Cory Doctorow: "Hardware ebook readers are a dead end"

[joblack]

It's a shame that almost every expert in one field has to give advice on other fields they know nothing about.

I don't ask Neal Stephenson about prostate problem solutions or my IT colleague about plumbing problems in my bath.

I think, at least for me, e-books are of high value. Prices got down considerably. Likewise, I started with an iRex Iliad, which cost me a fortune (for a student). Now you can get a decent e-book reader, at least for basic reading, for a few bucks.

So, could it be cheaper and better? Sure, but keep it on a realistic level.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by joblack

It's a shame that almost every expert in one field has to give advice on other fields they know nothing about.

I don't ask Neal Stephenson about prostate problem solutions or my IT colleague about plumbing problems in my bath.

I think, at least for me, e-books are of high value. Prices got down considerably. Likewise, I started with an iRex Iliad, which cost me a fortune (for a student). Now you can get a decent e-book reader, at least for basic reading, for a few bucks.

So, could it be cheaper and better? Sure, but keep it on a realistic level.

Wahl, considering that Doctorow made this prediction 14 years ago and we're all, still, by and large, using eReaders, even if "only" at home and not on the run, I'd say that it's e-Inks 1, Doctorow 0.

Hitch

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Wahl, considering that Doctorow made this prediction 14 years ago and we're all, still, by and large, using eReaders, even if "only" at home and not on the run, I'd say that it's e-Inks 1, Doctorow 0.

Hitch

The MobileRead community tends to be hardcore readers. This is the group that would prefer a dedicated e-Ink reader, rather than using their tablet or phone. The average person doesn't see the virtue of a dedicated e-Ink reader, just for reading content.

I'd say it is e-Inks 1, Doctorow 1.

[Uncle Robin]

If the assertion was that the devices were a dead end, then the recent growth in dedicated e-ink readers with note-taking and aubiobook capabilities suggests he was wrong, imo. The devices have evolved and are evolving.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

The MobileRead community tends to be hardcore readers. This is the group that would prefer a dedicated e-Ink reader, rather than using their tablet or phone.

While that is undoubtedly true, the MobileRead community isn't made up of every person who reads on an e-ink reader. They are still being made with new models released every couple of years.

Are they niche devices? Sure. But in that same amount of time, look at what has happened to book stores.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

The MobileRead community tends to be hardcore readers. This is the group that would prefer a dedicated e-Ink reader, rather than using their tablet or phone. The average person doesn't see the virtue of a dedicated e-Ink reader, just for reading content.

I'd say it is e-Inks 1, Doctorow 1.

I'm not actually going on this, based upon MR's contingent alone. I have thousands of clients (yeah, it surprises me too) and of those (about 5K) a shockingly high number have, yup, you got it, eInks. My clients are shockingly low-tech; most of them don't know how to download from a browser, or side-load. Hell, they can't find their Downloads folder. Nonetheless, bless their little non-tecchie hearts--they have eInks.

I'll stick with eInks 1, Doctorow 0.

Hitch

[Apache]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

While that is undoubtedly true, the MobileRead community isn't made up of every person who reads on an e-ink reader. They are still being made with new models released every couple of years.

Are they niche devices? Sure. But in that same amount of time, look at what has happened to book stores.

I prefer to read on my Surface Pro. The weight doesn't bother me, and I have Calibre and my Compleat library installed. Read on what you like and are comfortable with. I never expect others to like the same things I do. In fact, I usually find that the opposite is true.
Apache

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Barty

Everybody I know who reads books at all has a Kindle. (I'm the lone one who has branched out to a Kobo). But I'm probably in a very specific demographic.

Me too. I have friends with kindles who couldn’t even download a book to their PC let alone manage a kobo or calibre

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Me too. I have friends with kindles who couldn’t even download a book to their PC let alone manage a kobo or calibre

OMG, that's my clientele. Couldn't side-load to save their lives.

Hitch

[Calenorn]

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

The average person doesn't see the virtue of a dedicated e-Ink reader, just for reading content.

The "average person" again. If I ever get my hands on him, we're going to have words!

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Apache

I prefer to read on my Surface Pro. The weight doesn't bother me, and I have Calibre and my Compleat library installed. Read on what you like and are comfortable with. I never expect others to like the same things I do. In fact, I usually find that the opposite is true.
Apache

I wouldn't want to read novels on my Surface, but I do like to read comics on it.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Calenorn

The "average person" again. If I ever get my hands on him, we're going to have words!

IF that's true--and I'm not really arguing this--then why do so many of my absolutely average customers all have them???

Hitch

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Hitch

I'm not actually going on this, based upon MR's contingent alone. I
…

I'll stick with eInks 1, Doctorow 0.

Hitch

It will soon be 18 years since the first eink came out.
Companies are stiil producing better ones and there is choice of size and if stylus or not. They were only about 3 years old (Amazon 1 yo) when Doctorow rubbished the ideas of dedicated ereaders and ebooks.
SF writers and Futurists are usually worse than Fortune Tellers at the future (The successful Fortune Tellers cheat).
SF is after all primarily entertainment.

[jmurphy]

Originally Posted by Hitch

IF that's true--and I'm not really arguing this--then why do so many of my absolutely average customers all have them???

Hitch

Might I suggest that your average CUSTOMER is not average?
The average person doesn't even pay to read.
Your average customer is paying to have ebooks produced. The average person doesn't do that.

So I dunno why so many of your customers have einks, but I assume it has something to do with their aspirations as writers.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by jmurphy

Might I suggest that your average CUSTOMER is not average?
The average person doesn't even pay to read.
Your average customer is paying to have ebooks produced. The average person doesn't do that.

So I dunno why so many of your customers have einks, but I assume it has something to do with their aspirations as writers.

I'm sure that my customers will be touched to think that you believe that they are not, in fact, average, but above-average. :-)

I tend to think that folks who don't really understand email, that don't understand how to download from a browser, or file formats, or why file extensions matter, or any of that stuff, really are pretty average, from a tech standpoint. No? I'm almost afraid to ask what you think the typical tech knowledge is, then, from an "average" person?

Hitch