Paperback or ebooks?

[Mark778]

So I was curious to know your thoughts on what you'd all prefer - paperback books or ebooks?

I find that paperback is a lot more satisfying. The turning of pages, the smell of paper and the feel of paper. Even the satisfaction of opening a book to where you left off is amazing.
I don't seem too interested in just sliding to the next page or placing a book mark and opening it to the page where I left off.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I can't stand eBooks on a Tablet, phone, netbook or my big laptop, or anything with LCD, AMOLED or CRT.

The eInk Kindles and similar reader technology is very like paper, several weeks battery life and when you "wake it" it's exactly where you where in a book (but there is a bug in "notes and marks", it returns to the start).

I'd prefer to have both of every title. Especially as with bought eBooks with DRM you only have a reading licence (in USA) not a real copy. I save my eBooks on PC and if later there is a problem I'll remove the DRM.
Physical books you can loan your copy. Perhaps I'll get a second kindle so I can loan any ebook.

Physical books can be given away, sold, passed on in your will. Bought eBooks can't.

Printing project Gutenberg or other legitimate sources of free books is too expensive and time consuming. A dedicated eReader hardware is the only sensible solution.

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

Ebooks all the way. Every single time. So much more useful, versatile, and much less space and resource consumption (cost and storage).

Take one book as an example. A Game of Thrones. Physical dimensions: 4.2 x 1.3 x 6.8 inches. Weight: 11.2 ounces. That's about a pound of weight. Ebook storage: 3.3 MB (though most books are under 1 MB). Print cost: $6.99 through $9.99. Ebook price: $4.99.

I can buy a 16GB thumb drive for less than the print book costs. That one thumb drive will store about 16,000 books and it weighs about half an ounce. Reading on the phone I already use and carry around with me is great. I can highlight without ruining the pages, I can copy and paste text from the file, I can carry most if not all of my entire library around with me in my pocket, I can read without anyone seeing the cover of the book I'm reading (helps with privacy and spoilers), and I can read anywhere as I always have my phone with me. No need to tote around a bag or a heavy book. Further, I don't need to select one book to read for a given day if I know I'll be out. I have all my books already on my phone.

There's nothing inherently appealing to the physical artifact that is the book to me. I'm not a fan of the dust, the must, the smell, the rough or decaying paper, the substandard glues, the paper tearing, the coating peeling off the cover, the spine breaking, the cover curling, the bleed through of a highlighter, the storage space required, nor the physical effort of boxing up and moving house with hundreds of volumes in tow. No thanks. Slip a thumb drive in my shirt pocket and I'll be carrying more books than I could ever hope to read in a lifetime.

My interest is in the content, not the container.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I prefer to read paperbacks by a long stretch. I like them scrunched into bags and pockets and out of shape and sort of alive.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I prefer ebooks these days, but I do like physical copies of my favourite novels.

As a writer, one huge benefit of ebooks is the ability to search through them on a PC, and study the text easily and more closely. Sometimes I find myself cursing the lack of a "Find" function in paperbacks.

 

[Brian G Turner]

You know, I was starting to waver toward paperback, simply because it's easier for other people to reference and read them - good in a home where I'm constantly trying to encourage other family members to read.

However, I've had to clear out my office over the past few days, and then meant lugging out all my book shelves and physical books. It was such a huge pain that I'm returning firmly back on my original track - ebooks as my preference, unless I can only get it as a physical copy (such as second-hand out-of-print copies) or if the ebook is prohibitively expensive compared to a second-hand copy (common among textbooks and research volumes) .

It is far easier to move a Kindle/Fire with a few hundred books on it from one room to the next, than physical books. And less dust!

 

[nixie]

I'm not as anti ebooks as I once was, still prefer a hard copy, love the feel of a book and turning pages.

Although I have boxes and boxes of books that need too be pruned, a task that keeps being put of and in meantime more books get added. Any advice on how to curb my obsession or at least start the mammoth task of organising?

 

[Luiglin]

Used to be only print for me but lack of space has forced me down eBook path. Only time I go printed now is for fave authors.

 

[J.C. Scoberg]

A friend of mine gifted me over a 1,000 ebooks, many of which had been on my "to-buy"/"to-read" list for years. It lessened my anti-ebook prejudice somewhat. Although, I still don't think you can beat a good charity shop find!

