The Problem with e-Readers
Will Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos talking about how to better share books during his September 6th keynote?
I own a Kindle. I have had one now for about a year and a half. In that time, I have stopped reading any paperback or hardcover books. E-books are convenient. I can carry one around virtually anywhere and it’s far easier than lugging around one or two books. I can switch between books easily. I can use the Kindle App and continue reading on my smartphone, tablet or laptop if I don’t have my e-Book with me.
If I’m gifted a book, I often give it to someone else and download the same book on my e-Reader. When I walk into a bookshop, I feel guilty as I’m there to browse but not buy. I’m reading more now than I ever have earlier and I’m loving it.
Apart from the fact that Amazon doesn’t officially support the Kindle in the Middle East (as don’t most major e-Book manufacturers), I have had another major issue with e-Readers like the Kindle. I can’t lend anyone a book anymore. Although many major e-Reader platforms say you can “lend” a book, the reality is that it’s a cumbersome process and I often find myself talking about the latest book I have read with great excitement but when the inevitable question of “Can I borrow the book?” pops up, I turn around and have to reply “No.” Those who know me well enough knows its because of the Kindle, those who don’t, need to listen to my apologies and understand that you can’t “lend” books like that on a Kindle.
The obvious solution at the moment would be to lend my Kindle to whoever wanted to borrow a book from me but then everyone would know I have been reading a book by Chelsea Handler.
Ashish Panjabi is the Chief Operating Officer for the Jacky’s Group of Companies and has been running the retail interests of the Group since 2004. An active user of various social media platforms, Ashish also runs his own blog site – http://ashishpanjabi.blogspot.com/ – and has been a blogger since 2010. He is also on Twitter where he is also actively involved (http://www.twitter.com/apanjabi). Aside from retailing, Panjabi has managed the group’s distribution, mail order and project sales businesses. He is also responsible for managing IT-‐infrastructure at Jacky’s. Prior to that, he worked in Hong Kong for a multinational company in the Graphic Arts industry, and was responsible for the Asia-‐ Pacific region. Ashish holds a Bachelor in Science with specialisation in Finance, Investments and Economics from Babson College, USA. He is also a member and former President of the Entrepreneur's Organization's (EO) UAE Chapter, a global organization of established entrepreneurs, with over 8,000 members worldwide.
