Do you own an eBook reader / Do you ever read eBooks?

[mr_lou]

For the past 3 years I've been working on my project "8bit Stories".
It is a collection of stories I remember from my childhood, surrounding an 8bit or 16bit computer from that time, presented in a diskmag-like GUI.

I am contemplating distribution channels for it.
My hobby is Java coding, which is why it will be available as a blu-ray BD-J package in the form of an ISO download from somewhere, and a JavaME MIDP package from Opera's App Store.

But apart from that, I'm thinking about creating an eBook version of the whole thing too.
But is that a good or a bad idea?

How many of you ever read eBooks? Do you have an eBook reader in some form? Would you even be interested in reading "8bit Stories" as an eBook, or would you prefer the blu-ray version?

Thank you for your feedback.

[McKlain]

I'd like to think that an ebook version would be a more common format for distribution than the blu-ray iso. I don't even have a blu-ray player myself (and I'm not planning to get one either), but I do read ebooks and comics on my tablet from time to time.

[mr_lou]

I don't even have a blu-ray player myself.

I think a lot of people has a blu-ray player in some form, without even knowing / thinking about it.

For example, Playstation 3 is a blu-ray player.
And if you have a media-player installed in your computer, that'll probably play blu-ray too - from a folder on your harddisk - or the ISO file. You don't need an actual blu-ray drive.
The software media-center Kodi (previously named XBMC) is also getting BD-J support these days. Players like PowerDVD and WinDVD has been able to play blu-ray for many years.
In other words, to me it looks more like it'll be pretty difficult to NOT be able to play blu-ray.

[XyphoesRe]

i use the kindle paperwhite and i love it. if i read books (not often but if then very intense) i like the way i can read with the kindle and its functions to swap pages.

But a "retro themed" book is a kind of collectors thing, not only to read but also to have it on the shelf. so i would prefer a printed version with the option to get it also as an ebook.
If you want to publish your book as a printed version i can help you with this (layout, print, distribution)

[mr_lou]

i use the kindle paperwhite and i love it. if i read books (not often but if then very intense) i like the way i can read with the kindle and its functions to swap pages.

Does the Kindle allow you to download and view an ePub3 file some anywhere online? Or can you only get books on it that are available in the kindle store?

But a "retro themed" book is a kind of collectors thing, not only to read but also to have it on the shelf. so i would prefer a printed version with the option to get it also as an ebook.
If you want to publish your book as a printed version i can help you with this (layout, print, distribution)

Thanks, but I don't think it's big enough to aim that high. 

[XyphoesRe]

you can upload those files by


a) connecting the kindle to your pc
b) send the files (pdf, epub etc.) to the given "amazon-Mail"-Address, which then "whispernets" the content to your kindle


i prefer a) as long as i have a pc around.

you should always think "big", even for small projects. printed books last forever. ebooks only until factory reset :-)

[mr_lou]

you should always think "big", even for small projects. printed books last forever. ebooks only until factory reset :-)

Depends whether you got the blu-ray disc version or not. 

[XyphoesRe]

its an absoulte unnaturally process to read a book or long text on a TV screen. i personally hated it very much to read disc mags on a monitor. It was nice to watch as it has some demo effects, sounds and entertaining techniques but i always preferred paper mags, fanzines and so on instead of sitting in front of a flickering monitor to read the smallest mode 2 font ever. this changed a bit with the tablets like the ipad because you can hold and handle those devices like a book and put your nose on the screen. but this wont work with a 50 inch display and will look awful for the audience around :-) .


if your project is about 8Bit-Stories people should read and not only watch, you should only think about making an eBook or a printed book

[mr_lou]

There are always many very different opinions about everything.

I've always hated reading books. But Diskmags has always been very interesting to me, which of course is why I decided to make the whole thing as a diskmag-like thingy.

The size of the display doesn't matter, as long as the font-size matches it. And I've naturally given options to change font-size. Even different themes / colours can be selected.

But let's see. If I make an eBook, and it becomes very popular, we can talk about a printed version again. 

[Gryzor]

I just love my Kindle Voyage! I was convinced to buy one after my significant other couldn't shut up about her Paperwhite. So yeah, ebooks are great (and you can sideload epubs with a variety of ways - I use Calibre).

That said, having a physical book of course has a beauty of its own.

[Carnivius]

I can't read.