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E-book vs physical books
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S.
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Jun 09, 2014 05:06AM
Which one do you guys love? And which type of books do you have reads for the past months?
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For the past 3 years now I've only read digital books happily putting away physical books due to the painful tendonitus I had. For the sake of my wrists I'm sticking with my Kindle or I'll have to risk reading less.If not for that its all about what is in the book for me not the packaging it has so I'd probably still have gone digital for ease.
The only DTBs I read now are picture books to the munchkins.Plenty of those, mind.
I read a hardcover recently but it was an indie book.
Oh and Rosen's Troll book she so kindly sent me. But again, that was to munchkins.
Michelle wrote: "For the past 3 years now I've only read digital books happily putting away physical books due to the painful tendonitus I had. For the sake of my wrists I'm sticking with my Kindle or I'll have to ..."Ow? Were you reading hard cover?
I still read a mixture of both, as I have over 50 paperbacks that I haven't read that I really want to read. I also still have a large collection of physical books that I may want to re-read and wouldn't want to pay for again, plus some of my paperbacks haven't been kindleised (sp?). There are a lot of situations where kindles are so much easier, and if travelling, you don't need to think about what you might want to read, or how many, or trying to finish a book so you aren't taking a book you only have 50 pages left of.
Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I still read a mixture of both, as I have over 50 paperbacks that I haven't read that I really want to read. I also still have a large collection of physical books that I may want to re-read and wo..."Wow! 50 paperbacks that you haven't read?
I switched to digital purely because of where I live. 20 minutes drive to my nearest library, and even then it's not very big! I would still read paperbacks, if I can get them, but I'd stick digital for my holiday reads!
S. wrote: "Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I still read a mixture of both, as I have over 50 paperbacks that I haven't read that I really want to read. I also still have a large collection of physical books tha..."54 I think, and did buy another one last week, but it doesn't count till it gets in the house!! And I have permission to raid someone's book collection, they are all hardbacks!! I volunteer, so people donate books, and I 'store' ones I like, I haven't bought that many to read, although the library recently were selling them off at 10p a go. I'm lucky Katy, library is a 5 min walk, as are 3 charity shops. One used to do 5 for £1, not allowed near there book section at the moment.
I still prefer real books, but as I am running out of space for books, I now use my kindle for cribe books or books I know I will only read once. Don't know why but I love going back to real books I have read in the past and reading them again. They are like familiar friends. And I chose them when my eyes fall on them and I think "Ugh yeah, I would like to read this again". That just doesn't happen with e-books.
I think I'm pretty much on your wavelength, Gisela
Oh, it does for me. I've read one or two ebooks many times!
I have DTB for bathtime reading. A DTB still works after it has had a wash.
I agree with the birthday girl ;). My kindle doesn't go anywhere near the bathroom.The kindle makes reading easier - at any time I can choose a different book if I'm not enjoying my current choice. Previously books that were read only once were borrowed from the library, and only ones that I thought I would re-read were bought.
I haven't really added to my paperback collection since I got my first kindle, although I still look out for ones that I might want.
Having the kindle means I can be sure to have enough to read when on holiday - and perhaps even take a smaller suitcase ( I would never be like my friend and pack a dozen pairs of shoes - in my opinion that is ten pairs too many ;) )
Since having my kindle, about 3 years I guess, I've only read ebooks. I love my kindle. I've still got the KK and it's still going strong.Mainly because :-
1. I like being able to have the font exactly the size and style I want it.
2. Because it's not as heavy as a book.
3. I never lose my place now.
4. I can't lose them like I did all my DTBs and can carry them where ever I go.
5. My kindle has enabled me to be part of this group where I've made lots of new friends.
6. Ebooks are usually cheaper for me than DTBs, even cheaper than the ones from the charity shops.
7. Ebooks don't take up any space in my little flat.
Yes! I'll never have to give away my books again!Still hurts how many I had to leave behind when we left Nigeria. And how many are still back in Canada.
Being a book-lover I thought I would miss DTBs when I switched to a Kindle. I don't miss them at all.
S. wrote: "Michelle wrote: "For the past 3 years now I've only read digital books happily putting away physical books due to the painful tendonitus I had. For the sake of my wrists I'm sticking with my Kindle..."Either would set it off. I actually had it so bad they sent me to a physio but it wasn't the books that caused it, it was work. The books just never helped. It's still there now but because I left that awful shop, have the kindle and take better care of my wrists it's not as much of an issue now unless it's cold.
