Is the Book on its way out?

I confess my experience with eBooks is limited. - I only bought one, and they would not allow me to download it - I had to read it while I was online on their website. If there are companies allowing downloading into .pdf files or such, that would be marvelous, but still, carrying around the equipment to access the information is still an inconvenience ... no, the iPhone screen won't do - I would need to get one of those reading magnifying glasses as well. Unless they include genetic engineering to include improved eyesight ...

Now genetic engineering would be cool. No, I was refering more to the Kindle and things of that nature. The IPhone is too small for most readers. However, there are multiple sites where you can download a book to your hard drive. Most of them are self-publishers and the like, but the trend is growing. As these e-book readers grow in popularity there will be more of a demand. However, nothing beats something you don't have to recharge. And last time I checked paper books don't come with batteries. :)

One of the unsung virtues of the book, it's indestructability. Do you think having access to the internet will be the key though? If you can download the books at your local Barnes and Noble, or at home, then the portability would be similar to the buying a book and carrying it with you. I'm not sure if that will really be a factor in whether the switch occurs. I think the fact that we are living in a world where digital information is becoming the medium of choice will be the determining factor.

LOL I don't even use a calendar. I have one but don't use it. If i need a reminder of something...Post it Notes.

I've used that technique too. Unfortunately, the little stickies end up migrating to a location that isn't where I need them. I think they actually do grow legs and walk because they end up in the strangest places.

Do you find that one format is easier for you to enjoy than another? I've found that reading off a computer screen is very draining, physically. However, I've been known to read books all night long with the only ill-effect being sleep deprivation. There was a study that found people read better off a printed page than off a screen. I wonder if that will have any impact on the longevity of the printed page. I love audio books. They make commuting so much easier, but I find that sometimes they diminish the story. When a book is performed, an actor is making choices about tone and voice. Those choices are part of what makes books so wonderful. Sometimes the actor adds to the reading experience, but sometimes their choices don't seem to fit with the story.

Access is getting better though. At one point, you couldn't find much music online or on c.d. (depending on how old you are). As the technology becomess more and more main-stream, publishers will invest more heavily in it. Like with music, e-books will be out there and easy to get. My fear is that they will find e-books so attractive, they will eliminate the costlier paper book. Hopefully, demand will remain strong enough to never allow them to make that decision. I agree about it hurting the eyes. Pages are much more user friendly. Screens glare at you for hours on end. Pages softly gaze back at you. :)

You're right about the collection. Having digital versions of books makes it much easier to get access to what's out there. The notebook thing is a good idea, but it would detract from the individuality of each book. If you could have some kind of thin paper that acted as a view screen, that would be truly awesome. However, it would also be very Star Trek.

You don't think that the new technology is real threat to the book as we know it? Is it because books have such a long-running appeal? We've been using them since the Middle Ages, so there is definitely an agrument to be made. However, our society is becoming much more virtual and less tangible. I don't know. Thank you for your opinion.

I think right now is not just the tecnology at play here but also how practical it will be for school and persons to invest in an ipod, etc to read or hear a book? What will be more economical and convenient for schools? books or audio in any form? Books have been on cassette and cd and yet, there is a very small cd section on book stores compared to the book section. So I think that the real threat will be ipods as in itunes store, most of the books are cheaper, the real expense will be the ipod.

Companies have to make money somehow. If the actual book becomes cheaper then they'll make up for it somewhere else. Going to a e-book reader might actually become much more economical for schools in the long-run. They wouldn't have to buy new editions, just download them. College students would be dancing in the streets if they didn't have to fork over $200 because one word on page 375 was changed from edition to the other, like they do now.