RE: E-books. Some thoughts

I found an interesting essay on Slate.Â Check it out.

www.slate.com/id/225805

I came across this inÂ The New York Review of Books the other day. The book in question is an electronic version of Alice in Wonderland:

Copy: No text selections can be copied from the book to the clipboard

Lend: This book cannot be lent to someone else

Give: This book cannot be given to someone else

Read aloud: This book cannot be read aloud

Okay, I don't know if e-readers (Kindle, Nook, etc) have copy/paste capability, so we'll give that first one a pass. Lending or giving: It's not clear if this a legal statement or just a big fat duh. Of course you can't give/lend people e-books, unles you hand them the whole machine.

As for reading aloud, this does seem to be a legal notice; let's see anyone try to enforce it.

I myself don't own an e-reader, partly for the reasons stated above, and partly because no one can tell me how long these gadgets are supposed to last. If I spend that much money, I want at least five years of use (the first Kindles came out three years ago).Â Besides, I like the company of my books; I'd miss them if they were suddenly trapped inside some machine.

Any thoughts?

Comments: 6

Rebecca P. Dec 13, 2010, 11:08pm UTC

I don't really like e-readers. When I read, I want the physical book in my hands. I've done a few e-reader books for research projects, but it just didn't work out well for me.

Margaret Garside Dec 14, 2010, 3:55pm UTC

I've heard that from a lot of people, that they have a physical relationship with their books (I know I do). E-books can't duplicate that.

Rebecca P. Dec 14, 2010, 5:08pm UTC

I'm that way with a few books like my Bibles and language dictionaries.

August Lady Jan 28, 2012, 1:58am UTC

My kids gave me a Kindle for Xmas, & last week I took 3 books out of the library...I'll warm up to it eventually!

Margaret Garside Jan 28, 2012, 4:18pm UTC

One year Stephen King gave all his family members Kindles. A year later, he was the only one who used it regularly.

Have any e-reader makers told consumers how long the machine will last?

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August Lady Aug 17, 2012, 12:09am UTC

Well, it's nearly 8 months later, & all I do on my Kindle is play games. I got thru 1 book, & really didn't enjoy the reading experience, or the book, for that matter. I've tried reading a few others, & can't get pass the 2nd page. BTW, you cannot C & P on them~well, the Kindle Touch, which I have, or the Fire, which my ex has.

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RE: E-books. Some thoughts

Comments: 6

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