Comments on: Books go digital http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2005/11/books-go-digital/ I write stuff. Mostly about Windows. Sometimes I get paid for it. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:55:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Incoherent Babble » Blog Archive » Books, Books, Books! http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2005/11/books-go-digital/comment-page-1/#comment-3400 Incoherent Babble » Blog Archive » Books, Books, Books! Fri, 04 Nov 2005 02:40:19 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1123#comment-3400 [...] I guess the real news is what I read over on Ed Bott’s blog. According to Ed (and he’s usually a trustworty source… ), the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Amazon has announced plans for two new services that will integrate with their massive online store. [...] [...] I guess the real news is what I read over on Ed Bott’s blog. According to Ed (and he’s usually a trustworty source… ), the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Amazon has announced plans for two new services that will integrate with their massive online store. [...]

]]> By: Chris Meller http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2005/11/books-go-digital/comment-page-1/#comment-3399 Chris Meller Thu, 03 Nov 2005 23:07:56 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1123#comment-3399 Uhh... Isn't the idea behind most books that you read *the whole thing*? I'm assuming there'd be some kind of major search technology behind this that would let you pick the pages you wanted to buy (if they showed you the pages, there'd be very little point in making you buy them), but I still don't see it working as magically as they seem to portray it. The answer is "No". I'd rather purchase the entire book. Besdies, your books are collections of various things. Half the value (to me, anyway) is flipping through and finding out cool things I didn't know BEFORE the problem arises and I have to scramble to find a fix for it. As for the online version, I'd love it. I think evertyhing from textbooks to recipes should come with eBook versions (either downloadable from the publisher's website or on a packaged CD). I still want the actual book for flipping and browsing purposes, but when I'm looking for a specific sentence I read in the real book, I want full-text searching, baby! Amazon's won me over as a customer. I could frequently find books $5 or so cheaper than on Amazon, but now they're packaging the actual book up with an online version I can search through from anywhere, any time. You just can't beat that... Uhh… Isn’t the idea behind most books that you read *the whole thing*? I’m assuming there’d be some kind of major search technology behind this that would let you pick the pages you wanted to buy (if they showed you the pages, there’d be very little point in making you buy them), but I still don’t see it working as magically as they seem to portray it.

The answer is “No”. I’d rather purchase the entire book. Besdies, your books are collections of various things. Half the value (to me, anyway) is flipping through and finding out cool things I didn’t know BEFORE the problem arises and I have to scramble to find a fix for it.

As for the online version, I’d love it. I think evertyhing from textbooks to recipes should come with eBook versions (either downloadable from the publisher’s website or on a packaged CD). I still want the actual book for flipping and browsing purposes, but when I’m looking for a specific sentence I read in the real book, I want full-text searching, baby!

Amazon’s won me over as a customer. I could frequently find books $5 or so cheaper than on Amazon, but now they’re packaging the actual book up with an online version I can search through from anywhere, any time. You just can’t beat that…

]]> By: Mousky http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2005/11/books-go-digital/comment-page-1/#comment-3397 Mousky Thu, 03 Nov 2005 21:40:06 +0000 http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=1123#comment-3397 I would request that my library purchase your book, borrow it and scan the pages I need at home and return the book ;) I would request that my library purchase your book, borrow it and scan the pages I need at home and return the book ;)

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