. Student have access to textbooks and study materials from the comfort of their 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 Barns and Noble Nook, allow for annotations – this definatly makes the ebook a user friendly gadget and not just a display with 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.
Blog #37: Will handheld devices replace books?
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