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Form factor matters. It's not something you can just trivialize. There's a lot of functionality that a paper book has going for it. The question can't be boiled
by TrevorJ 17y ago
Form factor matters. It's not something you can just trivialize. There's a lot of functionality that a paper book has going for it. The question can't be boiled down to a simple matter of being against change or new technology.
You can use spacial memory to find previous passages in a paper book, you can turn down the corners of the pages and write notes in the margins. You can leave your favorite novel in the trunk of your car for 4 years through winter and summer and then grab it for enjoyable reading at a moments notice. You can pack books away in your attic and reasonably expect that your great-grand kids will be able to
read them in 50 years if they want.
- neva 17y agoPeople always seem to criticize the Kindle by pointing out the advantages of paper. What of the newfound advantages of the Kindle itself? Being able to access the dictionary effortlessly, without disruptions. Placing marks (being able to pick up where you last left). The small size. Etc.
- fnid 17y agoAnd when it gets cold, you can burn them for warmth. Unfortunately, I realized this after renting my house to some freeloaders who burned my library of college books, encyclopedias, work books, car repair manuals, home remodeling books... I was sick when I found out.
- jacquesm 17y agoMan, that just hurts. That should be a crime.
- hristov 17y agoI am pretty sure it is a crime.
- olliesaunders 17y agoI think it was joke.
- nirmal 17y agoAfter reading this, I had to walk over to my bookshelves and look at my books to make sure they were all there. Chills down my spine.
- rubinelli 17y agoVinyl has a lot going for it when compared to MP3, but the latter format is so more practical and has such a low marginal cost that very few people stick with the former. Don't get me wrong, I love physical books, but I imagine what it would be like if I had been able to read any book in the world in a device like the Kindle when I was a kid, and the idea is just mind-boggling. I live in Brazil, where books are relatively expensive and libraries aren't that great, so I understand that YMMV.
- aristus 17y agoIdle question: when a friend visits from South America, he takes back a case or two of books. I suggested burning a few copies of the Project Gutenberg DVDs. He pointed out that the Spanish and Portuguese content was pretty small. For instance, there is not even a copy of El Correo Orinoco. Can you think of a way to get more people to contribute to PG in other languages?