demiseofcdbook

Issue #44

Last Update March 2, 2006

Technology Demise of the CD Bookshelf by Sten Grynir O'Reilly and Co. has discontinued its CD Bookshelf series of technical books. Reviewed here in the March, 2003 issue (CD Bookshelf), the CD Bookshelf series packages seven books on a common subject (web design, networking, the Perl programming language, etc.) in an extremely convenient format. Each CD Bookshelf volume consists of an actual paper book (usually the In a Nutshell book on the topic) and a CD which contains that book and six others as HTML files, suitable for viewing on a web browser. No other publisher had attempted such a sensible and handy format.

The benefits of such a format are obvious: a complete library on a given topic in a very compact space, highly portable, and written by some of the best people in each field. Since each chapter is a separate HTML file, loading and viewing are quick. The books are easily searchable, and a comprehensive index covering all the books in the set removes the need to know in advance which book has the desired information.

It is even possible to download the CD files to a PDA that has a browser, allowing mobile professionals to carry a technical library in their pocket.

Unfortunately, the series was not as profitable as had been expected, not because of lack of interest, but because of excessive interest by people unwilling to pay for the books. Early in the life of this series, short-sighted and dishonest people uploaded the CD files to the internet and made many of them available to anyone for free. The Tragedy of the Commons had been translated into the high-tech world.

As`a consolation prize, many O'Reilly books are now available to be viewed on the web, in non-downloadable formats, for a subscription fee. This service can be found at http://safari.oreilly.com. The subscription fee allows a number of books to be viewed at a time, the number depending on the size of the bookshelf you have subscribed to; books may be changed, but any book must remain on the bookshelf for thirty days. Although this service allows quick reference to a subject that may be unfamiliar to the user, it is certainly not as convenient as having the books available on one's own computer or PDA and requires internet access for use. Technical books of other publishers are also available on this platform

It is indeed unfortunate that O'Reilly has been forced to discontinue a fine product; hopefully, they will find a way to bring it back in a form profitable to them.