I have my doubts that the new Apple iPad will be the panacea for traditional publishers who have been seeking ways to stem the engulfing tide of the e-book revolution that threatens to overwhelm their bottom line.
In their desperation to shore up their price points, they are overlooking the habits of their most passionate customers, their readers. The fact is that their most dedicated readers, those who buy most of their books, fiction, non-fiction, instructional, back lists, front lists and best sellers are not interested in purchasing a basket of distractions. Their primary interest, their principal motivation, is for the reading experience only, the content provided by words read in isolation and silence, not video, not telephones, not music, not games, not a tsunami of apps.
When the dedicated reader enters a traditional bookstore, he or she is searching for a book, unadorned by other potential lures to their attention. They want the reading experience, whether it be a flight into the imagination provided by story tellers, or instructions on how to improve one’s life or care for their pets or offer varying points of view on politics, spirituality or whatever.
What Apple has created on its new iPad platform is a potpourri of lures and distractions that is technologically dazzling, offering infinite entertainment choices packaged for easy access, but it diminishes the exclusivity of the written word which is the principal reason why people buy books. It can be argued, of course, that books are presently only one among many choices offered to people in the real world and it has always been thus. What Apple has done is create a virtual living room filled with every conceivable way for a person to fill his or her time, a virtual media world.
But of all the media being offered in this marvelous package, the book is the most time consuming, requiring far more intellectual concentration than any of the other media geegaws offered in Apple’s virtual entertainment center. Perhaps I am making a biased judgment as a dedicated reader (and writer of books) who purchases books by the armload and stores and reads them on an electronic reader. As a dedicated reader, I am very mindful of how much I spend for the content I desire and enjoy the size and portability and ease of purchase of my current electronic reading device which has become my companion in all of my travels.
Sure I like the movies, make phone calls and access apps on my iPhone, including the App that allows me to continue reading my Kindle book on the Apple iPhone. Of all the electronic devices I own, I spend more time reading on my portable reading device than I do with any other instrument. Would I schlep around an iPad if I can get my reading fix from another more convenient portable device? I very much doubt it.
Of course there is a place for the iPad. The fact is, I am a loyal Apple fan and have long ago switched from a PC to an Apple, but as a dedicated reader, the iPad does not serve my most passionate need as a reader. Making the book an also-ran in a sea of other electronic gizmos will, in my opinion, not be the panacea the traditional publishers are looking for.
Mr. Adler is the author of 30 books including novels such as 
January 29th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Hear hear! Well said, Warren. I do not have an electronic reader for this very reason. Although all of my books are e-books, I cannot stand not to hold the written word in my hands, and not via a screen that scrolls and flashes. Thank you for saying what I have been thinking.
February 15th, 2010 at 1:49 am
What a thoughtful and well-written article. I should mention as well one significant flaw that puts the iPad at a distinct disadvantage compared to traditional “e-readers”; that is, its screen is a backlit LCD. “So what,” a typical user might say. “Why does that matter?”
Well, for several reasons, really.
The first, of course, is the eyes of the reader. E-Ink displays share in common with books the ability to be stared at for hours upon hours with no eyestrain. This cannot be said of the flickering LCD. Try to read Les Miserables on the iPad and you’ll give yourself a tremendous headache.
The second reason also has to do with the decision to go with an LCD instead of E-Ink- battery life. E-Ink displays, being passive, require absolutely no electricity to retain the image. The only time they are drawing power is when the page is changing. This allows them to get a tremendous amount of battery life out of a single charge. Not so with the iPad- its battery is limited to a maximum of ten hours, and the batteries are non-replaceable. That means if you’re on a 14 hour flight somewhere and can’t find an outlet, you’re out of luck.
In all honesty, as Warren stated, the iPad is just a very poor solution to read eBooks with. If one really, truly wanted an LCD device, I would actually recommend getting a used Jornada 540 off eBay. It’s small enough to hold in one hand, comes with Microsoft Reader… and only costs about 30 bucks.
February 28th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Very good post I enjoy your site keep up the amazing blog posts
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:35 am
very good, thank youu
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:20 pm
In reply to Warren and Daniel,
First to dispel the myth that devices like the iPad will cause eye strain. Only 3 situations cause ‘eye strain’ (actually the term itself is a misnomer, as you cannot actually strain an eye. What becomes strained are the muscles that reshape the eye in order to focus): 1) Uncorrected vision (bad no matter what you are reading), 2) Poor light on the reading surface (not a problem with the iPad) and 3) Glare (this actually will be a problem with the iPad’s shiny screen). LEDs do not flicker! CRTs cycle, but an LED screen’s pixels are either on or off – no in between. So, as long as you don’t try to read your iPad outdoors on a sunny day, no eyestrain will occur.
Warren’s objection is less straight-forward. I think his opinion is that the reading experience will not be ‘pure’ since other forms of entertainment are available from the same device. His Kindle (although unstated, Warren did say he continues to read books on his Kindle app on his iPhone) can only display ebooks. It has no other abilities, unless you count the ability to purchase books online, to distract you from the reading experience. That this somehow intensifies the reading experience is a stretch. The iPad only presents optional entertainment if you choose it. Just like the reading experience, you can choose to answer the phone, make a sandwich, stare at a bird out the window or, perhaps, concentrate on a melody playing in the background on a separate device. The fact that you have choices at your fingertips only underscores the responsibility of the author to hold your attention and the reader’s responsibility to immerse himself in the book. The iPad will only lessen the reading experience if you allow it. In fact, I can imagine the opposite happening. Let’s pretend you are watching the 2nd season of ‘House’ and you’re on your 3rd episode. You decide you need a break. If you’re out and about, let’s hope you had the foresight to bring either the book you are currently reading or your Kindle. With the iPad, you tap the eReader app and quicker than you can say “Steve Jobs is a genius” you’ll be reading said book. Try that with you Kindle. If you’re a person who ONLY reads, then a Kindle or Sony eReader will be just fine for you; for now. Those pure eReader devices will soon be upgrading to allow multi-media.
As far as battery duration is concerned, there is really no comparison. The Kindle outlasts the iPad easily. Only time will tell if the iPad’s claimed duration of 10 hours is accurate and if 10 hours is long enough for most readers.
March 5th, 2010 at 1:34 am
“With the iPad, you tap the eReader app and quicker than you can say ‘Steve Jobs is a genius’ ”
…
Doesn’t seem like you’re the most unbiased of the commenting sort, Wayne. And for the record- one of the most relaxing ways of spending a an afternoon is outdoors on a sunny day, reading a book under a tree.
So you’ve essentially condemned readers to stuffing themselves away indoors in the dark.
Great post!
March 26th, 2010 at 7:02 am
I work for Best Buy and considered that you might just like to get in on this next month promo we are going to be offering on brand new customer gift cards. Look it over…folks are getting piles of absolutely free stuff these days.
April 6th, 2010 at 9:56 am
Test out & Have your iPad for Cost-free! -> http://bit.ly/cFBuis