Quote:
Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze
Think of the physical books of the past -- gilded-paged, leather-bound, cover-engraved, filled with drop caps and illustrations so sharp and etched they seem to be line-drawn by a draftsman's pen -- and consider their value as objects against a file on your eReader, a file which can be reproduced endlessly by the publisher and not at all by the owner, even though the very device on which you read your file will stop working years (and perhaps centuries) before the physical book disintegrates.
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yes, a beautifully made book is a thing of joy. But my library is filled with cheap paperback SF and mysteries that I can practically hear disintegrating. They're not beautifully made, were never made to last beyond a few readings, but have ripping good stories in them. I have a few beautiful books in my library, but I rarely take them out to cherish them. I have a library filled with books that I can, and do, re-read. And yes, I prefer ereading, because the books will last as long as my computer does, and as long as I continue to back them up as I change computers. Calibre is a thing of joy.