Digital Books Vs. Traditional Printed Books

While running this morning I switched to NPR and heard a very interesting argument about the life of books beyond the print medium that is in the form of eBooks, Kindle, Sony Reader, iTouch or iPhone format. I am not surprised by the growing trend in electronics and the expanding availability of various media in trendy formats. Though the review was about the latest Kindle from Amazon, and since I live way up north that device has not made its mark in snow country yet. But I care less, as I use my mighty iPhone and 2005 PowerBookG4 to do all my digital reading. Not sure if Kindle is something I’d want or for that matter any eBook reader. While companies do these crazy innovations and spent tonnes loads of money into they forget the customers convenience and affordability. Why would someone in sane mind buy a $250+ device, when they can download less than $10 worth of eBook app on their already invested $300 iPhone? It is beyond my reach to argue that, and more importantly mere waste of time to even talk about it any further than this. Enough said.

Now, the human life as we know is evolving and will continue to evolve around the industrialization of its race. It has been a growing trend past 200 years, and the next few hundred years are not going to be any different in sophistication and astonishment that will continue to awe the older generation over new ones.

Coming back to books, I agree with the thought that I aspire an actual printed book over the electronic format or an audio book. But when it comes to convenience, it is no argument that the ease of carrying 100+ title in the palm of your hands is more convenient than carrying a trunk load of printed books. In fast paced organic life today, convenience and comfort play a very strong hand. Keeping all the drama out of normal day routine, the accessibility to information is such a winning factor. Imagine searching for a selected phrase in a printed book of 300+ pages, and worst still you don’t even remember which book. Now imagine, that with e-version. Life is easy with bits and bytes, ain’t it!

For the record, I still love listening to my collections of EPs and LPs in my spare time over the trendy iTouch/iPhone, though I can’t live without my iPhone. Such an “Hippocratic” statement, but, true.