[starman]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

Since you want to be a jackass, yes, you did misunderstand the English. You're the Einstein that jumped to the conclusion that saying "we were able to blah blah blah" equals saying "we will do blah blah blah."

Happy now?

Back to the topic...

I think someone needs to choose better words.

[shifuimam]

The fact that it has free, unlimited access to Wikipedia makes it a win in my book.

Think about it - instead of wasting time during airport layovers playing Touch Tetris on my DS, I could seamlessly continue researching stuff I find interesting, and learn a lot in the process.

$400 is too much, though. I'm guessing the price will come down if/when it becomes more mainstream.

[MacosNerd]

The LP to CD was a step forward. The LP had many shortcomings like the fact that that it failed to exactly capture the recorded music, and the size was large and it was somewhat fragile (scratches and cracks). The CD on the other hand recorded the music digitally so it was a virtual identical copy of the original music. The form factor was smaller and easier to use, especially for portable devices. The longevity of the medium was better was/is much better then the LP.

Now take that analogy to the ebook. The device is not smaller then a book, and if it was, it would be more difficult to read it. The device is more expensive. Using is so far is more difficult to turn a page, and generally fails to display the same amount of printed words then an actual book. he device does not offer sort of improvements over a book like the LP->CD and retention is an issue. I can keep my books on a bookcase longer then I can keep an book in the device.

To summarize:
The CD offered a smaller form factor, a product that could last longer then an LP and produce a sound more closer to the original.
The eBook offers, a larger device that is more expensive and could be prone to damage if brought to places where people bring books, like the beach and offer nothing above what a book can offer.

There's little reason to spend more money on a product that provides less benefits (in general). For a few its a good fit for their needs. For most others a printed book works out better and is less expensive.

Just my $.02

[MacosNerd]

Here's CNET's take on the Kindle.
Amazon Kindle: Hands-on first impressions | Tech news blog - CNET News.com

Here's a blurb that I found interesting:

The Good: Excellent high-contrast screen does a great job of simulating a printed page; large library of tens of thousands of e-books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs via Amazon's familiar online store; built-in "Whispernet" data network--no PC needed; built-in keyboard for notes; SD card expansion slot; long battery life.

The Bad: Design is ergonomic, but not very elegant; pricing for nearly all the content seems too high, especially considering the periodicals and blogs are available for free online; black-and-white screen is fine for books, but less impressive for periodicals and Web content; lacks a true Web browser; included cover is clumsy and poorly designed; yet another dedicated device you'll need to lug around with you.

The Bottom Line: With its built-in wireless capabilities and PC-free operation, Amazon's Kindle is a promising evolution of the electronic book (and newspaper, and magazine)--but overpriced content could be its Achilles' heel.

[RAILhead]

Why is this so hard for some of you to grasp? The Kindle and its ilk are NOT trying to replace the book. Holy crap, were you people like this when the Walkman came out and you quit having to tote around a jam box? It's like you people think you can only have one or the other, so if you buy a Kindle, you'll never be able to take a book "to the beach."

Readers are simply another tool to enable individuals to do their thing the way they want to. Cripes, people.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

Why is this so hard for some of you to grasp? The Kindle and its ilk are NOT trying to replace the book. Holy crap

I never said it was trying too or being able to replace the book and I believe most of the posters also affirmed that.

My point is: Why pay more money for an ebook and get less out it - doesn't seem to make financial sense. I agree that for a small group of people this may be a good niche product but for the vast majority of folks I don't. The proof will be in the pudding in so far as that the market will dictate the success/failure of ebooks.

I'd rather pay between 4 and 15 dollars and get the real thing then a virtual copy and not be able to retain it.

[RAILhead]

Great, so you don't fit the potential end-user profile. Many of us do. Those of us that do are discussing the merits and issues with the Kindle, not trying to convince people that "real" books are better.

[MacosNerd]

What merits are there?

A book you get a physical object for around 4 to 15 bucks (more for hard covers)
an ebook you get a virtual copy of a book for around 10 bucks but you need to shell out 300 dollars.

A book can be brought to locations that would be considered hostile to an ebook (beach).

A book can be retained for years and years and easily reread. I suppose an ebook can occupy some hard drive space as long as nothing happens

A book is superior then an ebook and so far the market has shown this. Many companies have tried and failed to get the public to embrace the ebook format. Amazon is but one in a long list of companies that have tried and failed. So far even the Cnet review doesn't hold out too much hope of its success.

