Comments on: Kindle: The Holy Grail or the last gasp of eBooks? http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/ Introducing brilliant authors to the blogosphere. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:43:07 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Zacorbul http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-138896 Zacorbul Sun, 24 Feb 2008 01:29:50 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-138896 I love the ideea. My Pocket Pc (200$)is not really good for reading so Kindle sounds great. But to be able to read only Amazon books and 400$ ?! Never !!! It is doomed to fail ! I love the ideea. My Pocket Pc (200$)is not really good for reading so Kindle sounds great. But to be able to read only Amazon books and 400$ ?!
Never !!!
It is doomed to fail !

]]> By: J Wallace http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-113881 J Wallace Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:37:58 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-113881 There's sure a lot of misinformation about the Kindle out there-- Just to correct one thing: The Kindle does allow you to make notes, highlights, etc., and print them out, insert them into other documents, or mail them to friends. G Armstrong: It's "descendants" not "ancestors," and you've no idea whether they will still have your books. Print books are susceptible to all manner of loss, as surely as e-books are, not the least of which is that paper biodegrades. Not to mention fire, theft, etc. DRM is no more restrictive than that. It's already going away in the music industry, and it won't be long before it's gone in the publishing industry, too. John: Ha ha. I wouldn't let Apple anywhere near this device. They haven't any infrastructure to provide any content for books, either. Amazon's got it, and knew enough to marry convenience with a pleasurable reading experience. Go try READING on the Kindle, and you'll see. Having a portable book store in my pocket where I can call up virtually ANY classic book anytime I please for free is worth double what they're asking for the Kindle, and that's before you factor in the free web browser, free instant-answers-on-demand service, free dictionary, etc, and NY Times bestsellers for less than $10. The one place I will agree with all of you is that the Kindle isn't for everyone. If you're happy reading on an iPhone or laptop and can put up with the hassle of synching content and downloading and all that-- go for it. But there are LOADS of people who don't want another device to hook to a PC. They will jump all over this. There’s sure a lot of misinformation about the Kindle out there–

Just to correct one thing: The Kindle does allow you to make notes, highlights, etc., and print them out, insert them into other documents, or mail them to friends.

G Armstrong: It’s “descendants” not “ancestors,” and you’ve no idea whether they will still have your books. Print books are susceptible to all manner of loss, as surely as e-books are, not the least of which is that paper biodegrades. Not to mention fire, theft, etc. DRM is no more restrictive than that. It’s already going away in the music industry, and it won’t be long before it’s gone in the publishing industry, too.

John: Ha ha. I wouldn’t let Apple anywhere near this device. They haven’t any infrastructure to provide any content for books, either. Amazon’s got it, and knew enough to marry convenience with a pleasurable reading experience. Go try READING on the Kindle, and you’ll see. Having a portable book store in my pocket where I can call up virtually ANY classic book anytime I please for free is worth double what they’re asking for the Kindle, and that’s before you factor in the free web browser, free instant-answers-on-demand service, free dictionary, etc, and NY Times bestsellers for less than $10.

The one place I will agree with all of you is that the Kindle isn’t for everyone. If you’re happy reading on an iPhone or laptop and can put up with the hassle of synching content and downloading and all that– go for it. But there are LOADS of people who don’t want another device to hook to a PC. They will jump all over this.

]]> By: Book 2.0? at arts / cultures / etc / Notes http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-93872 Book 2.0? at arts / cultures / etc / Notes Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:58:38 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-93872 [...] Evan Schnittman, OUP’s Vice President of Business Development and Rights for the Academic and USA Divisions, has a review of the Kindle Device up on the OUPblog. [...] [...] Evan Schnittman, OUP’s Vice President of Business Development and Rights for the Academic and USA Divisions, has a review of the Kindle Device up on the OUPblog. [...]

]]> By: Shane http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-92893 Shane Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:37:51 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-92893 No one appears to have mentioned that the iPod itself is an e-book reader. I have read dozens of portable, palm-sized e-books since I was given an iPod Nano. The Nano (and other models, I believe) sports a "notes" feature that allows the user to read plain text onscreen. A small freeware program, iPod Library*, will convert any text file to iPod format (books must be broken into special, iPod-friendly "chapters"). One loses all formatting, of course, and the conversion is not perfect (special characters are omitted, and at times, normal characters are mistranslated, an "M" becoming "1VI", for instance), but for me, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. A book that fits in a child's palm and that marks one's place automatically is so handy on the subway (and elsewhere) that I find myself growing reluctant to return to reading from pressed wood pulp. But where to get the e-books? Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org) is a good place to start, for the classics. And just about any PDF can be saved as a plain text file. __________ *Download it from: http://www.sturm.net.nz/website.php?Section=iPod+Programs&Page=iPodLibrary No one appears to have mentioned that the iPod itself is an e-book reader. I have read dozens of portable, palm-sized e-books since I was given an iPod Nano. The Nano (and other models, I believe) sports a “notes” feature that allows the user to read plain text onscreen. A small freeware program, iPod Library*, will convert any text file to iPod format (books must be broken into special, iPod-friendly “chapters”). One loses all formatting, of course, and the conversion is not perfect (special characters are omitted, and at times, normal characters are mistranslated, an “M” becoming “1VI”, for instance), but for me, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. A book that fits in a child’s palm and that marks one’s place automatically is so handy on the subway (and elsewhere) that I find myself growing reluctant to return to reading from pressed wood pulp. But where to get the e-books? Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org) is a good place to start, for the classics. And just about any PDF can be saved as a plain text file.

