> A great many people are uncomfortable with reading from a computer screen. Take a look on at Bruce Eckel's books. They are freely available in html format, but as soon as they are published, millions run out to pick up a printed copy. I won't say never, but I don't see electronic books replacing the traditional ink&paper medium any time soon... Certainly not in my generation (at the end of which Walter will be long gone and making money will be someone else's problem).
> 
> Andrew

This is really true.  I actually like collecting free computer science ebooks, but for some reason, never like reading them off the screen.  In the past, I've ended up printing the good ones out. There's nothing quite like being able to grab a book, flop out on the couch and use it as a face cover for a good nap (just kidding).  Nonetheless, I do find ebooks very useful for quick-lookup references. Where it may eventually get better for ebooks is on pda's.  I like that idea except for the fact that pda screens are still pretty small, and the pda battery life does not compare well to paper books :-).  Paper books likely will never go out of style.

Later,
John

"Phill" <phill@pacific.net.au> wrote in message news:c3ic6h$1ka6$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> If you make an E Book, it is going to be more or less free to a lot of
> people anyway.
> With these file swapping programs around now, it  would be make it hard to
> make any money on
> the net.

I have no interest whatsoever in ebooks and their DRM. If we do an online version, it will be either html or pdf. I prefer html.

> 
> This is really true.  I actually like collecting free computer science ebooks, but for some reason, never like reading them off the screen.  In the past, I've ended up printing the good ones out. There's nothing quite like being able to grab a book, flop out on the couch and use it as a face cover for a good nap (just kidding).  Nonetheless, I do find ebooks very useful for quick-lookup references. Where it may eventually get better for ebooks is on pda's.  I like that idea except for the fact that pda screens are still pretty small, and the pda battery life does not compare well to paper books :-).  Paper books likely will never go out of style.
> 
> Later,
> John

I should clarify that I'm talking about the trully free ebooks (by this I don't mean the secure ebooks).  I mean the ones released as pdf and html to the public.

"Andrew Edwards" <remove_ridimz@remove_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:opr46oe9bfs6zaqn@news.digitalmars.com...
> A great many people are uncomfortable with reading from a computer screen. Take a look on at Bruce Eckel's books. They are freely available in html format, but as soon as they are published, millions run out to pick up a printed copy. I won't say never, but I don't see electronic books replacing the traditional ink&paper medium any time soon... Certainly not in my generation (at the end of which Walter will be long gone and making money will be someone else's problem).

Both have their place. The soft version is great for lookups, searches, and quick checking. The hard version is great for settling down to study it.

Too true, I hate reading a book off the screen.  Plus theres something comforting about a physicall book.  I can't find myself getting excited to buy an ebook and sit at my desk ( where im at 9 hours out of the day anyway ) and read it.  I'm already excited about 'D in a nutshell' :).  ( I hope they don't go with D in 24 hours / 24 days etc. :S )

C

On Sat, 20 Mar 2004 18:19:47 -0500, Andrew Edwards <remove_ridimz@remove_yahoo.com> wrote:

> On Sun, 21 Mar 2004 08:13:55 +1100, Phill <phill@pacific.net.au> wrote:
>
>> If you make an E Book, it is going to be more or less free to a lot of
>> people anyway.
>> With these file swapping programs around now, it  would be make it hard to
>> make any money on
>> the net.
>>
>> Phill.
>>
>
> A great many people are uncomfortable with reading from a computer screen. Take a look on at Bruce Eckel's books. They are freely available in html format, but as soon as they are published, millions run out to pick up a printed copy. I won't say never, but I don't see electronic books replacing the traditional ink&paper medium any time soon... Certainly not in my generation (at the end of which Walter will be long gone and making money will be someone else's problem).
>
> Andrew



-- 
D Newsgroup.

