By now I’m sure you may have heard about the Kindle, Amazon.com’s wireless reading device that lets you download a whole book in a minute and now can carry over 1,500 books in one device (on the Kindle 2). Supposedly, the screen “reads like real paper” (check out the video below). You can also get magazines and newspapers, and subscribe to blogs on the Kindle.
[youtube ETae0FBlCuE]Today, I heard about the nook from the US store, Barnes & Noble. The nook boasts a similar screen display as the Kindle (ie. it “reads like real paper”), plus you can change the font size, and you can store up to 1,500 books digitally, just like the Kindle 2. You can also make notes and highlight right on the page itself.
[youtube er78E7x317w]All of this is really cool technology – I really like that you can carry hundreds of titles around with either device (it would definitely save your shoulders from carry around a ridiculously heavy backpack). However, I still like to hold the real book in my hand while re-reading Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, despite its weight.
A lot of debate has come up over the last couple years about the death of print media, and the fact that the Kindle and nook are rising in popularity really reinforces this idea.
What do you think – would you rather have in your hand a real paperback to read, or is the new technology available too intriguing and fun? Do you think that people will stop buying real books because of these technological advances? Share your thoughts below in the comment section, or Facebook or tweet at us to let us know your opinion.
This would definitely make reading even more convenient, but I do like having an actual book. I guess both? A real book is just more cozy—I'd hate to see a generation grow up without books. Although I guess it saves paper/trees if books don't need to be printed. But it's also a scary thought that books may not exist one day. I am very divided in this debate…