Hard copy vs EBOOK

[Lo Zeno]

Originally Posted by rabbie

Why are we using ebooks at all when we can generate £2-£3 per book for charity when we have finished with our hard copy books.?? I donate all my books to the British Heart Foundation who then sell them for the above sum. They are the purchased and read by someone who hopefully takes them back so that they can be sold again. You cannot do this with ebooks so therefore we should bin all the ebook readers and get back to print. The fact that a lot of ebooks are the same price or more expensive than the printed copy only makes this argument more vaid

Comments please!!

When I finish reading a book, any book, be it made of paper, a digital file, a huge miniated tome, a plate made of brass or the rosetta stone, I keep it. Because I re-read it, and because I think that my sons and daughters (when I'll have sons and daughters) will want to read some of them, just like I did with my mother's books.
And there are many books that I read, re-read, and keep re-reading. Really a lot. So, ebooks are space-savers for me, because otherwise I wouldn't know where to keep them.

Also, I don't know of any charity around here which would accept used fiction books, usually charities accept school books where I live.

[1611mac]

Originally Posted by rabbie

Why are we using ebooks at all when we can generate £2-£3 per book for charity when we have finished with our hard copy books.?? I donate all my books to the British Heart Foundation who then sell them for the above sum. They are the purchased and read by someone who hopefully takes them back so that they can be sold again. You cannot do this with ebooks so therefore we should bin all the ebook readers and get back to print. The fact that a lot of ebooks are the same price or more expensive than the printed copy only makes this argument more vaid

Comments please!!

The books I buy are for reference to keep. I move a lot and hate toting boxes of books. I convert books to txt and make inline notes and comments. As a text file these notes and comments are searchable simply by using the system "search" feature on my Mac.

Can you do all that with a hardcopy? Like someone else said... If I want to help others there are plenty of things to do beside giving a hardcopy book that they may not even want in the first place....

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by some call me tim

BTW, off topic, but ardeegee, that is an awesome avatar!

Here's full rez:

[mike_bike_kite]

Originally Posted by Lo Zeno

I think that my sons and daughters (when I'll have sons and daughters) will want to read some of them, just like I did with my mother's books

Don't bank on this happening though - my elder lad (13) needs extreme encouragement to open a book. I've offered to get him any book - I don't even care if it's porn as long as it contains printed words though I did feel a little disappointment when he chose Jeremy Clarkson last time. The house wifi is currently switched off until he upholds his part of the deal and reads for 30 min each day - the TV is next.

[Lo Zeno]

Originally Posted by mike_bike_kite

Don't bank on this happening though - my elder lad (13) needs extreme encouragement to open a book.

Dreaming is (still) free and untaxed, so... let me dream

[nobicus]

My wife and I are 70 this year. We live out in the wilds (nearest neighbour just under 2 miles). Our children are now making noises about us downsizing and moving to the nearby centre of civilisation(you wouldn't say that if you knew!!) In a small bungalow we would only have room for a 3ft X 2ft bookcase each. What happens to my books? "You don't need 'em Dad - not at your age!"
My Sony 505 has just over 540 books on it and the number is rising almost daily.
My wife has diabetic retinopathy and needs large print or better yet me to read to her.
The sheer unadulterated pleasure of sitting in front of a log fire in the winter and reading Dickens out loud is unmatched by few other experiences I have ever had. Please don't try to limit me to the choice of about 20 books.
You take away my Sony only over my dead body!!! (Or perhaps it should be 'prise it from my dead hand.'