[RAILhead]

Do we really have to go over this again? Maybe you don't travel or read several books at one time. Maybe you don't buy books every week like some of us. Maybe your house isn't full of over-packed bookshelves like some of ours are. SO, for those of like what I described...

We have the money to spend on eBooks,are happy to do so given the freedom they allow us.

I'm able to tote around hundreds of books in one place -- not carry around 3 or 4 1.5 inch thick books. A beach will only be "hostile" to my Kindle if I'm an idiot.

Amazon allows re-downloads of any purchased eBooks, and you can also copy them to your local system via USB.

Books are "superior" to some people, just like some people still prefer CD to digital music.

Look, we know you don't like the Kindle, so just get off your book-loving soapbox. The reasons many of us like readers aren't good enough for you and your lifestyle, so that's it.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Sealobo 

a paper book is more romantic.

Cause nothing says romance like reading a book. I know it makes my significant other all hot and bothered.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

Look, we know you don't like the Kindle, so just get off your book-loving soapbox. The reasons many of us like readers aren't good enough for you and your lifestyle, so that's it.

Sure once you get off the kindle is better then the printed word soap box.

Just because you think its the best thing since sliced bread doesn't mean that so. History seems to be on my side and while you may think its superior the market place will dictate its success or failure.

I find it curious that you keep pressing how great it is, but when I post a rebuttal you say I shouldn't post anything. The dialog goes both ways, as does standing on a soap box.

I'll continue to post in this thread as long as the discussion continues. If you really don't like what I have to say then there's the ignore list so you don't have to put up with reading my posts.

[starman]

Don't forget: books are a LOT easier to flip through.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by starman 

Don't forget: books are a LOT easier to flip through.

That was one of the knocks on the earlier ebook models. The size of some of the smaller units mean you had to scroll down to get a whole page.

I'm curious to see how well this one will do with Amazon pushing it. Aside from the geek factor they need to reach a larger population in order to reach critical mass

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

A book is superior then an ebook and so far the market has shown this. Many companies have tried and failed to get the public to embrace the ebook format. Amazon is but one in a long list of companies that have tried and failed. So far even the Cnet review doesn't hold out too much hope of its success.

Yes, and we all know that the first review of a brand new product is going to be the most accurate in the long term.

What merits can one find from an eBook reader?

> You can carry many books with you without actually carrying around the weight, which is excellent for, say, someome who travels a lot - especially internationally.
> You can access the Internet and Wikipedia directly from it - smaller than pulling out a laptop in a pinch, and probably starts up a hell of a lot faster.
> The fact that it's running Linux means that this thing could easily turn into another TiVo sort of situation - a whole community dedicated to extending and hacking the Kindle.

Originally Posted by starman 

Don't forget: books are a LOT easier to flip through.

Ah, yes - but an eBook reader could have search functionality, no? PDFs replace printed documentation much of the time in the workplace now - they are infinitely easier to search than a physical book...

Originally Posted by Kevin 

Cause nothing says romance like reading a book. I know it makes my significant other all hot and bothered.

I loled.

This has the potential to be no different than an iPod - you own the CDs and also carry them around on your iPod, no? With something like this, Amazon could even roll out a program where when you buy a physical book, you can buy the eBook as well at a discounted price - then you have the digital and the physical copy.

Not only that, but I'm wondering if Amazon will allow redownloading an eBook to the Kindle. If your toddler gets ahold of a book and rips out the pages, you're screwed. Can't really scribble all of the pages of an eBook...

I'm surprised at the negative reaction to this thing. The iPod started out very expensive with fairly low specs, and it was introduced in an otherwise disparaged market - existing hard disk-based music players were clunky, unintuitive, and ugly. Then the iPod came onto the scene and competely revolutionized the PMP industry. This absolutely has the potential to have the same impact on the struggling eBook industry. Paper is probably never going to die completely, just like physcial music media will likely be around no matter how tiny and data-spacious PMPs become. Having many options for one goal, however, is what progress in IT is all about.

[starman]

e-books fail at progress. I was listening to Buzz Out Loud on Monday and they made some VERY good points about how the book is the "sturdiest" of the remaining analog formats as far as being able to survive in a digital world.

Music is easily movable from analog->digital because you don't need the physical LP/CD. Same goes for movies. Books are a different story (no pun intended). They're flexible, especially magazines. You can take them anywhere. They don't run out of batteries. They won't crash. No DRM. There's resistance to e-book readers because books are much more practical.

