Download the Classics for Free
When I heard that Google was offering free, downloadable versions of public domain books, first I thought, "Wow!" Then, I thought, "Who wants to curl up with a laptop, let alone a desktop?" Even if you were to print out the entire book, you're probably $75 in the hole because you need to purchase a pack of printer cartridges from Costco. I imagine some kid living in the projects trying to download 2 MB of Dante's Inferno -- his 486 PC still chugging away after 2 hours. Wishful and naive thinking, I know. Still, the idea that some of the classics are sort of free is pretty darn cool. Can it be that a business would use its technological prowess to provide good for all of humanity, while making money at the same time? I worry about the day when Google monopolizes all data, great and trivial...