Quoting "Jonathan Sterne, Dr." <jonathan.sterne@mcgill.ca>:
I'm just curious. How many people actually read e-books in the DRMed format that publishers provide through a browser interface?
I've done both ... the PC/Laptop/Web interface is not fun, the DRM e-book is a bit easier, but still not fun, and PDF's don't do it for me either. A lot of the issues are, as you suggest, the limitations placed on "reading" - which is not just scanning and turning pages. Taking notes, marking up text, cutting and pasting for repurposing purposes, sharing, conversation - the e-book has a way to go. But, especially for some fields, the price is right. I just downloaded Google Reader for my iPad (which now has almost a dozen reading applications - more if you count the social apps :) and, when I logged in, Google suggested a new book for me : Half-hours in Japan - Google Books Result - Free :) Herbert Moore - 1900 - History - 254 pages http://books.google.com/books?id=jXoLAAAAIAAJ http://www.archive.org/details/halfhoursinjapa00moorgoog The book was scanned from the Stanford Library, and the Archive.org version has it available in several formats - a dedicated web reader, e-book formats, and PDF. If people want a quick browsed, this is a nice way to explore the topic. * * * That said, I still buy eBooks from the best seller list ... even some of the 99 cent "dime novels". * * * And, any day now, the Kurzweil reader will arrive and save the day ! :) Ciao Steve