Are ebooks still too new?
Are you particular about what you read? Not in the context of subject matter, but in the context of physical media. Would you read a newspaper that had been printed on glossy paper, or a magazine printed on cheap newsprint? How about a paperback book that is oversize? Or the really big question, the one that the major publishing houses are trying to get their greasy fingers around: would you read an ebook?
Our local newspaper has just finished running a two day overview of the electronic book reader phenomenon. Truth be told, the real mystery has been how to examine something that doesn’t exist for 99.9% of the population. We can’t buy the legendary Kindle up here in Canada, and the one store that has the Sony reader in stock isn’t moving much out the door (could it be the price?) The largest bookstore in town told the newspaper that it wasn’t an issue in the Quebec market, because everyone fears that the control will move to large firms, leaving the small publishers in limbo. Or rather, their readers. Note that the newspaper is advertising the electronic edition, with trial subscriptions for the pioneers among us.
I read. Often, in quantity and quality, wherever the situation presents itself. I read several newspapers each day, online. I also have the temerity to spread a traditional newspaper on top of my kitchen stove, every morning. The dog has been trained to bark on delivery, and I installed a new fumehood to have better lighting. The coffee machine is right there, to make sure I stay on task from page 1 to whatever.
I also keep paperbacks at strategic points throughout the house; you never know when the perfect moment to read will occur. I read books in electronic form on my laptop, and I’ve experimented with a Palm as a reader (not great…) I don’t intend to smuggle a Kindle across the border that I won’t even cross myself. I guess I’m not going to forego paper any time soon. Note that I don’t read in the shower, so I’ve never had to freeze dry a volume, just to see how the story turned out.
