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Print vs. Ebook: Which Do You Use?
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re: seeing how much of a chapter you have left on kindle - on mine, if I press the very top of the page it shows at the bottom how what page I'm on (page 245 of 771 of The Goldfinch for example) and how many mins I've got left in that chapter (it must be an average I suppose unless it's been monitoring my reading speed without telling me lol) - do the other versions of the kindles not do this?
On my Aldiko e-reader on my Coby android tablet, it tells you how many pages are in the ebook copy I got and it saves my place where I can come back to when I return to read it. I looked at the FAQ for it and it said the only way you can adjust the font on it is only if the publisher allows users to override the original formatting of the ebook and so my e-reader has no way to make tiny font of e-books bigger. I think its the author's job who wrote it to make the font big enough for someone to read it as others would have trouble reading ones that are only at 10 font.
Laurel wrote: "re: seeing how much of a chapter you have left on kindle - on mine, if I press the very top of the page it shows at the bottom how what page I'm on (page 245 of 771 of The Goldfinch for example) a..."Mine doesn't do it but I have a kindle 4, one of the first models.
My phone app counts the minutes but my kindle is very old (4 years I think) and therefore doesn't!
Mod
I do! Going back and forward is something ebook don't do very well...
dely wrote: "Shirley wrote: "Just as Leslie likes to see how many pages are left before the end of a chapter (I sometimes do this, too!), I also like to flick back, and re-read part of it, or find a part with a..."I do that especially when reading the Russian writers (because I worry that I will get confused by the different names a single character has) -- I found it very helpful with War and Peace for example.
Mod
I always get confused with russian names, also because they tend to call the same person with two or even three different names!!!
I also wrote down the list of carachters - and their relations - when I first read One Hundred Years of Solitude
LauraT wrote: "I also wrote down the list of carachters - and their relations - when I first read One Hundred Years of Solitude "Me too! In a blank page of the book I made the family tree.
I also make family trees and attach an index card with bits of info to keep track, i did that with 100 yeas of solitude and game of thrones.
I also highlight in ebook (underline in paperback) every single word that I dont understan.
The next time I read Dickens, I think I shall do my own family tree, if there isn't one in the book!
I've never thought to go that. When I get confused I tend to use the internet carefully to remind myself who is who. There is a spoiler risk but I did it with Game of Thrones and did spoil it for myself!
Heather wrote: "I've never thought to go that. When I get confused I tend to use the internet carefully to remind myself who is who. There is a spoiler risk but I did it with Game of Thrones and did spoil it for m..."I'm just not good with loads of characters to remember! I find it hard going until I am used to them, probably about half way through the book! So I thought, why not try it out next time?
I love both. I have a Kindle Fire which I use for Kindle books, Audible and Overdrive audiobooks. I also have more books in this house than I can ever get to!Reasons I love audiobooks:
- I get migraines and sinuses quite frequently when I can't even bear to put my glasses on. That's when I take out my audiobooks.
- Some books have such good narrators/performers they are better in audio. I'm thinking of Susan Ericksen doing the In Death series by J.D. Robb and James Marsters doing The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.
e-books:
- you can take a whole library with you on vacation
- you can read things without having to tell others what you're reading
- you can read VERY large tomes (I'm thinking of you, Mr. King!) without breaking your wrists
- you can read in line at the pharmacy, in the doctor's office, etc.
real books:
- they're just so comfy
- they smell nice
- they don't need to be recharged
Ebooks for convenience... Lunch breaks, travel, appointments.... Real books for pleasure & home(nothing can replace the feel of a real book in my hands).
Megan wrote: "I am expecting to get a kindle for a Christmas gift, I am very nervous about the change between print and kindle. However reading all these reviews has made me change my mind. I am looking forward..."
And keep in mind that having an e-reader (of whatever type) doesn't mean that you have to stop reading "real" books!
Mod
I got a kindle earlier this year and it's so much more convenient when I'm travelling. I like the fact it's got an in-built light aswell so I can read in bed without disturbing the other half by having a lamp on.Since getting it I've still read more paperbacks than I've read books on the kindle, and I'll never stop buying books and getting books out of the library but I'm glad I eventually bought a kindle and wouldn't be without one now.
I've just bought a new kindle paperwhite. Does anyone have any useful tips? I'm used to my kindle fire, but bought this so it's kinder on my eyes.
Real books always. Besides the tactile stuff, I like browsing through my shelves and rearranging them as I see fit. Book covers are art.
I bought a Nook about 2 years ago. I used it constantly for the first 6 or so months, and haven't touched it since. I prefer real books.
If we had this conversation 500 years ago purists would be saying... I know the only way I'm going back to paper books is if the electricity goes out, heh.
Mod
Don't have a Kindle, so I don't have any suggestions! I don't think it's much different from the fire though
Shirley wrote: "I've just bought a new kindle paperwhite. Does anyone have any useful tips? I'm used to my kindle fire, but bought this so it's kinder on my eyes."I have an old Kindle keyboard and a Kindle Fire, but really only read on the Kindle keyboard. I don't know if the Paperwhite is similar to the keyboard but I find having my books in collections very helpful in finding them. I also move books into a "Read" or "Finished" collection once I am done so I can see more easily what I have on my Kindle which is still unread (way too many in my case!).
Shirley , I have a kindle paper white and I love that it is easier on the eyes with thewhite background . It's great to be able to adjust for the lighting where ever you are . Like Leslie, I especially like the ability to put titles in collections .
