E-book VS Paper Book

[jackastor]

Im just wondering what the thoughts are on E-books VS Paper books?

[pdurrant]

Paper books will become a niche market, mostly high-end nicely bound collectors' editions. Oh, and probably very young children's books too. At least until ebook readers become both full colour and practically indestructible.

[Gilgamesh]

I think I would miss paper books. I am preparing to buy a Kobo when I make it to Canada in a few days so I have been checking out various ebooks. I think the biggest thing I will miss is just looking at my bookshelf and checking out all the books on it, grabbing a book that I haven't looked at for a while, thinking about what to read.

I'm not sure if just browsing for books to read (or re-read)from your collection will be as enjoyable if you only have ebooks. I think it will be easier for books to get "lost" if they're hidden on a computer somewhere and not easily visible

Anyway, it's time for me to put the kids to bed so I hope people understand what I'm trying to get across.

[Lordvic]

I love the feel of paper. there's a feeling on the fingers when turning the page and holding it. A smell. a crispness. I love it, and it's impossible to describe it perfectly. There has so far been no way that this has been replicated.

However.
Books are heavy.
They take up a lot of space.
They use natural resources to create, such as paper and whatever goes into the inks, stuff we shouldn't be abusing.
They wear down and away, fall apart, become unreadable after long enough.
They can be damaged and destroyed quite easily, and should that happen, are only replaceable by buying replacements.
They are costly for publishers cause they need to be printed and produced.
Shipping is expensive cause of the weight and volume.
Warehousing costs are astronomical.

Where Ebooks + readers:
Can store thousands of books in the palm of your hand.
those thousands of books use far more materials to make than 1 ereader.
there's no book production costs. no printing, no trees to cut down and inks to produce.
ebooks are files. Easily backed up and restored. Loose your kobo? it break? it catch fire? replace it, and just restore your library. nothing digital ever needs to be lost forever since iits not a tangible item, but digital
read in multiple places. you're not limited to just your paperbook and where you can find place to read it. Carrying 1 book alone makes a big enough buldge in your pocket. imagine 2 or 3.

Yes, ereaders aren't that cheep to make themselves. theres environment costs associated with plastics, electronics and batteries. But the question is, which has a larger foot print, 1 Kobo reader with 1000 books on it... or 1000 books?

What my biggest problem, Ebooks need to be cheaper. As i said above. There's a giant cost savings with producing ebooks. There's so much a publisher does not need to do anymore. So why are ebooks the same price? Why are they in some cases on Kobo's site MORE than a trade paperback? its like the publishers are saying they do NOT want to make the move to digital. its hard to tell what the price point should be, but 9.99 isn't it.

[Motto]

I have become a much bigger fan of ebooks than I ever thought I'd be. I can't imagine buying another paper book (aside from those few authors whose books I like to collect).

That said, I do miss the experience of browsing the bookstore and coming across an unknown book or author that looks so good that I just have to read. Making a note of the book to download at home later, or browsing the Kobo online bookstore just isn't quite the same.

EDIT: Also, I agree about the inflated prices.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Lordvic

There's a giant cost savings with producing ebooks. There's so much a publisher does not need to do anymore. So why are ebooks the same price?

The cost of producing an item often has little to do with its selling price.

Not sure what you mean by "giant" cost savings. The books still need to go through an editorial and proof reading process, plus each format needs to be proofed (although sometimes this seems to get skipped). You can cut out paper/printing costs and warehouse/shipping costs, but those don't add up to a huge $$ amount per book.

Ideally an ebook should be less than a pbook, but how much less is very up for debate.

[jackastor]

There are some really good points here. AnemicOak can you clarify your position.

[Dimwit]

One of the smallest costs in the price of a book is the amount paid to the author, sadly. A lot of it is overhead which doesn't magically go away just because there is no physical media.

That said, one of the big problems is that selfsame overhead. Is it necessary? Most people would say no. So far, we have not had an eReader publisher, specifically created to serve a no-physical-media market. It will come. Will it be successful? Hmmmm. Bezos got a lot of flack for trying to create a non B&M bookstore. We see how that turned out. Mind you, it's revealing that there is still only one, and it looks like Amazon isn't going release that crown any time soon.

