Re: 30 Benefits of Ebooks, and Read an Ebook Week

I think some of these benefits are quite much in the eye of the beholder,
and others are a fair stretch of facts. It also assumes the perfect ebook
format, not the mish mash we have in reality.

1) "Ebooks promote reading. People are spending more time in front of
screens and less time in front of printed books." People spending time
looking at computer screens doesn't equal reading ebooks. Insert the
various definitions of ebooks here, but spending more time using databases
to order plastics is quite different to reading for leisure.

2)"Ebooks are good for the environment." I haven't seen a really good
comparison for the eco-cost of all the computers, and power, and non
recyclable bits of ebook reading devices to actually support a flat
statement that ebooks _have_ to be better.

3)"Ebooks preserve books" Absolutely agree, though the authors examples
include an unpublished book that would of been just as lost if the wife
deleted the files off the computer before it was epublished. Original
manuscript also means nothing to the augment as that implies other copies.
Finally "Ebooks are ageless: they do not burn, mildew, crumble, rot, or
fall apart" Ebooks have version difficulties, DRM/TPM issues, hardware
faults that can make them unreadable.

4) Agree.

5) "Ebooks are easily updateable" Ebooks can be. Many are not. Replaceable
with a newer copy more often. (true for paper books)

6) "Ebooks are searchable" Provided the format they are in allows it, and
no DRM/TPM prevents it.

7) Agree, but most people are without a ebook reader that can carry.

8) Like driving :P However audio books fail on most of the other 29 reasons.

9) "Ebooks can be printable" Agree, but again is rose tinted, a
professionally printed book s going to be much easier to read in bath than
massive pile of A4 print outs.

10) "Ebooks defy time" They can also take far longer, and require Internet
connection

11) Agree

12) Agree (though I think some would say that printing ain't the biggest
cost)

13) "Ebooks are cheaper to buy" Can be cheaper to buy. Can be free. Can
cost a monthly subscription and a dedicated device worth 1000's. They are
harder to resell and swap at the bookstore.

14) "Ebooks are free" I think its the general statements that prompted me
into replying ;) Ebooks are not free. With Gutenberg there is slight cost
of bandwidth, overheads of the computer & devices, power etc. Very nearly
free. But most ebooks cost.

15, 16, 17, 18, 19) Depending again on format and device used to read them.

20) Dependant on format again, and don't expect a whole library on a
single DVD with these.

21) Very good point.

22) The first acknowledgment of DRM. Though would of been better to have
said 'with books that aren't restricted from sharing' as many good
publishers just give a moral reason not to share not physical (ie DRM)

23) Agree mostly, though no nothing about the politics or big crushing
power of New York City

24) A very vague point.

25) Its a very broad definition of ebook I suspect being used. Maybe
article would of been better giving some sort of description of what is
meant, but this is still mostly true.

26) Agree !

27) "Ebooks defeat attempts at censorship" Most of examples (if not all) I
can read as paper books in library. Some if not all would be censored in
China in  Ebook form.

28) Agree, but many don't.

29) Absolutely. Great ideas.

30) Pretty much tied in with 28, and is pretty much subjective (what is
best? Block buster do tend to mean the bulk of people etc)

Better off IMO giving 10 solid and fact grounded reasons that ebooks are
better.

Paul

> My neighbor Michael Pastore has posted a reminder of the upcoming
> "Read an Ebook Week" -- which will be March 2 to March 8 this year.
> His blog also lists "30 Benefits of Ebooks". This article was
> originally published a few years ago, but new benefits have been
> added, and the list somewhat revised.
>
> == 30 Benefits of Ebooks == (on Epublishers Weekly)
>
> http://epublishersweekly.blogspot.com/2008/02/30-benefits-of-ebooks.html
>
>
> I would be interested in learning some details:
>
> --How many ebooks were sold last year?
> --How many free ebooks were given away (from sources such as Project
> Gutenberg, and others) ?
>
> Thanks ... RW
>
>






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