Back in the day when the audio world was making its big transition from analog to digital, many consumers and audio engineers were complaining about the “cold sound” and the lack of “feel” that digital audio exhibited. At the time I was one of those who mocked those people and argued that this so-called “feel” they’ve gotten used to is really the distortion exhibited by their less-than-ideal mediums. They’ve gotten so used to the crackle of vinyl that they can’t live without it, whereas digital audio is pure and unblemished.

Now I find myself on the other side of this argument in yet another media that’s getting digitized: books. I’ve recently purchased an Amazon Kindle 2, and while I find the device to be overall usable and effective, I find myself yearning for that natural, organic feel that books have. I miss looking at their beautifully printed covers and that lovely feeling of paper between my fingers. Have I turned into one of the old farts I was arguing with on the digital audio issue?

The more I think about it, I realize that Kindle is still a very immature product. You really lose a lot in the transition from a paper book to the Kindle. The screen is much smaller than the average book page, contrast and resolution are significantly lower than what you get on a printed page, images and diagrams are black and white and still look very poor, etc. These limitations might explain part of why I miss reading a printed book, but there is also a less tangible element at work here.

The Kindle is just a huge downgrade from the experience standpoint. Yes it’s practical and convenient, but it’s kind of like switching from an expensive Jaguar with beautiful wood interior to a cheap Hyundai with plastic interior. The Kindle just feels cheap and plastic, and I wonder if that aspect of the product couldn’t have been better implemented. One explanation might be that I, and others like me, are just used to paper, and that this “cheapness” I feel with plastic is something younger people just don’t experience. If that’s the case, would the younger generation ultimately embrace the Kindle or Kindle-like products and completely abandon the concept of books as we know them?

It seems sad, but it also seems very likely.