I got a Kindle Touch from the sainted missus for Christmas. It was invaluable to me on my recent trip, when it helped kill two airport layovers - I mean, to have two books in something that's smaller and easier to handle than a magazine, well, who could ask for more? It is as advertised - easy to use, easy to read, a space saver. And for someone who's preparing to move in the next month, saving space is no mean feat.
And yet, nothing's perfect. As we look through our library, going through the books that we're planning to replace when time and need (and budget) permits, there's a sense of sadness at losing the tangible. One of the great pleasures for a book lover is to look at the libraries of other people, looking at the titles on the spines of their books, admiring the quality of the binding, getting an insight into the personality of the owner - their likes, dislikes, interests, passions. Where does that go when the titles disappear inside a tablet? We've already lost that with music, where the album gave way to the CD, and now the iPod. Look at all those great scenes in 60s TV shows where the man, upon entering the woman's apartment, looks through her albums while she slips into something more comfortable. One of them might even put a record on the turntable, setting the proper mood. It just isn't the same with an iPod.
What of the autographed copy? I'm still not sure about that, how one goes about getting an ebook personalized by the author. A little thing perhaps, but it still removes a level of intimacy between the author and the reader. And as someone who hopes to have a book published next year, I'll be curious to see how this plays out.
