Those of you who know me know that I am an avid Kindle enthusiast. My three years of Kindle obsession diligent research recently paid off when I was invited to be co-author on Kindle for Dummies which will be published by Wiley sometime in the next few months. We turned the final manuscript in on February 4th. The technical edit process is underway and then I’ll get to sign off on the final revisions. It was an interesting experience to be writing something that was definitely not nursing or health related!
In late January, Kindle books achieved a new milestone: they are outselling paperback books at Amazon.com. For every 100 paperback books that are sold, 115 Kindle books are purchased. This same milestone was reached for hardback books in mid-2010.
When the Kindle was introduced in 2007, naysayers were loudly predicting that it was doomed from the start. “Ereaders have never been successful,” they said. “People like the smell and feel of paper books.” I think eInk was the innovation that broke through this longstanding resistance, making ereaders a viable option for consumers. The Kindle is the best selling product at Amazon of all time. The other eInk readers on the market, primarily from Sony and the Barnes & Noble Nook, are also selling well with favorable reports from owners.
What about the iPad? It certainly has a nice interface for reading books. There is also a free Kindle app for the iPad (and iPhone, as well as a number of other handheld devices). Being a gadget-freak, of course I had to buy an iPad last summer. While it is sleek and great for calendar, email, games, and other applications, I really prefer reading–plain ol’reading–on my Kindle.
I’m not a fan of e-reading and thus, not a candidate for Kindle, etc. I’m one of those who likes the feel a “real” book. Not being a fan, I’d love to dismiss e-reading as a fad, but that’s not true. E-reading is here to stay and within a couple of generations, it will probably eliminate books. But, honestly, within a couple of generations, who knows what sort of unimagined technology may be available. The simple act of having to physically “read” anything may have become passe’ …
Meanwhile, I’ll keep on wetting my fionger tips and flipping to the next page.
— Judson
Hi Judson, welcome and thanks for your comment.
I’m not sure books will ever disappear. They’ve been around for 500+ years and still have plenty of fans. In fact, even with my Kindle–I have a few books I have read recently that I’ve really enjoyed and so I’ve bought the paper version to have on my shelf. The big plus of the Kindle, for me, is the convenience of having my library with me so I can read whatever I am in the mood for, and the the eInk screen which has been a wonderful boon for my aging eyes.
Leslie
Was given a Sony reader several years ago, but underwhelmed by the technology and the selection. Recently bought a B&N Nook Color; impressed with the facility of downloading via WiFi but having problems with one book (it opens but immediately closes), and B&N Nook tech support leaves something to be desired. Finally found a ebook format that I can annotate readily. I love the materiality of books but the ease of downloading was a seller, with much expanded selections on B&N. However, how can I get living authors to autograph a digitial book?
Here’s one option:
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