Death of a Medium

I've been meaning to write this post for a while. It is a bit of a divergence from my previous topics, but since I haven't really defined my blog as anything other than a soapbox for me to speak from, I guess that really doesn't matter!

I'm sure by now, you've all heard that Borders is going out of business. I know some have been waxing nostalgic about this, and bemoaning the fact that we have lost a great source for books, but I don't buy it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a bigger bibliophile than most. I love to read. I love to get lost in the depths of a great book. I love wandering through used book stores and finding buried treasure. The reason I don't feel sympathetic or nostalgic for Borders is because they tried to do business in a rapidly evolving industry, they were reluctant to embrace change (i.e. ebooks) and they simply made bad business decisions. I do respect them for not playing the "We're too big to fail" card and seeking government subsidies to stay in business. They played in the free market and they lost.

However, this post isn't about the Death of a Business.When I went to Borders for (likely) the last time a couple weeks ago, I was looking for some deals. I admit it. I was a materialistic vulture just like everyone else who was swarming the store. If we had shown a modicum of that same level of support to the store on a regular basis, it would not be circling the drain as I type. But as I perused the shelves, it became apparent to me why Borders had passed, and why all brick and mortar bookstores stand on the razor's edge of a similar precipice. There's one reason, and it's not ebooks. Amazon.com. Plain and simple. I can go to one website, find every item in that store, and find it for cheaper than they could dream of selling it, even going out of business. I have gazed into the future, and there are no bookstores. Used bookstores, yes. Places to go and buy new books and overpriced CD's? No. Enjoy them while you can. Take videos of your visit so you can show your kids, or at most, grandkids what it used to be like to buy books.

I apologize. I still have not made it to my point. As I said, this isn't about the Death of a Business Model. What do I mean by Death of a Medium? Simply, that as I was standing in Borders, I found a book I've been looking forward to. I had recently discovered Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, and was eagerly looking forward to reading the second installment, The Wise Man's Fear. I eagerly scanned down the aisle. After a little perusal, I saw it. They still had stock! I swooped in for the kill, grabbing the book, flipping it over to see the price tag. Ouch. It's okay though, the sign says it's 25% off. Some quick calculations, and I realize, it's probably better than I could do on Amazon, or at least almost as good, but I don't have to pay shipping, and I have it in hand today. As I'm weighing these thoughts in my mind, holding the book, I can't help but notice that at 1008 pages, bound in hardcover, this book is rather heavy (shipping weight of 3lbs according to Amazon). It's also quite thick, meaning it's going to take up some serious shelf space at home, which is at a bit of a premium these days. The thing that killed it for me, though, was the fact that I could walk out of the store, pick up my iPad, and order the same book from the iBook store, and have it in hand in seconds. It wouldn't add any weight to my iPad, which at 1.5lbs is only half the weight of the book. It's not going to take up extra room in my house. I don't have to worry about pages getting ripped, torn or stained. And the kicker - it's still cheaper than the bargain basement, going out of business sale price of it's paper cousin. The arrival of convenient ebook readers, such as tablets, kindles, and others of that ilk are the extinction event that has marked the demise of the paper book. The market is rapidly heading that direction, and the benefits are beginning to seriously outweigh the disadvantages.

I know there are many who are resistant to this idea, and claim that they really enjoy holding that book in their hands. They like the tactile sensation of turning the pages. For me, it's more of a visual thing. I thought it would be tactile as well, but I have found that those apps on the iPad that appear to turn a page as I swipe my finger are nearly every bit as satisfying as holding the book. Besides which, I don't need to worry about loosing my place. I also love the ability to be able to select a word and look it up in the dictionary with a simple tap of my finger. It has significantly improved my reading experience, especially when it comes to the classics.

There are some items we need to get cleared up and sorted before people as a whole will be ready to take the plunge.

1. We will need digital bookshelves. I don't want my books tied only available through my login to the store's website. I want a centralized location that I can store all my books regardless of where they have been purchased.
2. Cross Platform compatibility and availability. I don't want to loose my library just because I decide to replace my iPad with a different tablet. I want to be able to go to my bookshelf using any device and read any of my books. I also want to be able to read them in any app I choose. I tend to like the visual features available in iBooks, as well as the lookup and notation options, however I'm not a fan of Apple's Draconian policies when it comes to what I can put onto my device. I also can not in good conscience stand idly by and watch as Apple robs authors and publishers by demanding a 30% cut.
3. Pricing. I shouldn't have to pay more for a digital book than I have to pay for one that is physically produced. I can understand paying the same price as a paperback for a digital book but only when it is new and hot off the presses
4. Ability to lend books. This to me is one of the most important items on this list. I should be able to authorize someone else to temporarily use my copy of a book. I would fully expect that my access to that book would be locked out while it was on loan, but I should be able to lend it out to whomever, whenever I want to, for however long I want to let them have it. I should also be able to have a reclaim button that allows me to decide when their time is up and lets me have the rights to the book again.

These are my thoughts on the issue. What do you think? Are we witnessing the death of not only a business model, but also a medium?