e-Readers Vs Print Books

cynic

There is a charm to print books, but e-readers have their own advantages. If asked to choose between the two, which one would you prefer?

A related question, what e-reader do you use, and why?

Patter

jhsurti 25-5-2018 12:10 PM
One place where the seniors prefer technology! I think there may be reasons for them like - light w ...

Oh yes, e-readers are a blessing for (mostly older) people who have problems with eye-sight! It's actually very good for dyslectic people as well since you can put bigger spacing between lines, making it easier for the eye to follow.

jhsurti

Patter 23-5-2018 12:15 PM
In most european countries we offer both entertainment and educational movies.
In a lot of (mostl ...

That's commendable. Your one-stop solution to fiction, non-fiction, entertainment, gaming...
Managing would be a daunting task!

Indured

A decade ago I would have sworn by print version, but with growing older, skewed up eyesight, tiny fonts of paperbacks, cost of hardcover being a burden on the purse, the vote definitely goes to e book readers. I am on to my second Kindle paper white now. Factors like ease on the eye, options to increase font size ,brightness, ease of downloading ebooks all have made book worms like me happy and happier. I also read on iBooks and google play books.

Mousetrap

This is a toughie! A couple of years ago, I'd have said without any hesitation that no e-reader can come close to physical books. Books stimulate so many of your senses and visiting old bookstores is an ecstatic experience by itself.

I received a Kindle as a gift from my friends some 6 years ago. It was the model with the keyboard and the music playing option. Somehow, at that time, I could never pick it up. I let that device die mostly unused. Then I thought I'd give Kindle another shot and got Paperwhite last year and somehow the magic worked this time.

At this point, I'm slightly more in favor of the Kindle over physical books, the main reason being storage. I see piles of my books gathering dust despite regular cleaning and rearranging. After discovering UC forum and hoarding hundreds of books, having a Kindle is definitely a boon. Then there is this advantage of reading in the dark and carrying around a goldmine of readable material easily. Kindle books often come at great discounts too... I can go on and on. So, yes, I'm in a happy marriage with Kindle Paperwhite now.

jhsurti

Books, in their physical form, have their own place. Loved them. They offered a unique experience with a different feel to different books. They also, because of these differences, left an image on your mind through which you could recall the book or the particular scene from the book. They let you scribble your own notes on the sides(now I have read that iPad's new version allows you to do that! - but I wouldn't spend a fortune just to get that feature - at least not now). But now I am so used to reading ebooks that I seldom read physical books except my textbooks.
As to what e-reader I prefer, well, I personally use an iPad for reading. But I find Kindle Paperwhite allows you to read even without its back-light if there is sufficient ambient light. So less strain on your eyes. My first reader was Kindle Fire which served me for about 7 years. I switched to iPad for last couple of years. Advantage -  I can sync it with ease with my iPhone. So there are other factors one has to consider. But from purely reading purposes, my vote would go for Kindle paperwhite.

cynic

Mousetrap 17-5-2018 01:58 PM
This is a toughie! A couple of years ago, I'd have said without any hesitation that no e-reader can  ...

I completely identify with the last paragraph. Have a library of sorts bursting with books (2-3 rows on a shelf), and it is painful to part with them to make space for new ones. Kindle has been a boon in this regard.

cynic

jhsurti 17-5-2018 12:22 PM
Books, in their physical form, have their own place. Loved them. They offered a unique experience wi ...

I hated scribbling notes on books, and would not lend my print books to friends for fear of that.... and the dog ears. E-readers make it easier.

I read a lot of non-fictions, and have a habit of looking up things . Kindle comes in a lot handy with the dictionary/Wiki/translate feature.

jhsurti

@Mousetrap @cynic

Valid points. I forgot to mention about piles of books and storage space that requires. I think that's a given with ebook readers. Easy lookup for references, carrying your entire bookshelf with you wherever you go. Life couldn't have been easier!

About scribbling, I never did that personally and was very possessive about my books. But I saw others do it so the point stuck in my mind.

Kindleking

i won a kindle e-reader and agree with many of the points mentioned here..although i like collecting physical books still.

Meself

A few years ago, I would have said hands down physical book. But over the time I have seen how e-readers have really helped me de-clutter my library.




My books are very sacred to me. I don't lend it to anyone for the fear it might be damaged in some way. E-books and e-readers allow me to be social that way. Also sometimes you buy a book, that let's be honest costs a lot and then you realise mid-way that you hate it. With e-books on e-readers there is always an option of deleting them if you don't like and they are a lot cheaper( free most of the time). So I have now made it a point, I read e-books more and if I like I buy the physical ones.

Meself

^^I don't have a Kindle tablet, I just installed Kindle on my phone; though I have been meaning to buy one for a long time now.

mirzolino

I like print books more because I like to hold the book in my hands.