From "cksla" on RB last night re E-books:
( ragingbull.com )
E-MAIL FROM ROBERT PUTNAM:
I decided to send RP a copy of one of my earlier posts today regarding the application of e-books and i received a very succinct (i knew i liked him for some reason)response which I don't think he would mind me sharing:
1st my e-mail:
Dear Robert: First, I wanted to thank you; you have been nice enough to take my calls in the past regarding questions I had. I thought I would share an article I read regarding the recent release of Stephen King's novel over the internet as well as my comments posted on the Raging Bull with regard to what I thought the author and others mentioned were overlooking. Would appreciate your comments if I am accurate in how I see this area developing and e.digital's role. Thanks. XXXXXXXXXXX
By: cksla
Reply To: None Friday, 17 Mar 2000 at 3:03 PM EST
Post # of 249467
E-BOOKS A SMASHING SUCCESS: over 500,000 people have downloaded stephen king's new novel over the internet in just 2 days. read the following article, but REALIZE THESE PEOPLE discussing the future of this HAVE NO VISION unlike yourselves because YOU ARE HERE as DABOSS would say. When reading this article think about how edig has solutions to the problems raised in the article. First, after downloading the novel to your PC, imagine then downloading it onto your portable device (the ebook reader will only be one type) through flash memory. Now the real vision, imagine you want to go for your 3 mile run and instead of listening to Carlos Santana you really wanted to finish that new book. Suppose there was a feature that allowed you to transfer the book from TTV so that you could listen to the book while you ran. Damn, you couldn't quite finish it before you finished your run; no problem, you just pop your flash memory card into your car player and finish it on your commute to work.
UNDERSTAND what the paradigm shift is all about: its to allow you to do the things you want to do when you want to do it. Its the same in different media as well, ie., television. Interactive television on your set top box- not home to catch Peter Jennings at 6:30 p.m. no problem, you will be able to watch it whenever you want at YOUR convenience, not ABC's. Anyway, here's the article:
What's Up for E-Books?
This week's dramatic acceptance of Stephen King's new novel shows that the hunger is there. Or does it?
by Reuters
March 17, 2000, 9:27 a.m. PT
The stunning demand for Stephen King's Riding the Bullet, published online this week, removed any mystery about whether an audience exists for books pushed over the Internet, publishing experts said Thursday.
But the future form of the book--electronic or paper--is shrouded with ambiguity as the publishing industry decides its future in the digital era.
For now, publishing giant Simon & Schuster is basking in the success of its first virtual bestseller. Two days after its release, Bullet has been downloaded by a half million readers.
"There is no comparison to any print release I've heard of--this is probably the most successful book launch of any type in history," says Keith Titan, Simon & Schuster's online marketing manager.
The novel was continuing to generate thousands of downloads an hour Thursday through a variety of online outlets, including Amazon.com and RocketBooks.
The publishing industry, plagued by sluggish growth for years, watched the development with keen interest and some apprehension. Electronic publishing promises to eliminate some of the biggest headaches in the industry, like heavy returns of unsold books and high distribution costs. But it also threatens chaotic change in a conservative and cliquish industry.
"We're all on a steep learning curve with this," says marketing manager Gayle Treadwell. "Certainly there are worries about copyright, as well as other new issues. But for all of us there is value in learning how to public electronically and do it well."
Reading on PCs
The vast majority of the Stephen King novel copies went for consumption on PCs, where users can read them on their screens or print out a copy on paper.
A smaller number went to the rising class of products known as electronic books, or e-books, which are hand-held computers designed specifically for reading, with lighting and software designed to imitate the printed book.
"This is an important event and an exciting event in the evolution of e-books," says Jim Sachs, chief executive officer of Softbook Press, which makes the leather-bound Softbook.
But Sachs, and others in the e-book industry suggest that many who view the book on their computer screens--instead of on e-book readers made for longer reads--will be disappointed.
"The idea of reading on a PC is ludicrous," says Sachs. "What we anticipate is that the hundreds of thousands of people who may actually get a copy of the book may find that reading on a PC is not a good experience. Most people don't like to read that way--except for very short items."
While the publishing industry thrashes out its concerns, online readers were eagerly snapping up the novel.
But Paul Duguid, a University of California at Berkeley cultural studies researcher and author of The Social Life of Information, says the tech industry is notoriously prone to fashion, and e-books could be a passing fancy.
"It's really hard to discover what part of it is fad and what part of it is real," says Duguid. "If it wasn't being given away free, or for $2.50, and if it wasn't Stephen King, and it wasn't one of the first times you could do this, it might not have been so popular. Let's see what happens when it's $35
Mr Putnam's response: :)))))
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That response got an Audible chuckle from me 8 - )
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