Not all reading is alike
Dare thinks that this is the reason publishers (and some authors) are worried about Google's plan to scan books and make them searchable:
So what does this have to do with Google Print? Well, I personally don't buy computer books anymore thanks to the Web and search engines. The last book I bought was Beginning RSS and Atom Programmingand that's only because I wrote one of the forewards.
The trouble is, looking up technical information isn't like reading a book for pleasure or research purposes. Sure, I could haul my laptop up to the bedroom - but it's a whole lot less trouble to have a real book - and the book doesn't need power. The point is, I don't see a lot of people deciding to read the 7th "Harry Potter" book online. Looking for a bit of technical information isn't at all like trying to follow a plot line.
Comments
Books, paper and similar
[Esteban A. Maringolo] October 25, 2005 16:43:55.831
Books, paper and pencil doesn't have a boot process, never freezes, and are multiplatform, that's a big reason to use them instead of an eBook even on a PocketPC.
[Jimmy Nemo] October 25, 2005 19:00:03.238
Books are well-adapted to human use, having been tuned to that purpose for over 500 years. Can one doodle marginalia in googled reference material? When computers are as flexible and adaptible to use as books, paper, and pencils--then we'll have something indeed.