> Nope. No tablets allowed anywhere near where I work, certainly not some random device that wants to just connect to the public internet to download some random pdfs from a defunct book subscription service.
Cool bro, good for you. Not everyone works where you do.
> Yes they do. The chances that a tablet with a digital file, or a subscription service, will still be accessible in 10/20 years are not good. A physical book will last centuries.
If you're making a point about the file being in a proprietary format and unavailable for corporate reasons then yes. But otherwise, no. We have been copying digital files between devices for decades now.
> Nope. That is a very rare circumstance in the modern military. What is not rare is someone wanting a specific question answered about an old bit of equipment or place, something nobody has touched in a decade. Someone in the field needs info and calls back to the support unit.
A call they wouldn't actually need to make in the first place if they had the book in digital format on their person. But we can assume that's an intelligence risk if it goes missing so we'd rather keep the info safe on base. That is understandable. But it doesn't change the fact that one of the pros of ebooks are their portability.
> Suddenly that old paper book on the shelf about some forgotten topic or place is a literal lifesaver.
There's literally no reason why that old paper book couldn't have a digital copy in an archive somewhere and probably does.
> And in the real military, one cannot assume network connectivity. We have to keep working even when the lights go out, especially when they lights are out. Paper books can do that.
It's almost as if both formats have different pros and cons and the consumer should be able to decide which work best for them and their own needs rather than having that dictated to them by the publishing industry or the needs of the military. I don't really consider having a copy of the "Crime Writer's Guide To Police Practice and Procedure" by Michael O'Byrne on my tablet whilst I'm backpacking to be a national security risk.
Cool bro, good for you. Not everyone works where you do.
> Yes they do. The chances that a tablet with a digital file, or a subscription service, will still be accessible in 10/20 years are not good. A physical book will last centuries.
If you're making a point about the file being in a proprietary format and unavailable for corporate reasons then yes. But otherwise, no. We have been copying digital files between devices for decades now.
> Nope. That is a very rare circumstance in the modern military. What is not rare is someone wanting a specific question answered about an old bit of equipment or place, something nobody has touched in a decade. Someone in the field needs info and calls back to the support unit.
A call they wouldn't actually need to make in the first place if they had the book in digital format on their person. But we can assume that's an intelligence risk if it goes missing so we'd rather keep the info safe on base. That is understandable. But it doesn't change the fact that one of the pros of ebooks are their portability.
> Suddenly that old paper book on the shelf about some forgotten topic or place is a literal lifesaver.
There's literally no reason why that old paper book couldn't have a digital copy in an archive somewhere and probably does.
> And in the real military, one cannot assume network connectivity. We have to keep working even when the lights go out, especially when they lights are out. Paper books can do that.
It's almost as if both formats have different pros and cons and the consumer should be able to decide which work best for them and their own needs rather than having that dictated to them by the publishing industry or the needs of the military. I don't really consider having a copy of the "Crime Writer's Guide To Police Practice and Procedure" by Michael O'Byrne on my tablet whilst I'm backpacking to be a national security risk.