Kindle ruining books?

[Ms Meister]

So back in the day you'd read a book, mark in it or note things, highlight and underline, but never post these things on facebook or twitter from the book! You'd trade books with friends when you finished, not run to amazon to download a new one in 'under a minute.' You'd lug around 30 pound textbooks from class to class wishing they were all stored on the internet somewhere....
Well now they are. How has Kindle ruined or improved books for you. Im a huge nerd, I read all the time but... kindle just doesnt cut it for me. Like an iPod eBook, but it wont text or hold all my ridiculous aps.

[Ants In Your Pants]

i kind of agree in a way i mean who would i trade books with, where does the freshly made newly never been opened before smell go? digital books dont smell like new paper sad but on the bright side almost 2mill free books biggrin

[YeahNah]

I think the Kindle's the only one that does it right. The magnetic ink is easy to read, and it's not backlit, which is more like an actual book. Plus I've got 25 gigs of eBooks and textbooks, so I never run out of stuff to read.

[srhoffm]

I worry that paper books will go the way of the newspaper.

I actually got into an argument in college with the school paper because the delivery staff was lax about making sure deliveries were made on time to the satellite campuses. They reasoned I could just read the paper online. I didn't want to read in online (if I could even get a space in the computer lab). I wanted a physical paper I could feel and read while I enjoyed my coffee at the BK across the street.

On that note, Borders is closing their doors this week. I've heard a rumor that their failure is in part due to their inability to compete well with the Nook and Kindle.

[Eveille]

One thing I don't like about this e-book revolution is the loss of resales. Once you buy an e-book it's yours and that's it. You can't ever get your money back by reselling it, or trade it for something new, or donate it to a library. I happen to think this is a rather big deal because eventually book prices will always be set by the publisher and the store selling it to you and there will be no other cheaper options since everything will be 'e'-ed.

I also don't fancy taking an e-reader to the pool or the beach, no matter how legible in the sun it is. I don't want it getting sand in its holes or water on it, it's just dangerous to take it such places, unlike a real book.

[Shin16]

I heard that about Borders. Kinda sucks. (Didn't they own Waldenbooks or something?) Bookstores are always closing down, it's hard to find any in a mall. Meanwhile hardly any clothing places ever close, or it seems like it. It makes malls more monotonous than ever.

[Ryu Kei Shou Kawazu]

well kindle works wirelessly just like cell phones or whatnot, so it could cause cancer, just liek cell phones and whatever else, wifi etc, plus people stare at enough screens these days.

[Light Soprano]

I don't use Kindle at all. I do use amazon, but that's for buying textbooks at a cheaper price than the school bookstore, or if my local bookstore doesn't carry a particular book I'm looking for (I had to order a regular book for one of my English classes online through the B&N website because none of the B&N stores around my area carried that particular book or were sold out). I like being able to physically hold books, and I read faster if the computer screen isn't glaring at me. I like being able to turn pages quickly without having to wait for content to "load" as you get with eBooks.

[Irkutsk]

I really hate the idea of kindles, they take away that feeling of accomplishment you get when you finish a book.

[imblaine]

I liked the smell of a new book.... =[

[Bane of Ezekiel]

I almost feel like the physical-ness of the books is what people are missing. Because the content of the book is there. It's not going to get better OR worse because it moved to a different medium. And mediums themselves are always changing. Does anyone here still miss the cassette tape for listening to music?

In fact, there's a chance that fiction/non-fiction may get CHEAPER because authors themselves will be able to sell directly themselves, without taking a hit from signing with a publisher and an agent and the like.

I don't think books will die off so easily. I think the major bookstores however might die, but I've seen a recent proliferation of used bookstores and small independents get busier.

[YeahNah]

Bane of Ezekiel

I almost feel like the physical-ness of the books is what people are missing. Because the content of the book is there. It's not going to get better OR worse because it moved to a different medium. And mediums themselves are always changing. Does anyone here still miss the cassette tape for listening to music?

In fact, there's a chance that fiction/non-fiction may get CHEAPER because authors themselves will be able to sell directly themselves, without taking a hit from signing with a publisher and an agent and the like.

I don't think books will die off so easily. I think the major bookstores however might die, but I've seen a recent proliferation of used bookstores and small independents get busier.

This. The only reason we haven't switched over like we have for music is because the medium for music has changed more often, and music itself has only been recorded for a short time. There's no content lost when you read from a Kindle.

[Ms Meister]

Bane of Ezekiel

I almost feel like the physical-ness of the books is what people are missing. Because the content of the book is there. It's not going to get better OR worse because it moved to a different medium. And mediums themselves are always changing. Does anyone here still miss the cassette tape for listening to music?

In fact, there's a chance that fiction/non-fiction may get CHEAPER because authors themselves will be able to sell directly themselves, without taking a hit from signing with a publisher and an agent and the like.

I don't think books will die off so easily. I think the major bookstores however might die, but I've seen a recent proliferation of used bookstores and small independents get busier.

I agree, I mean this is the 20th century afterall!

How many centuries was human kind set back when the serupem was looted and burned? If they would have had kindles, maybe things would be a little different today :p

[MrBlueberryMuffin]

Irkutsk

I really hate the idea of kindles, they take away that feeling of accomplishment you get when you finish a book.

Woah. You shouldn't feel accomplished when you finish a book. That implies that the book what a challenge to read.

ebooks are a necessary evil. Printing books is too expensive to maintain. Hence borders going extinct.

[Ms Meister]

Aside from the papery smell of regular books you all seem to crave, I think kindles are a much better aproach to ebooks vs the Nook or iPad. Its a single purpose device for the dedicated bookworms out there.
Everyone I've talked to seems to prefer the kindle once they actually get one and try it out.
I will see when they release the Kindle 4 in a few months ninja