The end of physical books: Do you believe it?

[Rocketman]

I used to have 7 (count, seven) book stores within a 15 mile radius from my house, and now it's down to one within 2 years. There's only one left, and it scares the living piss out of me.

Now, I'm one of those "old souls" who refuses to jump on the bandwagon and buy a Kindle, because frankly, although it may appeal to many, it just doesn't appeal to me. I'm one of those hippie readers who loves the smell of the ink and paper, the dust from being on a shelf in the attic for twenty years, the feeling of accomplishment I get when I put a finished book in a book case next to others I've read to showcase to friends and guests everything I've read. I know, it's weird.

There's something about the Kindle that just seems too discouraging. You can store 1,000+ books on it, and I feel like I'd just go nuts trying to decide which file to open next, and I almost get this "cheating" feeling like I didn't really read a BOOK - whereas I simply just read text on a screen. I know, it's incredibly illogical. But I honestly won't change; no Kindle for me, ever. Friends keep saying, "Nah, you watch, in three years you'll change your mind and buy one." And I keep saying, "No, seriously. I won't."

So, with no Kindle, and one book store left (and soon zero, I assume), I guess my book purchasing will be exclusively online, which is a scary feeling. And it goes BEYOND that: People are saying actual books won't be printed at all anymore.

What say you, SHH?

 

[The Question]

It's not going to happen. Kindle has it's benefits but it also has it's drawbacks:

1: With Kindle, if you loan someone a book you're basically loaning them your entire library.

2: A lot of people find that reading a computer screen for too long hurts their eyes.

3: Kindle's can run out of power.

4: If your Kindle breaks or is stolen you loose your entire library as opposed to just one book.

Not to say kindle's suck, because they don't, but there will always be reasons to make books aswell.

 

[Doomed_hero]

i work at a book store and we sell the nook. Alot of people at my store feel like we are selling are future away but i dont. I dont belive books are like cds and can be as easily replaced. They have been around for thousands of years and arent going extinct that easily. however it has taken its effect on are store I belive. i think its harder for bookstores now not only cause of the nook device but because you can also buy books on Amazon and other sites. Books arent going anywhere, but i sometimes wonder about book stores.

 

[Dark Guardian]

I agree completely with you Rocketman. There's something... real about a book that can never be replaced by digital text for me. I need to turn the pages, I need to hold it that special way with the thumb up the middle and your finger's around the back. You can't do that with a kindle, it's just not... right.

 

[TheIncredibleSk]

I had 1 book store by me. A Borders and it recently closed and it pissed me off so much. When ever I was bored, I would go there buy me a shake and read a book to pass the time. UGH DAMN!

 

[TLH]

It's not going to happen. Kindle has it's benefits but it also has it's drawbacks:

1: With Kindle, if you loan someone a book you're basically loaning them your entire library.

2: A lot of people find that reading a computer screen for too long hurts their eyes.

3: Kindle's can run out of power.

4: If your Kindle breaks or is stolen you loose your entire library as opposed to just one book.

Not to say kindle's suck, because they don't, but there will always be reasons to make books aswell.

I can't speak for the Kindle, but as for the Kobo eReader (Canada's #1 selling eReader, which I sell at the book store I work at), I'll play devil's advocate:

If the system breaks, you don't lose your library. Your purchase history is recorded on your account and you can reaccess those books at any time, just like with Apple. You can also download them as .pdf files and back them up on a USB stick.

eReaders can run out of power, but their batteries last 2-3 weeks. Long enough that you should never have to worry.

The screens use eInk, which is just like reading a book -- no backlight, no glare, no more painful on the eyes than a book. The new Pearl eInk is actually sharper than a book to many.

Not to mention, eReaders save trees and you don't have a pile of worn out books collecting dust or taking up space. eReaders are small, sleek, and simple.

The books are also incredibly cheap: generally 40-60% less than what they sell for in book stores.

BUT...I find owning a physical version of certain things important, so I'll always buy the physical copy of a book I absolutely love, must have, and want to hold kind of thing.

 

[enterthemadness]

No. Same with dvd's and blu-ray and CD's. They might all go downhill...but there's gonna be a market for them.

I rather read mags and books than...a kindle.

 

[PSYLENTGuardian]

Let me just say this.
I would rather value the actual, painted Mona Lisa, than stare at a photograph of the Mona Lisa online.

 

[Gold Samurai]

A mall 12 miles away from me

Waldensbook

Gone and replaced with a RadioShack. At least there's a library at the far end


Another mall and another Waldensbook closing down

"Borders" is gone

All we've got is one Barnes and Noble

 

[Scourge2099]

Books won't die off. They have been around for as long as man has been able to read and write.

 

[Dark Sentinel]

The way I describe it, I love feeling the actual weight of a story in my hands as I read it. There's something about a traditional book that can't be replaced by ebooks and despite what's being seen in current trends and whatnot, it will never be replaced. One of my favorite places to go still is my local bookstore and peruse all the books they have.

Look, as an author the Kindle and Nook are great ways for me to get my stuff out there. But the whole reason I got into writing in the first place was because of BOOKS. not ebooks, but physical books. And that's my ultimate goal, to get my book published as a physical book.

 

[The Squirrel]

Nothing beats having the actual book in hand.

