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Since 2007, e-book readers have "kindled" the love of reading in many people. A thin, portable device that fits comfortably in a jacket pocket, backpack or purse and holds an entire library of books should appeal to avid readers. I love reading, so an Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook or iPad 2 should be on top of my wishlist. But here are some reasons I am not buying or gifting an e-book reader.
High cost of reader and e-books
Although the price of the cheapest reader, as of December 2011, is $79 for Kindle, down from $399 when the first Kindle was introduced, the more versatile tablets cost $199 (Kindle Fire) to $499 (iPad). However, it really is the ongoing cost of e-books that is a deal breaker for me. Although the most common price point is under $5, many bestsellers are now priced higher, at $13-$15, which is more expensive than paperback options and only a couple of dollars cheaper than hardcovers. So if I read one book every two weeks, I could easily spend upwards of $125 a year on books.
Limited selection of e-books to purchase or loan
Although Amazon currently has over a million e-books, much of the selection is in English. Books in foreign languages, except for a slim selection in Spanish, French, German and Italian, are tough to find. For fiction books, I typically turn to my local library. Although my library offers a selection of e-books for free, the choice is fairly limited.
No resale value
I have partially recouped the cost of several college textbooks and fiction books by reselling them at up to 50% of my purchase price. Kindle e-books are bound by digital rights management (DRM), which does not permit resale. When I cannot sell digital copies of purchased books, it conflicts with my first sale rights since it sounds more like a loan not a purchase of a copyrighted item.
Likelihood of loss or theft
Like most other people, I have forgotten a book in public places like the train station or park. Since the price of books is typically under $30, that is the limit of my loss. If the title isn't popular, like a more expensive textbook, I might also find it where I left it. However the cost of loss of an e-book reader is the $199-499 replacement cost, plus the cost of all the downloaded books, which can be hundreds of dollars. It is also less likely that someone would return a lost e-book reader.
Not as educational for kids
As a parent of two young children, sharing the joy of reading is important to me. Books for children come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors that adds to its magic. Some of the most beloved titles, such as "A Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Go Away, Big Green Monster" offer visual and tactile stimulation for kids that simply cannot transfer to an electronic medium.
Obsolescence
Sure, books suffer wear and tear, but a high quality, well-cared book can last more than a generation. I look forward to sharing my most favorite childhood books with my children, doodles and all. Even though Kindle's DRM and iPad's iCloud allows users with multiple hardware devices to maintain a copy in each as long as they are using the same account, e-books cannot be preserved for the long term. Most likely, they will by obsolete in less than 10 years as both the software and hardware become obsolete.
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