There is a way to link to Goodreads but I really haven't found it too useful . It just doesn't have much functionality - even less than the iPhone app .
Overall I really enjoy it . This is my third kindle and I don't think I have read more than a half a dozen hard copy books in the last several years. It was an adjustment at first but as soon as I tried turn the page as if I was reading a book instead of hitting the button which you had to do with my first kindle , I knew I was hooked . Enjoy !
If I was answering this question prior to January 2014, I would have said only physical books. But January 2014 was when I picked up my Kindle Paperwhite (and Fire for movies) and I'd say I've used it for the vast majority of things I've read. Price alone is an advantage, what with Delphi selling complete works of authors like Dostoyevsky Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky for $2.51, or the frequent Kindle sales, which have allowed me to read books I normally would not have Benjamin Franklin's Bastard: A Novel. Portability, highlighting and searching are also draws, and the Kindle (For me) has a surprisingly long battery life, so recharging hasn't been an issue.Audiobooks on the other hand, are new for me. I started with a couple of works by David Sedaris and am now listening to Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel and am really enjoying it. It's great to be able to close my eyes and to be told a story, though I find my listening has to be really on point to get everything that's going on. I guess the Kindle has spoiled me in that I miss not being able to share quotes, but that's a very minor complaint.
That said, I do still buy books, particularly if they are ones I really have enjoyed. While I actually read A Song of Ice and Fire on Kindle, I have all five of the hardcovers on my shelf. Or of course if the book is not available for Kindle - like Collected Fictions.
So, Kindle is my first choice and books my second, with audiobooks finding a place here and there in the middle.
I have a Nook and Kindle Fire and when I first got them, I read plenty of books that way. However, as time passed, I began to miss the feel of pages, the heft of a book, even the smell of a book. I also missed filling up my bookshelves with books. I feel home looks more homey with books lining the walls. Granted, regular books are pricier than e-books, but I'd just rather spend money that way and cut expenses somewhere else. My preference may have something to do with the books I choose to read which amounts to everything and anything if it looks interesting. For instance, I love atlases, architecture, and books on art. These are just not suited to e-books.
I read both print and ebooks but that's just me.
In case anyone else finds the white screens too bright, I always put mine on sepia. The background is cream, but when reading you forget you're reading brown on cream as you can alter the brightness just the same.I'm not sure whether this would be an option for you or not, Shirley.
Jean wrote: "In case anyone else finds the white screens too bright, I always put mine on sepia. The background is cream, but when reading you forget you're reading brown on cream as you can alter the brightnes..."I read with black background and white type -- I find it easier on my eyes & saves on battery life.
Yesterday, for the first time, I had to enlarge the font size...I'm getting old! But I'm glad we can do it with the ereader, it's so helpful.
Mod
LOL. Itvhappens to me as well if I have my lens on!
dely wrote: "Yesterday, for the first time, I had to enlarge the font size...I'm getting old! But I'm glad we can do it with the ereader, it's so helpful."You only really need worry about that if you reach the point where you have it set such that one letter fills the screen. ;-)
Paulfozz wrote: "dely wrote: "Yesterday, for the first time, I had to enlarge the font size...I'm getting old! But I'm glad we can do it with the ereader, it's so helpful."You only really need worry about that if..."
LOL
I hope it will never happen!
I love reading both print and ebooks. I love the feel of a book and I tend to read print books faster than I do ebooks. I think I tend to get distracted a lot and since I can't physically see or feel how many pages I have left in a chapter, sometimes I feel like I've been reading forever and have gotten nowhere. Two things I love about ebooks is being able to highlight a passage and that I can take a lot of them with me without all the extra pounds. So, if I happen to finish a book while I'm out and about, I can just start a new one right there instead of having to wait til I get home because I didn't bring the book with me.
My font size is set to enormous (!) and I regularly have a page which is between one and three words per line. On the other hand it is so comfortable! And I can always switch it to horizontal if it gets too frustrating.I will say one thing. It improves your short term memory no end, having such a limited amount of print actually in front of you ;)
Jean wrote: "In case anyone else finds the white screens too bright, I always put mine on sepia. The background is cream, but when reading you forget you're reading brown on cream as you can alter the brightnes..."Yes I quite like the sepia, too, Jean :)
Oh good :) Glad it works for you as well, Shirley.
I use whichever I can find here in Angola! But 99% of the time it's Kindle version. Kindle saved my bookworm soul!
I'm definitely a print person. I like the feel of holding a book and turning the pages. It's even fun to see how many pages you have left in real life.But I do read ebooks as well and I don't have any real problems with them. I actually tend to read ebooks faster.
I have to say print books. Grew up on them. And they bring a bit of comfort to hold and read. I collect so many. And I hope to read them all someday. Thank you Goodreads for such a wonderful program!
I'd say both! It depends on whatever is available. I recently read Frankenstein in print form because my school provided that for me but I read The Secret History on my kindle because that was easier.
All About Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (other topics)Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky (other topics)
Collected Fictions (other topics)
Benjamin Franklin's Bastard (other topics)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
David Sedaris (other topics)Susan Ericksen (other topics)
J.D. Robb (other topics)
James Marsters (other topics)
Jim Butcher (other topics)
Another thing I like is the percentage through, which is a sort of substitute for page numbers, I suppose. And the way it matches my reading, so it will tell me how many minutes are left in the chapter until I can put the kettle on or go to the loo!