Espresso Book Machines

Everyone wants easier ways to get books.  First they started doing digital downloads that you could read on your computer.  Then came the Kindle and other e-book readers.  Now we can get books from an ATM.  OnDemandBooks has developed a machine, called the Espresso Book Machine, that can print out the book of your choice at 112 pages per minute.  Complete with a color cover and bound like any book you’d pick up off the shelves, you can custom order that book you haven’t been able to find in the store.

The Espresso Book Machine made its premiere in the UK, but is already in multiple locations around the world.  If things go well, you can expect to see them everywhere.  Currently the machine carries hundreds of thousands of titles, but creators say that within months its catalog will include millions.

Prices vary depending on the titles, and by looking through the digital catalog you can access the book of your choice and view the information.  Out of print, hard to come by books will cost more, while newer books will be cheaper.  This could be great for people who haven’t been able to find an older, rare book.  OnDemandBooks claims “No book need ever be out of print again.”

The OnDemandBooks website describes their creation on the main page: “Library quality paperbacks at low cost, identical to factory made books, printed direct from digital files for the reader in minutes, serving a radically decentralized world-wide multilingual marketplace. In essence, an ATM for books.”

Although this isn’t quite as exciting as the pizza vending machines I wrote about before, it is still an interesting step towards technology taking care of us.  Some people have said they’re afraid it will take over regular book stores, but I don’t think that’s the case.  I know that I love going to book stores and browsing the shelves, waiting for a title to catch my eye.  But I also know that when there’s a specific book I’m searching for, it would be nice to have a place to print it out in minutes instead of trying to find a decent used copy or ordering it online, paying shipping, and waiting for it to arrive.  It’s also nicer than an e-reader if you’re the type who really loves to actually have the book in your hands (like I do) instead of just a digital copy.

Another great thing about the EBM is that authors (published or unpublished) can print out their own manuscripts through the machine.  You can have a bound, professional looking copy of your book in minutes.

People will probably be wary of the Espresso Book Machines at first (plus that’s an awful name for the machine.  Someone needs to get a creative team on this ASAP) but after more places start using them, I’m sure it will become quite popular.

Click here to visit the website for the Espresso Book Machine: OnDemandBooks

Click Read More to see a (really boring) video of the EBM.  (Seriously, where is the creative team on all this??)  Also, there’s a more interesting video from CNN that shows the machine in action.

[Thanks to Michele!]