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Originally Posted by mbovenka
Sigh. Indeed, e-readers aren't paper books. They're better than books.
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Only in some areas, by no means all. You can toss a book down onto a table, leave it on the floor even. You don't have to concern yourself with battery power or a Wifi connection etc. Much easier and quicker to find (thumb to) a section you remember ... in some scenarios anyway. I've got books that are 80 or more years old, and still look great and require nothing more than my mind, eyes and time to read. Spill a drink on it and you just get a stain and maybe a few sticky pages. They don't die easy, and will live far longer than any ereader probably will. And so on........
And something else we should consider. Bookcases. What will happen to them?
Me I love looking at the spines of books in a bookcase. Some show age, others look brand new, and then all those in-between. Some are thick, some thin. Tall, short, paperback, hardcover, sleeves or not. When I look at a bookcase, I get a warm fuzzy feeling. That's probably why I have several.
Every book is an individual object and imparts some kind of value. You don't really get that sense with an ereader ... partly because the ereader is just a piece of plastic and glass, and ebooks are just files.
You have more of a sense of ownership too, with a physical book. While it is easy enough to remove DRM, you are always left feeling like you still aren't a full owner with a file. You can't even sell it on.
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I realized I would never go back to paper the first time I tried to tap a word to find its' definition. In a paper book. And, for a second, wondered why it didn't work. Or wished I could enlarge the font a bit for my tired eyes.
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For sure, ebooks and ereaders have their great benefits. I enjoy them very much too.
I've always wondered though about those who stop to check on the definition of a word. Me, I prefer to keep the flow going and just try to get meaning from the context it is used in, when it comes to a word I am unsure of ... don't like to be taken away from the story, even for a moment. That's with a novel anyway ... I'd rather pretend I understood. Non-fiction is a different kettle of fish, where I would maybe check on a word.
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No, neo-luddites like the author of that article can have their paper, and get out of the way so that we can get get on with the future.
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Didn't read the article, but I can imagine.
There is not just one version of the future out there, and I am one of those who also believes in looking back while looking forward. Not all that is new is a worthy replacement or complete successor.
The future is more promising if it contains elements of the past, and learning - knowledge and wisdom, are certainly the way to grow properly.
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
Or eschew beauty for practicality, as some see it.
Many a book will tell you that.
