The estimated reading time for this post is 2 minutes
Perhaps you received a Kindle, Nook or iPad for the holidays. Perhaps you have wondered what all the fuss is about ebooks. Perhaps you have been reading ebooks since before there were dedicated ebook readers. Perhaps you have been scooping up great deals on Kindle books.
Ebooks are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, Ikea, the famous Swedish furniture retailer, stopped selling bookshelves due to lack of sales (see, The Unintended Consequences of E-Books’ Crazy Popularity, The Atlantic Wire).
Have you tried to read an ebook? Have you made it through at least one chapter of an ebook? Have you completely or mostly switched to reading ebooks now? Do you prefer the convenience of ebooks? Did you try reading an ebook but missed the smell and feel of a physical book? Vote in the poll below and tell us what your experience with ebooks has been:
You don’t need to own an ereader to read an ebook. You can download ebooks to your computer, which is especially handy for reference books.
Do you enjoy curling up with a good ebook? What do you think the future of physical books will be? Let us know your thoughts on ebooks in the Comments section below!
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The Day the Internet Died
Today dozens of sites, including Wikipedia and Google, will be protesting anti-piracy bills SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act). More information, including a list of sites participating in the protest can be found here: sopastrike.com. If you head to a site today and can’t access it, you will get a feel for what life would be life should these bills pass.
My position: I am against piracy in all forms. I used to practice intellectual property law and protect my clients from the unauthorized use of their creative works. Personally, I have had my work stolen from The Wonder of Tech and re-reprinted on other sites without my authorization.
However, I don’t support laws that would shut down websites due to unauthorized publication of creative works. I try very hard to make sure ever image I use here at The Wonder of Tech is authorized for use, but I cannot be 100% sure that the person granting permission owns the work. If I learned that an image were not authorized, I would take it down immediately.
No site is immune to accusations of piracy, no matter what precautions they take. Piracy laws are vital to creative works, but laws that outlaw piracy should be carefully crafted to ensure legitimate sites are not unfairly punished.
[note] If you’re in a bind and must access Wikipedia today, use the mobile version of the site: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/ [/note]
Share your views on SOPA and PIPA in the Comments section below.
* Renoir image by Mike Licht
I read both e-books and physical books! Just depends on my mood, what I am reading, where I am, and who has the best price! Right now I am reading one of each … a Kindle book from the Kindle Lending Library and a discounted paperback I got when Borders was closing.
Hi Carol, That’s a very interesting way to decide which type of book to read. I also got quite a few discounted books when our local Borders closed. It was sad to see the store closing but I appreciated getting so many great deals. 🙂
One of my friends tweeted yesterday that she found her book on a pirate site and it had been downloaded 19,000 times. Another (a NYT bestselling author) said her latest book was on a pirate site before it even hit the shelves. (Probably from an arc sent out by the publisher.) How do we get control of this? The prevailing attitude these days is that if it’s in digital form, whether it music, video or text, it ought to be freely available to anyone. Maybe that’s because there’s nothing physical to steal, most people don’t think of it as stealing. Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts sometime on how to stop pirating crime in this modern technical world!
Hi Kathy, Wow, those are some extreme cases of online piracy. I know many content creators have had their work stolen through online piracy. I strongly believe in shutting down the sites that are offering pirated content for free. Often these sites not only contain pirated works but also nasty computer viruses that infect your computer when you download the data.
There also have to be educational efforts to inform people that pirated content is stolen goods. You’re absolutely right that many people view digital works as free for the taking.
Hi Corolyn,
I’ve read eBooks on my laptop and will get an eReader eventually. I think They can be improved a lot and will be. The latest version of my camera is much better than mine and we can say that about most technology including my laptop. The depreciation on laptops is high though, I seem to change mine every few years.
I tried to read something on Wikipedia earlier when i posted my blog. WordPress suggested a link. I don’t use images other than my own very often. I have used images from Wikpedia twice for blogs and have no way of checking who owned them. I could do without them but it is a useful option. We have to be careful about copyright issues, some people are paranoid and want to retain copyright on absolute rubbish. I don’t some of my stuff being copied, it happens.
I did struggle to find a picture for today’s blog, I hunted through over 2,000 images and still couldn’t find a close up picture of ducks!