"Walter" <walter@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:c3irca$2dak$1@digitaldaemon.com...
>
> "Andrew Edwards" <remove_ridimz@remove_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:opr46oe9bfs6zaqn@news.digitalmars.com...
> > A great many people are uncomfortable with reading from a computer
screen.
> > Take a look on at Bruce Eckel's books. They are freely available in html format, but as soon as they are published, millions run out to pick up a printed copy. I won't say never, but I don't see electronic books replacing the traditional ink&paper medium any time soon... Certainly
not
> > in my generation (at the end of which Walter will be long gone and
making
> > money will be someone else's problem).
>
> Both have their place. The soft version is great for lookups, searches,
and
> quick checking. The hard version is great for settling down to study it.
>

I also find that when I am reading the hard version,
my wife isnt nagging me for "sitting at the computer for hours" :o))

Andrew Edwards wrote:

> A great many people are uncomfortable with reading from a computer screen. Take a look on at Bruce Eckel's books. They are freely available in html format, but as soon as they are published, millions run out to pick up a printed copy. I won't say never, but I don't see electronic books replacing the traditional ink&paper medium any time soon... Certainly not in my generation (at the end of which Walter will be long gone and making money will be someone else's problem).
>
> Andrew

true, also I think reading off the screen has proven to be slower (about 40% slower).

-- 
-Anderson: http://badmama.com.au/~anderson/

"John Reimer" <jjreimer@telus.net> wrote in message news:c3io0h$282i$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> > A great many people are uncomfortable with reading from a computer
screen.
> > Take a look on at Bruce Eckel's books. They are freely available in html format, but as soon as they are published, millions run out to pick up a printed copy. I won't say never, but I don't see electronic books replacing the traditional ink&paper medium any time soon... Certainly
not
> > in my generation (at the end of which Walter will be long gone and
making
> > money will be someone else's problem).
> >
> > Andrew
>
> This is really true.  I actually like collecting free computer science ebooks, but for some reason, never like reading them off the screen.  In the past, I've ended up printing the good ones out. There's nothing quite like being able to grab a book, flop out on the couch and use it as a face cover for a good nap (just kidding).  Nonetheless, I do find ebooks very useful for quick-lookup references. Where it may eventually get better for ebooks is on pda's.  I like that idea except for the fact that pda screens are still pretty small, and the pda battery life does not compare well to paper books :-).  Paper books likely will never go out of style.

True. Electronic form is useful for reference, but, IMO, nothing else. I've never been able to read even a single chapter of an electronic book, in any form, and am invariably disappointed to find them not available in print.

Also, there's the connotation that if a book's available only electronically, then it's not very good. I've yet to come across one that proves this hypothesis wrong, although I'm open-minded on the subject.


>
> Later,
> John

"Phill" <phill@pacific.net.au> wrote in message news:c3j361$2q8p$1@digitaldaemon.com...
>
> "Walter" <walter@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:c3irca$2dak$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> >
> > "Andrew Edwards" <remove_ridimz@remove_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:opr46oe9bfs6zaqn@news.digitalmars.com...
> > > A great many people are uncomfortable with reading from a computer
> screen.
> > > Take a look on at Bruce Eckel's books. They are freely available in
html
> > > format, but as soon as they are published, millions run out to pick up
a
> > > printed copy. I won't say never, but I don't see electronic books replacing the traditional ink&paper medium any time soon... Certainly
> not
> > > in my generation (at the end of which Walter will be long gone and
> making
> > > money will be someone else's problem).
> >
> > Both have their place. The soft version is great for lookups, searches,
> and
> > quick checking. The hard version is great for settling down to study it.
> >
>
> I also find that when I am reading the hard version,
> my wife isnt nagging me for "sitting at the computer for hours" :o))

You can't take a laptop in the bath, or standing up on a bus/train/tram/ferry, or while driving.

I just hate e-books. :(

"Matthew" <matthew@stlsoft.org> wrote in message news:c3jf4j$bhp$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> > I also find that when I am reading the hard version,
> > my wife isnt nagging me for "sitting at the computer for hours" :o))

Invite the guys over for beer, potato chips and an afternoon watching football instead :-)


> You can't take a laptop in the bath, or standing up on a bus/train/tram/ferry, or while driving.

I hope you're not reading a paperback while driving, we need you here in one piece <g>.