Normal book or the new digital ebook? Which would you prefer?

Question

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Red-Sony-PRS-505-eBook-Reader-PRS-ACL1-Light-Cover_W0QQitemZ300253747937QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item300253747937&_trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

This is the new technology for reading, instead of taking a good paperback on holiday apparently you can now buy this electronic one, and download stories on line.

I prefer a real book, I love the book stores, I get attracted by the cover, read the front page, and then if it grabs me, I buy it. But with the electronic reader it seems to take the fun out of it. What do you think?

Answer 1

nothing can beat real books. reading a book isn't just about reading it. It's the whole experience. taking a book wherever you go. snuggling up in front of the heater, reading in bed with a cuppa. The smell of books, how they look in the bookcase. collecting favorite authors. there is no substitute for a real book.

Answer 2

Yes, you can take 6 good paperbacks on holiday with you, then fuss that they take up space in your luggage. Or 600 stories on holiday with you.

I do love real books. Don't get me wrong. They provide a tactile pleasure that's very comforting. However, I don't read because of paper pages. I read because I want the story. And if I can only get a story online? That's fine with me.

In addition, the e-publishing market takes risk that traditional publishers can't. There are extraordinary stories in e-pub that NY wouldn't touch because of the subject matter or because they don't think they can make enough money with stories too short or too long.

It doesn't mean the stories themselves are bad, just that they don't fit into the financial plan of a big publisher.

These unique stories are only available from e-publishers. Good paperbacks have their limitations, too.

Answer 3

I so agree with you on this, i can get lost in a book shop for hours just browsing and taking in all the books on offer. A book has a certain feeling between your fingers and a new smell to them, or and old well used and loved smell if they have been passed along many people or from car boots, charity shops etc. There will certainly be no shelf space amongst my private library for an "electronic book" no siree.

Answer 4

I wont go for an electronic version, it's just not the same to not get to hold the book as you read it. Also staring at computer screens is not very good for your eyes and I have bad eyes as it is (probobly from reading too much :D ) I even love the smell of a new book. So yeah I really dont think it could ever be the same.

Answer 5

nothing beats a real book. i love going to second hand book stores and collecting old books. I just love the smell you get from old books when you open up the pages and put your nose to them. I dont enjoy the electronic readers at all.

Answer 6

Seen them on the newss this am. You can buy an awful lot of paperbacks for £200.

Answer 7

I definitely prefer a real book - there's just something about the way books smell, and the way the paper feels as you turn a page in anticipation...but I also believe that if the story is good enough, it won't matter what you're reading it on.

One reason I read e-books where possible is because of the environment. It saves paper and trees, and space in my house if I download a book electronically, so even though I prefer real books, I try to do my bit for the earth by using my Nintendo DS

(DSReader) for reading.

Answer 8

I collect books and have a personal library of about 1000, so would never substitute this new machine for the real thing, but I can see uses for it for students courses, business papers and so on. Also it is easier & lighter for holiday use if all you want is, say, trashy novels, but is it value for money? not yet.

Answer 9

i prefer a real book as well. the cover is what grabs me first. then i read the first chapter and i am hooked.

Answer 10

Look, there are of course a lot of purely romantic reasons for preferring the 'analog' style of books. They're more substantial, make you feel like your purchase is worth more, they put the page-turning into a page-turner, etc. But the simple fact is that ebook readers are the future. Imagine schools never having to buy another $100 textbook for every kid for every subject. Imagine the burden taken off of the environment from less demand for manufacturing paper. Imagine a world without library fines.

See what I mean?  

Answer 11

I honestly have no desire for an e-book and never will.  You can't exactly curl up with a piece of machinery and pretty sure taking it in the bath with you could cause some issues.

Besides reading stuff on a screen is a lot different that reading it on paper.  And what about people like me that occasionally have to use a piece of paper to keep the words from jumping all over the place.  Not to mention the spacing.

I'm all for technological advances but even when you watch reruns of  Star Trek Next Generation or Voyager, you'll see both Capt. Picard and Capt. Janeway reading from actually books even though their reports, letters, and pretty much anything else written is on a screen.  There's just something about feeling the weight of a book in your hands and the thrill of turning the page when your really into a story that can't be duplicated.

Answer 12

I have to admit, I love to smell new books.!!

Although I can see the advantages of a reader, size being the main one for me.

I would like one, but I would still buy real books, theres nothing better than buying a new book then into Costa's for the first few chapters.

Answer 13

I like the concept but i like my books.  hubby now wants one after seeing it on the news today thought it would be good for his uni books!

I could see having one for traveling and such but at home i just like the feel of my books!

Answer 14

The ebook is a great invention in some respects, as when i go on a beach holiday i take about 10 books with me, which seriously affects my hand luggage limit! So it is a good space saver. You store all your books on your pc so there is no need for a book shelf (which i actually like having). The only thing is you can't beat that sensation of feeling the pages between your fingers. When you get a brand new book it's like you are the very first person to ever discover that story and it looks all fresh and the pages are all crisp. Then again i love the smell of 2nd hand bookshops, they smell musty and seem to hold lots of history and when you get a really good book that's been well read you can imagine all the other people who have read it before you and it's like having a shared experience. Besides who wants to spend several hours of leisure time reading a book on a monitor when it's what most of us do at work all day and then come home to watch tv.

Sorry computer scientists you can keep your Ebook and give me a good old paper back any day of the week.  Hello. My name is Kamishi and i am a Bibliophile. And i am not ashamed!!

Answer 15

Firstly one question, can you cuddle up at night with a computer screen? It would strain my eyes, it is exciting to buy a good paperback. You can find out about the author, and get engrossed in what it says. And like said previously you can buy a lot of books for that amount of money, and I love the fun of finding a new book, its a classic. Why does technology have to take over everything? We need history to stay, books are special and always bring enjoyment as you turn the next page in order to find out what happens next.

Answer 16

I think it would be cool to have older texts never out of print, as with the digital things, but I love the feeling of reading an actual book.  I especially love buying used books; I love reading the notes in the margins, and I imagine who could have owned the book before me.

Answer 17

h**l it'd be awkward carrying a computer around on holiday with you.

Answer 18

Normal book. Wheres the fun in scrolling? I like turning the pages and folding the corners.