I am a big fan of digital books. Like many already have stated, I appreciate that an entire library of e-books are able to be carried on one device. Like many folks I end up using several different types of viewers to access them all. The old Peanut Press/PalmDigitalMedia/eReader has become my favorite. I have never had any problems with them, and get regular e-mails with the discounts, etc. I am not sure why they would have problems getting them to you...
The other vein of this thread that I have found interesting is the difference in likes between paper books and on a PPC. The thing that I was thinking while reading this is, I prefer my PPC to my laptop. I have the Microsoft Reader on both and use my PPC exclusively. Maybe it has something to do with it being more "book-like" in it's form factor. As others have mentioned, I have not bought a paper book since getting my PPC. I am waiting for magazines and and newspapers to be published in PPC format! I think that it will be a matter of time before the form factor for PPC's change drastically and make it more book-like.
I realize that I'm late in this discussion, but I wanted to add my take on them.
I have a huge library of my favorite authors, and I have a problem that I usually can't wait for the paper back edition to come out and end up buying the hardcover. I found Baen.com a number of yrs ago, and signed up for the websubscription as soon as it started. It enabled me to get the newest efforts of my favorites (David Weber & company) before the publication date. I still buy the hardcovers... but I don't have to get them as soon. I use MSReader to download them and even with the original MSReader 1. They come out really well. I've never had problems, and have redownloaded as necessary. I also get weekly e-mails from E-Reader (PalmDigital), and the discounts have come through no problem. I have a big download page there, and they keep me updated with PalmReader, soo I have the latest software always. The latest one lets me change the background to different colors and styles depending on the light that I'm reading in. I usually have about 30 books on my casio between the two programs, and really appreciate that I can shop for books at any time of day, and not have to catch a ferry or order and wait weeks for what I want to read.
the only thing I have to worry about is my battery running out ( it's getting into the 4 yrs, and I use it every day).
i'm a pretty big fan of ebooks, but i don't think there should be any charge for them. the only ones that have any real value are plaintext, since thats the only way you can be sure they will work in the future, and since they are plaintext, and not searchable/indexable/or even have covers, paying for them doesn't seem right.
i think it would be better if ebooks were given away freely with real books, sort of like when you buy a cd from amazon, and you are allowed to instantly download the music while you wait for the cd to ship.
then again, i think real books are the best invention ever. damn internet keeps prying me away from them though...
I think that would be cool if you got a copy of your book in ebook for when you bought a paper copy but I disagree with the rest of your statement. If I got books free in ebook format I would not give a writer another penny. I could see maybe renting ebooks for maybe a week and then after that they just quit working on your computer kinda like a library. I know this is a main argument of most people with ebooks, that they should be free becuase library books are free but even that is pushing it becuse librarys have only one or two copies they can loan out. I do see where you are comming from though.
i don't think they should be free because libraries are free, i think they should be free if you purchase the real paper book. if you don't purchase the paper book, no free ebook
i can't comprehend how someone can actually prefer an ebook to a real book. i know all of the arguments (tons of them on one memory card, always handy when you have a little freetime, etc) but can anyone really say that they actually prefer READING ebooks over real books?
again as i mentioned in previous post, i am biased :wink:
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I think they should be free if you purchase the real paper book. if you don't purchase the paper book, no free ebook >
The latest David Weber book (hard cover) came with a CD rom with a lot of preceeding books in e-format. That is from Baen.com. Baen books have really supported the e-format. The author gets far more percentage of the book price from the e-format as apposed to the printed page.
I find that I enjoy the hands free reading that the e-books give me, I also find that waiting for ferries in the winter (dark by 4:30 ish), reading e-books are much more practical than trying to read a paper-back with uncertain light.
I live on an Island, and the bookstores are minimal at best, so I have never managed to find current books that I haven't read (or wanted to read) in these stores. I've really found the freedom to get the latest books offered, (e-book) some months before the paper release date. That frees up money that would have to be spent on hard-cover. I can wait for the paper-back to come out (usually the next year). which also frees up space on my bookshelves as paper-backs don't take up as much room.
But you know that if someone is determined to not like a medium... it is hard to convince them otherwise.
Authors should be able to receive money for their hard work and Ideas, whether it comes from a traditonal source or a new medium. The thing that we need from our favorite authors, is to produce more, faster.... and e-books help in that need.
Actually, I find that I do prefer reading ebooks to paper books.
It's maybe more pleasurable to pick up and begin reading a hardcopy book..... it usually has a nice cover, and looks very inviting, etc. But after I've gotten a little way into the book, there's a change. With a hardcopy book, I remain conscious of the physical book -- maybe it feels heavy, or the type goes too close to the center spine, making it hard to hold open far enough, maybe I'm trying to eat and read at the same time and need both hands for the book, maybe the light isn't right, etc., etc., etc. With an ebook, on the other hand, once I'm absorbed in the book, I tend to totally lose track of the medium -- sort of like getting the pure essence of the book, with nothing between it and me. I'm not sure that made any sense. ops:
To return to my complaint at the beginning of this thread -- I miss the feeling that there were actually real people at ereader.com. I've now sent them three different questions over the past several months. I've gotten two of those auto-reply emails that say they will be getting back to me, and one reply (have no idea to which question), saying that they understand that my issue has been resolved, thank you very much? Under the previous management, they were much more helpful.
but can anyone really say that they actually prefer READING ebooks over real books?
Novels and the like: yes, I absolutely prefer to read on a PDA! No comparison!
Complicated technical literature: generally no, as I like underlining and scribling in the margin. I anyway at least want to read on a computer screen.
i second jorgen's opinion ... novels or generally pure-text books are just so much easier to read on my smartphone. one-handed reading, reading in low-/no-light situations, reading when you have a few minutes to spare, reading when you have nothing with you except your cellphone and wallet, etc.
but magazines, technical manuals and generally anything where the page layout is important (images, drawings etc) are still best read in non-digital form.
i also don't like to read newspapers in digital format. i dunno, newspapers have to be on paper
Paper vs. Digital
ops: 
Linear Mode
