Problem is, if everyone did that the market for books would dwindle. To get those really good books into the library, there have to be enough people buying to make it worthwhile to publish them. I use libraries on occasion, but I support authors I really like by buying their work.
I think your parents aren't like other people. This is the first time I ever heard of headaches associated with a kindle. The electonic ink display is designed to simulate a real page, and it does a pretty good job. I've never heard of a month long nationwide power outage either. Like steerpike said the kindle needs to be recharged like once a month. And so what if people are forgetting about books? I'd be more worried if people were forgetting about fiction. Devices like the kindle make it incredibly easy to buy a book. A friend mentions a book you might enjoy, and within seconds you purchase it from the amazon store. There's no second guessing, waiting for some free time to visit the bookstore then losing interest when you actually do get the free time. The kindle with its free 3G has created a 24/7 impulse purchase snare for every kindle user. The ebook reader isn't the death of books. But it might be the savior of fiction.
My librarian showed the Kindle to me and she said after 3 hours she couldn't read anymore. She said it was good, but book are better. Oh and she's not in her 70's so it's not age. Forgetting about Books is like forgetting History, Science and most importantly- Math. So, lets just forget about something we have been using since 800 BC and act like it's nothing. But only if Fiction is safe. That makes sense. Im just as concerned about Fiction as you are, but you can't just say "Forget about books" and act like it's nothing. And talking about Screens? You want to get brain cancer? i think not! Too much screens isn't good for the Human Brain. People aren't stupid. We just don't realize that if we keep pushing things to screen, we could cause ourselves alot of trouble. Cause one day some country will have a catastophic event and wipe out it's power, and so goes the chance of reading. People who have to deal with something like that, without a good book is gonna be pretty hard to cope. Books have helped us with creativity and stress, and they help us escape any situation. But people see These Kindles and histories of everything about Books is forgotten in seconds.
I know i sound like im insane, but putting it that way it might inform that books aren't to be forgotten.
Brain cancer? From a Kindle e-ink display? Geez...you're reaching now, dude. Your librarian needs to have her eyes examined.
well it's proven that if a person doesn't take breaks from screens that they could get brain cancer. just saying. sometimes the truth is ridiculous.
LOL. You need to educate yourself on this topic. Seriously. Were you even aware that the e-ink display on a Kindle uses light reflection just like a regular book? It doesn't emit light like an LCD screen or typical computer monitor.
Doesn't matter. Screens are still Screens. Like cell phones, computers and Tvs are already enough. Light relfection. Did you know what you are talking about? Light reflection screens is made from titanium dioxide. Like it's any safer.
Take a Science class? Titanium Dioxide can kill you. And your telling me. LCD Screen chemicals are just as bad.
When ingested. Unless you are planning to eat your Kindle, or worse yet grind it into powder and inhale it, you will be fine. Please allow me a moment to weep for the state of science eduction... ... ... Thanks. We now return you to your ongoing installment of DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE WILL KILL YOU!
Titanium dioxide is about as safe as powdered sand. Not good to inhale fine particles. but practically inert chemically. Titanium dioxide is the white pigment in most modern paints. It replaced lead carbonate, which really IS dangerous. Just because it is seven syllables long doesn't mean it's dangerous. And yes, I do know a thing or two about TiO2. I used to be a research chemist, and I did some work with implantable titanium electrodes, including thier electrochemical reactions and toxicity concerns.
Yeah. I had a client who produced pigments, and the workers wore protective gear when using the substance, including masks to breathe through. But that may have been more a result of OSHA or simply extra caution on the part of the business than any real threat.
Titanium dioxide is also the smoke used in a lot of Hollywood effects, generated as very fine airborne particles.
As an aspiring physicist i can also confirm that light waves refected off various surfaces dont harm you unless they are in the very high frequency end of the spectrum (high energy) or are very high doses. I've never heard of anyone getting a suntan from there kindle.
Do you think it might be an undiagnosed case is astigmatism? I'm no optometrist but I know that concentrating on small objects (like text) for a long time (like 3 hours) can cause headaches and eye strain in people with astigmatism.
I read a few articles about the independant bookshops, and with the collapse of the major chain stores there is a depressed market at this time, expected to continue through the remainder of the year. However, all sings point to a strong rebound once the dust settles. We shall see. Personaly I prefer paper book. I have to replace my laptop every 4-5 years, my cd's once a year, they make all these cheap products in China, where the motto is Made to break... So I have not gone to the e books and won't until someone makes a device that does not require me to charge it, it's water proof, sun proof, kid proof etc. I can replace a 20$book if Fido finds it tastey, I can not however afford to replace a 200$ + gaget.
Look, even if he was wrong bashing him was not right either. Act like adults in arguments, as Cogito did. But yeah staring at an E-book is not very different than a computer. Huzzah?
Actually the point that was made was that, since most ebook readers like the kindle are not backlit, it's not at all like staring at a computer. Now, reading them ob, say, an ipad or iphone or even blackberry's new tablet would be like reading a computer screen, but a kindle, nook or kobo (the only ereaders I know of) are just like reading books. And I don't think there was much bashing going on. Steerpike sort of bashed the guy, but when you state a false claim as fact in as arrogant a manner as that, some rudeness should be allowed.
I just meant, its not a good argument if your not civil. Half the argument is not pissing the other person off.
Steerpike, I always knew you were special. I'm kind of sad that Borders is closing, but at the same time...there's a Barnes and Noble 2.5 miles down the street from my house, and there's a Borders like...right across the street from that. I think I've gone to the Borders once since we moved here a year ago, while I've gone to B&N at least once or twice a month. Like others have pointed out, they were mismanaged in a lot of areas--as sad as the situation is, if their upper management had made wiser decisions, they probably wouldn't be in this predicament.
That's an idea. I think I'll only allow my books to be published on clay tablests. That'll make them stand out on the bookshelf.
One of the religions, I think it's Buddhism, says 'The one thing you can be sure of is change' I was shown a kindle at a writers' group and it did not appeal to me, I prefer paper. Seventeen years ago when I was on a word processing course, we were told that for every two hours spent in front of a computer screen we should take a twenty minute break for the sake of our eyes, even if it was our job, we were told to ask for a twenty minute break. As things changed? Is it okay to read a kindle screen for hours on end and have no detrimental effect to the eyes? To get back to the op, Borders Books closed here in the UK a few years ago. Another problem we have here for the book industry, I believe, is the supermarket chains selling books at cut prices.