 

[Overread]

Depends on the book for me.
For novels and stories where its all text and where you're basically reading start to finish the ebook is fantastic. As noted above kindles and other e-ink readers are superior to LCD screens and tablets and the like; it really is like reading off paper; is very gentle on the eyes. Plus the newest like the paperwites have built in lights so that you can easily read in any tricky lighting conditions or even full dark. This makes them fantastic if your room hasn't got great lighting so you're not left twisting your back trying to get good light; straining your eyes; or fussing with those clip on reader lights.

For reference books and any book with pictures, charts, tables etc... then a physical book is superior. E-ink doesn't do colour and its not so great with images and such. Furthermore its slower response time makes it far less suitable for flipping back and forth between references. Even Tablets and PCs are not as good with that I find. I far prefer referencing books in physical form - though short articles like journals are ok on the PC.

For comics and the like I really love a tablet. The vibrant bright screen is ideally suited to high colour graphics and page turning comics. Being able to zoom in and avoiding creases and marks and worries about finger marks on the edge etc.... Of course sometimes its good to own them in print too; but digital works very well for me for the bulk of comics.

 

[Cathbad]

I'd prefer paperbacks, but since the stroke, ebooks are far easier.

 

[Danny McG]

ebooks are much handier, as long as you save a back up of them all.
It's amazing to stroll about with a couple thousand books in your pocket

 

[Vertigo]

A friend of mine gifted me over a 1,000 ebooks, many of which had been on my "to-buy"/"to-read" list for years. It lessened my anti-ebook prejudice somewhat. Although, I still don't think you can beat a good charity shop find!

Technically illegal, though you won't get complaints from me. I love ebooks and do practically all my reading on them now but one thing I hate (that is mentioned above) is that when you buy ebooks (with or without DRM) that are still under copyright then you don't actually own them you are licenced to read them. What this technical hitch means is that you are not allowed to gift or sell them to someone else or even leave them to someone else in your will; the licence is only for the original purchaser and is not transferable. However I personally feel that if I give an ebook to my Mum say, and completely delete it from my system, then what I have done is technically wrong but morally right; the same as if I give her a paper book.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I buy from charity shops with no guilt, mostly as tasters. If I like the author then I go by the others - Robert Galbraith, Jodi Taylor and, most recently, Jim Dresden have all benefited hugely from my 50p purchase of book one

 

[Vertigo]

I buy from charity shops with no guilt, mostly as tasters. If I like the author then I go by the others - Robert Galbraith, Jodi Taylor and, most recently, Jim Dresden have all benefited hugely from my 50p purchase of book one

Yes it's frustrating to me that I can't 'donate' my ebooks to charity shops and/or buy ebooks from them. I can't see it changing though as it would result in the publishers making less money.

 

[Susan Boulton]

I have lately gone for audiobooks rather than ebooks. I carry my tablet from room to room while I do the housework, or into the garden. I am also currently working my way through a number of cross stitch kits. Listening to a book is easier than trying to watch TV at the same time lol. Still like an actual book, either paperback or hardback for the winter time, when I can curl up with a book on a cold afternoon without feeling guilty

 

[Vince W]

My preference is for a physical book, however, for those books that are out of print then I'm fine with an ebook. However, when travelling the ebook is the only way to go.

 

[TWErvin2]

I still prefer paperbacks to ebooks. While I read both, for books I really enjoy I prefer paperback (or hardcover if I can get one).

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

It has to be paperbacks or hardbacks, there is nothing like going into a bookshop and browsing for a new or favourite book. I especially love second hand bookshops, a special smell permeates from them. I have discovered some classics in these places. So many memories of entering second hand bookshops.

 

[Extollager]

I have discovered some classics in these places. So many memories of entering second hand bookshops.

Have you visited this thread?

Mourn for Bygone Used Book Stores Here!

I thought we had a thread along these lines already, but can't find it. Here, History of The Hobbit author John Rateliff remembers Renaissance Books in downtown Milwaukee. I visited it once, in 1987, and might be able to find some notes of the experience. It was loaded with atmosphere; and I...

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