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First Yahoo!
You could just tell it wasn't going to be long before Yahoo! dipped it's hand into digitizing books.
Yet, I always had a soft spot for Yahoo! and even now they haven't disappointed me.
Instead of going head first into the fray, banging whoever is in its way like Google did, Yahoo! chose to digitize public domain books or those books whose copyright owners have given permission. Very different from Google's negative option where all books will be digitized unless authors specifically asked not to digitize their books.
And what's the difference between Yahoo!'s collection and, say, Project Gutenberg?
Not much except it allied itself with Adobe and others to perhaps give a better service.
Articles:
Yahoo jumps on the library bandwagon
Yahoo! follows Google into print minefield
Yahoo to digitize public domain books
Second - Digital Music vis a vis Ebooks
I don't know if you heard yesterday, but digital music sales soared in the first half of 2005, up 259 percent compared to the first half of 2004.
At the same time, physical media sales went down by about 6%.
Books and music are two different things of course. While music lends itself to being digitized, a print book doesn't (have you ever tried scanning a whole book?)
And yet, we can see by example that the fight against piracy is taking effect and while actual CD sales decreased, digitized media sales increased, offsetting somewhat the decline in CD sales. But more importantly perhaps is that people actually bought digital music as opposed to downloading it online. Could it be that the education helped?
Regardless, I think this shows great hopes for ebooks and for containing piracy in the digital world.
Articles:
Legal music downloads soar as CD sales fall
Digital music revenues soar
Digital music sales triple
Categories: writing, publishing, ebook
13 comments:
Hmm, I just find it difficult to read books online. I'd much rather read short blurbs online and save the books for rainy days and hot coffee. Good idea though.
Yeah, I'm not so used myself to ebooks, Terry, yet some people around here swear by them.
I do find it convenient to download some public domain stuff and read it on my palm though.
I'm sure that just like we have those funky MP3s nowadays, they'll come out with funky ebook readers.
I've spent the last year reading ebooks on marketing and freelancing. I tried reading a fiction novel, but the traditional format was too hard on the eyes.
As for ebook readers, there are some on the market. I'm not sure how well they're selling due to the Palm and HP IPAQ's reader capabilities. I'm glad to be alive during this time period because I find all of these technological advances fascinating.
I hope so.
The music issue highlights the problem nicely, people were downloading illegally when they weren't able to get digital versions from legitimate sources, now that they can, they're happy to pay for it and stay legal.
Yep, I have no problem paying a buck a song, I prefer it to buying a CD with one or two good songs on it and the rest is crap.
I love the idea of the buck for a song. The problem, though, is the way the radio stations overplay everything.
Oh, Blogger's back up. I wasn't sure how long it was down for because it was still down even after the time they said.
Anyways, I'm with you Deborah. I'm still looking for a good reader, or maybe I just haven't come across one.
So far, reading on the palm is a bit of an eye strainer.
Isn't this a fascinating time we're living in?
Lee, I thought you'd like this one. It is very encouraging for ebooks I think, and for the whole piracy business being handled with.
Terry, isn't this great that we can just download the song we like?
On the other hand, maybe we're missing out on other good things on the CD.
Deborah, the worse I remember is Wham's Careless Whisper. They just didn't stop playing it.
Ahh I think I've voiced my opinon of online reading. I just find it extremely difficult...plus I love holding the book in my hand.
Music is becoming much more a digital phenomenon in my opinion. What with MP3 players (IPods and the such). I know many of my cd's have been transfered to my computer because I like to pick and chose...mix artists. I can't remember the last time I listened to a cd other then in my car. And even then I've got the adaptor so I can play my MP3 player...
I really think digital music is going to become the popular form/way of purchasing music over CDs. I know in the past few years I've bought radically less CD's and more online.
Sorry to go a bit off tipic...
Quite alright Jennifer.
I can definitely say my CD purchases have decreased, although probably not for the same reason. I think with me it has to do with age (yikes).
I do have a wicked system at home so I still listen to it (I'll probably post pictures soon :), but I also have my MP3 and it's pretty neat too.
What were we talking about again? ;)
Oh, yes. I remember Careless Whisper. (Rolling eyes) Ugh!
I just found this link for ebook reader devices. I remember when the Rocket reader came out several years ago. It isn't on the list because I think the company either went defunct or discontinued it.
Although I'm enjoying ebooks, I'm with Jennifer on the traditional books, especially the novels. There's nothing like curling up with a book on a cold day.
I guess that a book reader and a book just aren't the same thing, eh? ;)
Thanks for the link btw.
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