| Okay, raise your hand if you remember | | | | audiobook, you're not going to be able to |
| eight-track tapes (for those of you under 40, | | | | start it up from exactly where you left off. |
| go ask your parents about them). How about | | | | But with a good old fashioned cassette, you |
| LPs? Anyone? You know, those big black CDs? | | | | can do exactly that. If you're listening to a |
| What, you may ask, does any of this have to | | | | CD full of songs it's not a real big problem. |
| do with the price of audiobooks in China? | | | | But within audiobooks which can have much |
| Actually, quite a bit! | | | | longer chapters, you really want to have more |
| | | | precise stopping and starting capability. |
| It's about technology with regards to audio | | | | Listening to audio books on CDs can be |
| media. Audio media has gone through some | | | | frustrating when you're driving if you have |
| major changes over the last 15 years. | | | | to restart the audiobook or try to locate |
| Everybody knows how great CDs are -- fabulous | | | | exactly where you stopped every time you shut |
| sound quality, minimal storage space, long | | | | off the car. Sure, there are more advanced CD |
| lasting (if you take even reasonable care of | | | | players in cars these days that do restart |
| them). | | | | where you stopped when you turned off the |
| | | | car. But it's certainly not a universal |
| But when it comes to audiobooks, many people | | | | feature. And oh, by the way, if you take your |
| actually prefer to take a technological step | | | | CD out of the CD player, you definitely can't |
| backwards to the technology that ruled the | | | | just put it back in and start where you left |
| world after eight-tracks and LPs -- audio | | | | off. With a cassette you can. |
| cassettes! (C'mon, I KNOW you remember those | | | | |
| :-) | | | | Since audiobooks are mostly just narration, |
| | | | most people who buy them don't see the point |
| I'm not sure anyone ever tried an audiobook | | | | in paying extra for CDs when the audio |
| on eight-track tape, and there may have been | | | | quality of cassettes is pretty close to that |
| a few on LP, but they were certainly not a | | | | of CDs especially when we're talking about |
| raging success. But when cassettes came into | | | | largely narrative content. |
| the picture, audio "books on tape" really | | | | |
| started to take off. And that's been the | | | | Ah, but wait! What's that I see riding in |
| prevailing format for audio books until very | | | | from the horizon on a white horse? Yes, it's |
| recently. | | | | an MP3 player! The newest in the battle for |
| | | | media market dominance may be exactly what |
| Now you can find many more audiobook titles | | | | the audiobook world has been waiting for! |
| coming out in today's media format champion: | | | | Small size, big capacity, SUPERB quality. |
| CDs. But there are a lot of people who still | | | | PERFECT for audiobooks! And the great news |
| prefer good old audio cassettes to CDs. This | | | | is, there are audiobook stores popping up |
| is especially true when we're talking about | | | | that specialize in downloadable audiobooks, |
| listening to audiobooks. I happen to be one | | | | taking their cue from the resounding success |
| of those people. Let me explain why. | | | | of the downloadable music phenomenon. |
| | | | |
| First of all, audiobooks in CD format can't | | | | Downloadable audiobooks and MP3 players are |
| hold any more than 75 minutes of content. On | | | | the perfect convergence of technology. And I |
| the other hand, cassettes can hold 90 minutes | | | | think it's fair to say that we will see the |
| or more of narration. With cassettes, you're | | | | number and quality of downloadable audiobooks |
| probably going to need two or three to hold a | | | | increasing significantly as major publishers |
| good sized audiobook. But you probably need | | | | recognize the potential. Many already have. |
| many more CDs to hold that same audiobook. | | | | But many more will, and very soon. |
| | | | |
| Another problem with audiobooks on CD is that | | | | One word of caution as you scramble out to |
| they tend to be more expensive than the same | | | | get yourself an MP3 player (if you don't have |
| audiobooks on cassette. For example, an | | | | one already). Make sure it either has a |
| unabridged version of "Harry Potter and The | | | | "bookmark" feature (which allows you to |
| Goblet Of Fire" on cassettes is just $31.96 | | | | "mark" where you've left off so you can |
| on the Barnes and noble web site. The same | | | | restart there), OR (like my iPod Nano), make |
| audiobook on the same web site in CD format | | | | sure if you shut it off, it picks up exactly |
| is $55.96 -- almost twice the price of the | | | | where you left off when you start it again! |
| cassette version! Yikes! | | | | |
| | | | Then, find yourself a great audiobook (or a |
| Here's the biggest problem I have with | | | | dozen), and take advantage of what used to be |
| audiobooks on CDs. In most cases, when you | | | | "dead time". Your world will be a much better |
| turn off your CD player while listening to an | | | | place for it. |