Now THIS is really quite an excellent idea...

So, it appears that very soon, I will be able to have almost any
rare/out-of-print/hard-to-find book that I want.

<i>"Angus & Robertson today became the first Australian book chain to
install the Espresso Book Machine (EBM), capable of printing, trimming and
binding a paperback book on demand within minutes.

It was dubbed an "ATM for books" by Time magazine, which last year named it
one of the best inventions of the year.

Shoppers will initially be able to choose from several hundred out-of-print
or difficult to get hold of books, but Angus & Robertson said the range
would expand daily, reaching 10,000 within 18 months. They would cost the
same as the current shelf price of paperbacks or less, the retailer
said."</i>

10,000?... That sounds a little small. I wonder how long it will really take
for the range to be at a good level (with as many books as their servers can
hold ;))

<i>"The EBM is now up and running in Angus & Robertson's Bourke Street store
in Melbourne, but the company said it would have up to 50 machines installed
throughout its Australia and New Zealand network within a year."</i>

Now THAT is damned fine. I wonder what the quality of both the print AND of
the cover is...

<b><a
href="http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/print-on-demand-with-atm-for-boo
ks/2008/09/18/1221331003780.html">News Source</a></b>
<b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espresso_Book_Machine">What
Wikipedia says about the EBM...</a></b>
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