January 2011
-Opinion- Book
V e r s u s
By Hannah Brenzel, Copy Editor “
A good book is the purest essence of a human soul,” -Thomas Carlyle. Yes,
that’s right…it says a book. Not a Nook. Not a Kindle. Not a computer. In the age of overwhelming technology and “give it to me now” ideology, books are one of the last remaining forms of originality. Authors throughout history have created brilliant novels, plays, poems, and short stories: the WRITTEN word. And that’s how they intended people to read them, on paper as written words. People have read books and writings
for thousands of years. Only now, in the search for convenience, are readers turn- ing away from words on paper. Kindles, Nooks, and computers threaten to elimi- nate paper-backs completely; but that would be a catastrophe, as books are a cherished form of art. Nook supporters may claim that books are all the same, whether on a Nook or as a paperback. But even a child knows that looking at a famous painting on a computer isn’t the same as seeing the real thing. That’s what paperbacks are: the real thing. Obviously, books are not limited in ways that Nooks are. On a plane, during take-off and land- ing, a Nook must be turned off. One great thing about books: no off button. Another great thing about a book is that it will nev- er lose battery. Imagine reading a page- turning mystery and having the Nook bat- tery die at the good part. Sure, a couple warnings may pop up. One would have to find an outlet and let it charge, which would be extremely inconvenient—de- stroying the original purpose of the Nook. And have fun trying to find an outlet at the beach, or out camping, or while traveling. What then? A person gets stuck, with a useless, dead Nook. So, a Nook is essen- tially a computer that one can read off of. But not all associations with computers are positive. Students mindlessly stare at computers for hours trying to write papers or read instructions of some kind. Many seniors, with the strain of online applica- tions, don’t want to have to stare at a com- puter screen any longer than they have to; computers are hard on the eyes. Don’t be fooled; even though the Nook may have the same light intensity of a newspaper, it’s still a computer. Another convenience of a real book is that if one book is lost, it can easily and affordably be replaced. A Nook, however, can cost up to $200 to replace. In addition, finishing a real book is more of an accomplishment. After flip-
ping through 500 pages and finishing, readers have a greater sense of closure than when they push a flip button on a Nook. All in all, Nooks cannot and will not replace books that are far more supe- rior to the Nook’s cold technology. Proponents of Nooks praise the con-
venience and ease of having thousands of books at the click of a button. Advo- cates claim that Nooks are easy to carry and that by reading books online, they are saving paper. Nooks are the next step in technology that will make reading easier and more affordable. True, Nooks do provide more access
to books online. But Nooks only high- light the laziness of many Americans who don’t want to drive to the store or take time to browse. Sure, the Nook suggesting books based on a person’s previously read books is super…if that person never likes trying anything new. Because America is so caught up in a “give me what I want” attitude, the Nook will be the perfect little machine that keeps people trapped in the same material. In a bookstore, people are exposed to a wide variety of material and an abundance of choices they may have never considered with a Nook. And yes, the Nooks are easy to carry, but so is a book. Unless someone is an avid reader of multiple books simultaneously, most people don’t lug around twenty books in their bags. One book in a bag is the same thing as a Nook. Books are also more con- venient in that one doesn’t always have to worry if his book is being stolen. For security reasons, Nooks must be carefully watched and never left alone. Yes, Nooks also save paper, but they use electricity: energy that needs to be conserved as well. At least when people cut down trees, they plant more. Books are made from specific lumber yards, and if you get rid of paper books, thousands of jobs could be lost. Publishing houses will also lose business, and in this economy, having a job is es- sential. Congratulations, having a Nook may be easy and convenient for you, but more people are out of work. When compared side-by-side, books
are obviously the better option. More con- venient than not, books are easier to read, less expensive, and hold more artistic beauty than Nooks. As technology takes over the world, people must hang on to physical reality. Books are a lifeline to the past that hold the answers to the future.