[RAILhead]

Only to certain people. What's so irritating about this thread is that people are taking their opinions on how paper is teh bettar and instantly crapping on readers. YOU PREFER PAPER BOOKS BECAUSE PAPER FITS YOUR LIFESTYLE. A lot of us prefer readers because THEY FIT OUR LIFESTYLE. You ask us why, we tell you why, then you still pull out how paper is superior.

PEOPLE, WE KNOW YOU LIKE PAPER BOOKS. That is O-K-A-Y. I'm glad you like paper books and that you seem to like carrying them to the beach and use them to get some cooter, but just because you feel that way, that doesn't mean there aren't those of us that find the convenience of a reader better suited for our lifestyle.

Man, it's like talking to a room of 3rd graders in here sometimes.

[starman]

If you're going to call people "third graders", try not to use all caps and phrases like "teh bettar". It makes you sound like a baby yourself.

[RAILhead]

I ♥ teh intarnets

[shifuimam]

Incidentally, I did a quick Google search and found this via Digg:

The first big MacRumors thread after the original 5GB iPod was announced.

Even die-hard Mac users thought the original iPod was a waste of time and effort. That obviously turned out to be an incorrect assumption, considering that the iPod/iTunes marriage is now one of Apple's biggest sources of annual profit.

I also found a blog article linking to that same thread that mentioned that the key is not just making technology available to the masses, but making the masses want to be a part of it. Before the iPod, only geeks were really interested in the clunky, ugly MP3 players of the time. Then the iPod came out in 2001. Six years later, everyone and their brother have at least one PMP, and most of them (not just the iPods) look sexy and are (mostly) quite easy to use. While there are already hundreds of blogs writing about how the Kindle is destined for failure (even though it's only been available for sale for 24 hours and few people actually have one in hand), the thing is still getting a ton of publicity, and there are still many people who are interested in it.

I'm not saying that this is guaranteed to have the same impact on the eBook world (which, like the world of MP3 players before the iPod, is struggling and only has a very niche market right now), but it certainly could.

Things like a QWERTY keyboard, free Wikipedia access, web browsing, reading files via SD or email or USB, and buying books directly from the reader are major improvments over other eBook readers. Being able to subscribe to newspapers and blogs (and let's face it - 99 cents a month to have instant access to your favorite RSS feeds is a pittance) is a great addition. Obviously, the ability to download books without needing a computer is fantastic - if you're not near a bookstore or a computer and really want a new book you've been interested in getting, just download it. I also noticed on one of the reviews on Amazon from a pilot user that you can even annotate pages.

The only big negative I'm seeing so far is a lack of PDF support - but you never know; that may come about in a future release...

It's expensive right now at $400 - but so was the iPod when it was released, no? Its price has continued to drop, and now you can get a Nano for as little as $150. I'd imagine if/when this thing really takes off, we'll see a significant price decrease.

It will be quite interesting to watch the progress of this thing.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

Man, it's like talking to a room of 3rd graders in here sometimes.

So basically everyone who disagrees with you is a third grader. Hmm that's an mature response but given that the ebooks are inherently inferior to the printed word I can understand such a response.

Like I said, the market will dictate the success or failure of the product. I don't know why you're getting all worked up and why you're taking the failings of the ebook so personally.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

I also found a blog article linking to that same thread that mentioned that the key is not just making technology available to the masses, but making the masses want to be a part of it. Before the iPod, only geeks were really interested in the clunky, ugly MP3 players of the time. Then the iPod came out in 2001. Six years later, everyone and their brother have at least one PMP, and most of them (not just the iPods) look sexy and are (mostly) quite easy to use. While there are already hundreds of blogs writing about how the Kindle is destined for failure (even though it's only been available for sale for 24 hours and few people actually have one in hand), the thing is still getting a ton of publicity, and there are still many people who are interested in it.
...
It's expensive right now at $400 - but so was the iPod when it was released, no? Its price has continued to drop, and now you can get a Nano for as little as $150. I'd imagine if/when this thing really takes off, we'll see a significant price decrease.

It will be quite interesting to watch the progress of this thing.

The difference between the Kindle (and other ebooks) and the ipod is that the ipod (and mp3 player in general) presented a technological advance. When the ipod was introduced you were able now to actually play large collection of music. This was an improvement over the walkmans of the day.

The ebook while it can hold multiple books offers very little for the increased price. Why should I spend 400 bucks for a reader+ 10 bucks for a book when all I need to do is buy a paper back for nearly the same price.

