Whizz bam, thank you ma’m, books on a screen?
I’ve always thought that I was against the whole ebook phenomenon. You know, the smell of the book, the feel of the pages. Yada yada. The predictabale mix of nostalgia and the sensuality of cloth and cardboard. (some times just UV coated paper)
I do love the comfort of books and everything that my 3D friends stand for but today I took another existential leap in technology land
I received a magazine article in PDF format via email written about Buff Dad, one of our spring titles. And, once opened and fully poised upon my pc screen, I activated the page turning function and it went “whoosh.”
In the same timbre as a page made of paper.
I was astonished.
I tested it some more with the same results. I have to admit. The sound was reassuring.
It sounded exactly as if I were turning the page of a magazine on my lap. Or my desk. Somewhere other than my virtual computer universe.
I was reminded of the sensation I got when I first used the texting function on my dandy iphone. Tapping the tiny lettered and numbered keys, I was surprised to hear the click, click sound of a typewriter.
Freaky. I had to mute it.
Now I text in silence.
If we’re moving into a new realm of communication technology, which is fine with me, then why are we still attaching features of our pre-hi-tech-electronic past? Keep us from shocking our way, too suddently into the next dimension?
Maybe it’s just for geezers like me who like to keep one foot in the world of the familiar and the other in possibility. I see all these gizmos as possibility.
And, I have to say, what might have been off putting to me in the past, for some reason, now seems exciting. How ever frustrating it is to learn the language of the gizmo, so far, it’s been rewarding.
Heck, I wouldn’t be blogging if I stuck to what I already knew.
So, maybe I will try out one of those amazon Kindle contraptions that brings books to you in a magic box.
Just as long as they keep bringing us real books.
And, p.s. please don’t take my job away. Let’s keep the dinosaur tomes on the press!
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Oh, Jeff definitely needs a copy of that book..
Happy belated birthday!