Cult of less: Living out of a hard drive
By Matthew Danzico BBC News, Washington
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10928032
A look at the new minimalist concepts developing out of technology. Clean spaces with no movies, books, CDs ... and no personality? Extreme minimalism or virtual homelessness, this trend may be the way a generation is thinking and striving to reach. The lack of substance, that is the physical materials, is understandable, but do you loose style when you cut back on the items of your self, wants, likes, etc. Will a kindle and a hard drive replace the feel of the hardcover books?
Yes. The e-reader offers a bevy of cheaper, quick purchase, 'have it that moment' books for download. From classics to new releases. Have it sitting next to a leather wing back chair and small round table with your reading glasses. It can be stylish. But most won't set up a system like that. It will be dragged around from room to room, from purse and briefcase, etc., and be like a cellphone and mp3 players, attached to your hip like a BlackBerry.
And no. The e-reader is already classified as a dying trend due to tablet PC/iPad technology. Furthermore, the software is usually proprietary in their coded make-up. As such, Wuthering Heights purchased from Amazon for your Kindle, will only be able to be viewed on your Kindle. That software is not entirely PDF, but a version of the e-reader programs that can read PDFs. Yes, your PDFs will be swappable, but not the proprietary books. So, should you decide a Kobo or a Sony e-Reader are for you and not the Kindle, your books need to be repurchased or hacked to transfer them to the new system.
And no, 2.0. Everything that is old is new again. Remember vinyl? The medium of choice, then gone, then really gone, then underground, then hip, then back-again medium? It popular once again. Eventually books, if they start going the way of the Dodo, will be popular again with purists, collectors, the underground and then the trend setters. 2055 may see the new trend as a return to having a library or study in the home, because if you own costly books, it will be a sign of wealth and the amount of space that you have in your living area.
And please. How many of us recall the proclaiming of the paperless office? That has yet to happen as we are a tactile species, for the most part. We like to see, touch, feel, engage products, text, art, music, or what have you. Paper and books will still in use and will be for a long, long time.
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