E-Books and Their Readers – 11-18-09

I read an article on the New York Times’ website how smart phones such as the iPhone are becoming a popular e-book reader as opposed to dedicated devices such as the Kindle or the Nook. I understand the concept of it being a device that is always with you. However, I cannot think of situations where that convenience would actually be taken advantage of. An analysis of commuter statistics says that, as of July of 2008, around 75% of all commuters in the US drive alone. Without an extreme risk of personal harm, that means that potential readers would not be able to read on their way to work or school. If a person is reading at home, then a “device that’s always with you” begins to lose its value as it does not matter that you don’t want to take your e-reader with you everywhere because you won’t. I do understand the value in not buying another $250+ gadget, which is the only “pro” of a non-dedicated device. However, a dedicated e-reader usually is capable of holding a battery charge for weeks, as opposed to hours, and the size of the screen would allow the person to read more per “page.”

E-books as a general concept are interesting to me. It creates many opportunities for readers: potentially less time between final editing and release, a definite price value (which is an anomaly in digital distribution), and a sense of helping the environment with paperless books. Unfortunately, most older generations are so used to the idea of having a large book collection that it is unlikely for e-books to become popular until there is a generation that is conditioned to having most of their entertainment consist of bits versus atoms.