Ebook or paper?

[AlexanderSen]

Ebooks VS Books

Does anybody see the use in books still?

I was buying a lot of ebooks, but I have been moving back to books due to several reasons:

1) They are more stable than digital. In light of the problems with comanies like Bitcoin (though I started moving back to ebooks before the Bitcoin fiasco), and other digital security issues, I realize physical books are still more stable. The idea that people can wipe a whole library of proprietary formatted books through a company going under or security hack is not my idea of stability.

2) It's nice to have something physical to read. Digital has it's benefits, but having a physical book is nice because you can actually touch and see it. In my e-library I have so many books, like just another file, get lost in my computer which I don't even end up reading.

3) When there is no electricity or if I forgot to charge my e-reader I can't read my ebooks while regular books I can still read if there is sunlight or a candle.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

Books, books, books.... I work on screen, I write on screen, I beta and edit on screen, I like my relaxation scrunchy and lovely. No e-book here and no interest, either.

 

[Moonbat]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

Although I am currently reading a physical book (Discworld - men at arms only 50p from a used book store) I do prefer my kindle. I'm not that hung up on the whole real book thing, if I want to smell a real book I can go to my book shelf.
My kindle is hundreds of books, and if it starts to run out I just plug it in to charge again.
This argument is likely to go on and on, but I wonder if Paper books will gain a sort of bibliophile respect, kind of like Vinyl gets when compared to Cds or Mp3s - although there is an argument that the tones are richer)

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

I much prefer physical books and when the cost of the print edition is the same or only a few dollars more than the Kindle edition, I'll go for the printed book.

But when the book is not readily available, or the Kindle edition is much cheaper, I like the lower price because (being that I am an old lady living on social security) it means I can afford many more books. Some are as cheap as a used paperback, and unlike the used book the author gets royalties.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

I have rheumatism in my hands - my ebook reader is amazing. It no longer hurts to read. Having said that I actually prefer a good audiobook because I can drift off listening to it.

 

[kythe]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

I read only physical books. I haven't invested in a kindle for financial reasons, as well as lack of need for one. Kindle and other e-readers are expensive to buy, then you need to buy each book separately. As it is, our local library system has a good selection, and I also pick up books for maybe $1-2 each at thrift stores.

E-readers are becoming more common, and books will eventually become antiquated. But I think we are a long way from that time yet.

 

[SirSamuelVimes]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

I read physical books, and am unlikely to switch. I do have an Audible account and like audio-books when driving, jogging, or walking though. It's more convenient for me sometimes to plug in my earphones and listen, rather than read.

 

[TitaniumTi]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

I rarely read physical books, because I have developed an allergy to books, or rather to the moulds that lurk in old books.

The range of books (and particularly science fiction) available in Australia has always been poor. After the demise of Borders and an Australian chain called Angus & Robertson, it is now atrocious, with the exception of an excellent science fiction specialist bookstore in Sydney. However, going to that bookstore is a day trip for me.

In any case, I find ebooks easier to read, and like to google anything of interest in the book I'm reading. This is easy with an iPad.

 

[alchemate]

As a fan of books, and a writer, I have to ask: Ebook or paper? And why?

I like them both but prefer paper books because its easier on the eyes.

 

[thaddeus6th]

I find my Kindle (old one, with a keyboard) is very easy on the eyes, practically the same as paper and ink.

On an individual basis I prefer paper, the feel and smell of it. But for many books the advantages of e-books (price, convenience of purchase, no need for more space to store them) means I buy an electronic version.

I usually buy fantasy electronically, and history in physical format. That's partly because of the maps/photos histories often contain, and which don't translate well to my e-reader.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Think there's an active thread on it at the mo:

http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/547611-ebooks-vs-books.html

Still paper here. No plans to change.

 

[tinkerdan]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

I love a good book and I love the feel of the page in my hand and mostly I love going away with the dark ink smudges all over my thumbs. I love the smell of old book an the ones bound in leather and I like hard bound better than trade paperback.

I also love to collect the books and reread them which can be a problem when you have so many shelves filled with books and double filled and there a books in boxes.

The kindle has been a blessing and a curse but the traditional publishers have kept me at a 50 50 rate because they charge as much for the ebook as they do for a trade paperback (not to mention that I can wait and get the trade paper for half price at the used book bookstore.) But I do read a lot of the indie published books so those are a real bargain and they are easier to highlight and review inside the kindle or kindle for pc software.

