Are physical books obsolete?
Physical books are bad for the environment, difficult to carry or consult. New technologies such as the Amazon Kindle are the latest electronic substitutes for physical books, offering a screen that simulates real paper, with the capacity to hold thousands of e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc. Having to compete with such technologies and online content, will physical books continue to be relevant for a long time, or will they soon become retro items such as LPs?
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E-books will take over!
Side Score: 19
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Physical books forever!
Side Score: 12
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It seems to me that e-books are just one more example of how technology displaces the old with the new. Though there may always be book readers, just as there are still people who listen to LP's or will continue to search for CD's in spite of the MP3 revolutions, the new generations will be more open to using and embracing the newer technologies. Personally I think I would continue to scout for "real" books... but I do not see younger internet generations being captivated by paper books. Their way of learning is changing as well as their needs. The popularity of e-books will grow and little by little only us "oldies" will be found searching for books in vintage stores in the way we may now search for LP's. Side: E-books will take over!
I think all books, e or otherwise, are nearing obsolescence. I posted my thoughts a while ago in this debate. Basically anything books can do can be done in much better ways through technology. When information is filtered through up/down voting or something like that you can get the wheat without having to slog through the chaff; this can make information exchange much faster. You can have an idea be commented on by many people very quickly by posting it on the internet; this leads to stronger ideas. You can process digital text through computer programs to quickly find a particular sentence or do other cool things. The list of advantages that digital content has over books goes on and on. Side: E-books will take over!
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The problem is that most people are stupid. They will vote on and comment on the most entertaining and attention-grabbing information, and not necessarily the information that matters most. Besides, nothing beats going outside with a good book and enjoying two of life's greatest pleasures (3 if you bring sweet tea). Side: Physical books forever!
Yeah, the filtering systems could use some perfecting, but it's only a matter of time before we come up with some way of dealing with problems like the one you mentioned. The first solution that pops into my head: Allow the sorting order to be different for each user. Then, allow users to flag other users as "smart" so that their votes, arguments, and debates are weighted more heavily. Also, the Kindle was designed to be readable outside in the sunlight. Side: E-books will take over!
I prefer physical books and I'm sure we will always have them, but I agree that e-books will take over. I mean, they take up less space, they're easier to read (with a light up screen), and it's something a lot of people will prefer with technology becoming more and more popular. Side: E-books will take over!
I loves me some books that I can keep. You know, you don't have to worry about an electronic lock activating or it accidentally dying in a terrible formatting accident. But I think electronic books are eventually going to take over. The future is coming. I hate the future. Almost as much as the past.(lol native american genocide) Almost. Side: E-books will take over!
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Physical books will become less popular, and less common, but they will not disappear. Take vinyl records for example. They are not as prevalent today as in the past, but they continue to exist in spite of 8-tracks, casettes, CD's and now MP3s. For people who are fans, nothing will replace having, reading and collecting physical books. Many of us may move to electronic formats, but there will always be "die-hards" who will keep the format alive. Side: Physical books forever!
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Physical books rock hard. What will happen when we lose all technology and head into another Dark Ages? Physical books will pull us out of it! Keep buying real books! (But buy them in cash!!!) Having read the entire description of the question, I just noted that physical books were described as "bad for the environment". It's interesting, because I just heard a segment on NPR not too long ago about something similar. They looked into the environmental effects of actual newspapers vs. reading online, and found that because so much energy was used to power the servers supplying the news (let alone the power used to receive it) getting an actual newspaper was actually better for the environment. Especially since they can be recycled. Now, books are a different matter, but I enjoy keeping them forever and going back to re-read, sometimes loaning them out, etc. So it's not as though they are a waste of trees as a one-time use thing. Side: Physical books forever!
About the environment... The difference between physical books and virtual ones can be resumed into a difference between the environmental impact of producing paper and producing energy. While paper production is limited by the amount of resources on the planet, those being trees and recyclable paper, clean energy production is basically unlimited (solar, wind, tidal, geothermal...). Looking into a better future, where more and more people have access to education and information, do you think it's possible for every single person in the world to own a physical copy of the books they love and buy a daily newspaper? There are just not that many trees available. Keeping information trapped into non-renewable resources is the same as not allowing the whole world to have access to it. You mention recycling... I wonder how much energy is wasted into it... Side: E-books will take over!
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Trees are a renewable resource, however. And clean energy is the exception, not the rule, at least for now. I think that physical copies of books are fine in the future, so long as trees are farmed in a responsible way. Good point on recycling however, there is a lot of debate as to what substances are actually more efficient to recycle than to mine from the earth the first time. Side: Physical books forever!