As I've said all along, the kindle can fulfill a niche market, I have serious doubts as to whether it can appeal to the larger population at hand, at least enough to make it economically viable.

[RAILhead]

No, ebooks are inferior to you. How many times do we have to explain the benefits to people like us for it to sink into your head?

ANYWAY

PDF *is* supported in a sense: You can use a MOBI desktop app to convert files (with moderate success) to PDF, then use your memory card, USB, or email to move them to the Kindle.

[mdc]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

. . . but I'm wondering if Amazon will allow redownloading an eBook to the Kindle. If your toddler gets ahold of a book and rips out the pages, you're screwed. Can't really scribble all of the pages of an eBook...

Amazon has said that you can re-download all of your books since purchases are stored in Amazon's database.
"In addition, a copy of every book you purchase is backed up online in Your Media Library in case you ever need to download it again. This allows you to make room for new titles on your device, knowing that Amazon is storing your personal library, which can always be re-downloaded wirelessly"

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

The difference between the Kindle (and other ebooks) and the ipod is that the ipod (and mp3 player in general) presented a technological advance. When the ipod was introduced you were able now to actually play large collection of music. This was an improvement over the walkmans of the day.

FALSE. You act as if the iPod was the first mp3 player, or even the first hard drive-based mp3 player. It was neither. It did something old in a new and better way, which is exactly what this product is trying to do.

[MacosNerd]

Maybe so, but the fact remains an mp3 player provided an advance in a person's ability to listen to music, where as an ebook offers little such utility in the face of a 400 dollar price tag.

[mdc]

To me the advance is that I can carry a few books around in a 300 gram object; which by having a next page button, in my opinion, gives an easier ability to read. See my post on the previous page about having trouble holding onto subway handrails, a book, and turning pages at the same time. The sole reason I do not get to read a book in the +/- 45 minutes a day I spend in the subway, unless I get a seat.

Like RAILhead has said, you do not feel that eBooks offer an advantage over a regular book that will justify the price, to you.
There are other people in this thread who feel differently.

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

Maybe so, but the fact remains an mp3 player provided an advance in a person's ability to listen to music, where as an ebook offers little such utility in the face of a 400 dollar price tag.

Ho boy. Maybe the $400 is too much for you, but you aren't everyone. Carrying around hundreds of books while I travel, etc., is well worth whatever I'm willing to spend.

[starman]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

Ho boy. Maybe the $400 is too much for you, but you aren't everyone. Carrying around hundreds of books while I travel, etc., is well worth whatever I'm willing to spend.

Dude, seriously, WTF do you need "hundreds of books" for?

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

Why should I spend 400 bucks for a reader+ 10 bucks for a book when all I need to do is buy a paper back for nearly the same price.

In 2001, I could have said the exact same thing about the iPod: Why should I spent $400 for a player + $10 an album when all I need to do is buy a $20 generic Discman and physical CDs?

Except that the iPod made multiple CDs very portable and accessible, much like the Kindle can do with books.

And it's not just what the Kindle can do. It's how it does it. If it makes obtaining and reading eBooks easier than with previous hardware (which it certainly sounds like it does), that's most certainly the draw to the average consumer.

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

Maybe so, but the fact remains an mp3 player provided an advance in a person's ability to listen to music, where as an ebook offers little such utility in the face of a 400 dollar price tag.

How do you figure? An eBook reader allows someone to quickly search through the text of a large volume. It allows carrying around multiple books and documents in a small, portable device. It allows looking up words directly from the book (the Oxford English Dictionary is built in). It allows one to be reading a novel that takes place, say, during WWII, see a reference to the Hindenburg, and be able to switch over to Wikipedia to research that topic even further.

So I'd have to say that it certainly provides an advance in a person's ability to read and enjoy books, and to expand the experience beyond just reading the book into much more.

Originally Posted by starman 

Dude, seriously, WTF do you need "hundreds of books" for?

WTF do I need 600 albums on my iPod for? It's not like I have the capacity to listen to all of them in one day, or even one month, or even one year. But they're there, so if I randomly get the hankering to listen to some Boston (even though I never listen to Boston), it's there and I can listen to it.

There are lots of short books I enjoy reading over and over. And long books, for that matter - I've reread the entire Harry Potter series many times. So if I use a Kindle to mostly read Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia and other such books, but I get a hankering to read Knight's Castle, I can seamlessly switch over.

