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A machine that can print off ANY book for you in minutes

by Tom E
8 replies
This is seriously cool. A new invention that is sure to revolutionize the book store industry (and put many offset printers out of business):

A novel idea: The machine that can print off any book for you in minutes | Mail Online

This technology should make it possible for online ebook-writers to get their books in stores without a publishing deal.
#book #machine #minutes #print
  • Profile picture of the author cashmon
    very cool machine but there's been something similar for quite awhile called the xerox docutech. It just prints normal pages though, not fancy thinner book pages. Docutech is mostly used for printing up college/university supplemental readers.
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  • Profile picture of the author Adaptive
    This is cool machinery. But I think its useful lifetime is limited.

    I think that in my lifetime, book production might disappear entirely, except as an art form - e.g. coffee table books - or a collector's item. Everything else will move to a handheld reading device that stores thousands of books. Amazon's Kindle seems to be a big step in this direction. Eventually the reading devices will be super-affordable to everyone, and the content will be filled up online. The popularity of mp3 players show what could happen to the publishing world.

    Regards,
    Allen
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    • Profile picture of the author Tom E
      Agreed - but until that happens, this is the shiznit.

      Originally Posted by Adaptive View Post

      This is cool machinery. But I think its useful lifetime is limited.

      I think that in my lifetime, book production might disappear entirely, except as an art form - e.g. coffee table books - or a collector's item. Everything else will move to a handheld reading device that stores thousands of books. Amazon's Kindle seems to be a big step in this direction. Eventually the reading devices will be super-affordable to everyone, and the content will be filled up online. The popularity of mp3 players show what could happen to the publishing world.

      Regards,
      Allen
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    • Profile picture of the author shane_k
      Originally Posted by Adaptive View Post

      This is cool machinery. But I think its useful lifetime is limited.

      I think that in my lifetime, book production might disappear entirely, except as an art form - e.g. coffee table books - or a collector's item. Everything else will move to a handheld reading device that stores thousands of books. Amazon's Kindle seems to be a big step in this direction. Eventually the reading devices will be super-affordable to everyone, and the content will be filled up online. The popularity of mp3 players show what could happen to the publishing world.

      Regards,
      Allen

      Not a chance.

      Why?

      Because you can't cuddle up and read a good handheld reading device.

      But you can cuddle up and read a good book.

      My point?

      That there is more to reading a book than just reading a book. A handheld reading device just can't give the same kind of experience.

      I love books myself. I love the smell when you buy a new book. Just like someone who loves the smell of a new car. That is just one example of there being more to reading a book than just reading a book.

      There are other people out there who love the experience of going to a bookstore to find a book.

      And speaking of bookstores it is alot easier to browse through and read a couple of chapters in a bookstore than it is online. Go to any bookstore and see how many people are sitting there reading a chapter or two to see if the book really interests them, before they decide to buy it.

      I know that Amazon is implementing something like this where you can have a sneak peak at the book, and that is good, but there are many more experiences that come from real books that handheld reading devices just can't replace.

      I know this might sound funny to some people who do not read as much books, but ask anyone else who loves books like I do and they would feel the same way.

      And I am not even one of those people who love books so much that they collect them fanatically.


      This is all my opinion of course.

      Shane_K
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      • Profile picture of the author Tom E
        Originally Posted by shane_k View Post

        Not a chance.

        Why?

        Because you can't cuddle up and read a good handheld reading device.

        But you can cuddle up and read a good book.

        My point?

        That there is more to reading a book than just reading a book. A handheld reading device just can't give the same kind of experience.

        I love books myself. I love the smell when you buy a new book. Just like someone who loves the smell of a new car. That is just one example of there being more to reading a book than just reading a book.

        There are other people out there who love the experience of going to a bookstore to find a book.

        And speaking of bookstores it is alot easier to browse through and read a couple of chapters in a bookstore than it is online. Go to any bookstore and see how many people are sitting there reading a chapter or two to see if the book really interests them, before they decide to buy it.

        I know that Amazon is implementing something like this where you can have a sneak peak at the book, and that is good, but there are many more experiences that come from real books that handheld reading devices just can't replace.

        I know this might sound funny to some people who do not read as much books, but ask anyone else who loves books like I do and they would feel the same way.

        And I am not even one of those people who love books so much that they collect them fanatically.


        This is all my opinion of course.

        Shane_K

        Shane,
        I really hope you're right, as I too love books. There's nothing like walking into my local Borders to smell the combination of hundreds of thousands of books, and fresh coffee.

        I get a feeling I don't get anywhere else when I browse through the isles, looking for things to buy/read. For me, that's almost a zen-like experience. Then, yesterday, I also read that it looks as if Borders are having to call it quits by 2010.

        It would be a shame to loose physical books, so here's hoping we don't.
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  • Profile picture of the author Craig Fenton
    Hi there:

    Thanks for an informative post. As an author I'm curious how this works in Europe and the USA.

    Enjoy the day.
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  • Profile picture of the author charlie9751
    Hi.

    Yes I saw this on the news recently. It looked great, but they did say the quality was a bit dubious.
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