I still prefer physical books for reference, but electronic for fiction all the way. It's far easier to store, and easier on the eyes with the various font and size configurations available.
Poll Electronic and Physical Books
- Thread starter DimesDan
- Start date
Most Readers you can buy today have a front light so you don't need an external light source.
Ask the overall question and you can dictate what goes into the polls, I asked the overall question and thus I get to dictate the poll questions.
I personally like some books physically in my hand and others on my Kindle.
Anyway, thanks for the contributions everyone.
I prefer physical books. I like the feel, the lack of a need to charge them, and the fact that I can read them in the bathroom and if I accidentally ruin one, I'm only out maybe $30.
However, I have grown increasingly pressed for space as my collections have accumulated, and I'm actually somewhat relieved when I see a new Star Trek book is eBook-only. Indeed, I now wish there was a way I could exchange some of my older books for eBook copies in a straight-across trade. Eliminating 18-odd books in the "1632" series from my physical collection would free up a lot of space for starship models.
Also I should probably get an actual reader rather than just using my iPad2.
However, I have grown increasingly pressed for space as my collections have accumulated, and I'm actually somewhat relieved when I see a new Star Trek book is eBook-only. Indeed, I now wish there was a way I could exchange some of my older books for eBook copies in a straight-across trade. Eliminating 18-odd books in the "1632" series from my physical collection would free up a lot of space for starship models.
Also I should probably get an actual reader rather than just using my iPad2.
I've loved physical books most of my life, which explains why I'm getting more and more e-books. Having a wife and 2 children who are also readers means that shelf space is a precious commodity in limited supply. I switched over to e-book only for the monthly Star Trek novels a couple of years ago. "Special" books (like the Star Trek Pop-Up Book my kids got me for Christmas, or The Klingon Art of War, for example!) are still strictly physical editions.
As many others have said, I like the convenience of having lots of books at my fingertips, depending on what I feel like reading at the moment. It's also faaaar too convenient for impulse purchases. Hear an author interviewed on the radio, see a book mentioned in your friendly local Trek BBS forum, remember a favorite book from days gone by -- hop on your e-reader, and it's there for you to read in seconds. I try to put books on my wishlist to think about for later purchase, but sometimes the price is too good or I just really need it now... So I have over a hundred e-books on my Nook now, and counting.
One advantage of e-books I've never heard anyone mention is for homeschoolers. My wife was a public school teacher for 12 years, and has been teaching our 2 daughters at home now. We looked for ways to make assigning literature for them to read easier -- almost impossible to get 3 copies of a book for both kids and the teacher at the same time from the library, and buying 3 physical copies can get expensive very quickly, especially if you just want them to read the books but aren't planning to keep them forever (and where do you store all those extra books?). We ended up getting Nooks for both girls that were still tied to my B&N account. So if I bought an e-book, it showed up on all 3 devices at the same time. After the assignment is over, if they don't want to keep the book, it's easily deleted from their device, but still available to re-download if they need it again. This method has worked very well for us, and has been far easier than dealing with physical books.
A frustration, however, is the wildly varying prices for e-books. I was browsing through the Star Trek portion of my wishlist recently and noticing how inconsistently similar books were priced. (At least at Barnes & Noble; I haven't check on Amazon or other sellers.) While most seem to be priced at $7.99 (with a few costing a dollar or two less), some were $10, $12, $15 for comparible MMPBs. I understand multi-book collections or TPBs costing more, but what is the reason for a few modern MMPBs costing several dollars more than others? Besides naked avarice? ( I noticed during the same browsing session an interesting pricing scheme for Stephen R Donaldson's first 2 Chronicles of Thomas Covenant trilogies -- the first books were $0.99, the second books were (I think) $5, then the final books were $8. Hook you with low prices on the opening books, a bit more to keep reading, then sock it to you when you must complete the trilogy. Fiendishly clever!) Has anyone else noticed this wide price variation on ST e-books?
As many others have said, I like the convenience of having lots of books at my fingertips, depending on what I feel like reading at the moment. It's also faaaar too convenient for impulse purchases. Hear an author interviewed on the radio, see a book mentioned in your friendly local Trek BBS forum, remember a favorite book from days gone by -- hop on your e-reader, and it's there for you to read in seconds. I try to put books on my wishlist to think about for later purchase, but sometimes the price is too good or I just really need it now... So I have over a hundred e-books on my Nook now, and counting.
