I can very conveniently purchase this book on Amazon’s Kindle store, and have it delivered wirelessly to my iPhone via the Kindle app and read it at my leisure whenever I like. However, I can also order this book from the same website and have it delivered to my door for free within two days, or I can walk down to Powell’s if I’m feeling the need for instant gratification.
One of these options will allow me to own this book forever, lend it out, sell it or give it away. It will never break or run out of batteries. The other will remain tied to me, and like every other piece of DRMed media I’ve ever purchased will be lost into the ether in time, along with my money.
Why would I ever want to choose the latter option? To date I’ve purchased exactly one Kindle book; while I was backpacking through Europe. I did it because I couldn’t get the book in Europe, especially for that price, and because I didn’t want to be saddled down with more weight. It was very useful and well worth the purchase price, but really, that’s the only reason why I think I would ever buy another one.
