Comments on: E and P: Not ‘Either or’ http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/25/e-and-p-not-either-or/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:41:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Henry Thurston http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/25/e-and-p-not-either-or/#comment-723736 Henry Thurston Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:08:50 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/25/e-and-p-not-either-or/#comment-723736 Ficbot's defense of ebooks agrees with the facts. Just 52 issues of the Sunday edition of the New York Times newspaper consumes how many trees? ... The people who doubt the environmental benefits of ebooks hardly have a clue: they never cite evidence. We should all be reading the Times -- and other newspapers -- on our laptops. How many trees are destroyed to produce 52 issues of the New York Times? ... Almost 4 million. Ficbot’s defense of ebooks agrees with the facts. Just 52 issues of the Sunday edition of the New York Times newspaper consumes how many trees? … The people who doubt the environmental benefits of ebooks hardly have a clue: they never cite evidence. We should all be reading the Times — and other newspapers — on our laptops. How many trees are destroyed to produce 52 issues of the New York Times? … Almost 4 million.

]]> By: Robert Nagle http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/25/e-and-p-not-either-or/#comment-722826 Robert Nagle Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:19:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/25/e-and-p-not-either-or/#comment-722826 As much as I encourage the use of ebooks, I have a lot of print books I need to take care of--and I expect a lot of print books not to be digitalized anytime soon. Even if they are digitalized, the base price won't be as cheap as bargain basement price for print ebooks today. That said, I cannot imagine being a student in literature or history and not owning some kind of ebook reader. As much as I encourage the use of ebooks, I have a lot of print books I need to take care of–and I expect a lot of print books not to be digitalized anytime soon. Even if they are digitalized, the base price won’t be as cheap as bargain basement price for print ebooks today.

That said, I cannot imagine being a student in literature or history and not owning some kind of ebook reader.

]]> By: Trevor http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/25/e-and-p-not-either-or/#comment-722739 Trevor Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:39:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/25/e-and-p-not-either-or/#comment-722739 I agree that it's not an "either or" battle. I'm relatively new to the e-book world, but I am looking forward to the day where a publisher will offer a p-book (I'm thinking of a hard cover I will want to display on my book shelf) with a license code with which I could download the e-version from the publisher's website. I would be willing to pay 5-10 dollars more (over the p-book price) for this bundled version. Is this being discussed or offered anywhere? I agree that it’s not an “either or” battle. I’m relatively new to the e-book world, but I am looking forward to the day where a publisher will offer a p-book (I’m thinking of a hard cover I will want to display on my book shelf) with a license code with which I could download the e-version from the publisher’s website. I would be willing to pay 5-10 dollars more (over the p-book price) for this bundled version. Is this being discussed or offered anywhere?

]]> By: Rob Preece http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/25/e-and-p-not-either-or/#comment-722698 Rob Preece Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:08:26 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/02/25/e-and-p-not-either-or/#comment-722698 Hi Ficbot-- Absolutely agree that the library argument is silly. It's like saying nobody will buy any books because they can check them out of the library. The environmental argument is wrong, too. As you say, many eBooks are being read on devices people have for other purposes. I also believe that people underestimate the true environmental cost of paper. Sure, much paper is produced using fast-growing trees grown specifically for that purpose. But much isn't--especially with the move of paper publishing to China. As the sustainable publishing movement shows, there are severe environmental consequences of this move. Also, few people consider the economic consequences of loading up their Suburban for a fifteen minute drive to the nearest Barnes and Noble where they buy a couple of paperbacks. How much gas did you just use to purchase a book shipped from China, put on a train in LA, stored in air conditioned warehouses, and then stored in the fancy air conditioned Barnes and Noble. The thing that really gets me is that people are objecting to Read an eBook Week. I mean, all we're saying is give "E" a chance. I truly believe that most people, if they just give it a try, will like it. Rob Preece Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com Hi Ficbot–

Absolutely agree that the library argument is silly. It’s like saying nobody will buy any books because they can check them out of the library.

The environmental argument is wrong, too. As you say, many eBooks are being read on devices people have for other purposes. I also believe that people underestimate the true environmental cost of paper. Sure, much paper is produced using fast-growing trees grown specifically for that purpose. But much isn’t–especially with the move of paper publishing to China. As the sustainable publishing movement shows, there are severe environmental consequences of this move. Also, few people consider the economic consequences of loading up their Suburban for a fifteen minute drive to the nearest Barnes and Noble where they buy a couple of paperbacks. How much gas did you just use to purchase a book shipped from China, put on a train in LA, stored in air conditioned warehouses, and then stored in the fancy air conditioned Barnes and Noble.

The thing that really gets me is that people are objecting to Read an eBook Week. I mean, all we’re saying is give “E” a chance. I truly believe that most people, if they just give it a try, will like it.

Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com

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