[mcrmama]

Well, I have to say I am reading way more since I got my reader. It has been wonderful too while nursing a little one in the rocking chair at night. It is just so enjoyable to read. I never really read much before. I used to say it was because I was always doing that at work and didn't want to pick up a book when I got home, but that cannot be it because I am reading so much more. I am also getting my son to read as well who will be 10 soon. I do think we need paperbacks for the little ones. I can't see my 5 year old or more 15 month old trying to do this yet and they learn skills by touching the books, turning pages, some activities etc. so it is not just about the reading at that age. But if I just want to sit and read, I pick my ereader and only tend to read paper for things like magazines, and my knitting and photoshop books where I want to see the full colour illustrated page with all the diagrams and instructions etc.

[charleski]

There are certain things I miss from paper books: the simple pleasure of seeing the cover every time I pick it up (which has a big influence on the overall 'feel' of the book, though given the irrelevant nature of some covers that can sometimes be a dubious influence); and especially the ease of navigation, flipping back-and-forth between the text and a map or index entry.

But there are many things I don't miss: holding down the pages of a thick paperback so they don't turn on their own while at the same time trying not to break the spine; accidentally dropping the book and losing my place; and importantly (for me), the ability to buy new books without worrying where I'll put them since my shelves are already full to bursting. The overall experience of an ebook is far better for thick, heavy novels, but I can see a definite place for works with luxury binding or those that require high resolution and high quality printing.

[TedJ]

This poll is of dubious usefulness. Aside from options 2 and 4 being the same opinion differently worded, they're not mutually exclusive. As a result, the sum of respondents currently stands at 147.5%...

[Toastedpine]

Books have certain advantages:

1) The text and pictures you buy is yours for as long as you keep your book. Since ebooks come in in different file types, there's a chance that support for them or the DRM on them will no longer be supported in the future. You may argue maybe epubs will be around forever just like text files, but text files can't support pictures with text the way a book can.

2) Paper books do not require a reading program or device. No electricity? No problem. Suppose you're out camping, and you decide to bring a book on edible wild plants with you. Ebooks can be used in this case, but I think it's more practical to bring the real thing.

3) Size (and shape) does matter. Not everything is meant to be crammed in a small paperback novel. Cookbooks, for example, benefit greatly from color, non-standard page size, and reasonable resistance to oil residue.

4) Flipping through a book is sometimes important. When you're looking for a passage, or a picture, sometimes, it's just faster and easier to run your hands along the side of the book, and crack it open at the approximate location of what you're looking for. Sliders are great, but they don't give you as concrete a sense of space as a book does.

5) You can borrow books from friends without strings attached. We all have reading lists, and friends who help add to those reading lists. Electronic lending may be more convenient in some ways, but I don't relish the thought of books in my reading list not working after a couple of weeks.

[macdonald79]

Sometimes I find myself remembering simpler times when I had a Fisherprice record player. My first LP was some Alvin and The Chipmunks Christmas record. I miss being able to hold and touch music. But I'll never give up my iPod or iTunes music player. Dead tree media is dead. It had a nice run, but it's time to move on. Please stop waxing sentimental over the look, feel and smell of paper. It's the printed word (so to speak) that's paramount.

And I've been doing a lot more reading on my Kindle than I could have ever managed using paper (e-ink is easier on my eyes and I can enlarge the text as needed).

[Wickedkitten]

I love ebooks. When I was still using my ipod touch and my mobile as my main reader, I would still buy paper books because sizewise they are just easier to read. Since I got my Kindle I haven't bought a paper book at all.

First thing on Monday, I was able to wake up, go to ibooks on my ipad and just start reading A Dance With Dragons, same price as Amazon UK, a LOT cheaper than even the supermarkets are selling it, with the added bonus of not having an absolutely massive book.

[p_a_smith]

I didn't expect to enjoy ebooks as much as I have but I haven't bought a fiction book in any other format since I purchased my Kobo.

e-books are my preference for things I read for pleasure (i.e. what I used to buy as paperbacks) or books that are meant to be read from start to finish.
- nice to just take the Kobo loaded with every book I want to read instead of multiple books when I travel.
- nothing beats buying books online and having them seconds later (especially those of us who do not have a good bookstore handy)


Yet in terms of reference books (I use a lot of books in my profession) though I prefer a paper book for a number of reasons.
-Easier to search and find things (although e readers are coming along nothing yet beats sticky notes to mark things for later reference. I usually need more than one book mark and not just the last place I was.)
-You can open multiple paper books at the same time and look at them at the same time. (hard to do on a computer much less an ereader)
-not restricted to a set sized screen makes pictures and diagrams easier to read.
- able to pass the books along to colleagues for comment and discussion without any hassle.