Lets have us a nice free-for-all on ebooks and regular books! I'm interested in hearing all the pros and cons we can come up with. Which do you prefer?
Overall Rating: votes
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Posted 2 years ago #
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I'll start:
Paper:
Pro - Can get almost any book from the library for FREE, easy to share the ones you do own
Cons - have to wait for popular books or those at another branch of the library, take up shelf space!eBooks:
Pro - Take up less space! Free out of copy right books available instantaneously
Cons - cost more because you have to pay for the reader and for most contemporary titles, hard to share them with othersI currently have paper books and a few free ebooks on my iphone and am considering an ebook reader (ok, an iPad. I'm a fan girl. It's true.)
Posted 2 years ago # -
I read and collect out-of-print and specialist material that is NOT easily available as deadtree books. Sometimes I can download from Manybooks or Google Books; sometimes I have to pay way too much money for a deadtree version.
I have probably two to three thousand dtbooks in my 750 square foot condo. I have twice that many on my hard drive. I want to convert most of my dtbooks to ebooks.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I got a Kindle for my birthday. It's great for certain things, but I don't think it will ever replace books on paper. Based on not quite a month's experience:
- I love that I can get my newspaper subscription this way rather than having to walk down to the end of the driveway every morning to fish it out of the inevitable puddle. It's cheaper, and I don't have to travel to the recycling collection bin once a week or deal with newspaper ink. BUT, I miss getting the daily crossword (I'm not a fan of doing them online) and comics, and I sort of miss glancing at the ads, if only to see what events are coming up and who's having sales. And not all of the articles that appear in the print edition appear in the Kindle edition. And there's usually only a couple of photos (although that may change). THEN AGAIN, I'll probably continue to get the Sunday paper in hardcopy anyway -- there's something about that tactile experience. And the daily crosswords tend to pile up since I don't have time to do them every day, so the two giant crosswords that come with the Sunday paper should be enough for a week.
- A lot of the books and magazines I like to read are very visual (art, design, decorating, etc.), so until there's a reader that's got a big, beautiful color screen and subscriptions to the magazines I like are available, it won't replace my printed books and magazines.
- One of the libraries I have a card for loans e-books, but I have yet to figure out how to make it work with my Kindle (mostly for lack of time). We were able to get it to work with my niece's Sony Reader that she got for Christmas. BUT, the selection is limited, and the whole differing format thing is a pain in the butt.
- One of the nicest things is that many of the Kindle editions on Amazon make the first chapter available as a free download. I usually know in the first chapter whether I will continue with the book or not, so this is a great way to see if I'm interested in the book before plunking down the money for it.
- I was raised on library books and continue to be a huge supporter of libraries. Part of what I love about the library (and bookstores) is the serendipitous discovery. I find the e-book buying experience less so. BUT, if there's something specific I want and if it's available in a Kindle edition, I can have it immediately.
I could probably go on for a while, but I'll stop there to prevent this from becoming a novel. :-) Bottom line: I don't think this will ever be an either/or situation.
Posted 2 years ago # -
i don't plan on buying any kind of e-book reader. i really like paper books. plus i get most of my books 2nd hand from goodwill or used bookstores or the library bookstore, so there usually isn't some book i am waiting to buy that i would need to wait on a list for at the library. i do have a couple of e-books on my computer, but i don't really enjoy reading them as much b/c i like holding a book, and the screen puts a strain on my eyes after a while.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I adore my Sony Reader, and having it has already allowed me to get rid of a number of dead tree books. I doubt I'll ever switch completely, but it's perfect for reading when I'm on the go (without worrying I'll finish my book and be stuck!) and while I'll still buy some books I can't get electronically, it'll definitely change the way I read for pleasure. It's also a vast improvement over reading on my computer when I buy PDFs from Lulu or am reading fiction offered online.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I prefer real books.
I like the look of them, the smell of them, flipping their pages, being able quickly go back to "that one spot" to remind myself of a subplot, the covers, the way they look on my shelf, etc.
But you sure can't beat being able to carry 100 books with you in your purse. ;)
So I have both—real books and Stanza (via iPod touch).
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have an older model Sony Reader (the 500 for those that know them). I love it, and am missing it right now because it's back at Sony having the firmware updated so I can access the Sony store again. I want the new Daily Edition Reader, but am trying to save money right now, so I'm sticking with the 500 for awhile longer.
I also love real books. I have way too many, like I posted in the eBay thread, and am trying to cut back to one bookcase full. There has always been something almost magical about books to me. I read 3-4 a week.
Anyways, like others have pointed out they both have their good and bad points. The Reader is great to have along when your out and about, and great for all the traveling I do with work. It's easy to load up several books and read through them, the battery lasts forever, and with the newer eBook readers you can download on the go. The eBook readers also are really easy to read on, if you've never tried one it is amazingly close to paper, with zero eye strain.
Real books though are well, real. Hard to explain, but there is a feeling that comes from holding a book in your hand. Excitement, anticipation, I don't know maybe I should've been a librarian. There is also that sense of walking the stacks at the library or searching the bookstore shelves that gets lost with eBooks. On the practical side they are also much easier to share, and you never have to worry about the battery dying or it not syncing correctly. Of course they are heavy, and its hard to take several along for trips.
@Lori Paximadis my local library says the Kindle's don't support the proper format for borrowing eBooks
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have some books downloaded on my IPOD but isn't as fun. There is no substitute to curling up with a real book on a rainy day or reading in bed. I love my books.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I had been an ebook reader for many years now. I used to be a huge fan of Palm handheld computers and had an ereader on that device. I liked it because I could read in a dark room without having to turn on a light. In fact I loved it so much I would carry both my iphone and palm with me everywhere. Now that the iPhone has the Kindle app and the Barnes & Noble ereader I have completely switched over. I even went on a spending spree buying some of my favorite books in the Kindle format and gave away all but a very small handful of books that aren't available in ebook form.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I don't feel that strongly about this topic. I read a lot, but can't afford an e-reader and don't worry about it much. I buy about half of my books (and some of my kids' books) and get the rest from the library. I donate 99% of the books I purchase and take them as a charitable donation tax write off.
