Comments on: Reading on your palm http://www.jeffkirvin.net/2004/08/31/reading-on-your-palm/ The journey of a reluctant writer Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:20:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Josh http://www.jeffkirvin.net/2004/08/31/reading-on-your-palm/#comment-146 Josh Mon, 27 Sep 2004 06:13:00 +0000 http://www.jeffkirvin.net/2004/08/31/reading-on-your-palm/#comment-146 As a graduate student in English, i can tell you with a great deal of certainty that you're overstating the case when you say that Harold Bloom has _never_ been so mistaken as when he put down e-books. He's been way more mistaken at many other times. For what it's worth, I think you're missing the point about why paper books are good. e-books are great for some things, like the newspaper. But for serious reading -- reading where you're underlining, marking, dog-earing, photocopying, memorizing -- the ebook is just not there yet. Maybe you don't need to read this way, but I do, and I can't scribble all over my ebook and then, years down the road, pull it down off the shelf and find my scribbles with a few seconds of page-flipping. I don't know about the "aroma" of paper books -- I do know that paper books are, for lack of a better word, interactive in a way that ebooks aren't. I'm pretty psyched about the future of ebooks, when display technology evolves to the point that a single book-like device, with pages I can flip, can display many different texts and retain my annotations in a physical, browsable form. But I think you're wrong to get offended at Bloom and his refusal to use ebooks. No one is under an obligation to become an early adopter, and there are real, good reasons to keep reading paper books for the forseeable future. As a graduate student in English, i can tell you with a great deal of certainty that you’re overstating the case when you say that Harold Bloom has _never_ been so mistaken as when he put down e-books. He’s been way more mistaken at many other times.

For what it’s worth, I think you’re missing the point about why paper books are good. e-books are great for some things, like the newspaper. But for serious reading — reading where you’re underlining, marking, dog-earing, photocopying, memorizing — the ebook is just not there yet. Maybe you don’t need to read this way, but I do, and I can’t scribble all over my ebook and then, years down the road, pull it down off the shelf and find my scribbles with a few seconds of page-flipping. I don’t know about the “aroma” of paper books — I do know that paper books are, for lack of a better word, interactive in a way that ebooks aren’t.

I’m pretty psyched about the future of ebooks, when display technology evolves to the point that a single book-like device, with pages I can flip, can display many different texts and retain my annotations in a physical, browsable form. But I think you’re wrong to get offended at Bloom and his refusal to use ebooks. No one is under an obligation to become an early adopter, and there are real, good reasons to keep reading paper books for the forseeable future.

]]> By: aelfwyne http://www.jeffkirvin.net/2004/08/31/reading-on-your-palm/#comment-145 aelfwyne Tue, 07 Sep 2004 03:16:00 +0000 http://www.jeffkirvin.net/2004/08/31/reading-on-your-palm/#comment-145 In response to Vidge's comment. Yes there is the pleasure of holding the book in your hand. That's where the Palm Computer comes in :).... I had limited enjoyment reading etexts on my desktop computer. When I'm seated at my desktop, there are so many other things I could do, but being comfortable is rarely one of them. With the Palm (Tungsten E), however, I *can* hold the "book" in my hand and "turn" the pages (tapping the screen for each page)... When I bought my Palm, I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy reading on such a small screen (320x320, I sprung for high-res). However, I find that I enjoy reading on the Palm a lot more than on the Desktop, because I can still curl up with a good book. I just have to charge it every 4 or 5 hours. In response to Vidge’s comment. Yes there is the pleasure of holding the book in your hand. That’s where the Palm Computer comes in :)…. I had limited enjoyment reading etexts on my desktop computer. When I’m seated at my desktop, there are so many other things I could do, but being comfortable is rarely one of them.

With the Palm (Tungsten E), however, I *can* hold the “book” in my hand and “turn” the pages (tapping the screen for each page)… When I bought my Palm, I was afraid that I wouldn’t enjoy reading on such a small screen (320×320, I sprung for high-res). However, I find that I enjoy reading on the Palm a lot more than on the Desktop, because I can still curl up with a good book. I just have to charge it every 4 or 5 hours.

]]> By: Vidge http://www.jeffkirvin.net/2004/08/31/reading-on-your-palm/#comment-144 Vidge Mon, 06 Sep 2004 04:37:00 +0000 http://www.jeffkirvin.net/2004/08/31/reading-on-your-palm/#comment-144 Every time I read an article like this one, I give e-books another go. So far, I have yet to convert to them. There is just something about holding the book in my hands, turning the pages, that adds so much pleasure to the reading experience for me that I just cannot give it up. I'm also not a reader that can read in small, 5-10 minute bursts. I read for hours, often picking up a book and finishing it in one sitting. That generally requires me to have some free time, something that is in short supply. E-books are not for everybody - and they are not not for me. Every time I read an article like this one, I give e-books another go. So far, I have yet to convert to them. There is just something about holding the book in my hands, turning the pages, that adds so much pleasure to the reading experience for me that I just cannot give it up.

I’m also not a reader that can read in small, 5-10 minute bursts. I read for hours, often picking up a book and finishing it in one sitting. That generally requires me to have some free time, something that is in short supply.

E-books are not for everybody - and they are not not for me.

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