 

[Q45]

I agree completely with you Rocketman. There's something... real about a book that can never be replaced by digital text for me. I need to turn the pages, I need to hold it that special way with the thumb up the middle and your finger's around the back. You can't do that with a kindle, it's just not... right.

Anybody seen that obnoxious e-reader commercial (can't remember if it was Nook or Kindle or what) where they basically make book readers feel dumb for liking books better? It was basically another "I'm a Mac. And I'm a PC" ripoff. But still, made me feel uncomfortable.
Now would be a good time to re-read Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World, and start taking notes...

 

[Q45]

A mall 12 miles away from me

Waldensbook

Gone and replaced with a RadioShack. At least there's a library at the far end


Another mall and another Waldensbook closing down

"Borders" is gone

All we've got is one Barnes and Noble

BORDERS IS GONE!!!???!!!

 

[Ultra Lantern]

BORDERS IS GONE!!!???!!!

Not all of them.

 

[greenrage36]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. As was stated earlier, the number of book stores will drop off but you'll still have a few places where the diehards can go.

Honest-to-gosh REAL lovers of books will always settle for the physical copies of stuff.

In a slightly different angle, (and while I'm one of the least religious person's I know), I just can't imagine that many people treasuring a kindle over a real, touch it-feel it-smell it bible..nope!

Books will be around...

 

[ComicChick]

i use both.

I use the Kindle app on my phone at work cuz it's easier than carrying a book around and I am highly likely to lose my book.

I love my books though, and will continue to buy them if I like them. Many books I have e-copies and actual copies of

 

[Rocketman]

The way I describe it, I love feeling the actual weight of a story in my hands as I read it. There's something about a traditional book that can't be replaced by ebooks and despite what's being seen in current trends and whatnot, it will never be replaced. One of my favorite places to go still is my local bookstore and peruse all the books they have.

Look, as an author the Kindle and Nook are great ways for me to get my stuff out there. But the whole reason I got into writing in the first place was because of BOOKS. not ebooks, but physical books. And that's my ultimate goal, to get my book published as a physical book.

That's a great way to put it.

And I'm a writer too.
Finishing my third novel hopefully this summer, if time permits me.

 

[jaganar]

1. if you have a Legacy series like "WAR OF THE SPIDER QUEEN" ( 6 books from forgotten realms) i have them all on hard cover ,as well as paperback FYI. then you know you love to read the individual books and feel them in your hands, as opposed to just scrolling which will never get me to be interested.

2. i dont care how much they sugar coat it , it still has a battery so if it falls in water / gets drenched accidentally you also have to pay a BS repair fee as opposed to just letting the book air dry.

3. it has a limited lifespan , no changable battery/ 8 hrs at best .
( dont know it , and i am assuming it has teh same life as a ipod on continuous play).

4. its pages versus a screen , you cant highlight your favorite quotes or pinch the pages to make ears like a book . you can tear a page or highlight the spine if you hate a books epilogue ( HARRY POTTER 7 , and the future ending she wrote for example) so u can avoid that specific section .


4a. atleast in books like KAHLESS , you had the book written in alternate chapters , so you could bend one page for that particular story , with a digireader , its damn near impossible .

5. for books like ART OF Sw, Art of WoW, Art of Laberynth it doesnt have the same impact as watching the image on screen , its meaningless because you dont get the same impact of the image when you are holding it.

just pick up a LUIS ROYO/ FRANK FRAZETTA /MASAMUNE SHIROW book and tell me im wrong .
books like that provide inspiration for budding artists, if i wanted a digital picture i could just google and find the pic on MILLIONS of sites .

 

[Ponyboy]

Borders is closing down here in town as well, and it hasnt been open that long. A few years.

I don't think books will go away... if anything, they'll just get more expensive and printed in fewer quantity.

 

[jaganar]

That's a great way to put it.

And I'm a writer too.
Finishing my third novel hopefully this summer, if time permits me.

i swear to GOD , if i find out you are responsible for TWILIGHT i am going to hogtie you to a chair in my basement and force you to watch JAR-JAR sings Sinatra

 

[jaganar]

Borders is closing down here in town as well, and it hasnt been open that long. A few years.

I don't think books will go away... if anything, they'll just get more expensive and printed in fewer quantity.

you know THE THING THAT DOESNT MAKE A __itLOAD of sense about borders tho ?

Borders/walden had AMAZING coupons every week , 20-50 percent off , while BARNS rarely ( once in a blue moon) has coupons .

ergo , logically people WOULD be buying more books from BORDERS , but this whole thing confuses the FRAK out of my mind . doesnt make any sense .
there were 2 BORDERS/waldens in my area as well but they both died this spring , while NOBLES is still kicking .

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

**** borders, they barred me from entering after i had to escape from a group of neds by running through there, so haha.

 

[tzarinna]

I like to go to book readings/signings and borrowing books that folks recommend, ebooks make that a little difficult.

 

[redhawk23]

I don't think book stores are going out of business do to digital books though, simply from websites like amazon undercutting their prices on physical books. It's like netflix, brick and mortar stores have a hard time competing.

Also in other countries, things are not like in the united states.

Germany has bookstores all over the friggen place. However, books have to be sold for the suggested retail price. Bookstores arent able to undercut eachother, meaning that smaller mom and pop shops can survive alongside giant bookstores.

You don't get any good deals I guess, but it seems their system works. It helps that on average Germans read far more than Americans,though.