Comments on: E-book skeptic Nicholson Baker open-minded about the iPhone and iPod Touch for e-reading

By: Owen

Owen — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 23:35:50 +0000

Definitely agree with you on the love for Stanza. I’m reading my first book on the Kindle app for the iPhone, and I’m finding myself missing some of the simple things, like being able to adjust the brightness of the screen by swiping up and down. Would like to see Amazon incorporate more Stanza-ness into the Kindle app, but I guess it’s good that they’re letting Stanza develop on its own for now.

By: Aaron Pressman

Aaron Pressman — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:21:04 +0000

I put a longer comment up on Robert’s post about this article but needless to say I found it annoying to say the least. The history and uses of the Kindle for people living in caves…and don’t get me started on Nicholson Baker, World War II mis-historian.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:10:48 +0000

@ J.M. Skillman: At least personally, I don’t find a real difference in reading speed between an average print book and on my iPhone. The iPhone gives me nice narrow columns and my eyes can skim quickly.

Not sure what your dig at people moving their lips while reading has to do with anything – I say, at least they’re reading!

By: David Rothman

David Rothman — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:37:46 +0000

Hey, guys, I’d like to think that Nicholson Baker’s views are evolving. I remember the days when I hated the idea of all-digit dialing to replace trusty hybrids like SOuth 6 1212.

Thanks,
David

By: J.M. Skillman

J.M. Skillman — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:29:28 +0000

The problem with ultra-small screens for reading is reading speed. Anyone who has read a book on speed reading immediately understands this problem. But then, I guess most people these days move their lips while reading… Sigh.

By: Chris Meadows

Chris Meadows — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:24:06 +0000

And Baker was even able to enjoy reading on the Kindle once he had been sufficiently sucked into a book elsewhere to want to find out what happened next in it.

Baker doesn’t seem so much Luddite as perfectionist. The Kindle isn’t his idea of perfection yet (but hey, give it a few years). The iPhone comes closer.

By: pond

pond — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:18:36 +0000

Baker’s liking for iPhone ereading, while he hates the very idea of etexts, reaffirms the notion that many people will not buy an ebook reader, and will proclaim their disdain for such things; but once they have some device that they have purchased for another purpose, and which allows for ereading, they will sample etexts, like them, and learn to enter this century.

The future may be coming slowly, but it is coming.