I'm also one of those that likes the visceral experience of holding a book. I like the change in the weight that signifies I'm getting to the end. I like the texture of the pages. On the other hand, it is the story that is king and I'd probably give this up if it was the only option for getting my hands on a book I was dying to read.
My only additional thought is that if print books are discontinued entirely (and I recognize that is unlikely), it will be almost impossible to get non-readers hooked on a popular book. Millions of teenagers (and adults) who don't read regularly have read Twilight and Harry Potter. But would they have done so if the cost was $400.00 for an e-reader and then an additional $20.00 for the book?
To be a viable format for the masses, the e-reader has to come down in price.
Posted 2 years ago # -
<<To be a viable format for the masses, the e-reader has to come down in price.>>
Totally agree with this. Both the device and the content need to come down in price. It can actually be cheaper right now to buy a regular book. Why is this? I realize we are paying for the data infrastructure and author's creativity, but electronic distribution is much cheaper per unit compared with regular channels.
If the technology ever gets there I can actually see a "disposable" ebook. Much smaller, much simpler device compared with today's offerings, just enough of a battery to last a few months once activated, and after that you toss it. Of course we may never get there, we've been using some form of paper for thousands of years, and it's only gotten cheaper.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I live in a non english-speaking country but read mostly english books and the Kindle has made it much easier (and in the long run cheaper) to buy books. Before I would order big bunches via Amazon and had to pay for shipment (if from the US) and wait for weeks till I got them. (Libraries only have a small selection of english books). Now I can just buy them anywhere I am which is great.
I also travel a lot and it saves a lot of space. Also, if you are somewhere and you would like to get a new book you can just get it then and there.That said I do still have a lot of paper books and especially for my studies I prefer to have things on paper where i can highlight a passage and put things side by side. And as others have mentioned I do miss having pictures ect. on an e-reader so magazines ect. I still buy on paper.
All in all I dont think e-books will replace paper books (and other print media) but they are a great for certain things. And the space-saving component is great aswell, as my husband and I both read so much we are always running out of space for new books and we get rid of books we don't plan on reading again every few months.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@Nina
I hope that the books you get rid of are being donated to your library, so others can benefit! I doubt you're the only one frustrated with a small English section.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@Lori Paximadis
You said part of what you love about the library is the serendipitous discovery. I agree, but I have done this quite a bit with the Kindle. If you look at the top 100 best Kindle selling list on amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/) there are always quite a few that are free, or very very cheap. I download all of the free ones, then check them out as I have time. I have discovered many new authors I now love this way.I adore my Kindle! Between my ex-boyfriend and myself, we have 16 5-shelf bookshelves full of books. (7 of these were role playing game rule books, the rest hardback or paperback.) When we broke up and I moved, I took only the books I thought I would read again and can't live without. That got me down to 12 shelves of books. In the past 2 years I have pared down even more, and now have about 8 shelves of books. I don't see myself paring down too much more, as the ones I'm keeping either art/picture books, or are from my favorite author (Laurell K. Hamiton) and are signed and personalized, or my comfort books, like A Wrinkle in Time. :) I might get rid of 1 more shelf worth as I decide to spend the money to replace them with the digital copy, but for now, I'll keep what I have.
I agree the price of the Kindle is prohibitive. I received it as a xmas gift a year ago. But, I've found the books are almost always cheaper than paper, and there are many sites to get free books from, including amazon. And, I've started catchig up on the "classics" that I never paid attention to in school, or just never read, so almost all of these are free. For me, the price of the Kindle was absolutely worth it beyond words.
And for all you Apple fans out there, books will be more expensive on the iPad (they really didn't think that name through) than on the Kindle. At least initially, and at least many of them will be. They're saying 12-14 price point, where many new releases on amazon are $9.99. So beware. I'm a fangirl myself, but see no reason to spend my money on the iPad when I already have an iPhone and a MacBook.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I love love love my Kindle for reading fiction. I do have a couple of nonfiction books on it, too (including Erin's book), but there are no indexes for Kindle-edition books. (Text search is no substitute for a well-crafted index.)
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have no interest in a Kindle or anything of the sort. I can understand why others like it, but I like the actual book in my hand. I had to read a 225 page story on the computer once and it drove me crazy! I don't like reading books off a screen.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@themusiclivez I thought the same thing before I borrowed a friend's Kindle. I swore I would never read a book digitally, having read on the computer and it hurting my eyes. I read a whole book on the borrowed Kindle and had to have one of my own! The eInk system they use is VERY easy on the eyes. It is not backlit, which helps a lot. The light of the computer screen is a big part of what makes reading off it hurt our eyes. This is why I don't think the iPad will be a viable competitor for the Kindle.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I had a few books on my iPAQ PDA. However, unless you back up your proprietory licensed books, and your computer implodes, you're going to lose them completely.
I prefer paper books to digital, even though the PDA readers come in handy when I don't want to carry, say, The Stand, which is a doorstop of a paperback, into the doctor's office.
Posted 2 years ago # -
One more vote for paper books. I love going to bookstores, browsing online, and sharing books with my friends.
And then, there is the physical sensation of holding a book - flipping the pages.
But, I still subscribe to the daily newspaper for the same reason - even though I can read it most easily online. Somehow its just not the same with the morning coffee.
And, I still use a paper calendar too. Maybe its just the permanency of words being on paper.
And, my mother is a librarian!!!!
Posted 2 years ago #
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