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I am going to take the weekend to read some books in digital formats. Mainly on the iPhone, but I feel like a digital screen is a big change from the printed book.
I have never read a book in digital format, although I probably have read parts of many books online.
My original thoughts on digital eReaders was that they will have a place but the printed book will too. There is no better way to really understand something that to just try it out – hence this weekends experiment.
There are many choices in the eReader world including options from Sony and obviously the Kindle. The problems with getting books in these formats is the license.
I love being able to give or receive a recommended book, as was the case with Predictably Irrational, and that option does not exist with the book I recently bought from Amazon using the Kindle app. If I like the book, I have to recommend someone to purchase it again.
I was thinking about this problem yesterday and it stuck 24 hours later and is worth sharing. I would prefer to be the new DRM keeper of the book I bought. For example, imagine if I purchased a book, then could “loan” it out to you with a maximum amount of days before it “expires” being 365. If you needed longer, you would simply have to come back to me and I can extend the “rental”. This would keep the social interaction intact, and keep folks on schedule to finish a book.
I am not sure this system completes the social contract as when the book “expires” you do not really have to return anything – but maybe a notification system would do this for you.
Further, imagine if you loaned someone a book and could track each others progress and have discussions. Knowing someone is reading a book you loan them is a good feeling.
This problem may not be solved for some time, but thinking about libraries in the future can lead to some interesting conversations about the future of books.

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September 4, 2009
Books, Business