E-Books or Paper Books

[Therin of Andor]

As a Star Trek collector, I want the physical book to hold, admire, display, organize, but I've probably overfilled my dedicated Star Trek shrine/room since 1980 and - especially the recent IDW comics - the more recent purchases are stacking up in piles in other rooms. It's out of control.

I am currently on the second of two extensive overseas trips and took about four ST novels on each one, but was very pleased to have a digital alternative (a non ST biography in eBook on my iPhone) for those times when physical books were impossible to use. Nighttime flight, when you wake up and it feels selfish to turn on the reading light and shuffle around for the next book, I know I really shoulda brought some digital ST novels, too (instead), but iPhones do run out of charge and not every airport has handy recharging facilities.

My eyesight is undergoing changes and I've had some eyestrain and watering, so an iPad with adjustable font will be an essential purchase eventually, but I still want my tangible ST collectibles in my hand.

 

[tmclough]

For me, it's ebooks for linear reading (such as most fiction), and where images are a minor feature, if they're there at all. For reference/how-to/etc., it's paper--for me, it's a lot easier to jump to somewhere in the middle of a paper book than to do the same in an ebook.

 

[bullethead]

Combination - I buy e-books of new stuff, crack the DRM, and archive them to avoid headaches with iOS updates. I still check out thrift stores and library sales for physical books and buy those.

 

[2of1million]

Combination. I like e-books, but I'll still buy paper books too. The only reasons being the DRM and some e-books are just too expensive. I still like to hit up the used book stores once in awhile too. You just never know what treasures await there.

 

[BillJ]

Two words: FONT ADJUSTMENT.

 

[Ó Méith]

Paber & E-books from 2007, ebooks only from 2009.

 

[C. Cole-Chakotay]

I have downloaded some classics in ebook format but haven't got around to reading them. I much prefer paper books.

 

[eastman23]

Up until yesterday, it was all paper, simply because I did not have an eReader or tablet. But I bought a Nexus 7 on the weekend and I'm now in the middle of reading Typhon Pact: The Struggle Within. And I will be looking at the other ebook-only releases (Slings and Arrows, etc) at some point.

Going forward through, I think I will be sticking to paper books when I have the choice. Maybe. I haven't really decided yet.

 

[JD]

I forgot to vote in the poll....oops. But that's been corrected now.
As for why I prefer E-books, it mainly for their storage, adaptability, and ease of use. I don't live in a big house, and before I got my Nooks I had different books spread out across three book case, one for stuff I haven't read, one for tie-ins, and one for non tie-ins and all three are starting to overflow. Now that I have my Nook, I can have thousands of books one device that is smaller than a single hardback book. I also love the fact that I can change the text size and font if I'm having trouble with the standard. One of the big ones for me is ease of use. For the last few years I've had some medical problems that have affected my arms, which can make it hard to hold a open without breaking the binding, which is one of my biggest book pet peeves, but with the e-readers I can just prop it up, and only need to reach out to change the page, and if worst comes to worst I don't even need to use my hands.

 

[Patrick O'Brien]

I am about 50/50. Most of my Sci-Fi is on my kindle. I read most not fiction in paperback form. I still enjoy buying used books so I'll be 50/50 for a long time to come

 

[Enterpriserules]

E-books for me, I hate paperbacks.

 

[JWolf]

I prefer eBooks for a few reasons. One is I only have to take one Reader with me. When I finish a book, I have more waiting to be read. Also, the prices for most Star Trek eBooks are cheaper then the pBook and the eBooks are available when a lot of Star Trek books are out of print.

 

[Reanok]

I buy Paper books E books are too expensive.

 

[Skellington]

EBooks all the way for me now. My Kindle is smaller than most paperbacks and has adjustable font size, which is very handy for someone who's had cataract operations.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I voted combination.

For Trek books, I'm still 100% paper, except for eBook exclusives, obviously. (Well, OK, I bought the Destiny omnibus in eBook format, but that's in addition to the original paperback releases.)

For financial reasons, I've being trying to severely cut back my non-Trek book spending, and opting for the library instead. However, for the few non-Trek books I still do buy, they have recently started to skew about 80% eBook vs. about 20% paper.

 

[NightJim]

In general I'm 50/50 but with Star Trek I'm 100% ebooks because the collection will get out of hand if it was physical.

That said I just bought 2 old New Frontier paperback because I didn't think they were available on Kindle, after I ordered them I found out that the UK kindle store has terrible organisation for Star Trek books, and they were there all along.

 

[Stoek]

1: I live in Outer Bumfuckistan, so if I want books I either have to order them or wait for the rare times I get into an actual "city". With my kindle I can get them instantly.

2: With a little careful watching I can get a lot of books for free or deeply deeply reduced. This takes the sting out of paying full price (or these days near full price) for trek books.

3: Space and storage issues.

4: The built in dictionary.

 

[Sakrysta]

Combination. I'm a collector, so I want physical copies of the books I want. But I do almost all of my actual reading now on my phone, and to me, it's worth the $8 for the ease of holding my phone vs. holding a book open and the convenience of having access to the book on my phone wherever I go, since the phone goes everywhere I go.

I will say that this was not my position a year or so ago. The convenience factor finally won me over to ebooks. Oh, and as Stoek mentioned, one of the best features is the dictionary/Internet search feature. I love being able to click on, say, a species name, click on the Google option, and go right to Memory Alpha/Beta and see a screen cap or other picture to be able to visualize an alien character. SO cool!

 

[Ktrek]

For me it's probably 50/50. I buy every fiction Star Trek book published and most of the non-fiction as well in hard copies. I actually tried a few years back to go all digital on Star Trek books when I bought my first ereader (original Nook). I just couldn't stand my paperback collection not being complete and so went and bought all the copies I had missed (a few months worth) and got caught up. Almost all my other reading though is ebooks. I enjoy the convenience of having a huge library with me wherever I go and I also find the built in dictionary extremely useful, and at my age the ability to change font size, or style for that matter, has been a huge help.

Kevin

 

[Gate11au]

I have voted Paperback but that be cos i am a bit of a traditionalist.
I do have all the star trek books on my Ipad in ebook form as many are hard to find or out of print.
So I only read the out of print ones on the Ipad but that may be because it make my eyes hurt when i read for to long.
So paper all the way.