And of ebooks in general? Just trying to get an idea. I don't like reading on a computer, but don't mind on my phone. Also, I don't like lugging around heavy books.

If I had the money I'd probably buy a Kindle.

Randy

I'm hoping to work in the publishing industry in the future and this is obviously a massive topic for them. Personally I don't like e-books, I much prefer the texture and solidness of books, but I think they are going to take off in the next few years.

Gem, I like your avatar. I have all the Wallace and Gromits on my iPhone.

Regarding Kindle, I don't know why newspapers aren't jumping on this bandwagon. I think some of the major newspapers are available, but not the vast majority of dailies. Can you imagine how cool it would be to download the morning edition and read it over breakfast?

I think how they are going to be priced is a major issue, especially with the newspapers. At the moment people can go online to newspaper websites for free, but there is debate about that - the owner of The Sun is controversially saying he is going to charge people to use The Sun's website. I think at the moment we are in a bit of a flux period, where people like the ideas, can see potential from e-books, but are still in the process of putting systems into place so we can use them practically and they work economically.

Printed newsprint is a paradigm that needs to be toppled and I can't believe newspapers aren't going for it. I think the reason is that there are still too many people out there who aren't ready to embrace the idea of reading a newspaper on some kind of electronic device.

http://www.businessinsider.com/2009/1/p ... ree-kindle

This article did some rough calculations and determined that it costs the NYTimes about twice as much money to print and deliver the newspaper over a year as it would cost to send each of its subscribers a brand new Amazon Kindle instead. It kind of blows your mind. There are many other considerations of course, but it seems inevitable that for newspapers to survive they should push the envelope with new technology that would render the printed newspaper obsolete.

I'll be getting a Kindle sooner or later, but I'll probably always have an emotional attachment towards real books. Not newspapers though. I hate them. The overpacked Sunday edition, in particular, is something of an environmental obscenity.

The Kindle is good for environmental purposes and I think it's an overall great idea. But I know it will take me a while to get used to it. I'm so fond of the feel of books and flipping the pages. However, should I get the chance, I'd probably love to test the Kindle out.

A friend of mine has one and she loves it.

I read from my Kindle every day! While it may not be for everyone, I love it. I can download a variety of reading material at an instant, I can try newspapers and magazines for 2 weeks as a free trial, I can download a sample of a book and read that before actually buying, I can change from reading the International Herald Tribune to the Wall Street Journal or New York Times to a novel to Foreign Affairs or the Economist or any number of blogs and then pick up right where I left off on any of them. I always have something to read!!!

This device is comfortable for me, does not exacerbate my tendonitis nearly as much as holding a book and turning pages, and keeps a huge variety of reading material at my finger tips.

There are many choices for the consumer out there in e-readers, with more to come. I look forward to continued innovation in these devices!

The Kindle will never replace books for me. I will always love books and libraries, and still go to my local library frequently -- my mom was a children's librarian and I grew up literally surrounded by books! (Actually I still am -- the Kindle has slowed the growth of my home library -- whew!) this just gives me instant access and another way to devour the written word!!

lemme think wrote:I read from my Kindle every day! While it may not be for everyone, I love it. I can download a variety of reading material at an instant, I can try newspapers and magazines for 2 weeks as a free trial, I can download a sample of a book and read that before actually buying, I can change from reading the International Herald Tribune to the Wall Street Journal or New York Times to a novel to Foreign Affairs or the Economist or any number of blogs and then pick up right where I left off on any of them. I always have something to read!!!

This device is comfortable for me, does not exacerbate my tendonitis nearly as much as holding a book and turning pages, and keeps a huge variety of reading material at my finger tips.

There are many choices for the consumer out there in e-readers, with more to come. I look forward to continued innovation in these devices!

The Kindle will never replace books for me. I will always love books and libraries, and still go to my local library frequently -- my mom was a children's librarian and I grew up literally surrounded by books! (Actually I still am -- the Kindle has slowed the growth of my home library -- whew!) this just gives me instant access and another way to devour the written word!!

lemme think,

I was wondering about the speed and smoothness of the Kindle. Does it download things quickly? Is it smooth when you are jumping from one thing to another?

I like books because I am a traditional kind of guy(usually). I am hesitant to buy a Kindle because I feel it will be obsolete in a couple of years. I have a feeling that we will be doing almost everything on our cell phones soon. We are practically there now.

Forget the Kindle...it's all about the Nook!!
Barnes&Noble's e-reader releases in the states just before xmas and sometime in the new year everywhere else - exact dates aren't available yet.
Its features seem to far out do anything that the Kindle (or the sony reader) can do, it supports all file formats, holds music, and photos, full color, wireless downloads, real-ink tech to make reading it feel more like a book....the Nook is awesome...best part, while in the B&N stores, you have free unlimited access to any title in their catalogue - over a million, more than kindle or sony offer.

This certainly does look like the wave of the future. In terms of books, there's always that part of me that loves having the 'real thing' in front of me but, really, with all the clutter, and closets and boxes and shelves full of books, it'll be nice to transition into the new format.

As for newspapers - they're dead and just don't know it. We have one in the NY area, the Post (just a tabloid and a rag at that), that now charges for access to the site...to the result that simply no one any longer uses their website. You can't charge a subscription fee to your site, it won't work. That's just failing to adapt your business model to the new world.

I agree. Newspapers are dead. But I'd go as far as to say that eventually even magazines and printed books will go extinct. We'll all be carrying around personal reading devices at some point.