Debating On UTV Bloomberg Techtree – eBooks vs Real Books
I was on TV last week!!
UTV Bloomberg has a show called Techtree, which is half an hour of entertaining clips and titbits relating to technology. I discovered it after I got interview by them about our Twitter group’s work at The Wall Project. The show has a slightly different format now and a new host, who’s a familiar face around the social media – Aalaap Ghag.
Each show has a debate of some sort, relating to technology. Last week’s debate was on real books versus ebooks, specifically Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader. Shakti Salgaokar spoke on behalf of the electronic medium while I supported the good ol’ fashioned paper-based book.
There were a number of interesting things that came up in the conversation – cost, convenience, durability, variety and additional features. In all honesty, I must say that Shakti’s Kindle had me hooked too. It’s a neat, lightweight device which looks very much like a grown-up iPod in its design. The additional features, that Shakti elaborated on, are great too (text-to-speech, dictionary). My stronghold in this argument is the cost factor. At around $250, the device doesn’t come cheap. Of course the cost is expected to go down and the recurring cost of ebooks is far less than the paper versions. However, I still can’t imagine that it will go down so far as to be a real alternative for the vast majority of the reading population. The cost barrier makes it very much a toy for the connoisseur.
I’m rather afraid the argument didn’t quite depict the above as convincingly for which I should blame Shakti’s superior debating skills and Aalaap’s biased refereeing (“The program is called Techtree, after all!”) 
!! I was quite amused to be described as ‘Ramya Pandyan, bookworm, @ideasmithy‘ and facing ‘Shakti Salgaokar, e-page turner, @shaaqT‘. All in all, it was fun, shooting for a TV show. It took over three hours of actual production (not counting the 45-odd minutes in make-up, discussion and preparation) and god alone knows how long of editing to end up in this 6 minute clip. Do watch!
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1Jinesh Parekh
wrote on 9 December 2009 at 15:04
Saw the entire debate. Very interesting.
A couple of points to add to your debate:
- Books have a re-sale value! This is cannot be done with e-books. Henece, real books way cheaper relatively.
- Also, reading e-books can really strain your eye!
2Yashita
wrote on 9 December 2009 at 16:51
Nothing can replace the joy of owning a book. There’s a different pleasure in holding the book in your hands, in feeling its weight, the smoothness of the jacket, the texture of the inner pages, the sharp paper edges of a new book, the softness of a dog-eared one and nothing, absolutely nothing can compensate for the smell
the musty smell…that of an old-book…that of a new book.
And I like to look at my library, books piled on top of each other, some neatly arranged…all happily co-existing in the small space of a book-shelf.
I think for people who want to just to read, Kindle is a great gadget. For people like me, who love books and not just reading, kindle can never come close
3Swati
wrote on 9 December 2009 at 16:58
Nice debate. You look beautiful adn you spoke very well.
4Sharon
wrote on 14 December 2009 at 18:41
Hi, Found you on blogadda. Congrats on the TV op.
Sharon
5nisha
wrote on 17 December 2009 at 14:59
For the feel of it, for the smell of it, a paper book for the love of it, is in any time, any day! But work related all can go paperless!
6IdeaSmith
wrote on 20 December 2009 at 22:16
@Jinesh: That point actually did come up but I guess they edited it out.
@Yashita, @Nisha: Amen to that!
@Swati, Sharon: Thank you, ladies!
7neha
wrote on 6 January 2010 at 17:51
DEFINITELY biased anchor there. He’s decided where the point would go even before the discussion on a subject would start!
8Ruvy
wrote on 2 March 2010 at 5:43
Ramya,
I enjoyed watching you face off on this topic and I have to say I prefer books to any electronic gadget. I can’t afford the gadget (805 shekels) and don’t want to worry about the battery it may need. Then there is the fact that books have been around since Gutenberg – the Kindle can be replaced by some other thingamajiggy – at only 1000 shekels!
The anchor was definitely biased – bur on the other hand, it seemed as if his job is to sell electronic gadgets. And you were very articulate and clear in making your points. I enjoyed seeing you argue, and enjoyed listening to you.
9IdeaSmith
wrote on 4 March 2010 at 16:49
@Ruvy: I agree with all the things that you mentioned. And I think most of us are joint in our opinion that e-readers (at least for a really long time to come) will never be more than luxury toys for those who can afford them. They’re definitely not replacing books in any way. The program is about technology after all, so I guess it makes sense that they would lean in favour of the gadgets. Still, it was an interesting debate as well as a fun experience to be on TV! Thank you so much for watching!