Comments on: Why eBooks are a Better Entertainment Value Than Almost Anything Else http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/ I'm a storyteller. I find cool new things, use them to make my life better, and teach others to do the same. Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:54:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Come See my Amazon Kindle in Portland Today at Josh Bancroft’s TinyScreenfuls.com http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-70924 Come See my Amazon Kindle in Portland Today at Josh Bancroft’s TinyScreenfuls.com Thu, 29 May 2008 15:49:25 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-70924 [...] here’s my video “unboxing” and initial impressions post, a post I wrote about why I think ebooks are a great entertainment value, and a really old post I wrote as a rebuttal to Kindle critics. Let me know if you have any [...] [...] here’s my video “unboxing” and initial impressions post, a post I wrote about why I think ebooks are a great entertainment value, and a really old post I wrote as a rebuttal to Kindle critics. Let me know if you have any [...]

]]> By: Amazon.com Kindle: Is it as awesome as it seems? - Topic Powered by eve community http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-70472 Amazon.com Kindle: Is it as awesome as it seems? - Topic Powered by eve community Tue, 27 May 2008 21:45:10 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-70472 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] whether to read them:Rebuttal to Amazon Kindle Critics (written months ago, before I had mine)Why eBooks are a Better Entertainment Value Than Almost Anything Else (written a day or so after I got my Kindle)Feel free to debate any of the points I [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> Kramer auto Pingback[...] whether to read them:Rebuttal to Amazon Kindle Critics (written months ago, before I had mine)Why eBooks are a Better Entertainment Value Than Almost Anything Else (written a day or so after I got my Kindle)Feel free to debate any of the points I [...]

]]> By: jkOnTheRun: MobileTechRoundup 132: 3G is in the air http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-66517 jkOnTheRun: MobileTechRoundup 132: 3G is in the air Mon, 05 May 2008 14:17:43 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-66517 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] exciting about the HTC Advantage refresh. What's the entertainment factor of eBooks and the Kindle? Josh Bancroft shares a theory. Win one of 31 HP Pavilion HDX notebook packages worth over $5,000! If you like the show, please [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> Kramer auto Pingback[...] exciting about the HTC Advantage refresh. What’s the entertainment factor of eBooks and the Kindle? Josh Bancroft shares a theory. Win one of 31 HP Pavilion HDX notebook packages worth over $5,000! If you like the show, please [...]

]]> By: MoTR » MobileTechRoundup 132 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-66270 MoTR » MobileTechRoundup 132 Sun, 04 May 2008 17:46:54 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-66270 [...] about the HTC Advantage refresh. What’s the entertainment factor of eBooks and the Kindle? Josh Bancroft shares a theory. Win one of 31 HP Pavilion HDX notebook packages worth over [...] [...] about the HTC Advantage refresh. What’s the entertainment factor of eBooks and the Kindle? Josh Bancroft shares a theory. Win one of 31 HP Pavilion HDX notebook packages worth over [...]

]]> By: Josh Bancroft http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-65136 Josh Bancroft Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:18:42 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-65136 @Victor - the vast majority of dead tree books are not in color, either. And what kind of touch interface does a book have, besides flip to the next/previous page (which the Kindle does with well designed hardware buttons, so you don't get fingerprints on your screen)? And how many books do you own that can play YouTube videos? An ebook is not an all-in-one digital entertainment device. If I want color, a touch interface, or YouTube videos, I pull my iPhone out of my pocket. But my iPhone sucks for reading lots and lots of text (like books). And there's no good ebook software for the iPhone yet. And even if there was, I'm limited to the free stuff on the web - I can't read newer stuff from the Kindle store on my iPhone. I agree that the Kindle isn't a great "all-in-one" device, but that's OK. It doesn't try to be one. It doesn't have to. It does what it does really, really well, and that's enough to make me happy. And most new books are published on the Kindle store at the same time they are released in dead tree form (see Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff's recent book "Groundswell" or Rohit Bhargava's "Personality Not Included" as an example). And what does all of that have to do with DRM again? ;-) @Victor - the vast majority of dead tree books are not in color, either. And what kind of touch interface does a book have, besides flip to the next/previous page (which the Kindle does with well designed hardware buttons, so you don’t get fingerprints on your screen)? And how many books do you own that can play YouTube videos?

An ebook is not an all-in-one digital entertainment device. If I want color, a touch interface, or YouTube videos, I pull my iPhone out of my pocket. But my iPhone sucks for reading lots and lots of text (like books). And there’s no good ebook software for the iPhone yet. And even if there was, I’m limited to the free stuff on the web - I can’t read newer stuff from the Kindle store on my iPhone.

I agree that the Kindle isn’t a great “all-in-one” device, but that’s OK. It doesn’t try to be one. It doesn’t have to. It does what it does really, really well, and that’s enough to make me happy.

And most new books are published on the Kindle store at the same time they are released in dead tree form (see Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff’s recent book “Groundswell” or Rohit Bhargava’s “Personality Not Included” as an example).

