Now most of the classics can be downloaded for free from a number of sites, but if you want a bestseller, good luck. They aren't generally available in electronic form. But here's the ultimate downside to all of this. While you can give a paperback to a friend to read, you can't loan or transfer an electronic book file. They come equipped with complex anti-piracy codes.
Publishers have seen what happened to music once it hit the Internet, so now they're nervous.
It s possible that these anti-copying features may be a violation of the same legal doctrine that allows people to trade books. But until that gets sorted out, it may be that the old technology is best. Only about 50,000 of the electronic reading devices have been sold in the U.S., but manufacturers expect next year to be the big year. Copyright 2000 Belo Interactive Inc., All Rights Reserved.