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Today's Poll: Would you read a book on a electronic device, such as a Kindle or iPhone?

By Howard B. Owens
C. M. Barons

Whatever the technology, it needs to behave, interface, have the same portability and read like a book. The phone company(ies) should be merely routing agent, not content providers. Titles should be purchased from book stores, online or otherwise, to be downloaded or plug in files to hardware I own. The phone company should not filter what I can or can't read. I do not want to put indie bookstores or authors out of business. It needs a better name. A German sounding word for fire-starting should not be associated with books.

Dec 9, 2009, 9:10am Permalink
Chris Charvella

I get a certain tactile pleasure from turning the pages of a good book. That being said, I voted 'Yes' in this poll, but not because of the trees. Books, in all of their forms and genres expand teh mind and open us up to new experiences and I'll be in favor of any medium that brings those things to more people.

There are some things however that simply belong on a white page. I'll use the poetry of e.e. cummings as an example. He was very particular about typesets and placement and I just don't think that poems like his can jump off of an lcd display the same way they come off of the page.

Dec 9, 2009, 9:12am Permalink
Doug Yeomans

Lol at saving trees. They grow back..a renewable resource. If you believe the "end of the world, we're killing the earth doomsdayers", anything made of petroleum plastics should be the last thing they'd want to use to read a book.

Dec 9, 2009, 9:49am Permalink
Frank D'Angelo

I already do on my ipod. I'm not impressed with the Kindle at all. The kindle is expensive, not color, and the books cost $10.00 each.

Within 3 months Apple will come out with their new 10" tablet. I'm sure it will be impressive. Publishers and newspapers are already gearing up for it.

I use both regular and electronic media and see the value and benefits in both.

Dec 9, 2009, 10:05am Permalink
John Roach

I'd use one on a trip. They would be lighter and take up much less room than carrying a few books.

But at home, I'll stay with a hardcover book.

Dec 9, 2009, 10:45am Permalink
Chris Charvella

George I was thinking more along the lines of folks who like to read but find constantly buying books cost-prohibitive. The initial cost of the Kindle will be a little steep, but from what I understand uploading books to it will be cheap. For someone like me who has to trim the book budget because paperbacks cost ten bucks a pop and hardcovers are climbing into the $40's, this sort of device would be a godsend. Right now I don't have room in my budget to buy reading material so I have to wait for family and friends to give me gift certificates on holidays (they always seem to oblige.) Hell, I could finally read C.M.'s book like I've been meaning to do for months now.

Dec 9, 2009, 12:05pm Permalink

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