Hi Mike, I get a lot of my photos that are listed as being authorized for non-commercial use under Creative Commons at Flickr and I always give credit to the photographer at the end of my articles. I use my own photos sometimes, but usually what I find on Flickr is better than my photos (I’m still learning photography, as you know!).
You had a great picture of ducks on your Neodigital Art post yesterday, but I guess you can’t use the same picture two days in a row! 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
I have some preference of printed book over ebook because of the challenge it provides . I see at the pages that are remaining and want to finish it asap :).
But ebooks are a great way to read too.
I am totally against SOPA but also illegal downloading and copying. You are an expert on this and I would love to hear more from you on this. To me fair use doctrine is far better than both the extreme views.Even my blog policy also says so :). A few days back my post was copied completely. I filed a DMCA complaint. if only he had used it sensibly.
BTW thanks for the mention on FB, really appreciate 🙂
Hi Ashvini, Thank you for your kind words. I’m not expert, but I have seen piracy happen and I know first-hand how it feels to have your work pirated. I also had clients whose livelihoods depended upon the protection of their intellectual property rights.
With ebooks you can see how much farther you have to read as the percentage completed is shown. A few times I have been surprised to have reached the end of an audiobook when I didn’t check to see how far I had progressed.
I thought you would prefer ebooks, Ashvini, as I know one of your favorite books, So you want to be an entrepreneur? is available as a Kindle book! 😀
I did, actually more than one. I read The art of war and Anna Karenina lately. It was a pleasure.
Hi Radu, Very cool. I’m glad you enjoyed the experience. Did you read them on a dedicated ereader, a smartphone, a tablet or your computer? Do you think you will read more ebooks?
If I had to chose between eBooks and physical I would still go with physical. But that’s also because I only have my desktop computer to view eBooks with so sitting here longer than necessary is not my favorite thing to do. Maybe someday I’ll expand but I also like sharing what I read with others.
My site is blacked out today, I’m one of the supporters against these bills. So we have one down and one to go. I’ll continue praying in our favor so 2012 can continue to be the best ever for the legitimate online marketers.
I strongly believe that anyone doing anything illegal should pay the consequences but it’s also like you said Carolyn, we do things by the book but if where we are getting our images, etc. is not and we are not aware of that we will do our part when we find this out. Our intentions are good, that I do know for sure.
Thanks for spreading the word!
Hi Adrienne, I completely agree with you. It’s tough to read an ebook on a computer because of all of the distractions. I haven’t ever read an ebook on my computer or my iPad. I’ve read a couple of books on my iPhone though. I didn’t mean to, but I would be caught waiting somewhere and would pull a book up on my Kindle app. The next thing I knew I had finished the entire book.
I know you would never do anything to pirate the works of others, Adrienne. I think those of us who create content have a deep appreciation for all that it entails. We may find the exact perfect image for our article online, but if it’s not authorized for re-use then we just don’t use it. That’s why those who are trying to comply with intellectual property laws should not be caught in the net of those who are trying to eradicate piracy.
Nope – never read an e-book. But I would like to. One day, I’m sure. That is a FASCINATING tidbit about Ikea!!! Shocking, really! It makes me sad to think that books would be entirely obsolete one day.
Naturally, I agree with your thoughts regarding SOPA (even though I am Canadian). In fact, I’ve been lamenting the fact lately that I use a Canadian server to host my site, but with all of this going on, I think perhaps I’ll keep it parked where it is!
Hi Ruth, That’s interesting. I’m surprised you haven’t read an ebook yet. It’s bound to happen though.
Why would you lament having a Canadian server? Just curious how that would affect your blog.
Hi Caroline,
I’ve converted to Ebooks myself. Any books I REALLY want to share I like to get a hard copy of because it just doesn’t get easier than handing over a physical book.
At the same time, I couldn’t imagine how many bookshelves I’d have to keep if I bought a hard copy of all the books I read. Ahhhh!
Scary just thinking about it.
Nicely written post and I too am proudly protesting SOPA.
You’d think with all the negative publicity you’d hear one response to the positive aspects, but in my internet travels, that hasn’t been the case.
Bryce
Hi Bryce, what device do you use to read ebooks? If you use a Kindle, you can loan out some of your Kindle books to others. That’s very easy, you can even loan them across the miles!
Thank you for your kind words about the post. Excellent point, I haven’t read any articles in favor of SOPA. I wonder if there is anyone who actually is in favor of the bill who is willing to speak out.
