E-reader (Kindle/Ipad etc) VS. real books?

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Stephen Fry said 'books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators'. I love this :h:

For a long time I'd have said real books. They look fabulous in my room and the covers just give them a sort of magical feel. They also..uh...smell delicious and it's just nice to have a hard copy.

I do however have about 250 books on my Kindle, which is not one of the fancy Fire HD nonsense things, I like the kindle to be basic, black and white, just books. If you want a tablet, get a tablet. I love taking it on holiday and not having to choose which books to pack in the suitcase, I can just take all 250 in that tiny Kindle. Also, it's great for downloading random free books that might just interest you that you normally wouldn't pay money for. No harm done if you don't like it and if you do then you've just broadened your mind for a while for free that you wouldn't have done otherwise :h:

Reply 21

Guybrush Sheepgood

Original post by DeceitfulDove

Stephen Fry said 'books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators'.

Except he's wrong since making books requires cutting down lots of trees which we won't be able to do for much longer.

Reply 22

Puddles the Monkey

Original post by Emilin

I find that I have converted to using kindle and ipad for most of my reading (especially leisure reading), wherever possible. Quite a few academic books are still only in hard copy book format, so I have to buy them as proper books, but a there are a few more electronic versions popping up now.

What do you prefer? E-readers or real books? Pros/cons?

Pros of a Kindle/Ipad: don't have to carry lots of books around, so I can read anywhere I want. All in one place. Don't lose them as they're saved by amazon on my account.

Cons of Kindle/Ipad: can't just flick through to a page that I need as easily. Miss the feel of a book. Books look good on shelves.

Kindle is probably the best thing I've ever bought in terms of leisure reading. I've read loads and loads of books since getting it. :yy:

You can carry it everywhere, it's lightweight, battery lasts forever, books are really cheap, reading in bed is less awkward... the only downside is that you can't read in the bath. :/

For comics/graphic novels, research and academic stuff 'real' books are still better though. :smile:

You can't write a reference for an e-book:

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather, 59%, Corgi: 1997 - don't really work.

So... pros and cons to both :biggrin:

Reply 23

nattywilliams

When it comes down to pleasure reading personally I say kindle all the way, having all my books with me is a massive convenience and they are so much cheaper. Obviously with graphic novels and text books you need the hard copy. Also I think it's unfair to put an iPad and a kindle in the same category, they give very different reading experiences - one is like reading of a screen the other like paper.

Reply 24

Hype en Ecosse

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Kindle is probably the best thing I've ever bought in terms of leisure reading. I've read loads and loads of books since getting it. :yy:

You can't write a reference for an e-book:

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather, 59%, Corgi: 1997 - don't really work.

So... pros and cons to both :biggrin:

You can easily reference an e-book (it just hasn't become convention yet). :tongue:

Pratchett, T. Hogfather. NY Publishing Company. lctn 1223 - 1227: 1997

Or whatever abbreviation becomes standard! May also have reference to (e-book) in there!

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Reply 25

Puddles the Monkey

Original post by Hype en Ecosse

You can easily reference an e-book (it just hasn't become convention yet). :tongue:

Pratchett, T. Hogfather. NY Publishing Company. lctn 1223 - 1227: 1997

Or whatever abbreviation becomes standard! May also have reference to (e-book) in there!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Does the location remain consistent...? I never knew!

Reply 26

meenu89

Kindle and Kobo (for being able to borrow public library books).

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 27

cupcakes87

I like to have an actual book in my hand! it makes the whole experience magical especially if im reading a magical book! :mmm:

But as long as Im reading a good story then i dont really mind! :h:

Reply 28

swanderfeild

I am divided, for fictional books (ie. ones that can be red on the bed before sleep) I prefer kindle since its a lot more convenient but for academic books I prefer hardcopy on grounds that I find that I retian more information from them (probably because of physically underlining or because they need more dedication to read),

Reply 29

Mackay

Imho a lot of it comes down to the type of book.

I read a lot of classics as a Lit student, so I prefer those proper books. But, newer releases are so expensive that Kindle becomes easier and more practical.