Originally Posted by singlestick

Originally Posted by debsylvania

I would happily read a paper version of a book if someone had a copy of something that they wanted to recommend and lend, thereby saving me having to buy a copy.

That would probably be my only regret in purchasing electronic books; that I could not readily lend them to my friends.

I think you can lend some Kindle books, maybe other readers as well. Of course, your friends also have to have a Kindle. I am not sure if this works if friends have a Kindle app, and not a Kindle reader.

Works both ways. The borrower can read with a Kindle or the Kindle app.

I love paper books. Usually borrow from library. Very often fail to meet the deadlines for return on time.

I have had an iPad from day one, but in the last 9 months have started to read book after book, Mist Series, Forgotton Realm series, Game of Throne series, have had the novel London in paperback on my bed stand for 6 months and finally started reading it.

You have to have a light on, reading glasses and have to sit just right so the lamp light hits the page and have to use a bookmark and I find it is just so difficult to read the old fashioned way. I just do not see paper books surviving and they will go the way of camera film, vinyl records and floppy disks.

Ebooks have just started to take off and who knows where they will be in 5, 10 20 years.

Plus I can read at work on pc, on my Mac at home (rarely), or on my iPhone or my iPad with the Kindle app. Sorry I know this is iBooks but I use the Kindle app cause I can read anywhere any device.

Originally Posted by Finnedog

I have had an iPad from day one, but in the last 9 months have started to read book after book, Mist Series, Forgotton Realm series, Game of Throne series, have had the novel London in paperback on my bed stand for 6 months and finally started reading it.

You have to have a light on, reading glasses and have to sit just right so the lamp light hits the page and have to use a bookmark and I find it is just so difficult to read the old fashioned way. I just do not see paper books surviving and they will go the way of camera film, vinyl records and floppy disks.

Ebooks have just started to take off and who knows where they will be in 5, 10 20 years.

Plus I can read at work on pc, on my Mac at home (rarely), or on my iPhone or my iPad with the Kindle app. Sorry I know this is iBooks but I use the Kindle app cause I can read anywhere any device.

I still prefer to buy physical copies of nonfiction books. I find that too often reviews of ebook versions of nonfiction books do not indicate whether all features (photos, footnotes, endnotes) are available.

On the other hand, I find it tremendously exciting that ebooks are finally moving beyond mere text. The new Jackie Kennedy memoir, for example, includes the actual audio of her interview sessions along with the text.

There are many similar circumstances in which an ebook could include animation, audio and video. There is no reason for ebooks about military history, for example, to limit themselves to static maps and illustrations when animation could more clearly indicate the progress of a battle.

On the other hand, I find it tremendously exciting that ebooks are finally moving beyond mere text. The new Jackie Kennedy memoir, for example, includes the actual audio of her interview sessions along with the text.

There are many similar circumstances in which an ebook could include animation, audio and video. There is no reason for ebooks about military history, for example, to limit themselves to static maps and illustrations when animation could more clearly indicate the progress of a battle.[/QUOTE]


The iPad has been here for less than 2 years and has pushed ebooks and emagazines into the mainstream.

It will be amazing what learning will be like when a history or science book is written for a tablet platform rather than written for hardcover and just accomodated to the tablet platform. We are in a fun time and although we are excited about the animation, audio and video that we will see; there are people out there that will be able to do so much more that we have not even imagined.

There are a few schools using tablets for textbooks. This is probably the wave of the future I lieu of kids carrying around 30 lb backpacks

I do read when I travel.