I suppose one big downside to the eBook thing vs the music thing is that you can't rip your books to eBook format. Again - if Amazon provided a service where you could, say, purchase eBook copies of all your previous Amazon orders at a seriously discounted price (like $2 an eBook instead of $10), that'd be cool.

Some people really like music. Some people really like reading. There's certainly a market for both demographics...

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by starman 

Dude, seriously, WTF do you need "hundreds of books" for?

Is this Rob I'm talking to? Let's see...

I read around 4-5 books at a time, and it takes me about 2 weeks (on average) to get through them. So, I typically read anywhere from 7 to 12 books a month, on average.

I also travel a lot, spend a lot of time waiting here and there, etc., etc.

I buy books like most people buy DVDs: I pre order, build up a stock of them for future reading, etc. This means I typically get a new book or two delivered to my house about every other day (sometimes daily).

Thus, I have quite a stock pile of unread books I'm housing, and my method of reading coupled with my lifestyle makes having loads of book readily available at any given time or location a good thing for me.

Is it really that hard to grasp people? It's all about convenience. Period.

[starman]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

Is this Rob I'm talking to? Let's see...

I read around 4-5 books at a time, and it takes me about 2 weeks (on average) to get through them. So, I typically read anywhere from 7 to 12 books a month, on average.

I also travel a lot, spend a lot of time waiting here and there, etc., etc.

I buy books like most people buy DVDs: I pre order, build up a stock of them for future reading, etc. This means I typically get a new book or two delivered to my house about every other day (sometimes daily).

Thus, I have quite a stock pile of unread books I'm housing, and my method of reading coupled with my lifestyle makes having loads of book readily available at any given time or location a good thing for me.

Is it really that hard to grasp people? It's all about convenience. Period.

OK, so you read a few books a month. You did NOT answer my question about why you need to carry around "hundreds" of them.

And what do you do with the paper books you buy when you're done with them? Keep them? Give them away? Donate them to a library?

And if you do travel a lot, you sure do spend a lot of time here ranting. Just making an observation :/

So the Kindle isn't good for us. It is really that hard to grasp, RailHEAD?

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

How do you figure? An eBook reader allows someone to quickly search through the text of a large volume. It allows carrying around multiple books and documents in a small, portable device. It allows looking up words directly from the book (the Oxford English Dictionary is built in). It allows one to be reading a novel that takes place, say, during WWII, see a reference to the Hindenburg, and be able to switch over to Wikipedia to research that topic even further.

So I'd have to say that it certainly provides an advance in a person's ability to read and enjoy books, and to expand the experience beyond just reading the book into much more.

I didn't say it was useless, but rather its appeal to the masses is limited. For researching stuff it may be a great product but is that enough to make it economically viable to continue to produce a 400 dollar product? I don't see this being useful for a lot of people who buy books to read. I read quite a lot, and most of the novels I read I rarely see the need to search for a text.

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by starman 

OK, so you read a few books a month. You did NOT answer my question about why you need to carry around "hundreds" of them.

And what do you do with the paper books you buy when you're done with them? Keep them? Give them away? Donate them to a library?

And if you do travel a lot, you sure do spend a lot of time here ranting. Just making an observation :/

So the Kindle isn't good for us. It is really that hard to grasp, RailHEAD?

Ugh.

I did answer you. I read so much so often that I enjoy having all my books at my disposal. Try carrying around a small library vs a reader. Thanks.

I keep the ones I want for rereading, and I throw away the others. GASP!!11! No, I don't give them away or donate them, so put me on a stake and burn me.

Did I not already mention free time in travel?

No, I totally understand some people don't see the benefit of readers, but most of them don't start a pissing war from the perspective of "I don't see the benefit so it must suck" like you did.

[starman]

No, I responded to your statement about "tossing" things like LP racks and you went off on me like a ****ing lunatic.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by starman 

No, I responded to your statement about "tossing" things like LP racks and you went off on me like a ****ing lunatic.

I think someone is exaggerating a tad bit.

He explained what he meant. Why any conversation needed to go on after he explained himself is beyond me. But this is the norm here.

[RAILhead]

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by starman 

So the Kindle isn't good for us. It is really that hard to grasp, RailHEAD?

The whole anti-Kindle side of this thread is coming across as though those who are planning on buying one need to provide adequate justification as to why, or else they are somehow making the objectively wrong decision.

I'm not saying that's what those who are against the Kindle are deliberately getting at, but it somewhat appears that way.

