BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, August 5, 2010
The wave of electronic reading devices like the Kindle and iPad has caught on among many Bruneians who recognise their merits, while there are still others who prefer printed material.

Jeffery Ong, Ickle Books outlet owner told The Brunei Times that “there is not much difference”in terms of e-books that affects his book sales.

He went on to say that the reading culture in Brunei is not as “intense” as other countries such as Singapore and it all boils down to personal preferences of the user, whether the readers in Brunei prefers reading their books through a screen or pages.

Ong also recognised that Bruneians have a love for gadgets, but poses the question of how many iPad or Kindle users actually bother to buy books online.

One passionate advocate of the electronic reading format is Azlan Ariffin, 25. He downloads 50 titles every month, mostly magazines. “Most of the magazines I get are computer and photography magazines,” said the tech enthusiast. “Ever since I have the device I don’t go to the bookstore anymore to get them,” said Azlan.

One of the reasons he feels turns that print magazines in Brunei for him are a thing of the past is cost. “Usually these magazines cost about $15 to $20 while digital downloads for some of the issues are free and others roughly around $5 to $10,” he stressed.

The difference is so broad that where previously he would only choose one or two magazines, now purchases have increased five fold. “Now I get magazines of all sorts, whatever takes my fancy really,” beamed the 25 year old.

Other merits include the speed at which he can obtain the magazines in question and also how accessibility due to electronic devices has meant he can take as many with him anywhere.

Meanwhile there are other Bruneians who appreciate the touch of feel of print media and would gladly pay for it. “I collect comic books, love reading novels and in some cases there are hard covers of these books and comics that are collectible that cannot be replaced by an electronic version,” said a civil servant who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“There are things like holographic covers, signed covers by the artists or authors which cannot be appreciated in the electronic form,” he said, adding, “And, there are some things which can’t be replicated like a roller coaster ride on a virtual device, no matter how hard you try its not like the real thing.”

The Brunei Times

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