I think Ebooks are great, I really do. However, I get tired of staring at screens all day which is where the physical copy of the book comes into play.
Hi Doug, I can understand how you feel, I tend to stare at the computer screen quite a bit myself. That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy reading on my Kindle with e-ink. The screen is not backlit so it isn’t any harder on the eyes than reading on paper.
Carolyn,
Such a great question! I have always been interested to know what other people think of ebooks, and now, because of your survey in this post, I have a much better idea. I am someone who Loves the convenience of ebooks. I can purchase and download any ebook for my Nook that is listed on the ebooks section of the Barnes and Noble website, AND I don’t have to drive to the store and I don’t have to wait in line! Also, ebooks tend to be cheaper, which is cool. But, now again, there are some huge books that are just nicer and easier to read when they are in the physical format. I love physical books and like the convenience of ebooks, but they will NEVER replace physical paperback books. I mean if we had ebooks back in the 60’s, the Beatles never could have written that very cool song — “Paperback Writer” ! Think about it! LOL
Thanks for a great post!
— Jupiter Jim
Hi Jupiter Jim, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! That’s great you make such good use of your Nook. I agree with you, it’s very convenient to have an ebook reader and download books instantly. When my kids tell me at 8 pm they need a book for the next day, that’s no longer a problem.
I also agree that physical books should never go away, though I never considered the consequences of ebooks on the Beatles. Interesting point! 🙂
Hi Carolyn
I do read e-books from time to time. I do however prefer a hardcopy, but more and more information, manuals and books comes as electronic papers these days. The worse thing about e-books is that there are too many distractions when reading a book on the computer. E-mail, twitter and Internet can easy move the focus from the book you are reading.
Hi Thomas, You’re right, there are certain books that work better as physical books, including photography books. I used to say cookbooks, but since I have started using cookbooks on my iPad, I realize how much better I like e-cookbooks than physical cookbooks.
The search feature is what I like best about accessing reference books as ebooks. It’s also handy to keep some reference books as ebooks with me on my iPhone.
I agree with you about reading on my computer. I just can’t do it. There are too many distractions. I can’t even sit down and read a book on my iPad. After a few minutes I find myself checking email, Twitter, etc. My Kindle is a single use device that works very well for me!
Hi Carolyn,
I just read this about Iphone apps and thought of you!
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/hiner/the-20-best-iphone-apps-of-2011-for-productive-geeks/9133?tag=nl.e004
Thanks for the article Mike. But with the title”The 20 best iPhone apps of 2011 for productive geeks” why would you think of me? What ever would make you think I was productive? 😉
I did enjoy reading it. 🙂
Hey Carolyn,
I am an oldie at heart. I still like books more than e books. Though I have read a few, I love the feel of a new book; the turning of pages; and bookmarks! Though I can do that with the e books, somehow I still haven’t got used to them as much as others around me! 🙁
Hi Hajra, I completely understand. There is a sensory satisfaction to reading physical books that just doesn’t exist with ebooks. The question becomes what is more important, convenience or the reading experience? Each reader must answer that question for herself!
Hi Carolyn,
I’m a big fan of ebooks and ebook readers. I rarely read physical books these days. My Kindle is just a lot more convenient when I’m travelling. Plus I can get a new book anytime I like and be reading it within a minute – as long as I’m in range for Wi-Fi or 3G of course.
The exception to the rule would be reference books or books that I might not read in a linear manner. If I want to dip in and out of a book rather than read it from cover to cover like a novel, then I might still go for a physical book.
Hi Hamish, I was thinking of you when I created this poll. I had a pretty good idea of how you would vote! 😉
Some reference books, those without too many images, I enjoy reading on the Kindle because of the search function and because of the dictionary.
I enjoy physical books too, but I rarely read them now because I don’t have them with me when I find time to read. I love Whispersync so I can pick up my iPhone when I’m stuck waiting somewhere and read a chapter or two. I’m never bored so long as I have a device with me! 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
There’s probably no secret to you that I love reading eBooks on my Kindle. I rarely read regular books anymore, but it happens once in a while (especially Norwegian books, because they aren’t on Kindle).
I have seen the protesting agains SOPA and PIPA all over the net today. It’s very interesting, especially since I haven’t read a sentence about it in any of the Norwegian newspapers 🙂
Hi Jens, Yes, I had a feeling you would vote that you enjoyed ebooks. 🙂 I find that I have read very few physical books since I got my Kindle. The Kindle is just so convenient, light and easy to use that I prefer reading books on it.
