The Electronic Debate.

Kindle, Sony, Kobo. Any of these names sound familiar? they are the next generation, or, the side generation, or prehaps even the death of books. So what do we do about electronic book readers? Are they wonderful inovations that will bring new life and new readers to the book world, or do they in fact threaten the world of literature as we know it, fighting and replacing those beloved covers and bindings and forcing your local printing press out of business? That's the debate. I am an avid reader, and I love the feel of pages between my hands, the pungent smell of old yellowing tomes, and the new exciting smell of a best seller straight out of Chapters. IU can't help but to get a feeling of acomplishment and pleasure at bringing home the latest book to add to my collection. I have an extremely full book shelf - organized alphabetically from top to bottom - and crammed so full with my latest purchases that there is literally only room for one or two more books before I expand to a second case. And I love it. I have dreamed of the library I will one day have in the lovely little house I'll probablly never be able to find, and the book collection is starting now. So, why would an electronic book even be worth considering?

Well, for starters, there was a display at Chapters this weekend to promotoe the new launch of Indigo-backed Kobo. The latest e-book reader which has access to the entire chapters library. The device, retailing at only 149$ (a far cry from both the Sony and amazon's Kindle - which sells for 259$ for the 8" version, and 489$ for the larger version which includes twice as much memory.) it is a cheaper simpler device which does exactly what it says it will - allows you to read electronic books, and nothing more, which could be either a good or bad thing, though I like to think it's better - if you want to listen to music, get an ipod, if you want to read electronically, get a Kobo. I must admit the features of the Kindle are pretty awesome, though, but there is a good chance they would go unused by your average reader. Kobo is also a wonder company in that the systems allow you to use books collected from a variety of sources - not specifically "kobo" books - the interconnectivity seems like it would come in quite handy. And it is the only Canadian product, which is a good benefit.

Negatives:
Now an electronic book certainly does not have the benefits of paper books, or at least, not the same esthetics. Bookmarks no longer exist, you cannot feel the book, turn the pages, and have that nice comfort of paper under your fingers. I get such a sense of acomplishment after finishing a book - especially a large book, and feeling the last few pages turn. Actually holding the book and reading it feels a lot more significant when you finish - an accomplishment. Electronic books just don't have that. e-books are also electronic - mening you have to read them on a screen, an unatural surface which isn't really that wonderful for your eyes and a lot of people find it extremely frustrating or difficult to read for long periods of time.

Positives:
Portability. To me, that is basically the one and only main benefit. The e-books are extremely portable and light. They fit in your purse much better than the Lord of the Rings might (trust me, I've tried with my one volume edition) and are a lot lighter on your arm. To think that I could take all the novels necessary for my 5 english courses to campus each day with no more weight than your cell phone, I get a little excited. How awesome would that be? Travel too, would be much easier with a Kobo - you can bring one device, and your entire library instead of using up all your packing space on books. A benefit for sure.
Books are also cheaper, about ha;lf the cost in electronic version, which is a draw for those who don't realy like buying everey book they read for 25$ a hit.

SO, verdict? I don't know. There are uses for both, I think, and you can manage to have a library and an e-book at the same time. Balance. Different devices for different events and activities. I might just have to buy a Kobo. Let's hope it's not literary blasphemy.