__________
*Download it from: http://www.sturm.net.nz/website.php?Section=iPod+Programs&Page=iPodLibrary

]]> By: Jeremy http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-85935 Jeremy Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:52:35 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-85935 So sorry - I got distracted by one of my boys! It's EVAN! Again, my apologies!!! So sorry – I got distracted by one of my boys! It’s EVAN! Again, my apologies!!!

]]> By: Jeremy http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-85930 Jeremy Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:50:03 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-85930 Eric, I thought that this was one of the most level-headed and articulate statements about the Kindle that I've read. I completely agree with your assessment about the model+network idea; as an Apple devotee, I accepted and now thoroughly enjoy the iTunes experience. I have a Kindle on order for multiple reasons - the ability to carry endless reference books and texts, as well as my favorite novels and short stories is a dream come true, to me. And I'm a thirty-something! Thanks again for a great post! Eric,

I thought that this was one of the most level-headed and articulate statements about the Kindle that I’ve read. I completely agree with your assessment about the model+network idea; as an Apple devotee, I accepted and now thoroughly enjoy the iTunes experience. I have a Kindle on order for multiple reasons – the ability to carry endless reference books and texts, as well as my favorite novels and short stories is a dream come true, to me. And I’m a thirty-something! Thanks again for a great post!

]]> By: Douglas http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-85601 Douglas Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:22:58 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-85601 I believe you've missed a very critical part of the Kindle/iPod analogy. The iPod was wildly successful not only because of the iTunes content available, but because the iPod allowed you to put *your own* content on your device. In fact, the vast majority of iPods are filled with music they've ripped from their own CDs, or downloaded via peer-to-peer. Certainly the ability to buy new music, or replace old media, is one thing that set the iPod apart. But it *never* would have taken off if you'd been required to submit your files to Apple before they could be downloaded to your iPod! I am *dying* for a good eBook, but you can be sure I will not purchase any device that will not read PDFs, nor one that won't let me drop my own files directly on the device. Amazon's focus on DRM will kill the Kindle just as sure as DRM has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of devices before it. I believe you’ve missed a very critical part of the Kindle/iPod analogy. The iPod was wildly successful not only because of the iTunes content available, but because the iPod allowed you to put *your own* content on your device. In fact, the vast majority of iPods are filled with music they’ve ripped from their own CDs, or downloaded via peer-to-peer. Certainly the ability to buy new music, or replace old media, is one thing that set the iPod apart. But it *never* would have taken off if you’d been required to submit your files to Apple before they could be downloaded to your iPod! I am *dying* for a good eBook, but you can be sure I will not purchase any device that will not read PDFs, nor one that won’t let me drop my own files directly on the device. Amazon’s focus on DRM will kill the Kindle just as sure as DRM has killed hundreds, if not thousands, of devices before it.

]]> By: G Armstrong http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-85334 G Armstrong Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:34:53 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-85334 What happens in 5 years when the format changes or the license expires? My ancestors will still have my print books in a beautiful and delightful format 500 years from now. With the Kindle, you can’t print out a passage, e-mail it to a friend or copy it into a document, thus negating any advantages an e-book might have. You can’t lend a book to someone, or sell it after you’re finished. Your book is tied to your Kindle and its e-mail account. Good luck to you when Amazon or whatever data provider changes its business model or goes out of business. What happens in 5 years when the format changes or the license expires? My ancestors will still have my print books in a beautiful and delightful format 500 years from now. With the Kindle, you can’t print out a passage, e-mail it to a friend or copy it into a document, thus negating any advantages an e-book might have. You can’t lend a book to someone, or sell it after you’re finished. Your book is tied to your Kindle and its e-mail account. Good luck to you when Amazon or whatever data provider changes its business model or goes out of business.

]]> By: Oxford University Press on Kindle and the Future of eBooks — Platform Agnostic http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-85200 Oxford University Press on Kindle and the Future of eBooks — Platform Agnostic Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:34:05 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-85200 [...] Evan Schnittman’s entire post. H/T to Dr. Weinberger for the link. Also read his excellent article about eBooks (he thinks they [...] [...] Evan Schnittman’s entire post. H/T to Dr. Weinberger for the link. Also read his excellent article about eBooks (he thinks they [...]

]]> By: The Reader Online » Thoughts on the Kindle http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-80926 The Reader Online » Thoughts on the Kindle Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:34:41 +0000 http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/kindle/#comment-80926 [...] The people who like ebooks most of all are publishers. They are much cheaper to produce than the real thing and if you load them up with DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) software you can sell the same file to the same person several times over. Over the last few years there have been signs that publishers have been losing control of the distribution channels. Self-publishing is growing fast and just as bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have been able to escape the grip of their record companies, so the day is fast approaching when writers will want to do the same. Deals with companies like Amazon help lock the new digital distribution channel to the major players and offer the chance to control it. [...] [...] The people who like ebooks most of all are publishers. They are much cheaper to produce than the real thing and if you load them up with DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) software you can sell the same file to the same person several times over. Over the last few years there have been signs that publishers have been losing control of the distribution channels. Self-publishing is growing fast and just as bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have been able to escape the grip of their record companies, so the day is fast approaching when writers will want to do the same. Deals with companies like Amazon help lock the new digital distribution channel to the major players and offer the chance to control it. [...]

]]>