While I was browsing the bookstore the other day, in my annual check for books I should put on my Christmas gift list, it occurred to me: the reason e-books haven't caught on as well as people hoped, and the reason book sales seem to continue to do pretty well, is that books are, and have been "good enough". They have great resolution - better than an current LCD screen that I know of - and they're at least as portable as a PDA even though they're not always pocket-sized. The only way that e-books really have them beat is in weight and volume - you can certainly carry 200 e-books on your person, but 200 books? The price of books versus e-books is a matter of debate: you can get books for free at the public library, just as you can download public domain e-books for free. If you want to own one, books range from reasonable to outrageous ; I haven't checked e-book prices in a while but I'd guess they're cheaper - but as I just said, the advantage is nullified if you use your friendly public library.
No comments:
Post a Comment