 

[tinkerdan]

I love a good book and I love the feel of the page in my hand and mostly I love going away with the dark ink smudges all over my thumbs. I love the smell of old book an the ones bound in leather and I like hard bound better than trade paperback.

I also love to collect the books and reread them which can be a problem when you have so many shelves filled with books and double filled and there a books in boxes.

The kindle has been a blessing and a curse but the traditional publishers have kept me at a 50 50 rate because they charge as much for the ebook as they do for a trade paperback (not to mention that I can wait and get the trade paper for half price at the used book bookstore.) But I do read a lot of the indie published books so those are a real bargain and they are easier to highlight and review inside the kindle or kindle for pc software.

Thanks springs I posted this on both maybe we could talk an admin into merging them.

 

[biodroid]

Ebook for convenience, but it can be frustrating when Amazon does not sell certain books internationally. There are only a few Tom Clancy books available on Kindle international the rest aren't, not sure why.

 

[The Bluestocking]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

Physical books are still much cheaper on my side of the planet than e-readers, and the latter are still less-than-convenient to obtain, so I will continue to read physical books.

I do love the feel of physical books and seeing their colourful spines on my bookshelf.

Someday, I will get an e-reader. For now though, it's more pocket-friendly and comforting to read a physical book. Helps give the eyes a break from staring at a screen too!

 

[Vince W]

Depends on the author/book. I only recently stepped into ebooks with the Kindle Paperwhite and I love it, but I will still by paper books for particular authors and books because I still love having a physical copy of certain books.

 

[alchemate]

Yeah, I'm pretty split on the pros and cons. I think most book fans are. For now, paper books get the edge with me.

 

[Overread]

My views:

1) Ebooks - for a story with limited images and with a flow start to finish with no need to jump back and forth to check maps/appendixes or other such items the Ebook is fantastic. E-ink on a proper ereader (like a Kindle) is really outstanding. It's no more strain on the eyes than a normal book, and with the new backlights its even superior to a book as you can read without having to contort yourself to suit the overhead lamp nor suffer one of those clip on lights (that always get in the way and are never quite bright enough to read at leisure).

They are also light, that might not be much difference to a 2-300 page novel; but its a joy when you don't have to hold a 1000 page (almost splitting itself in the middle) tome of a book in your hands. You can read for far longer without your fingers aching.

Ebooks however are not as good for technical manuals, visual books or anything where you're not reading start to finish. At present the software and hardware is just not as easy to use as flipping through a proper reference book. Images are also hit and miss; especially as many books are simply scanned in and then presented, rather than being properly formatted for ebook display. (this latter part should, in theory, change in time).

Also since many ebooks are made by scanning the original with OCR software there can often be new errors introduced because the OCR has to guess at words. This is even more a disaster if those words are not English - again its an area that is improving but its sad to see obvious miss-placed words.



2) Books. Regular books look good - they are well formatted and presented for book display and publishers seem to take them seriously. They are also easy to reference; you can jump easily and quickly back and forth, even just a rough flick based on the thickness of the book (I'm about half way yeah).
For reference and material where you're not just going start to finish they are fantastic and currently superior to ebooks (plus you can reference several at the same time and cross reference - whilst on a Kindle the screen is simply too small for more than one open at a time - though they do remember your place without need for a bookmark - you know those things that always fall out )




In the end I love both and each is different. I can take my Kindle on the train and read from any number of hundreds of books without any strain. It's small and slips into the pocket or backpack with no added weight nor bulk. Fantastic! IF they could do PDFs and other reference material that would be even better - I'd love to have a selection of ID and reference books for birds and insects to carry around (and heck even if the kindle got wet and trashed it would be cheaper to replace than several huge reference books!)

They, in my view, compliment each other and there is space on the shelf for both. I also don't feel that kindle books must be "cheaper" because they are digital - writers, publishers, editors, cover artists etc.. still want their pay. I would hate to see books devalued to the point where you HAVE to sell vast volumes to remain in the game - that would seriously destroy any niche interest markets (and I don't want Twilight and co. to be the only books on the market).

 

[RCynic]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

Between my wife and I, we have several thousand books. We are getting ready to try and clear them out soon as we plan to downsize and they take up a whole room. We're going to try to sell them at local used book stores. We use exclusively e-readers now since both of us find the paper or ink or something about books pages irritating to our respiratory track. I find I much prefer the electronic readers, so does my wife because she can control the font size.

 

[Nerds_feather]

Re: Ebooks VS Books

Vastly prefer print books over ebooks.