tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14600985.post3604058997321083629..comments2023-11-03T14:59:31.910+00:00Comments on The Growlery: Kindling a new inequalityUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14600985.post-2325472346579806302010-02-05T15:48:04.962+00:002010-02-05T15:48:04.962+00:00I sort of despise using the words "print medi...I sort of despise using the words "print media" (as opposed to eMedia) to refer to my favorite thing, books. I would suggest that in addition to the pleasure of reading a real book, there is the pleasure of being surrounded by books. It is almost as if one were a postulant in a cathedral of the initiated to be in a room full of books. I realize libraries are on the way out (c.f. Verner Vinge's "Rainbow's End", the Google project, etc), but many hours in the stacks of various libraries (including the Library of Congress in the '60's when it was easy access) are all pleasurable memories. Being able to do searching by a click of the mouse may be quicker and more exhaustive (maybe <i>too</i> exhaustive in many cases) but nothing warms the cackles like picking up an old dusty tome and burrowing in.Dr. Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06255898610620668624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14600985.post-82435887755438383522010-02-05T10:48:02.684+00:002010-02-05T10:48:02.684+00:00When it comes to DRM-encumbered e-books, I think y...When it comes to DRM-encumbered e-books, I think you raise a very important point.<br /><br />This is the primary reason I haven't yet bought an e-book reader. I don't want to rent the right to read a piece of text. I want to be able to pass interesting books to my children, lend them to friends or re-read them whenever I choose. With DRM, you're perpetually at the mercy of the DRM-controller's ability to remain in business.<br /><br />I might feel different if the cost of e-books weren't so high. When we know that average authors' royalties are in the region of 45p per copy, the physical production and distribution of a paper book feels like justification for the higher price.<br /><br />Now, I know publishers need to be recompensed for marketing, editing, backing the wrong horse, and so on. But I'm getting so much less from an e-book, in terms of what I can do with it and expect from it, so I would expect to pay far less. And I've already paid for the "paper" by buying the reader.<br /><br />If they offered a monthly flat fee model, like Spotify or similar, I could see it being appealing but then I'm still reluctant to stump up the money for the reader in the first place.<br /><br />The beauty of a book is, I believe, that I just need a little light and my specs to enjoy it. It's not like listening to music, where you do need some kind of equipment whether you're listening to an Ogg file or a vinyl record.<br /><br />With an e-book, I need a whole load of electricity, equipment and various layers of business to enable me to enjoy the book.Matthew Revellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17102161365245839893noreply@blogger.com