Recently I've made up my mind.. I'm an E-book girl. The only book I prefer in paper is my really special ones like Kurt Cobain's journal. Other books, I find annoying to mess with in paper. Most of mine are actual books, I've only had a few on my Kindle since I got it for Christmas. I prefer it because it's convenient and I can read while in the car, work, etc. I even stand my Kindle up on my vanity while I straighten my hair and read. I've stood it up on my bed while I done other things and read. I usually read the most before bed so I'm all covered up with cats laying on me and it's so much harder to hold the darn book open! It's tough to do that for hours at a time when you can prop up a Kindle. I'm in the middle of a paper book now and it's hard to see the words in it and keep a comfortable hold for more than a couple of hours.
E-ink reader like Kindle is much easier on the eyes, much easier on the hands (way thinner then a book), can holds thousands of books in less weight then 1, I couldn't be more of a fan.
It looks nothing like a computer screen and is a very different technology.
It's physically easier for me to read on the Kindle Touch than a book with flip-pages and I can imagine this being great for people with mobility difficulties as well as adjustable text size for optimum comfort.
I don't really like the Kindle Fire, Nook Color, or iPad being called "eReaders" - they're just regular tablets and I feel they give people a poor impression of what real ereader technology can do. They might be a good fit for some people, but those who have trouble with a computer screen for serious reading should definitely consider eink instead.
When MP3 players came out, I was skeptical. But I like ereaders for the same reason I came to like MP3 players - being able to carry a large library and not having to choose. If I bring a book to work and finish it, I don't have to wait to start another one. And it fits in my tiny travel bag.
Also, it's weird - but it makes me more likely to read. I have ADD and not having to turn pages and lose my place and forget to bookmark it and all that - it makes reading something I'm more likely to do.
And legally free out-of-copyright books without having to leave home ! If these things can really get down in price, imagine what they could do for disadvantaged kids when combined with city-wide internet infrastructure - discovering so much from the safety of home without having to pay transportation fees.
I certainly don't want print books to go away, but ereaders offer new possibilities.
I like e-books because they're more portable and take less effort to acquire. I haven't gotten an e-reader yet, so I still use physical books pretty often, but as soon as I buy one I'll be converting to e-books as much as physically possible.
I prefer paper books a billion times more than ebooks - but, you can get waaaaaaaaaaaayway more ebooks for free, and they take up space only on your hard drive... So, yep, I would LOVE to have all those (literally MILLIONS) of books printed W/we already have, but oh well, digital books are better than nothing... ^^
I really don't like reading anything long and involved on a computer screen. I'll even print out long articles if I really want to read them, rather than read them online.
I have a Kindle, but it is so much easier to skip back and forward in paper books, especially ones where they have dictionaries/reference s in the back. That, and my Kindle has a tenancy to go screwy when I try to go back a page. Sometimes, it will skip chapters ahead instead of going back one single page.
For me, reading is an event. I sit down on the sofa, get comfy, and let myself be absorbed into the book. It's not something I do to pass the time while travelling. Too, the book is a living document. It has its own smell and feel, and its own history. I'm currently reading Chaucer's The Knight's Tale. It's a second hand copy, with scribbles all over it from the previous reader. That, yes, is annoying - and it's not something I'd engage in if it hadn't already been done - but since this copy has that, I'm enjoying putting my own scribbles on it. That, and coupled with the price issue, is why I prefer paper books over ebooks.
books. They take up more room, but they cost less and are better for the environment. No batteries containing nasty toxins, no kindles being shipped over from a country that cares nothing about pollution and has no EPA. Plus, I always have the book on my bookcase, ready for the next time I want to read it or lend it out to someone else to enjoy.
I love both. I have my Kindle which is great for taking with me to work and on the bus. It's lightweight and doesn't take up much space in my purse.
Actual paper books, I love to read at home. There is nothing quite like curling up on the couch or in bed with a cup of tea/cocoa and reading.
Yes, I am having my cake and eating it too. Plus this means I am reading twice as many books cause the physical book and the Kindle book are never the same.