There is no single piece of technology that is globally right for every single person. My mother sees zero use for an iPod. At all. She adores classical music, but she's not interested in getting one or learning how to use one. She just got her first cell phone (ever) two weeks ago. My ex-boyfriend's grandparents are still on dial-up, even though they can get DSL for $15/mo. They just don't see a need for broadband.

Things like cell phones and high-speed internet seem like a no-brainer to pretty much anyone in a first world country, but that doesn't mean that everyone is interested in them. However, it also doesn't mean that those without cell phones are "wrong" and those with cell phones are "right". The Kindle will certainly have a market with plenty of people - those who travel frequently (think about how cool it would be to be able to buy four new books at JFK airport right before you leave for a two-week business trip overseas!), those who have long commutes to and from work (I never have time to play games during the day, but I play my DS Lite constantly on the 40-mile drive between work and home on days when my carpool drives), those who simply love books and read whenever they have a spare moment...

Right now, the price point is quite high. But that, as we have seen with any piece of new or seemingly niche technology, can (and likely will) change.

Originally Posted by MacosNerd 

I didn't say it was useless, but rather its appeal to the masses is limited. For researching stuff it may be a great product but is that enough to make it economically viable to continue to produce a 400 dollar product? I don't see this being useful for a lot of people who buy books to read. I read quite a lot, and most of the novels I read I rarely see the need to search for a text.

I guess that's what I'm most curious to see happen. Disk-based MP3 players were more or less a niche product before the iPod came onto the scene. The iPod's usability and portability were what won over the average Joe who was still using a Discman. The Kindle may not have that kind of effect on the eBook market, but I'm very interested to see if it will....

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

The Kindle may not have that kind of effect on the eBook market, but I'm very interested to see if it will....

True enough, we can prognosticate on the short comings/benefits of ebooks till we're blue in the face but until consumers start voting (or not voting) with the pocketbooks we'll not be able to gauge the future of ebooks.

[Dakarʒ]

MacNN Controversial Item #917,453,519: Electronic Book readers

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

MacNN Controversial Item #917,453,519: Electronic Book readers

File it next to frozen dinners

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

MacNN Controversial Item #917,453,519: Electronic Book readers

Is there ANYTHING this forum will agree on?

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Is there ANYTHING this forum will agree on?

That Macs don't suck? I think that's probably about it.

And even that's debatable.

[Dakarʒ]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Is there ANYTHING this forum will agree on?

I dunno, but I want to find the most mundane thing possible that a war erupts over. Like those tablets that make toilet water blue.

[Dakarʒ]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

That Macs don't suck? I think that's probably about it.

HA!

[RAILhead]

Why are you people making it about the "future of eBooks?" Who in bloody Hades cares? What this is about is the product. I don't give a rat's arse about the "future of" Rachael Ray, but I like her books now, so I'm using them. Just because everyone in the world won't buy them, that doesn't mean they aren't a benefit to me (and maybe shifuimam). Thus, potential market saturation does not equal success of failure -- remember the company with the fruit logo and 5-6% market share?

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

That Macs don't suck? I think that's probably about it.

And even that's debatable.

Nope. If you like Macs, you're a fanboy. If you don't, you're a troll. You troll.

Originally Posted by Dakarʒ 

I dunno, but I want to find the most mundane thing possible that a war erupts over. Like those tablets that make toilet water blue.

THEY SUCK

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

Why are you people making it about the "future of eBooks?" Who in bloody Hades cares?

You seem too since I think you're the only one getting upset about this and what is being posted. I myself have enjoyed the debate and the give and take.

shifuimam offered some good insights about it, starman also had some good points but you come out swinging and hostile over anyone who differs from your opinion.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by starman 

Ok, I suppose you completely ignored what I wrote above.

And explain how going from LP->MP3 (physical to digital) is the same as this when you don't save space and you are now dependent on external power to READ.

Um, no I didn't ignore it at all. I completely addressed your question.

You do save space, and MP3 players are also dependent on external power to READ. So it's completely analogous.

[starman]

Originally Posted by nonhuman 

Um, no I didn't ignore it at all. I completely addressed your question.

You do save space, and MP3 players are also dependent on external power to READ. So it's completely analogous.

Really? When was the last time you needed batteries to read a book?

[design219]

I really like this idea for environmental reasons. Printing is a nasty and wasteful business. I'm sure it will be improved rapidly as updated versions are rolled out.

I wish they would have absorbed some of the device costs with content profits to lower the price and make it more initially appealing.