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Do eBooks Really Improve The Experience Of Reading?

First Posted: 05/18/10 01:19 PM ET Updated: 05/25/11 05:30 PM ET

Ebook

The Independent:

But does digital technology improve the experience of reading, especially reading fiction? Those aiming to make money out of e-book technologies need us to believe that it does. But can e-readers of whatever sort ever escape the whiff of functionality however impressively book-like they are?

Read the whole story: The Independent

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But does digital technology improve the experience of reading, especially reading fiction? Those aiming to make money out of e-book technologies need us to believe that it does. But can e-readers of w...
But does digital technology improve the experience of reading, especially reading fiction? Those aiming to make money out of e-book technologies need us to believe that it does. But can e-readers of w...
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01:49 PM on 05/20/2010
In one word--No!
longtimegone
my micro-bio remains empty
03:01 AM on 05/21/2010
That goes double for me. Welcome to the medieval world, Ludi.
01:26 PM on 05/21/2010
Now there's a man with an open mind—you can feel the draft from the next room.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
HPdevotee
02:42 AM on 05/19/2010
I've had a love affair with books and bookstores my whole life. From the flashy chains to the old musty ones that smelled like my granny's root cellar but my Kindle has become the 'One'. The ease of ordering book/mags anytime day or night, the comfort of holding it, the changeable fonts (eye sight not what it used to be), and it's portability are just some of the ways it's stole my heart. Bittersweet, really, because I can at times miss my old haunts but I would not be walking into them the same person as before anyway...you can never un-Kindle ;)
01:33 PM on 05/21/2010
Here are some points to consider-- you do NOT own outright the content you purchase. You're prohibited from re-selling it or gifting it to someone else.
If any commercial dispute involves your purchase it can be deleted from your Kindle without notice.
The electronic context you bought has no value whatsoever.
Read your Kindle contract.
It remains to be seen how backward compatible new editions of Kindle will be.
There are many other points to consider.
Conclusion: It is risky to surrender control of one's intellectual property to a single corporation, especially one whose primary motive is profit and stock value.Think about it.
longtimegone
my micro-bio remains empty
12:40 AM on 05/22/2010
Ludi, you've gone downright medieval, sir! Relax. Surrender your will to the Corporatacracy. Why fight what's inevitable? As you hurtle backward through time, you'll eventually pass through the 7th Century: you'll have to stop in for dinner and conversation. We'll slaughter a camel in your honor, and I've heard you're fond of goat, so there will be several. Man, that conclusion of yours, "pouring off the page like it was written in my soul!" Surrender to no god, M.L. I think the turban is affecting your brain, son. I look forward to dining with you in my tents. Salam.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
marijam
Independent
07:35 PM on 05/18/2010
I own an ebook reading device and I would say "Yes, it does". I prefer reading ebooks on my reader. Very seldom do I ever purchase a paper copy. There are several recent releases that I'm waiting on to be offered in ebook editions and it's disappointing to me that the publishing houses aren't forthcoming with them, for whatever reason.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
concretedonkey
02:21 PM on 05/18/2010
Although I can't comment on the question the article's title raises, as I've yet to buy an ebook reading device, I do think that the reader in the photo is going to suffer from the same tired-arms as a result of how she's holding the book. :) Now if someone could come up with a way for me to read my books, without have to shift my arms so much...or maybe it's just me?