The Obligatory Disclaimer:
These are my notes, observations, scriblings call it what you will. The views expressed here in, are mine and no one elses!
If you agree, disagree, get easily upset or you just plain don't care and you have the need to express yourself, feel free to use the CONTACT button above. (the one on the right.)
So if everyones happy, I will proceed.
June, 2010
E-Books are here!
by F. S. Bannister
I am sure we have all been reading recently that “E-books” (electronic books) are now out selling traditional paper books. As we enter the second decade of the 21st Century we are turning more and more into drug addicts relying on the latest E-gadget for our daily electonic fix. (I'm curious, what is an electronic addiction called?, and is it covered by your health insurance?). Traditional books we are told are slowly falling victim to our obsession with all things electronic. Some people would disappear if they were not connected to the rest of the planet by Face book, Twitter, My-space and all those other social networking systems found on the InterWeb today. Some would argue that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Now don’t get me wrong, I have all of these gadgets, the computer, the cell phone, internet access and so on, but I’m damned if I’m going to give up my collection of books.
For those old enough to remember, recorded music used to be sold on circular sheets of vinyl, either seven inches in diameter for single songs or the larger twelve inch “LP’s” (long player) for listening to groups of songs. Then along came the bulky eight track cassette which lost the battle with the smaller audio cassette which was more portable. These cassettes were played on the Walkman, a small pocket sized device that came with its own head phones. The Compact Disk then appeared replacing the cassette player, which in-turn, fell victim of the I-Pod and digital recording. Now this has just happened in the last 30 to 40 years. Every time the buying public was forced into buying the same music from their favorite artists over and over again depending on the listening method of the day.
Amazon’s Kindle E-book is the “LP” of reading, one of the first of its kind. The content of your favorite novel will remain the same but you are going to be buying whatever the reading gadget is in vogue in the future. Kindle is already out of date. Like all "new" electronic gadgets, they are out of date as soon as you walk out the store. The I-Slate from Apple is due to go on sale later this year. Same content different platform.
Another thing to consider. Today all information; music, film, photographs, recorded sound, written text is being converted to digital / electronic form. All the world’s information will eventually be stored and controlled from one Mega “Goople” Computer owned by one Corporation, which in turn will be controlled by whichever Government can offer the most money for total control. Who ever controls the information controls the world! (It worked for the church in the days before people were able to read or write for themselves.)
Now the one thing that operates everything these days is electricity. Take away electricity and the whole system will collapse. There will come a time in the not to distant future when the system will severely break down. Infrastructure costs money, lots of it! - and it doesn't make a PROFIT, but it is neccessary for the whole system to work. With eveyone bankrupt these days, you can garauntee the system is going to collapse eventually. Its only a matter of time. I would put money on it, if I had any! There have been major power outages in America in recent decades that have shut down vast area’s of the continent. Those lithium batteries in your portable devices don’t last forever, and the charger wire is only so long.
Which brings me back to the topic in hand - Books. A place for everything and everything in its place, books and E-books can live together on the same shelf and let’s face it the printed text has been around for hundreds of years it has been universally accepted by everyone throughout the world. Pick up a book anytime, anywhere sit down and read your favorite novel. NO need to update to the latest gadget, no electricity needed, no internet connection needed, no power cable required. It worked for Harry Potter.
But this is only my opinion.
© 2011, F. S. Bannister, All rights reserved.
These are my notes, observations, scriblings call it what you will. The views expressed here in, are mine and no one elses!
If you agree, disagree, get easily upset or you just plain don't care and you have the need to express yourself, feel free to use the CONTACT button above. (the one on the right.)
So if everyones happy, I will proceed.
June, 2010
E-Books are here!
by F. S. Bannister
I am sure we have all been reading recently that “E-books” (electronic books) are now out selling traditional paper books. As we enter the second decade of the 21st Century we are turning more and more into drug addicts relying on the latest E-gadget for our daily electonic fix. (I'm curious, what is an electronic addiction called?, and is it covered by your health insurance?). Traditional books we are told are slowly falling victim to our obsession with all things electronic. Some people would disappear if they were not connected to the rest of the planet by Face book, Twitter, My-space and all those other social networking systems found on the InterWeb today. Some would argue that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Now don’t get me wrong, I have all of these gadgets, the computer, the cell phone, internet access and so on, but I’m damned if I’m going to give up my collection of books.
For those old enough to remember, recorded music used to be sold on circular sheets of vinyl, either seven inches in diameter for single songs or the larger twelve inch “LP’s” (long player) for listening to groups of songs. Then along came the bulky eight track cassette which lost the battle with the smaller audio cassette which was more portable. These cassettes were played on the Walkman, a small pocket sized device that came with its own head phones. The Compact Disk then appeared replacing the cassette player, which in-turn, fell victim of the I-Pod and digital recording. Now this has just happened in the last 30 to 40 years. Every time the buying public was forced into buying the same music from their favorite artists over and over again depending on the listening method of the day.
Amazon’s Kindle E-book is the “LP” of reading, one of the first of its kind. The content of your favorite novel will remain the same but you are going to be buying whatever the reading gadget is in vogue in the future. Kindle is already out of date. Like all "new" electronic gadgets, they are out of date as soon as you walk out the store. The I-Slate from Apple is due to go on sale later this year. Same content different platform.
Another thing to consider. Today all information; music, film, photographs, recorded sound, written text is being converted to digital / electronic form. All the world’s information will eventually be stored and controlled from one Mega “Goople” Computer owned by one Corporation, which in turn will be controlled by whichever Government can offer the most money for total control. Who ever controls the information controls the world! (It worked for the church in the days before people were able to read or write for themselves.)
Now the one thing that operates everything these days is electricity. Take away electricity and the whole system will collapse. There will come a time in the not to distant future when the system will severely break down. Infrastructure costs money, lots of it! - and it doesn't make a PROFIT, but it is neccessary for the whole system to work. With eveyone bankrupt these days, you can garauntee the system is going to collapse eventually. Its only a matter of time. I would put money on it, if I had any! There have been major power outages in America in recent decades that have shut down vast area’s of the continent. Those lithium batteries in your portable devices don’t last forever, and the charger wire is only so long.
Which brings me back to the topic in hand - Books. A place for everything and everything in its place, books and E-books can live together on the same shelf and let’s face it the printed text has been around for hundreds of years it has been universally accepted by everyone throughout the world. Pick up a book anytime, anywhere sit down and read your favorite novel. NO need to update to the latest gadget, no electricity needed, no internet connection needed, no power cable required. It worked for Harry Potter.
But this is only my opinion.
© 2011, F. S. Bannister, All rights reserved.
The Blog
Notes and observations by a casual observer.........
who also carries a camera.
who also carries a camera.