I know I’m jumping the gun here a little bit, but with all the rumours surrounding the potential release of the “iSlate” by Apple (name not confirmed), there is an awful lot of talk about doing away with books. There is of course a whole digital divide when it comes to how technology can enhance your life and make it better. Then there’s the “Apple” generation who simply adore their products (yes, that’s probably me in that category). So what’s the big deal? I’m a book person, and perhaps a stick in the mud when it comes to reading material, so I want to look at these things objectively.
With the advent of iTunes and the iPod, Apple did what many hadn’t, and in essence, they started the MP3 revolution. Music at your finger tips so to speak. No longer did you have to have shelves full of LPs that were prone to warping and getting dusty. Neither did you have to worry about the CD, which never ended up back in the right cases. No, instead, you’ve got your MP3 player, your computer and the ability to browse for music when you hear it, rather than waiting to find a shop that stocks it. Many said at the time, that the MP3 revolution, and the internet would kill copyright and people would stop buying music, well the jury is still out on that one, and Zavvi did die (although possibly unrelated), so no conclusions drawn from that one yet.
I said many years ago that PDAs were a fantastic idea (somewhere around 2001 to my friend and colleague of the time BNUG). Instead of carrying around a diary, a note book etc, you have everything in one device. Only, you didn’t. You still had to carry your mobile phone and you didn’t have access to your emails, it was far from perfect. If you were (and at the time I was) a commuter on public transport, you ended up carrying around a PDA, a mobile phone, something to play music on, a book and various other bits of miscellany. So, with the advent of the iPhone, all your prayers are answered right? Well, not quite. It’s a fantastic device, don’t get wrong, I love mine. It ticks so many of the boxes that you were missing before, it has your diary, your email, your phone and an endless supply of gadgets to make your life easier. You are however, still left without the all important book to go with it.
So 2010 is apparently the year of the tablet (although I’m sure I have a feeling of deja vu) . Microsoft has already launched their version in partnership with a hardware vendor (who’s name I can’t remember). Amazon have launched the new and improved Kindle (in the UK now as well), and Sony have already had their reader available for sometime. So as an avid reader, why don’t I have one? It’s very simple, it’s another expensive gadget that only does one thing. In my mind, a complete waste of money. At least with my iPhone, it gets used, a lot. I’ll browse the internet on it from home, I’ll read blogs, I’ll twitter from it and I generally use it more than my somewhat decrepit PowerBook (to be replaced this year).
Another item to add into the mix of this failure to buy an ebook reader. I love the feel of turning a page, of the paper between my fingers, of seeing something achieved as I motor from one end to the other. There’s something so comforting about curling up with a really good book. Of course it has its downsides, like book snobs sneering at you reading Harry Potter or Twilight books on the train, instead of the latest booker winning master piece. You can also get cramp from holding something as big as The Deathly Hallows or Breaking Dawn. It’s still a book though, I have a couple of hundred of them, I can look at the stacks of them that are dotted around the house and see an actual sense of accomplishment. I wouldn’t get that with something digital.
Of course I can really see the upside to having a device like an e-reader. Going on holiday would be a dream, instead of worry about how many books I could carry with me, I could load up the device and off I go. Brilliant! Only I like to re-read old books, so I’d have to either take old copies with me or re-buy all my books, there isn’t a way to “rip” books to put them onto the device like you could do with music. Then there’s the cost of these books, having had a look all of the authors I like sell their e-books at either the full hardback price, or more in some cases. How does this work? Surely there should be a saving involved here, you take out the printing and publishing costs and there’s more money to be made from selling them at a lower price? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for authors making money, really I am, I want to be an author, a successful one, but c’mon guys, cut us some slack, if you want us to take it up, give us an incentive to do so.
Which brings me back to the rumoured new Apple product. Will it do for books what iTunes and the iPod did for music? Will you be able to pick up the books cheaply and easily? Will they kill Amazon and Waterstones? Who knows. However, the rumours are gaining pace that the “iSlate” will have the ability to browse the internet, play video content & music, and have applications. Now if this is the case it’s a fantastic opportunity. Given how well thought out the iPhone, iPod and larger Apple devices are, it’s going to be an killer toy that’s for sure. I’m just not convinced that marketing it at a rumoured $1000 is going to win many hearts and minds. I could by a MacBook for less than that. Sure I think it’d make me a convert to eBooks, but I’m not sure the price tag will.
I’ll add as a final note, as I’m sure someone *might* pick up on the fact that there is a Kindle app for the iPhone. I know, I’ve got it. The problem with it is that my iPhone screen is a LOT smaller than a standard sized book. I read very fast. Give me a bigger screen and something I can hold, and I’m sold on it, only I’m not buying a Kindle to do it. If you want to read more about ebooks then the lovely Tom Reynolds of Random Acts of Reality fame has started a new blog with several contributors called Paper Not Included, I encourage you to go have a read.
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