Do you prefer paper books to ebooks?

Discussion in Books, eBooks & Audio Books started by illusion • Nov 8, 2013.

  1. illusion

    illusionMember

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    My wife was reluctant to get a Kindle Fire because she said that she likes the way books feel. I didn't get that. I love to read. I never even thought about how it feels. Plus the amount of books you can bring with you is staggering. To me it's not a competition, ebooks are so much better. For those of you that prefer paper books, what do you like about it? Would you ever consider switching to an ebook reader?
     
  2. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    There are many places you can find free books to read online. For someone who doesn't like to pay for something you can get free anyway, I'd rather get myself an e-book any day. That I guess is the only reason I prefer e-books to paperbacks: some are free!
     
  3. caparica007

    caparica007Banned

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    I prefer paper books because I think that reading from these electronic devices can damage our eyes. Sure, I'd like to have a kindle, but I can also find free books online and print them at my work, so it's all pretty much free. :)
     
  4. JosieP

    JosiePWell-Known Member

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    Both have their place, but I find a paper book more convenient. I can't stand trying to find a page on an e-reader. I flip through books for various reasons, they don't make that very easy. I guess it would depend on the various functions, but so far.. the book is by far the best for me. The only things I like about the readers are the storage capabilities and you can read them in the dark lol.
     
  5. clairebeautiful

    clairebeautifulActive Member

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    I've tried an ereader.

    The one thing I liked best was the lightweightness, especially for reading books that are only out in hardback, or for reading on a bike at the gym.

    Otherwise, that's it, and I don't plan to switch any time soon.

    I'm really visual with regular books. I can remember where things were in the book, on the page, etc. I like to flip forward and flip back. All made much more difficult with an eReader. Again, convenient probably for traveling, but all things being considered equal, I'll probably stick to the regular paper books.
     
  6. adbarnes

    adbarnesNew Member

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    Your post cot my attention because I just recently started back going to school. And this was my first time using ebooks. I love it because I don't have to worry about discarding the books and the ebooks are more convent. I am now able to search for things quicker during an open book test. Ebooks are also great because they allow you to listen to the book being read to you. So if your at work you are still able to study. I found them to also be cheaper. The only downside that I found with these is the fact I have a certain amount of days that I can actually keep the books within my grasp. Hope you all have a great day.
     
  7. Plinko

    PlinkoMember

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    I love 'em both. I love paper books because of the feel, and also because I enjoy being able to share the ones I like with friends and family. But I also love ebooks. The selection is staggering, and I can't believe the number of free books available. Also, I like how ebooks make it much easier for authors to self-publish and self-promote.
     
  8. Annetteb

    AnnettebActive Member

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    I like being able to hold my books and I like knowing that my book will not have to be destroyed if something happens to my e-book reader. E-book readers are nice, but if something happens to it your book is gone. I know you can lose a physical book and have to buy another copy, but you have to do that with e-book readers as well. Nothing is perfect.
     
  9. Bolt

    BoltWell-Known Member

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    Yes I do prefer real physical books to e-books. To be honest, an e-book doesn't actually feel like a book, it feels like you are reading something on a screen and that's exactly what you are doing. It's good to have access to e-books but it doesn't compare to the experience of holding a physical book and turning the pages...
     
  10. BargainPhoenix

    BargainPhoenixMember

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    She just may have an adjustment period from switching. It took me a while to try an e-reader as I felt a lot like your wife. What won me over was being able to read in the dark and having a library of books on the go without the bulk and weight. Then the audio part spoiled me being able to close my eyes and take in a story. It's so relaxing. But I still have traditional books on my to-read list along with some favorites I like revisiting once in a while and I don't feel like I need to buy the e-book version to enjoy them. I'll just need to use a nightlight for nighttime reading with them. I don't look at the creation of e-reading as something that will eclipse traditional books but it really has taken the literary world to a whole new plateau, especially for up and coming authors. To each his or her own.
     
  11. JoanMcWench

    JoanMcWenchActive Member

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    I prefer a paper book over a kindle or eReader in general. I prefer it, strangely enough, because of the smell. I love how a book feels, yes, but I really love how they smell. Honestly, that would be the reason above tradition and all else.
    An eReader beats out books in that I can carry thousands around with me and the weight never alters. Having that many books at one time is a blessing and a curse however. It is difficult for me to focus on one book at a time. Having that many options takes focus away. It really is difficult for me to choose between them. But we all know this is the way the world is moving and we can sit well remembering how many trees this will inevitably save, I guess.
     
  12. pandandesign

    pandandesignActive Member

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    I prefer physical books because I can smell the books while I'm holding them. That's the good experience right there! I also like turning the pages by hand because I like to keep track of how much have I read for the day. Another thing would be I am able to keep the books myself, which I actually own them rather them having the digital files on the device.
     
  13. lovemwaf

    lovemwafActive Member

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    I prefer ebooks. I like to read late at night when it is quiet. So in the dark is something that i love and so if i am using an ebook reader, then light is not really an issue for me.
     
  14. SpiralArchitect

    SpiralArchitectActive Member

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    A paper book is a book. An ebook is a bunch of letters on a screen passing off as a book. I'l say that I absolutely dislike the ebook format because for some reason I can't simply read a book in this format. I've tried but I always end up getting distracted and start missing the feel of turning pages. Plus, I don't want my books to be fragile which is exactly what a kindle is.
     
  15. jbepp

    jbeppMember

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    I personally like both.
    When I'm at I prefer paper books, mostly because I love how they smell and how they feel. But sometimes I need something lighter and more practical, and that's why I love my Kindle too.
     
  16. himalipatel

    himalipatelMember

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    i like both types of book.

    But i firstly prefer paper book rather than the ebook.
     
  17. dieselfit

    dieselfitActive Member

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    I much prefer a e-book. If I want to read it on paper I can just print and if I find interesting pages I can print it without having to print everything else. Most of us are adapted to look at electronic screens. Reading on paper makes me kind of sleepy though which is weird but I guess because the screens have a bit of light in them so they are more "alive".
     
  18. nhsososo4

    nhsososo4Member

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    I am a big paper book fan and I feel they will always have an important place in everyone's life. This said, its because, you can carry it anywhere you go in your bag and yes a person would say that you can read an e-book even from your smartphone, but all frequent readers would tell you its not the same.

    For me personally, also looking at the screen of phones, computers, laptops for the whole day and even on when you are reading a book I feel its is not healthy at all. For the sake of my eyes, I prefer and will stick to paper books. In cases where I can not get a book in a hard copy version, I would even go through the trouble of printing it.

    Another person might argue, what about going green and saving on paper, then in that case I would say its a matter or choice and preference.
     
  19. SpiralArchitect

    SpiralArchitectActive Member

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    Print them on recycled paper then. The quality of a lot of recycled paper has increased leaps and bounds.
     
  20. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    Ever since ebooks came out, I instantly preferred them over traditional books because they're more convenient, they're cheaper, (but most of the time they're free) and they don't take up any space in your house at all. Nowadays I only buy a book if I can't find an ebook version of it.