In
2007 Amazon introduced their original Kindle, an e-book reader that enables
users to shop for and download books, newspapers, magazines and other digital
media via wireless networking. Since then the digital reading phenomenon has
taken the world by storm and just three years later in 2010 Nicholas Negroponte,
founder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab and One Laptop per
Child Association was one of many declaring the physical book dead in as
little as five years.
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According to Barnes and Noble executive Marc Parrish “The
book is changing more radically now, and quicker than movies or music or
newspapers have”. As a result consumers seem to have deemed the future of book
publishing as digital, but like CD’s and VHS will print too run its course?
With the growing popularity of e-Readers and tablets the rise in e-book reading and the decline in print book reading is almost inevitable, however according
to an article published in a December 2012 issue of The Guardian “The strongest weekly sale of print books in three years is being hailed as a sign that "real books" are fighting back in a digital age thought to be dominated by e-readers and tablet computers”.
The results of a Pew Research Center Survey
released December of 2012 provide further evidence that the death of print has
been exaggerated by showing that the number of those who read e-books increased
from 16% of all Americans ages 16 and older to 23%, whilst the number of those
who read printed books in the previous 12 months fell from 72% of the
population ages 16 and older to just 67%. Despite the increase in those who
read e-books and the decrease in those who read printed books of the 75% of
Americans ages 16 and older said to have read a book of any platform in the
previous 12 months 67% of them said they had read a printed book.
This is an incredibly interesting point and i am interested to hear more about. Very scary to think that the physical book will be dead in 5 years. i love the topic chosen and think the intro and first blog is great :) the hyper-linking is also very well done in comparison to other blogs
ReplyDeleteThat image is really clever!
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of print dying is a sad one. It seems like a loss of culture, in the way tribes may no longer create carvings and paintings to tell stories due to the arrival of the written word. Also, curling up with an e-reader just isn't the same as the tactile feeling of turning a page, and paper between fingers.
You've used links well and have clear evidence, although I wonder if you could provide a link to the Pew Research Centre Survey to strengthen that evidence.
Wow! I think you have created such a wonderful blog! The first thing to catch my eye is your use of books for the background, this is such a nice way to touch up a blog as it brings colour and at the same time it relates to your topic.
ReplyDeleteThe topic you have chosen is, in a way, close to my heart as I really enjoy reading the physical copy of a good book! I enjoyed the facts you added in here, such as the idea that printed books will be extinct in such a short time span, 5 years! as Nick said, that is scary to think about!
You have presented this very well, and have added just the right amount of hyper-links to this blog, which I found, as a reader, to be very helpful when wanting to know more about the topic!
The topic you have chosen is one that is, in my opinion, hardly ever discussed and when it is, is not taken very seriously. I'm glad to know that I don't stand alone in the want and need for print to stay! As Alex mentions above, there is just something almost magical when curled up reading a book, and the feeling of your fingers turning the page, instead of 'scrolling' through the pages.
Reading through the rest of your blog, I never found myself bored, I like how you have added quotes, such as the one by Michael Agresta, though I already mentioned it, I just cannot stress enough about how much better the experience of reading a book is when reading a printed book. It really is completely different to when reading off of a screen, and the awesomeness of sharing your books with friends to rave on about them endlessly and the experience of spending hours in a library choosing which books you want to read.
Though while I do prefer a printed copy, I do see how convenient it would be to have an e-book as it is so light and easy to just carry around, instead of lugging around a big book!
Also, your visual language is spot on, especially the picture used in this post of the printed pages and e-books merging to form one book! excellent choices all round!
Thank you so much for the interesting read!