I listen on my commute. While doing yard work. While resting my eyes. In many situations where I can’t read.

I also read a lot so these aren’t exclusive activities. Sometimes I even read the book and listen to the book at different times. Audible syncs up pretty nicely.

I also listen to some material at 1.5x or 2x.

> I don't understand why you would like an audiobook. The bandwidth of a speaker is 100 words/min while reading is around 300 words/min

Since my words/min while I'm driving or at the gym is 0 for reading and 150 words/min (I listen at 1.25x or 1.5x), this makes complete sense to me.

> Anyway If you can't innovate litigate.

They are literally suing because Amazon is recreating the text versions of the audiobooks. Text was invented 5000 years ago. The only innovation is HOW Amazon is recreating text versions of the orignal books.

> Text was invented 5000 years ago. The only innovation is HOW Amazon is recreating text versions of the orignal books.

Sounds like an innovation to me. When Amazon is going to do text-to-speech on normal books they are even going to put more pressure on the publishing business.

Inventing a new type of printing press doesn't give you the right to print copies of books without a copyright license. This is an innovative printing press.

But I'm pretty sure you understood my original point.

I understand your point of view but I have a different opinion.

It is ridiculous to expect people to pay the same price for a digital book as the printed version.

The distribution costs are not only a fraction, the business risk in publishing was originally ending up with an obsolete stock of books.

Publishers are profiting as much as Amazon from these new printing presses.

Sounds like an industry with a business model begging for disruption.

Would be awesome if I was able to actually lend out ebooks to friends with a similar restriction as with a physical book.

That's innovation, adding value to the customers experience and securing business survival.

From what I understand from someone in the industry, the digital version does take non-insignificant effort to format and meta-tag the literature according to the ebook formatting appropriately. Furthermore, the risk for the publishing company still exists, because editing, marketing, formatting, and cover-creation is still something that ebooks need and still costs money to produce.

In other words, the idea that digital books should cost significantly less than a printed book doesn't account that digital books require similar amounts of effort and labor, plus additional formatting labor.

"Sounds like an industry with a business model begging for disruption."

This already exists in the form of wattpad and other self-publishing mediums. There are plenty of authors who make a living off of these mediums. But it's a different ball game and requires someone to manage their author career like a business, not as a traditional writer. (hiring an editor, a cover-producer, and doing one's own marketing) Thus, it's not really something that authors are generally enamored by.

I own over 300 Audible audio books, about the same number of eBooks purchased from Google, Apple, and Amazon over the same time period.

As an example of the value of audio books: several years ago I read James Joyce’s “Ulysses” and I did not totally follow the story. The language he used is interesting. A year later I bought the audio book, narrated by four or five excellent actors, and even with the strange language, the story really came to life for me.

I also like to listen to audio books while walking.

BTW, I try to buy books on different platforms so if, for example, I lost my Amazon account, then my entire library would not go away.

Really? It's easy to do other stuff while listening to an audio book. I consume most of my books driving this way. The alternative is to not read as I have better stuff to do.

Not even taking into account that you can listen while doing laundry or other chores, a good voice actor can really bring a story to life in a different (sometimes better) way.

Nuances in the dialog can really change how you perceive a character.

My biking commute is about 80 minutes per day, 1984 is about 10 hours audiobook, so for me it is just using those 80 minutes.

Speed isn't everything, and not everything is a race.

Sex being a good example.

It's important to remember that just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it doesn't have merits, or other people won't understand it either.

That being said I prefer books too, and I'm a slow reader by design (I've discovered the slower I go the more I enjoy the journey)

One thing I really like about audiobooks is that it works really well when trying to get through dense texts. Thanks to audiobooks, I've "read" Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which I attempted in text form but got bored.

Also, they work great for a commute.

Well, for me (and I imagine, most) reading fiction isn't about trying to read as many words per minute as you can - it's about immersing yourself in a fantasy and enjoying the story.

Sometimes when I'm working offsite I have a long commute by hired car or train. Reading on a moving, bumping vehicle makes me feel really nauseous after about 20 minutes, so it's a no-no for me.

So, I find audio books great for commutes/land-based travel.

Back when I used to exercise, I enjoyed listening to audio books too.

Also, a good narrator can really bring books to life - it's a totally different experience than reading.

For me, English is not my mother tounge, audiobook is way better than reading it. And also I find myself difficult to stay focus while reading a book, but no problem when listening to a audiobook.

I can listen to audiobooks whilst driving at 100 words/min. My reading rate drops well below 300 words/min whilst driving.

Using otherwise dead time multiplies my 'reading' time.

Seriously? You read while you drive?

If I’m out running, I can’t be reading a book, but I can listen to one.

It makes otherwise tedious activities much more enjoyable.