Are Books Disappearing?

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ALynnPowers
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Re: Are Books Disappearing?

Post by ALynnPowers »

Aivlys wrote:I don't think new reading material/novels will ever be exhausted. Consider how many people write just for love of it that never get chosen by publishers. Now, they can indy publish and be read. Digital books are cheaper to produce so in many cases, the author's tiny share isn't what gets cut when the e-book price is low. It's the overhead that it gone - shipping, printing, paper. And I think digital books are more environmentally sustainable. I often think about how many trees it takes to produce the number of books on the shelves. Sure, trees are renewable but they don't grow that quickly and they have many uses. Reducing our need for paper seems to me like a positive environmental impact, though I guess potentially that's outweighed by the energy needs or digital readers, but I doubt it. My kindle charges in a few hours on a solar charger and only needs charged once a month.
There are always those environmental/economical factors, and I just like the fact that I don't have lots of bulky heavy books taking up so much space and collecting dust in my house. That being said. I do like seeing physical books in my house. It's an issue.
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TLGabelman
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Post by TLGabelman »

Ill always prefer a real book in my hand over an ereader. I frequent used book stores rather than a full price retailer. The sheer quantity of books I purchase at one time would make it unrealistic to buy digital and/or new books. My preferred book store is only open once a month for 3 days. I admit the short length of time they are open causes me to buy too many at once but I also cant chance a book being gone when I come back in a month with the constant rotation of inventory. I love the feel of books, the smell, the sound of turning pages. So much to name. But, I would like to own an ereader for convenience purposes, mainly travel.
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cmp librarian
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Post by cmp librarian »

Please, no!

I seriously hope that books will never go out of style. I do see how the electronic age will influence prices and pirating issues. However, I still prefer a real books to an electronic one and as long as the majority of people and libraries continue to purchase real books I don't see how they could disappear. The market is the thing that will change and prices for sure, but I don't see books disappearing anytime soon. At least I hope not, please no..... I would probably cry.
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Post by AngelBellaDonna »

I'm afraid that printed books are becoming far less common, but I don't think that they'll ever completely dissapear, at least I really hope that they won't. I prefer printed books over digital ones, but the general population prefers digital because of the convenience of having a whole library in the palm of their hands, but there will always be those loyal to traditional books.
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snasalim
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Post by snasalim »

I don't think prints are going anywhere either. I agree the digital versions are gaining popularity but they can never really replace, at least not in the near future, the joy of flipping the pages and smelling the distinct smell of fresh as well as old pages. I, for one, still love going to book shops, libraries...and buying/renting books after going through various options and flipping through the first few pages. I am an internet/phone addict and yet, for me, real books are irreplaceable.
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Post by csimmons032 »

I don't necessarily think that books are disappearing. Yes, Kindles and Nooks are a little bit more popular now, but there are still people out there who like to read the normal paper books. Books stores still sell thousands of books, and many of them are sold on a daily basis. People, including me, still buy normal books off of websites such as amazon. I do think that Kindles do have some advantages. Some of the advantages would be using them for this website or websites similar to this, and for traveling purposes. Otherwise, I don't think anything can replace normal books. You can still buy paper format in thrift stores and garage sales as well. So if the world ever did get rid of paper formats, in which case I would be highly upset, then you could resort that. Besides, it would be cheaper that way. I don't think that will happen anyway. It's not really good for the eyes to read too much on computer devices.
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melmit
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Post by melmit »

I promised myself that I would never read a book on a kindle or e-reader. The feel of a book, the smell of them; it's just something that can't ever be replicated by some electronic device!

Then I was given an ipad and found myself downloading the kindle app on it. To cut a long story short - I loved it... There are no need for bookmarks or to have the lights on, as the e-reader does it all for you. Too good to be true?

I still love books and will continue to buy them at every opportunity, because I like books. As someone who loves to read, I think that e-readers and kindles have their place but I will never give up my books.

Long live the book!
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19-ten-20
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Post by 19-ten-20 »

I don't think books are actually disappearing. I personally don't buy physical books because I do not have space to store them. Also its cheaper to buy books on Nook or Kindle. I use apps on my iPad mini to read books so I don't have to choose between Nook or Kindle and can also use iBooks.
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PashaRu
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Post by PashaRu »

I think it's inevitable. We don't see people using stone tablets, clay cylinders, or scrolls anymore, do we? One medium is replaced by another; it is the normal progression of events. Such a change/transition doesn't happen over a few years, it takes many decades. Nonetheless, media become obsolete and outdated. Who uses vinyl records, 8-track tapes, VCRs or cassettes anymore? You'll always have your aficionados, but they are in the minority.

There are those who feel an affinity for books and say they will always prefer the feel of a real book in their hands. Fine, you'll probably never have to give that up. The "disappearance" of books will be very gradual. But I'm sure there were die hard fans of stone tablets, clay cylinders, scrolls, VCRs and 8-track tapes who felt the same way. The loyalty of a few people to a certain medium has never stopped the march of progress. I can envision two or three generations from now, when kids will see books as old, archaic things that their parents and grandparents had to use.

And what matters most, after all, is the message, not the medium that carries it.
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wemma980
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Post by wemma980 »

no its not disappearing.. No need to disappear it
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skgolden
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Post by skgolden »

I can see how books can be pirated permanently but books were and have been pirated ever since you could pirate games, movies, and songs it just comes with the territory. Books I do not think will ever disappear, we have many people that still cannot afford to have a kindle, nook, or ipad. And library books will always be free, and many people still cannot resist having a paper book in their hands (at least all the people I have talked to).
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Post by Thesaurus Rex »

No. They keep on popping up at the library, so I don't think so!
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Post by Jules93Fuglseth »

I absolutely prefer holding a book in my hands. There is no comparison to walking into a public library knowing that any and every book is at my disposal and it does not cost a dime. Technology is great but you don't ever have to charge your book or worry if there is WIFI available. Don't get me wrong I love my iPad but a book is definitely my cup of tea.
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GandalfTheFey
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Post by GandalfTheFey »

Jules93Fuglseth wrote:I absolutely prefer holding a book in my hands. There is no comparison to walking into a public library knowing that any and every book is at my disposal and it does not cost a dime. Technology is great but you don't ever have to charge your book or worry if there is WIFI available. Don't get me wrong I love my iPad but a book is definitely my cup of tea.
There is something about the smell of a dead tree in one's hand that nothing else can replace... :D
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Post by keisha_jc »

The beauty of paper books is the experience. There's nothing like being able to annotate and write what you want when you need to or highlight the beautiful parts of the book. Books are also more reliable since you're not having to worry about the battery or credit card information being changed on your account. Sure, I use eBooks sometimes, but I still strongly prefer the printed copy of a book to an electronic one. Ebooks would have to really step up their game to take over the reality and experience of a legitimate book.
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