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11
Nook
By Josh Warner, Staff Reporter
ooks don’t compare they say. There is no such thing as a good ebook
experience, they say. Nooks exist only in a flawed and unenjoyable place, they say, where sometimes the book stores wither and the app store thrives, where electron- ics prosper and paperbacks burn. What they say is wrong. Barnes and Noble created a bestseller
with this device; actually the Nook has all the bestsellers. The Nook, Barnes and No- ble’s ereader, is a revolutionary new way to soak up the reading experience. The Nook comes in two versions, the Nook and the Nook color. Both are about the size and shape of the average paperback book, but both pack a punch quite larger than any paperback or hardcover can. It can carry thousands of books with its built in eight gigabyte memory, 6,000 in fact. With a slot for a micro SD card, the nook can carry up to 32 more gigabytes or 24,000 more books. Try fitting that in a carry-on. With its impressive capacity for storage also comes the ability to surf the web or access the Nook store with the built in Wi-Fi. The user can buy an- other book instantly after he finishes one. Shopping for books can be tiresome, but the Nook store recommends books simi- lar to what the reader already has and to what the reader searches for in the store. It has lists of the top books from Barnes and Noble and from the New York Times. The Nook allows one to read books for free while in the Barnes and Noble store. Occasionally, coupons will even pop up while in the store. The rich display on the Nook is wonderful for reading news- papers and magazines. Magazines even come free for fourteen days if subscribed to. Ever want to give a great book to a friend? With the LendMe app, the Nook sends books instantly to friends and keeps track of who has which books. On the same token, it gives readers a way to ask for and receive a book without ever leav- ing the chair they’re sitting in. The Nook is simply a new twist on the timeless ad- venture of reading. The Nook doesn’t seem to satisfy ev-
eryone, but the arguments are weak and made by those who are scared of change. While the Nook is a wonderful machine, part of its problem is just that: It is a ma- chine. Some people like to have the feel of a “real” book in their hands. They like to touch the pages. Others complain about screens straining their eyes. After looking at computer, cellphone, ipod, and televi- sion screens they want to rest their eyes
and not have to exert them on the words they are reading. Another popular dispute is that the battery won’t last long enough. Finally, they say that there aren’t as many books for the Nook. Logically, the Nook doesn’t really
have problems as big as its adversaries would claim. The fact that the Nook is a machine is something to its advantage, not a problem. The Nook sits comfortably in the hands. Does a book really have to be printed on paper to be called a book? The book is simply a collection of words to form ideas and description which in turn form characters, plots, and action. Whether the words are presented with ink and paper or with pixels is irrelevant. The Nook is lighter than many thick books making it easier on the back for carrying. Textbooks weigh an average of about one to five pounds depending on the subject. The Nook only weighs 15.8 ounces, a lot less backbreaking… it keeps track of all the highlights and notes taken in it. It shows them all in one menu and tells when they were taken and what page they are on. Why is it necessary to touch the pages anyway? All those pulped pieces of wood need to be taken from somewhere. Ebooks don’t need to be printed on dead trees. As for the screen issue, that is why there are two Nooks. One has a screen like a computer or ipod, but the other has an e ink display. The e-ink display is not back lit and takes very little energy to operate. It works just as well in bright sunlight as inside a building. It does not create strain on the eyes like some screens can, because the e-ink display behaves like paper without blurred pixels and con- stant refreshing. Batteries in the Nook color last up to eight hours for reading or in the Nook up to ten days. When the battery is low, the Nook alerts the reader with a friendly pop-up. When the battery completely dies, the Nook plugs into any 110 volt outlet or standard USB port. The device can be read while charging. With 2,000,000 books already, the Nook store has more books than are possible to read in a lifetime, and is constantly growing. All in all, the Nook outperforms an
ordinary book. Its multitude of features, massive storage, huge supply, and sleek elegance set it above its paper and ink cousin. The future of reading lies in the electronics world. The Nook is the supe- rior way to read and the only choice for those interested in progress and the most enjoyable reading experience.
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