Are Books Disappearing?

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Saoirse200
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Re: Are Books Disappearing?

Post by Saoirse200 »

I have noticed a drop in people who read printed books these days but I have to say that; for me there is nothing better than a fresh printed book in my hands.But considering the dramatic difference in prices with ebooks and printed books I do feel like even more people will begin to use Kindles and electronic reading devices.
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hates2clean2000
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Post by hates2clean2000 »

I sincerely hope not. While e-books have made some aspects of reading more convenient, there is nothing like holding a book in your hand. I love books and prefer them to e-books. However, I have read some books that way and probably will continue reading both ways.
nikinoodle7
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Post by nikinoodle7 »

In this discussion, I've always been on the center line. I love my Nook! I love that I can get millions of different titles for under $10. But nothing beats the fresh, new smell of a book fresh from Barnes and Noble or that corner bookstore that only you seem to be a customer of. Describing the excitement and almost ecstasy I feel every time I walk into a bookstore is almost indescribable. :)
I hope books never disappear but I also hope that those who don't read will buy a tablet or download an app to be able to read interactively.
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A_D_Winch
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Post by A_D_Winch »

I think people like to own things and books will not disappear because of that reason. Music buyers have started to 'rebel' against downloads and vinyl sales are increasing dramatically. I think books may be the same.
APoohW
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Post by APoohW »

For me I would prefer a real book over electronic but if I had all the books I have on my eletronic device there would be no place for me in my house.
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Post by jseyfried »

Books may be disappearing. I would hope not but as an avid Nook user I can see why. And with the prices of e-books dropping like they are (got a kindle on amazon for $54) it will only get more people into e-books.
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JessiFox
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Post by JessiFox »

It's hard to argue that it's conceivable, but I certainly hope it never happens. I have a kindle, I do enjoy the cheaper costs, portability of an entire library of books vs. just one or two and so on. Yet I can't imagine giving up paper books altogether. There are so many wonderful things about them that just can't be replicated. Then again, has that same nostalgia not been felt by generations of people regarding any number of things we no longer utilize today?
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Post by ewyna34 »

I also don't think that paper books will disappear. For me, I like a physical book when taking notes. It's easier to find the page or the passage you are looking for when you can literally go back a page or two or even a chapter. With an ereader you don't have the option per se to do that to reference back quickly and you definitely cannot highlight or mark passages in an ereader. It has been my experience not all stories on an ereader have chapter divisions so theoretically you'd have to go back to the beginning and use the page forward until you got to where you wanted plus there really isn't a "page" number on most to reference.
APoohW
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Post by APoohW »

You can with the nook app and I believe the nook also. I am not sure if they page number it or not. I used it my liteture college class.
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Post by npandit »

SilentWords wrote:With the Amazon Kindle and Sony Readers becoming more and more popular, the realization that printed books will become non-existent is becoming more palatable. You can buy a book on Kindle for $10 in some cases, whereas you'd have to spend at least $25 for a book in print... the prices of the Kindles will drop, and people will start to buy them more, and pretty soon people will start to sell pirated copies for free. Authors will get paid less, and pretty soon, they won't want to write anymore... their printed works will be replaced with free downloadable versions and cheaper copies.

That's just my opinion... what are yours?
Well, firstly, I think that even in such a scenario, the publishers, who will be spending next to nothing distributing e-copies of books, will no longer be able to hyper-inflate the prices of these books. I think most people want to be honest and buy their books, but just like in the music industry, prices will have to come down to a more reasonable, affordable level (on the e-book front).

That, or like what is happening with kickstarter, you'll be able to support your favorite author, and help them to publish their work.

Something is bound to change, but I don't think it will be all bad.

But having said this, I don't think that traditional books are ever going to completely go away.
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readinginreview4
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Post by readinginreview4 »

Until all of the older authors and some of us disappear I don't think so. It may seem like it. Most books do have an ebook but with that they have a physical book, well most do
ewyna34
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Post by ewyna34 »

I'll still continue to buy actual book books. I like the feel of having them in hand. Stan Lee when asked if comics were going the same way as books said something to the effect..."boobs look great on computer but I still want to hold one."
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Post by ttuso22 »

I seriously hope not! I do like that ebooks are cheaper and convenient, but it can't compete with the feeling of reading a new book!
If there’s a book you really want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it. ~Toni Morrison
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Post by CrescentMoon »

I don't think that paper books would ever completely disappear. I know that there are bookstores that are shutting down because people are less likely to buy paper books nowadays, but holding a book is different from reading it online. Plus you can buy books online from Amazon and other websites so even if bookstores shut down, it's still possible to buy paper copies. Like others have said, too many people still do prefer paper copies for them to be obsolete.
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Post by Keirakay »

I have noticed that, although it seems as if e-books ought to be cheaper, (no physical product - no printing, binding, etc. required), they really aren't that much cheaper overall. They are wonderful for people who don't have the money to buy new books regularly, they are wonderful for writers who want to self-publish, because the former are a market for the latter, and maybe even the publishing houses are able to spot future best-selling authors more easily from the ranks of the self-published authors -

But the published authors, their books are typically the same price or, in some cases, even MORE expensive in the e-book format than they are in paperback. I don't know how many times I've been flabbergasted because I book I wanted for my Kindle or my Nook was MORE expensive than the paperback.

The thing is, there's just something about books - physical books - with the pages and the ink and holding it and seeing rows of neatly shelved books in your personal library - I don't know if that will ever die...

And if the demand for a book is high - publishers can charge just as much for the ebook as they can for the physical book - and we will pay it, because we want to read it THAT BAD. :) As long as there are avid readers, there will be paid authors, and physical, printed books - that's what I think anyways. :) UNLESS paper becomes an endangered resource... .but that's a whole different conversation. :)
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