Wow, that’s fascinating that there was no news coverage of SOPA in Norway. It was big news here in the US. I don’t presume to think that US news should dominate worldwide news, but when Wikipedia is dark for the day, I would think that’s news. Perhaps I am showing a tech bias, not a US bias. 😉
Took the poll — I’m in the crowd that does not have preference. Well, maybe to touch the book’s pages… 🙂
Hi Keri, Excellent point. Perhaps I should have done a different poll. Instead of asking for people’s preferences, I could have asked which types of books people are reading more. People like you might prefer the sensory experience of books but find themselves reading ebooks more because of the convenience. Very interesting. 😕
Hi Carolyn,
I was waiting to add my view since I just recently started reading two ebooks.( Not long ago I discovered that my iPad had a Kindle app. WooHoo!!!I and still learning about this cool tool)
I am an avid reader and enjoy acquiring books from various places to add to my collection. Even have a cute little library to display them, so I was a bit unsure how I’d feel about going the ebook route.
Well, so far I am enjoying it. First, I like the ability to enlarge the pages for my poor old eyes; and second, the portable convience…esp. for those “larger than life” books that can weigh you down while traveling! Also, being able to download so many titles( and a
lot of them FREE) is an added perk! However, I rather doubt I will ever do a complete change over from the hardcopy. Love book browsing just too much.
Hi Cris, Yes, the iPad can be a very handy ereader. I love how the iPad has so many of the features of the Kindle app, such as Whispersync. Make sure to check out my recent article, Load Your Kindle Lightly, that tells you how to get free or discounted content for your Kindle app.
I agree, book browsing is a wonderful experience. I just hope it doesn’t become a lost art with the advent of the ebook!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience with us, Cris! 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
I imagined Kindle book to mostly be modern but found some books and stories by Anton Chekhov who I want to read. I think I prefer classics, I like Dickens but these days most of what I read is research for my blogs.
Taking of blogs I did my Neodigital Art one today. Tomorrow is psychology – Psychology | Virtuous and Vicious circles 🙂
Hi Mike, So are you reading these books as ebooks or as physical books? You must like how frugal one can be with free classic ebooks!
I will definitely hurry over to your blog to check out the Neodigital art. I never want to miss one of those posts (or any posts of yours, for that matter!). 🙂
As you know, Carolyn, the eBook world is completely new to me! I really loved your poll and was surprised to find that so many people don’t care for physical books anymore. I was also taken aback to hear about the drop in sales of Ikea shelves. That just makes me sad! I’ll always value physical books. In fact, in the past, I used to buy all the books that were especially important to me. The other books I wanted to read, I’d just borrow from the library. I’ll probably have a similar system now and continue buying books that are meaningful to me!
Hi Samantha, If you ever do try ebooks (and with all of the traveling you do, I imagine you will try them at some point), you may find you have the exact same pattern – getting ebooks from the library for casual reading and buying physical books for the more important books you want to keep.
for me I read ebooks more than physical books at the moment because most of the social media / SEO and blogging gurus now launch their books as ebooks so we don’t have a choice, for that reason I bought an Ipad so I can read ebooks easily.
thanks for the post.
Hi Faissal, Yes, many people are taking advantage of publishing on the Kindle platform so quite a few books are Kindle only. It’s good that Kindle apps are available for free on so many devices!
Ikea isn’t selling bookshelves anymore?! I live in Spain, and so far that hasn’t happened here yet, but then again, e-books aren’t as popular over here as in other countries. I just got a Sony e-book for my birthday and I love it, but the truth is that I like the feeling that a physical book gives. Ebooks are handy, but I won’t give up physical books any time soon…maybe I should get over to Ikea and get some more bookshelves, before they stop selling them over here. 😉
Hello Theresa, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! It’s true, Ikea isn’t selling bookshelves anymore, a sign that the ebook revolution is in full swing. But one this that people tend to forget is that just because you get an ereader doesn’t mean you have to restrict yourself to ebooks. You can still read physical books, even if you get an ebook reader. It’s just that people who enjoy reading ebooks tend to read them almost exclusively due to the convenience of the media.
Yes, buy your bookshelves now before they are restricted to the antiques stores.