Queen 'concerned' about e-books

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ted-books.html

The Queen has voiced concerns about children preferring computer games and e-books to the traditional printed word.

I get the feeling she doesn't quite understand what an e-book is. I don't see any problem with e-books when it comes to the act of reading and comprehending...

[thenry]

Kindles make me sick.

ok...I have been reading the Bill Byson's new book and it's far easier on Kindle than the massive tomb it is if you got the paper book.

[thenry]

no I haven't got anything against e-books. I just don't like Kindles.

Originally Posted by Damien

ok...I have been reading the Bill Byson's new book and it's far easier on Kindle than the massive tomb it is if you got the paper book.

Would that be tome as in a large book, rather than tomb as in somewhere you put a dead body?

Originally Posted by Chris

Would that be tome as in a large book, rather than tomb as in somewhere you put a dead body?

I clearly don't read enough.

To be honest as long as the kids are reading i couldn't care less what they are using to read .Yes books are nice to handle and look at ,i have a nice collection myself but it cannot be denied that e readers are more practical and just because something is newer and different from a more traditional item doesn't make it wrong or a cause for concern

[MalteseFalcon]

I love the smell and feel of a new book, but it is just so much easier to have them on the Kindle. Especially when space to keep proper books is limited.

[Dash: CF noob]

one is not amused ...

[techguyone]

My only concern with e-books is the outrageous profiteering regarding pricing.

It's not as if there's comparable costs involved in making, storing or distributing say 50,000 e books vs 50,000 paper copies.

[arcimedes]

Originally Posted by MarkC1984

I love the smell and feel of a new book, but it is just so much easier to have them on the Kindle. Especially when space to keep proper books is limited.

When one is the queen then space is not an issue I was being moaned at for having too many bookcases( I only have four) and as has been said a kindle takes up no space at all. I also have the kindle app loaded on my phone.

Originally Posted by techguyone

My only concern with e-books is the outrageous profiteering regarding pricing.

It's not as if there's comparable costs involved in making, storing or distributing say 50,000 e books vs 50,000 paper copies.

The issue is that the book has to be recoded for the various ebook formats which has to be done by someone who will usually want some dosh for the effort. All this over at the Gutenberg site, have been done by volunteers for de nada.At Amazon people want paying.

However my complaint in the past has been when the kindle version costs more than the paperback.

Originally Posted by Maggy J

The issue is that the book has to be recoded for the various ebook formats which has to be done by someone who will usually want some dosh for the effort. All this over at the Gutenberg site, have been done by volunteers for de nada.At Amazon people want paying.

However my complaint in the past has been when the kindle version costs more than the paperback.

That doesn't make sense. A hardback is typeset, then a few months later the paperback has to be typeset again, but in all cases the paperback is cheaper, because the cost of production is lower (cheaper materials, higher volume, lower distribution weight).

Even if an e-book has to be typeset separately for Kindle, Nook and whatever else, the final cost of production is lower because there are no physical materials or distribution involved. The reason they aren't cheaper is because the publishers are trying to protect their market. In many cases they have large stocks of printed materials that they want to shift (warehousing costs money too). They may also be trying to protect favourable terms with high street book sellers. But whatever is driving the price of ebooks artificially high, it isn't the typesetting.

Originally Posted by Chris

That doesn't make sense. A hardback is typeset, then a few months later the paperback has to be typeset again, but in all cases the paperback is cheaper, because the cost of production is lower (cheaper materials, higher volume, lower distribution weight).

Even if an e-book has to be typeset separately for Kindle, Nook and whatever else, the final cost of production is lower because there are no physical materials or distribution involved. The reason they aren't cheaper is because the publishers are trying to protect their market. In many cases they have large stocks of printed materials that they want to shift (warehousing costs money too). They may also be trying to protect favourable terms with high street book sellers. But whatever is driving the price of ebooks artificially high, it isn't the typesetting.

Well I'm only passing on what I was told about the costs by one Jeffery Carver author of Neptune's Crossing who does his own coding rather than pay someone else.

[alanbjames]

When i read the headline i thought u meant the band!