[C.Ellen24]

Hi!

Just wanted to know whether people preferred an ebook (like from the Kindle and stuff) or an actual paper book?

Personally I prefer the paper books as I don't like the fact that everything is just on a screen nowadays!

thanks

[Tolth]

There's very little reason to actually prefer 'actual paper books' except for luddism and snobbery; as far as I'm concerned, there's very little distinction between paper and screen as, ultimately, it's the text that matters. Anecdotal, but in my experience the people who refuse to use EBook readers tend to be the people who don't read much beyond Harry Potter and genre fiction and are still silly enough to believe that reading the Wheel of Time novels on the train makes them look distinguished.

[ehc]

I prefer paper for the same reason.
I suppose too, I find it easier to familiarise myself with the book as an object - it's easier to rifle through and go back to places you've been to before etc.


Also, I like it on second hand books where there's some writing by the previous owner in it... sweeet.

[CindyJfeng]

I like reading many books at the same time, therefore I prefer my Kindle. Although, Amazon has a large library for Kindle-users, most of the books I want to read costs money. The free-Ebooks you can download online are not always legal to download. So it can be very limiting with an E-book.

[thecrimsonidol]

I used to dislike the idea of e-books, but then I got a Kindle bought for me for Christmas as a surprise, and I honestly have to say I love it. Books are cheaper, you don't have to carry any around, and you still get the same content.
Plus, you can get magazines and newspapers and so on downloaded onto your e-book reader. I get 'The Times' downloaded automatically every day to my Kindle, for £10 a month, which includes the weekend editons, whereas for the actual papers it would cost me around £30+

[Rainingshame]

I like paper books mainly because staring at a screen gives me a headache. Thirty minutes of this and i have to go get some water...

[Vanilla*Pod]

(Original post by Tolth)
There's very little reason to actually prefer 'actual paper books' except for luddism and snobbery; as far as I'm concerned, there's very little distinction between paper and screen as, ultimately, it's the text that matters. Anecdotal, but in my experience the people who refuse to use EBook readers tend to be the people who don't read much beyond Harry Potter and genre fiction and are still silly enough to believe that reading the Wheel of Time novels on the train makes them look distinguished.

I agree the format doesn't change the content.

But the bit in bold- What rubbish. Everyone I know that owns an E-book does so because they enjoy a good book (whatever genre or standard of literature) and can carry multiple texts at once! My kindle can carry many thousand texts and is as light as a small paperback- when I have a multiple heavy bags and a busy lifestyle this is great!

I love a good paper book myself by e-books are practical for people on the go all the time. Plus a large majority of classics are free and other texts are available at a discounted rate. When I finish one book I can have another one in a matter of seconds no matter where I am!

[Madmia]

Paper books every time <3

[naomijayde`]

I really do prefer paper books I'm not even sure why, I just think it's because I find it easier maybe to read then using a kindle. sounds strange but I like the feel of a paper book. also I agree with the op I feel too many things are on screen.

[Wookie42]

You can't beat a paper book. There's just something about having it in your hands and being able to turn the pages! I've got a kindle but in all honesty I rarely use it :/

[HEY_101]

Papeer book, it feels better that way dont know why, and i read a range of books

[Tolth]

(Original post by Vanilla*Pod)
I agree the format doesn't change the content.

But the bit in bold- What rubbish. Everyone I know that owns an E-book does so because they enjoy a good book (whatever genre or standard of literature) and can carry multiple texts at once! My kindle can carry many thousand texts and is as light as a small paperback- when I have a multiple heavy bags and a busy lifestyle this is great!

I love a good paper book myself by e-books are practical for people on the go all the time. Plus a large majority of classics are free and other texts are available at a discounted rate. When I finish one book I can have another one in a matter of seconds no matter where I am!

You might want to read that again, as I think you've missed the word 'refuse' in that sentence.

[Antifazian]

(Original post by Rainingshame)
I like paper books mainly because staring at a screen gives me a headache. Thirty minutes of this and i have to go get some water...

Kindles have special 'e-ink' screens that aren't back-lit like computer or smartphone screens, so it's the same effect as staring at the page of a book for hours.

[Ra Ra Ra]

Paper book. I love the smell of them, keeping them on your bookshelf, turning the pages...ebooks can't compare

[Forget that]

I'm going to stick up for the e-book here, purely because all the ones that have run out of copyright you can get for free.
Beat that, paper users

[whatsername2009]

It really depends on the book. If it's something special then I'll buy it in hard copy, especially if it has a nice cover. The books I have on my Kindle tend to be ones I only intend to read once and/or don't want to spend much money on. For instance, I bought the Hunger Games trilogy in eBook form because it was much cheaper and I just wanted to see what the fuss was about.

[Nucleolus]

Paper books, because I like scribbling my thoughts in the margins as I'm reading (nothing analytical, usually things like 'LOL what a dick can't believe he just said that').

[Phalanges]

For a narrative book that I'm just going to read cover to cover then I prefer ebooks. They're easier to carry and easier to read. For a reference book with pages I want to flick around in or something that I want to see a lot of information in one go (like a cooking book or a textbook) then I still prefer paper - I find in-book navigation a bit of a pain on ereaders and the screen doesn't show that much info at once compared to the page of a bigger book.

[gernumblies]

Paper books.

I love my precariously stacked bookshelf. I'm having to stack books upwards on top of each other because going across the shelf would fill it at least twice over at this point. (And I've got a Waterstones order somewhere in the post, I really can't help myself. ) I like having a physical reminder of different parts of my life through the books I associate with them. I have Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in three languages, makes me smile to see my stack of Harry Potter books stand at a foot high.

I've never had much to do with Kindles, etc. My cousin has one because she reads non-stop and lives in London/commutes a lot, but I don't feel the need to switch or try new formats at the moment. Perhaps when I go to uni, but not now. I don't fancy re-buying my favourites just to have them in a digital format and make them easier to carry.

[ily_em]

(Original post by Wookie42)
You can't beat a paper book. There's just something about having it in your hands and being able to turn the pages! I've got a kindle but in all honesty I rarely use it :/

I think it depends on the context. For example, at uni I get the tube every day so would love to own a Kindle - it's annoying taking a book in my bag all the time - a Kindle seems a lot lighter and more portable (and I wouldn't have the problem of finishing a book halfway through a journey, as I could just start a new one). However, at the moment I am home from uni and read a lot of paper books when I'm around the house, and I cycle everywhere so can't exactly read while commuting so don't need a Kindle. I'd also love a Kindle for holidays