David wrote: "Being a book-lover I thought I would miss DTBs when I switched to a Kindle. I don't miss them at all."Same actually I thought I would feel like I had lost something by reading it digitally but I don't and everything is easier now I don't have to go to a bookstore and spend £5 just to get to the store and home again.
Initially I was attracted to digital books because of the increase font size function, I intended to read 'real' books during the day and ebooks in the night. I still buy the occasional paper book but 95% of my reading is on Kindle (day and night), the main reason for this being the ease of access to Indie Publishing. Pre-Kindle I would compare entering a bookstore to opening a box of chocolates and revelling in the choices ,self-publishing has brought the whole sweetie shop to me, the variety and quality is mind-blowing.
I read both:a)You can't buy an e-book at a car-boot sale and its fun browsing.
b)Paperbacks in the bath, I agree with Jud
c)e-books for choice of reading matter and ease of reading in bed.
d) some books don't translate well to ebooks - where you have lots of text and accompanying diagrams that don't fit on the same page, but need to.
5 books for a £1 in charity shops? 1 for £2 round here - I can't afford to go in charity shops anymore, except to dump bagfuls of books.
PATTI - help me out here - I said bagsful and spellcheck swore at me. As in culs-de-sac. You can plural 'bags', but not 'full' so why is bagsful wrong??
I simply can't be bothered with proper books these days, the Kindle makes everything far more convenient.If I get a sudden hanking for reading up on 1940s social history then it can be on ereader within seconds.
It's wrong cuz if the bag was full it'd be too heavy and would break.
Jud (Disney Diva) wrote: "I have DTB for bathtime reading. A DTB still works after it has had a wash."I have always read my kindle in the bath, its easier than a proper book. That said, I've never dropped a book in the bath, it was always my bookmark that got wet! I do miss collecting bookmarks
Baa, baa, black sheep have you any wool?Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for the master, one for the dame,
One for the little boy who lives down the lane.
ITS A SINGING SHEEP!!!
Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "Baa, baa, black sheep have you any wool?Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for the master, one for the dame,
One for the little boy who lives down the lane.
ITS A SINGING SHEEP!!!"
Alright. I get the point! (But I still like bagsful.)
I read Granny Threesome for Rosen. I think it is practically the only paperback I have read in 3 years.I didn't enjoy the experience. I didn't want to crease the spine and the text was a little bit close to the edge. I had to turn the light on in the evening. My hand started aching from holding it.
Never again hahahaha
I'll take my kindle in the bath, but I will put it in a ziplock bag. The once I didn't, I slipped - my arm went up so it was safe, but I caused such a tidal wave I had to get out of the bath to mop up the flood.
Cos I was always a bit of an opportunist buyer, I've got stacks of unread DTBs, stacks of unwatched blu-rays, stacks of unread ebooks. Far more than I shall ever get around to reading/watching (I average about a book a week, and probably the same for movies - I only watch about an hour of telly late at night, and that's generally too short for a movie - I hate splitting films over several nights!)I still buy Pratchett in hardback, although more to collect nowadays than to read. I actually listen to the audiobook version, cos it's narrated by a mate.
Otherwise, I tend to buy whichever format is cheapest - mostly ebook, although there are often deals and discounts which make the DTB cheaper (I'm a sucker for the 3 for £5 deals in The Works!)
But aren't you guys worried that your digital books gonna get lost if the kindle goes dead or anything like that? what kind of a back up plan is there for you? you know your paperback is always going to be there :)
No, past experience shows the DTB is far from permanent. The cloud, however, is.Well, certainly more easy to move than thousands of paper books, anyway.
If my kindle dies, I always have my phone, iPad, laptop, one of Dave's kindles....
Unless you're talking about a world wide EMP, in which case I think I'd have bigger worries than what's gonna happen next in the novel I'm reading.
The one thing a DTB has over an ebook is that it makes a better present. I still get hardbacks for Xmas. If only I had time to read them.
S. wrote: "But aren't you guys worried that your digital books gonna get lost if the kindle goes dead or anything like that? what kind of a back up plan is there for you? you know your paperback is always goi..."A world where there is no electricity, no cloud, no computers and no surviving knowledge that wasn't written on paper? Hmm... ;)
But nah, very redundant device is the Kindle. Apart from an actual eInk Kindle, two iPads, phone,android and two Macs, all with the kindle app on, and if the inconceivable happens and Amazon goes bust, my books are all backed up to Calibre.
