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So much for learning how to read.

Mar 25, 08 - 04:54 pm Comment from: LordRobin

MacMental: I second that. How pathetic, buying your kid an audiobook. Unless the idea is that the kid follows along with the real thing.

------RM

Audio books when you're traveling is actually a great thing. I would never let my kids always just listen, but many get car sick reading while in motion, so having this available for trips or listening to as they fall asleep in bed is a nice thing.

Mar 25, 08 - 05:01 pm Comment from: Demon

Audio Books are great at teach really young kids to read.
As long as the kid as the book and reads along too and the person reading the book does so in a way that keeps the Kids attension and intrest. Otherwise it's just a waste of time.

Mar 25, 08 - 05:19 pm Comment from: Mo

A godsend for visually impaired people.

Mar 25, 08 - 05:30 pm Comment from: Mo

Text Readers that read the HTML in webpages are also amazing tools for the visually impaired.

How can they make an audio book of "The Invention of Hugo Cabret"? The story is told in pictures with almost no words.

Is adding children's books to iTunes another attempt at luring Windows users over to the Mac?

Mar 25, 08 - 06:40 pm Comment from: G4Dualie

"So much for learning how to read." he proclaims as he throws his hands in the air and walks off in disgust.

MacMental is myopic.

You talk as though audio books are displacing real books! Or that audio books are somehow undermining our education system.

I know you don't believe that. In fact, from your words and delivery, you sound like you are in a state of depression.

Those with a desire to learn how to read will do so, those who don't will do like they always do and it won't include books of any type.

Mar 25, 08 - 08:00 pm Comment from: Mo

Good one Sarasota!

Subtle yet effective. And especially fitting after reading some of the blogs over at ZDNet.

Mar 25, 08 - 09:41 pm Comment from: Spark

My first reaction was the same as MacMental's, but the rest of the comments above were eye opening. Good thoughts on the value of children's audio books. I like reading to my granddaughters, but become brain dead after reading the same book over and over. This could definitely allow preschoolers to learn to love books (by listening along with the physical book in hand) even when parents, and others, are not available. I also remember my daughter becoming very carsick when trying to look at books on trips. I would much rather the kids listening to books thru their iPods on trips than the junk music they might turn to otherwise (talking about pre-teens and teens at this point).

Mar 25, 08 - 10:50 pm Comment from: Anonymous©

Uhm, I remember in Kindergarten the teacher read to us. And, in First Grade, I read to the rest of the class. It's not at all unusual to listen to a story being read.

I just think it's funny when Steve Jobs said that "nobody reads anymore" when asked his reaction to the Amazon kuddle or whatever it's called.
So he pumps a few more audiobooks onto iTunes. Hilarious and brilliant!
Does anyone think that Amazon's purchase of Audible will get that component yanked from iTunes?