I'm not sure I believe this, but Amazon apparently sells more ebooks than both
paperback and hardback books (105/100 ratio):
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=15202
http://goo.gl/0oSPk
I've been buying all my tech books in digital format(s) and most hip tech shops
now give you 4 or more formats: kindle/mobi, pdf, epub, apk (android). And
ditto for most of my "junk food" reading: scifi etc.
There are a LOT of formats:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_e-book_formats
And I'm amazed how quickly Amazon and others have provided readers for not just
the eBook devices (kindle, nook, etc) but for all computers, phones and the
iPad and other tablets.
I certainly prefer use of my iPad to my Air for reading .. its just more
intimate. And searching is nicer than using indices as long as the reader
software is well design and the book well structured. I still HATE the lack of
page numbers, for the kindle anyway.
I do miss "flipping thru the pages" to find something, however, and many of the
formats differ in how well they support images. But its getting there.
I do, however, think lots more has to settle for this market to really succeed.
Apple, for example is *forcing* Amazon to sell through the iPhone/iPad (iOS
device) app rather than through Amazon's store. That sucks and hope it fails
in court. And like CDs, media theft remains unsolved.
-- Owen
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