I love physical books. I'm sure with technology, they will start to disperse. But like many awesome vintage things, they will still exist and there will be a handful of people collecting and trading them because they'll be worth more money than they are right now. I WANT physical books to be around forever. I don't particularly like e-books whatsoever. Staring at a computer screen and scrolling down often just sucks. I get so bored I'll start to do something else. The illumination of the computer screen isn't great to be looking at for extended periods of time either. Physical books hold more comfort of being able to go anywhere, being easier on the eyes, and so forth. However, I CAN see some perks to e-books, if they evolve the software more. Being able to change the font of the book to the style and size of our choice would be a pro. Because I have issues with really big font and really small font. I like really average font (size 10 on computers). And some fonts flow better in our eyes to read. (I particularly like Book Antiqua). Also, if there was a side notepad within the book to bookmark and label easier than in actual books (would be really convenient with textbooks) and having a "find" feature to track it down in seconds. So, e-books can be convenient, mainly for school instead of carrying those huge suckers and they'd probably be a ton more convenient and cheaper than $100! But we still use physical books for a reason. Side: Physical books forever!
Check out this promotional video for Kindle 2. It explains how the screen is not illuminated from the back like normal computer screens, so you can read it anywhere you can read a book. Also, how you can change the font size, turn pages without scrolling, add your notes on the side and much more... Remember this is just the beginning of such machines, once more and more people start using them, the software might get much more interesting ^^ Amazon Kindle 2
Side: E-books will take over!
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Physical books are my way! It may not be the way of the future but it's mine. I have a library most would envy and I can to to each book I've read and find what I'm looking for fairly quickly. I'm one who doesn't like to read on-line unless it's a short article...it bothers my eyes to do so. I like curling up in bed under ambient light and read away...so no e-books or kindle for me. Anyone want to buy some books? LOL! Side: Physical books forever!
Ebook will be a good source of archiving book that is in its physical form. Physical book is the best way to go about. I tried to read my study guide on pdf and I have difficulty concentrating. On a physical book we can highlight content, scribble notes and we can draw silly drawings when bored. It helps a lot on concentration and memorizing its content. Ebook is similar to Physical book but sadly it can never be replaced. Just like wedding invitation. Egreeting cards can never replace wedding invitations. Some people might do that stuff but it is all about intangible values like respect and stuff. Side: Physical books forever!
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"I tried to read my study guide on pdf and I have difficulty concentrating" I hear what you are saying, but I think that the upcoming generations that are influenced by the new technologies have a different way of learning. The internet is changing the ways that new generations are taught. Kids can no longer just sit through a lecture... They expect immediate results, they are used to immediate interaction with the online world. Why would we expect them to intake information the same way we do? I personally enjoy the touch , feel, smell of a book . I enjoy grabbing its spine from the shelf. I like to find my own notes scribbled on the margins. But it is not about maintaining a status quo... technology changes things and this is an upcoming trend. If the technology is made available and it is cheap, it will surely take over.... despite the likes or dislikes of the older generations. Side: E-books will take over!
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A hundred years from now people will say, "I'd be extremely upset if I could never press a button again, or feel the gentle rolling of a scroll-wheel under my finger..." just like people once said, "I'd be extremely upset if I could never hear the impassioned voice of a storyteller, or gather around with my friends to hear a new tale..." Side: E-books will take over!
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I'd also like to note that I LOVE book stores. Small ones, Barnes and Nobles especially, Borders, etc. If books cease to exist, will these places go out of business? Then what? Instead of being able to read in a corner of a semi-quiet store that only tempts you to read, we'd have to go elsewhere...typically some loud place, like Starbucks. What about libraries? When students do research... is EVERY antique book of valuable information going to be on computers instead? That's no fun (thought easier for research), but still. Actually, I'm pretty confident physical books will NOT dissapear. Because there's still a handful of Americans that will never be able to afford that... computer book thingy... and be able to keep up with it. Unless you're in the middle class and above, getting one fo those things and thinking they're worth it would probably be out of your league. Plus, we'd still probably be expected to pay like $20-200 per e-book, because otherwise, how are the writers going to make any profit? That's a lot of money to spend to shove onto a little computer device that wil eventually break down and you lose all your books! Technology is getting out of hand, seriously. The beauty of a book is once you buy it, it's physically there forever. (Unless in a fire or stolen or something). But it's there more than an e-book ever will be. Plus, part of the perks of books is "page turning," not "down scrolling" or whatever. Side: Physical books forever!
Although I love the idea of having the technology of ebooks I like to know there are solid copies still available. Especially for books with illustrations. And alot of the fun with reading children books comes in turning the pages. There's alot more in reading some books than just the word content. Its a bit like arguing electric or acoustic. Acoustic wins hands down for its resonance, tone, feel and simplicity although electric does have a well earnt place. And if I drop one book in the bath it's just one book, not my whole collection that I have to go to the trouble of re uploading. Side: Physical books forever!
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