One advantage of e-books I've never heard anyone mention is for homeschoolers. My wife was a public school teacher for 12 years, and has been teaching our 2 daughters at home now. We looked for ways to make assigning literature for them to read easier -- almost impossible to get 3 copies of a book for both kids and the teacher at the same time from the library, and buying 3 physical copies can get expensive very quickly, especially if you just want them to read the books but aren't planning to keep them forever (and where do you store all those extra books?). We ended up getting Nooks for both girls that were still tied to my B&N account. So if I bought an e-book, it showed up on all 3 devices at the same time. After the assignment is over, if they don't want to keep the book, it's easily deleted from their device, but still available to re-download if they need it again. This method has worked very well for us, and has been far easier than dealing with physical books.
A frustration, however, is the wildly varying prices for e-books. I was browsing through the Star Trek portion of my wishlist recently and noticing how inconsistently similar books were priced. (At least at Barnes & Noble; I haven't check on Amazon or other sellers.) While most seem to be priced at $7.99 (with a few costing a dollar or two less), some were $10, $12, $15 for comparible MMPBs. I understand multi-book collections or TPBs costing more, but what is the reason for a few modern MMPBs costing several dollars more than others? Besides naked avarice? ( I noticed during the same browsing session an interesting pricing scheme for Stephen R Donaldson's first 2 Chronicles of Thomas Covenant trilogies -- the first books were $0.99, the second books were (I think) $5, then the final books were $8. Hook you with low prices on the opening books, a bit more to keep reading, then sock it to you when you must complete the trilogy. Fiendishly clever!) Has anyone else noticed this wide price variation on ST e-books?
As someone who voted "I like both", it seemed like a fine choice to me!
Seriously, it depends on a number of factors. Sometimes I will choose the eBook. Sometimes I will choose the pBook. Hence... I like both.
It the poll was only either/or, I wouldn't have voted, because I'm not 100% one way or the other.
I selected both as well, I like to "collect" certain series in physical form. I also like to have the ease of traveling with a book. It just depends on the situation for me. I certainly have plenty of both!As someone who voted "I like both", it seemed like a fine choice to me!
I prefer ebooks because they are more convenient and compact. However for certain books, like the upcoming encyclopaedia or books with heavy graphical content I prefer a physical book.
I was a relatively early adopter of e-ink readers--I started with the first one Sony released in the US. I bought it mostly for public domain books--Tarzan ebooks were what got me excited enough to buy it.
It took me YEARS before I bought any ebooks. Even now I am at times bothered by the idea of buying media I can never sell. It was really a matter of desperation for shelf space that made me take the plunge. (most of) My paperback Star Trek novels were the first to go, being replaced with ebooks as I decided to read them.
Last year when I was reading Moby Dick as an ebook, I decided part of the way through to purchase a nice 'dead tree' edition to finish on, so sometimes I go the other way too.
It took me YEARS before I bought any ebooks. Even now I am at times bothered by the idea of buying media I can never sell. It was really a matter of desperation for shelf space that made me take the plunge. (most of) My paperback Star Trek novels were the first to go, being replaced with ebooks as I decided to read them.
Last year when I was reading Moby Dick as an ebook, I decided part of the way through to purchase a nice 'dead tree' edition to finish on, so sometimes I go the other way too.
I prefer physical books. I just love how they feel! I have a nice book library of both paperbacks and hardcovers. I go back years later and re-read some books.
I have tried ebooks, but just don't care for them.
I have tried ebooks, but just don't care for them.
Just a few months ago a friend of mine went to the US with a book on their phone that was in the Public Domain here in Canada, but was still under copyright in the US. As soon as the phone was in contact with the cell towers, and the person tried to access the book, they were locked out due to a signal from the US publisher. Once they got back to Canada they were able to download the book again.
I do like physical books. The tactile experience as someone else said. And it's sort of nostalgia also. When I was younger, I would go to a Waldenbooks that was about an hour away, maybe once a month and get a new Trek novel or two. And for a while they were being sold in the book and magazine section of some of our regular stores. I had not gotten to Waldenbooks for a long time. And I went to that particular mall and they were closed.
So the Kindle is really handy for getting books quickly. They are already slightly cheaper and no shipping costs.
So the Kindle is really handy for getting books quickly. They are already slightly cheaper and no shipping costs.
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How so?
I've never had any trouble reading my Kindle outside in the sun, plus Waterstones have stopped selling ebook readers instore as their book sales are above that of ebooks.
To elucidate, I agree completely with Goat, both pragmatically and ideologically.
The only e-books I read are absurdly cheap ones. If Amazon is selling it for .99 or $2.99 or something, I'll go for it. Otherwise I want the real thing.
