ipad-vs-paper

eBooks Outselling Print – Is The iPad The Future Of Books?

Posted in News on 19/05/2011 by J. Glenn Künzler

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Amazon announced earlier today that e-books are now outselling paper versions of the same titles. The announcement, while focused on the Kindle, still nevertheless provides insight into the industry in general, including the iBookstore.

Since April, the Internet retailer sold 105 e-books for every 100 printed books. Just four months ago, e-book sales overtook paperback sales. “We’ve been selling print books for 15 years and Kindle books for less than four year,” Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said.

While the announcement doesn’t come as much of a surprise, I wonder how much of this sales jump is due to people attempting to digitize their book library by purchasing titles they already own – would be interesting to see figures on that.

I believe that digital books are, indeed, the future. They are simple, the enhance ones ability to absorb the content, due to their being “attached” to a web-browser and dictionary – book reading experiences are enhanced with additional information sources.

e-Books can also be interactive – something which paper books just cannot offer, due to their physical natures. Further, digital books are just more economical. They waste fewer materials, are often cheaper, take up less space, etc.

What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments!

[CultofMac, Electronista]

  • Nasher dezno

    There is nothing that can replace the real book in your hand, something about that will always be more precious than simply downloading a book from somewhere. Not to say there are not advantages for certain, but there is just something about sitting under the lamp with a good book in your hand, the smell of the paper, the texture of it beneath your fingers that is as magical as the words themselves. 

  • http://twitter.com/paulruk paul rayment

      While I’m a fan I have to disagree with nearly all your points….

    “The are simple” – You can’t get simpler than a book on paper
    “enhance ones ability to absorb the content, due to their being “attached” to a web-browser and dictionary” – If anything this is a distraction. A book gets you absorbed without the temptation to check Facebook etc.
    “Book reading experiences are enhanced with additional information sources” You don’t need this. DVDs have enhanced features and most are ignored.
    “e-Books can also be interactive” – They’re not a game, a story is perfect as the written word.
    “They waste fewer materials, are often cheaper, take up less space, etc.” – OK, I agree with these parts.

    I’m far from a Luddite but the reason I think the Kindle is better than an iPad is it’s designed for one purpose and it does it very, very well.  

  • Mike

    Agree, but what about selig your Book after reading? There is still no solution for selling private ebooks.

  • Pingback: Is iPad and e-books the future of reading? « Apple Mobile Blog

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J. Glenn Künzler

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. Now he's up to his neck in Apple, and owns an old iBook, a 2011 MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air, a third-generation iPad, 2 iPhones, and a Mac Mini that lives at the neighbor's house. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.