And what does all of that have to do with DRM again? ;-)

]]> By: Intel® Software Network Blogs » Electronic Paperbacks and Newspapers? http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-65134 Intel® Software Network Blogs » Electronic Paperbacks and Newspapers? Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:07:10 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-65134 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] I posted a video unboxing and "first impressions" on my blog, which got a ton of comments, and then did a follow up post on "why I think ebooks are the best entertainment value out there". [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> Kramer auto Pingback[...] I posted a video unboxing and “first impressions” on my blog, which got a ton of comments, and then did a follow up post on “why I think ebooks are the best entertainment value out there”. [...]

]]> By: Victor http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-65110 Victor Tue, 29 Apr 2008 07:04:12 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-65110 Hi, Josh I agree with your idea of ebook. But, there are some problems about DRM. I think that negotiating with publishers might be very hard. And I think that if ebook wants to go public, ebook should be more advanced than paperbook. For an example, Amazon Kindle was good try, however, I think that it doesn't support any color. It just supports black and white. Also the touch interface should be almost same as paperbook. And putting some multimedia functions which is capable of showing a Youtube movie into ebook would be able to make ebook different from paperbook. The reason why people still do not want to buy an ebook is because there is not enough value of ebook. Ebook should be more remarkable than now. One more thing is ebook and paperbook should be published at same time. Hi, Josh
I agree with your idea of ebook. But, there are some problems about DRM. I think that negotiating with publishers might be very hard. And I think that if ebook wants to go public, ebook should be more advanced than paperbook. For an example, Amazon Kindle was good try, however, I think that it doesn’t support any color. It just supports black and white. Also the touch interface should be almost same as paperbook. And putting some multimedia functions which is capable of showing a Youtube movie into ebook would be able to make ebook different from paperbook. The reason why people still do not want to buy an ebook is because there is not enough value of ebook. Ebook should be more remarkable than now. One more thing is ebook and paperbook should be published at same time.

]]> By: Could bad times be GOOD for the e-book biz in some cases, including Kindle sales? | TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-65087 Could bad times be GOOD for the e-book biz in some cases, including Kindle sales? | TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:28:12 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-65087 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] I was tweaking this post, I came across Why eBooks are a better entertainment value than almost anything else, in Josh Bancroft’s [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> Kramer auto Pingback[...] I was tweaking this post, I came across Why eBooks are a better entertainment value than almost anything else, in Josh Bancroft’s [...]

]]> By: Josh Bancroft http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-65052 Josh Bancroft Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:02:16 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-65052 @Dirk - that's a very good point (factoring in the cost of the device). And there's something else to factor in - the plentitude of free books available. Maybe that cancels out the cost of the initial purchase in my equations. Yeah, that's it! :-) @Rebecca - Audio books are great. Did you know the Kindle can play MP3s and Audible audiobooks (even the DRM'ed ones)? So you could stick a cheap SD card in (4GB is $10 on Amazon), load it up, and read/listen to your heart's content. @Cat - You're absolutely right. There's a TON of great free and non-DRM books out there. I'm working on a "Free ways to feed your Kindle or other ebook reader" post, hope to have it posted soon. Thanks! :-) @Dirk - that’s a very good point (factoring in the cost of the device). And there’s something else to factor in - the plentitude of free books available. Maybe that cancels out the cost of the initial purchase in my equations. Yeah, that’s it! :-)

@Rebecca - Audio books are great. Did you know the Kindle can play MP3s and Audible audiobooks (even the DRM’ed ones)? So you could stick a cheap SD card in (4GB is $10 on Amazon), load it up, and read/listen to your heart’s content.

@Cat - You’re absolutely right. There’s a TON of great free and non-DRM books out there. I’m working on a “Free ways to feed your Kindle or other ebook reader” post, hope to have it posted soon. Thanks! :-)

]]> By: Cat Faber http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/2008/04/why-ebooks-are-a-better-entertainment-value-than-almost-anything-else/#comment-65049 Cat Faber Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:19:16 +0000 http://www.tinyscreenfuls.com/?p=1917#comment-65049 If any of the free (and DRM-free) e-books at the Baen Free Library or Manybooks.net strike your fancy, they're an even better entertainment value, and the Mobipocket versions display on the Kindle just fine. Plus if you're worried about DRM, Baen Webscriptions and Fictionwise sell DRM-free e-books (Fictionwise also sells DRMed versions, so be sure and check which type you're proposing to get--the DRM-free ones are called "Multiformat") If any of the free (and DRM-free) e-books at the Baen Free Library or Manybooks.net strike your fancy, they’re an even better entertainment value, and the Mobipocket versions display on the Kindle just fine.

Plus if you’re worried about DRM, Baen Webscriptions and Fictionwise sell DRM-free e-books (Fictionwise also sells DRMed versions, so be sure and check which type you’re proposing to get–the DRM-free ones are called “Multiformat”)

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