Of all the traditional complaints about e-books – that they are hard to read, can’t be read in the bathtub, don’t actually resemble books, etc. – there is one that has never before been addressed, perhaps because most people assumed it was a point in favour of e-books: the fact that they don’t smell. Specifically, that they don’t smell like old books.
As it turns out, for a whole lot of students – the most lucrative potential market for e-texts – the smell of a book matters. And the older the better.
This is the very failing to be remedied by online e-book provider Café Scribe. According to a press release on its web site, the company will soon be providing e-book users with scratch-and-sniff stickers that give off the odour of a musty, old tome.
Though the target market is students for now, we see these stickers being an in-demand item for ex-used bookstore owners and librarians who are having difficulty adjusting to civilian life. It would be like a nicotine patch for recovering bibliophiles.
[...] 5th, 2007 at 9:07 am (thebook, ebooks) Quillblog » E-books that stink E-books that stink Of all the traditional complaints about e-books – that they are hard to read, [...]
I am an e published author and I tend to disagree with this post. E books are the wave of the future. Too many hard copy books are destroyed every year. What a waste of paper and trees. E books are much easier to carry when traveling. One can store up to 100 books on an hand held reader, depending on the size of the card in the reader. Imagine going on a 3 months vacation and taking even just 10 books along?
There are many readers that show the books in proper format, just like a real book. Also, a reader can be small enough to store in a woman’s purse.
Hard copy books are dust collectors, and yes, they develop a stale smell.
E books are space savers in one’s home as well. Rather than having several bookcases, and still not have enough room for gathered books, one can store hundreds of books on a computer, to transfer at will to a hand held reader.
E books are much cheaper than hard copy.
Adult material can be hidden much easier, for those who like to read spicier books.
So, as you see, there are many advantages to reading e books.
Gabby.
I agree with Gabriella on this. When I read the post about the smell of books I burst out laughing. God bless Arthur. I just love the strangeness of human nature. Maybe they can make an ereader that emits a smell. Lol.