Whereas, what kind of backup plan do you have for your paperbacks? DTBs are very fragile things - they shed pages, the spines break, the paper yellows in the sun, they turn to fluffy mush in the bath, the teenager could go all Fahrenheit 451 on it... And most importantly, they go out of print.
Darren wrote: "The one thing a DTB has over an ebook is that it makes a better present. I still get hardbacks for Xmas. If only I had time to read them."Wish someone would give me a few signed books for Christmas. There's a backlist I'm trying to complete.
just started downlaoding books and i finding it quite good, the pros listed here are exactly the reasons why im liking my kindle
I've never read a book in the bath, and since we now no longer have a bath, that is no longer an option anyway.As for the perceived fragility of ebooks compared to paper books. I once had a paperback of a Reggie Perrin book, then we had a toddler and then I had a pile of ripped paper and a toddler having fun.
At the moment the pictures are better in a book, but even now with the Fire etc, that is changing.
Yeah and being able to pages forward and back to maps n things.But I got round that by using a map on my iPad while reading Game of Thrones.
Was better, actually as it was interactive.
Tim wrote: I still buy Pratchett in hardback, although more to collect nowadays than to read.I had the whole collection of Discworld in DTB. Although I'd probably not read them again in paper I really miss having my collection.
I had the whole collection of Agatha Christie books too.
I wish they'd sell the Discworld ebooks in boxed sets then I would buy them all again. I'm sure they could be split up into sets like the witches, the watch and death etc.
The only DTBs I have now are some photography books, plant books and the odd cookery book. I think I've only got about fifteen actual books in my flat now. Only got them because I like to flick back and forth with the illustrations.
I sometimes pick up some free photography, cook books etc. in ebook form but I have them sent to my laptop to look at. But I often forget they're on there.
Patti (baconater) wrote: "Yeah and being able to pages forward and back to maps n things.But I got round that by using a map on my iPad while reading Game of Thrones.
Was better, actually as it was interactive."
You can do it if you faff about with the menu & back buttons, or use a bookmark - but it could be better. Perhaps in the future you could have videos, animated maps & so forth with links in the text.
Or, in the case of a cookery book, you click on the link in the text and Nigella comes around to your house and cooks it for you*.
*not an euphemism
As Stephen Fry said — 'Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators.'I like that with my kindle I have a choice available in a small space. But I like the fact that tree books are going the way of the music album. In that yes there is a digital choice, but the physical version is getting special editions. I will buy authors on ebook as the book is 99p that I wouldn't buy as£8.00 tree book. I have started rebuying the Discworld books new Gollancz hardback editions.
There is a place for both formats.
Well I'm sure this is skewed toward e-books since we are on the internet :)
I would say the only "bad" thing about ebooks is that you don't see the ever increasing pile of unread books that you've bought. At least tree books sit and glare at you in an accusing way until you help them fulfil their destiny
S. wrote: "Well I'm sure this is skewed toward e-books since we are on the internet :)"Absolutely.
Although, more n more of my friends and acquaintances who said they'd NEVER read an ebook now have ereaders of one sort or another.
I am going to have to buy a kindle, to compare the experience, but somehow there's always something better to buy first. like that hardback over there I've always fancied....
Can you not kick him out of the group for such blasphemy Patti? Or at least delete his posts.
'It aint no sin to be glad you're a ...hardback lover'.*I've just bought a 1/1 hardback of Guards, Guards, and I will love and treasure that more than ever a piece of technology.
I do have an ereader, but after I finished reading the book Darren kindly sent me in pdf, I turned it off.
* With a credit to The Boss for nicking his lyric.
Will wrote: "I am going to have to buy a kindle, to compare the experience, but somehow there's always something better to buy first. like that hardback over there I've always fancied...."I'm afraid I'm with Will.
The other problem is that I cannot read electronic documents without wanting to edit them. I noticed this really strongly when I sat down to read by first book I had published as a paperback. I could actually read it and enjoy it. But reading electronic documents somehow is 'work' and I keep having to fight the urge to edit
I wanna edit paper books too.My kindle and our group means I don't have to fight the urge. ;)
