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Our libraries are always packed, I prefer to read a "real" book, it irks me to not get a discounted price on an ebook (since no materials are involved), but it is plainly obvious this is the way things are headed.
Op, sorry your friend is so upset about it, but it is the future.
I agree that fewer people seem to be reading at all.
Can't tell you how many people told me 50 Shades of Gray was the first book they had read in years.
It's "incredibly presumptuous" to have a personal opinion based on your personal experience? Since when?
It's incredibly presumptuous to assume someone doesn't read based on how they speak. You say the guy specifically said "you can tell JUST by talking to someone". No, you can't. You can't possibly know that unless they tell you "No, I don't read for pleasure". But since I highly doubt he goes around polling everyone he speak to, yes, it's incredibly presumptuous.
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My personal opinion is that ebooks will likely do well for a few years, and then will start to decline, for all kinds of reasons.
ebooks have already been doing well for more than a few years and showing no signs of waning. I am also curious what your "reasons" are.
I'm interested in hearing these theories, as well. Truly.
I'm not a fan of ebooks, but I don't think they are going anywhere.
Just went on a week's vacation and packed 20 library books. We have 2 ereaders and an ipad, but I didn't want to pay for all those books...but the weight, etc, was noticeable. Be nice if you could pay a service like Netflix and have full library access to all the books you wanted.
GraceC, I'm surprised at what you're saying about "an arm and a leg" because it seems to me that unless you're talking about something very rare and valuable, the price of most used books has dropped drastically, due to the shift in competition due to the internet.
Dropped drastically to what? Unless you're talking about a library sale where you can fill as many books as possible in a bag for $2 or something like that.. but these type of events only happen occasionally. Generally speaking.. used book stores charge 1/2 original price for their books. Sure you can find deals online but it's still used books. If what you're after is the deal, then I can tell you eBooks offer better deals, a lot of them are free.
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Originally Posted by Voebe
My personal opinion is that ebooks will likely do well for a few years, and then will start to decline, for all kinds of reasons.
Never bet against technology. Regular books will go the way cassettes go against CDs. Even CDs sales have been down for a long time due to iTunes and online songs download. Look around you, how many book stores do you still have in your neighborhood compared to, say, 5 years ago? That doesn't mean people don't read anymore.. we simply read our books in different format now.
Frankly, I just don't understand the negativity you and some people have against eBooks. As long as we still read, does it matter whether we read regular books or eBooks?
I was talking to the owner of a bookstore dealing in used/rare books, Jumel Terrace Books, especially related to black/African American authors and subjects, and it got pretty depressing.
He was talking about how fewer people are reading at all, and you can tell just by talking to someone, he thinks, whether they read or not, because non-readers exhibit such ignorance. He said that book purchases came to an absolute standstill at 9/11, which panicked publishers, of course. And no one bought anything for three months, and even then the business fell off dramatically. Then since 2008, he said, purchases dropped by one-third! He said that people are even losing interest in e-books (which doesn't surprise me). Very gloomy.
I'm wondering what people he talks to in any volume that don't come into his store because whover is coming into his store obviously reads. If customer volume is down it could be for a number of reasons.
Actually, I think he's right. I just don't think either of us has any proof.
My opinion is that the e-books have not made as big of an impact as many people seem to think. Because many still prefer to read books the traditional way.
I think the reason for any decline in sales of books is that the internet in general has replaced books (somewhat) as a source of entertainment and information. I would think that libraries have probably taken the biggest hit. My last visit to a library was like visiting a ghost town.
But I don't think books will ever go away. Nothing truly replaces the book reading experience. And many will never enjoy e-books.
I visit libraries ALL the time, via the internet, to get ebooks.
There is truth that the internet, instant movies and video games have taken up attention instead of reading.
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