E-books vs audiobooks, which do you love more? - Page 2

BookishDreamer · 05-26-2008, 06:30 PM

I started listening to audiobooks when I was in college. Going home to visit the family consisted of 300 miles solo driving (majority of it seemed to be 2 lane country roads stuck behind tractors). Listening to Keith Szarabajka read Dean Koontz's "Fear Nothing" made me wish the trip was longer. I only listen to unabridged versions and prefer narrators who infuse their delivery with personality. Right now I'm working my way through the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters. I love the way Barbara Rosenblat "ages" Rames' voice! These days I listen primarily at lunch in my car. Just plug a tiny speaker into the mp3 player and I'm a happy camper sitting under a tree with the windows rolled down. It's a good escape from the daily insanity that is my job.

Ebooks are for breakfast and bedtime reading and eating alone in restaurants. Lately my restaurant reading has been interrupted by curious wait staff wondering about the beautiful piece of technology resting next to my plate. I'm currently trying to read my way through manybooks.net. In fact, I'm downloading the Scarlet Pimpernel series (had no idea Baroness Orczy wrote so many!) right now.

I think my preference has to be reading ebooks. There's something about concocting my own mental image of a setting or character that appeals to my creative mind.

Dreamer

kilohertz53 · 05-27-2008, 09:14 AM

As many have stated here, audiobooks are great for for those times when your hands and eyes are otherwise engaged. And since I have to spend the time on driving, laundry, cooking, cleaning, gardening, or whatever anyway, I can even afford to be less discriminating in my audio "reading" choices. I don't even mind abridgements for some novels. I just want a good narrator to tell me an entertaining story.

An IPod is not my preferred player, however, because most of my audiobooks are DRM'ed Windows Media Audio files from my public library subscription services -- Overdrive & NetLibrary. They're easy to use, convenient, and have a pretty good selection of titles. Even a puny 1G capacity mp3 player from Creative or Sansa can hold 5 unabridged audiobooks of average length. I probably listen to about 50 to 60 audiobooks a year.

GeoffC · 05-27-2008, 01:45 PM

I always thought an ideal use for the mp3 player on the Cybook would be for the user to both read at the same time as listening to an audio version of same.....

Perhaps more useful for learning a language?

DixieGal · 05-27-2008, 02:15 PM

I don't like audiobooks at all. However, it is the only way my husband will "read," so he has some for the car. I'm to inept when I drive to be listening to anything except others honking. (And don't get me started on phone calls while driving - if I didn't order the pizza while the car was still parked, then I'll just have to pull over and call. Mine or another person's life is more important than pizza!!!!)

That being said, I'm happy to report my eye surgery was great and I already read Mistborn since the procedure. However, the eye disease is ongoing and sooner or later, I'll have to switch to audiobooks. Hopefully not for another couple of decades!

It is a joy to read with both eyes again.

dordale · 05-31-2008, 05:36 AM

I love both audio books and e-books. I've been a member of audible.com since 2001--and have lots of books from them. Lately, I've also been downloading a lot of different audio books from my local library.

Like others, I listen to audio books during my commute,exercising, and when doing housework, etc. I also listen to them when I'm in bed--I set the sleep timer on my mp3 player for 15 minutes, and usually fall asleep before the book stops playing. by setting the sleep timer, I only have to go back a few minutes in the book to find my place.

I also really enjoy reading--and love my new Sony 505. I do find reading when waiting in line much better than listening--it's much easier to deal with interruptions, and people seem to interrupt less when I'm reading as opposed to listening.

I'd hate to have to choose between the two, as both are vastly different experiences for me. I really do enjoy curling up with a good book, but listening can give me just as much pleasure.

dordale

HarryT · 05-31-2008, 06:54 AM

I'm another person who listens to audiobooks during my 40 minute commute to and from work - it makes an otherwise wasted time useful and enjoyable. I keep a dedicated iPod in my car (playing though the car's audio system) for that purpose.

vivaldirules · 05-31-2008, 09:06 AM

I share a common opinion. I love to read books and only find audiobooks useful (but also essential) for long commutes. If the drive is less than about 45 minutes (my one-way drive time to and from work is 30 min.), then I'd prefer listen to NPR, music, think, etc. Long hauls are where I give in to audiobooks out of desperation.

HarryT · 05-31-2008, 09:15 AM

I buy a lot of audiobook lecture series from The Teaching Company. The lectures are 30 minutes long, so they fit in perfectly with commuting. On longer journeys, I listen to fiction audiobooks.

Lemurion · 05-31-2008, 07:20 PM

I've tried to get into Audiobooks. More than once even, but I can't. I just find stories are much harder to follow that way that in written form. I can't imagine driving and listening -- I'd either lose the story completely or have an accident. It's too easy to get distracted, so I really have to focus on the story I'm listening to.

I think part of it is simply the difference in data rate. I read and think much faster than people read audiobooks.

Still, I'm very glad current devices support both text and audio formats.

tompe · 05-31-2008, 09:04 PM

I cannot get into a fiction audiobook (non-fiction is much easier) and the experience it not at all like reading. In some sense the audio (in the same way as in a film) add an extra layer between the experience and the work and the experince is not as real as when I read.

Sparrow · 06-01-2008, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lemurion

...I can't imagine driving and listening -- I'd either lose the story completely or have an accident. It's too easy to get distracted, so I really have to focus on the story I'm listening to...

I can't follow an audiobook properly when driving either (maybe I could if it was long distance on an open road; but driving on busy roads, there's too much to concentrate on).
But I love audiobooks when I have to do mindless chores around the house (cleaning, ironing, gardening, cooking, walking to the shops etc.) If it wasn't for audiobooks I don't think I could face doing doing the housework; I have them to thank for not living in complete squalor

.
Currently listening to 'Sharpe's Triumph' by Bernard Cornwell - excellent!

new · 02-20-2010, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbusybookworm

While I do enjoy, Audio books, the time investment can be a bit of a drag. I can usually finish a book in a tenth of the time it would take for me to listen to it.

As I don't commute, the time i usually have for audio books is when excising or before going to bed.

However as mentioned, one of the pitfalls of listening when going to bed is that you often fall asleep while the book keeps playing. So I end up backtracking a lot.
this.

One of the key advantages of an E-book is that you can snatch a few minutes of reading whenever you have time, and can easily intrupt it answer someone, or do somthing and get back to it without missing anything.

With an audiobook, what often happens is that someone tries to talk to me, out come the headphone. When I finish, spend time trying to remember where I had gotten to, scroll back, and start again.

Guess this thread is old, but it pertains to me as I have both a Sony PRS-505 I read every night; then when I wake in the middle of the night (as I always do 2 times or so) I listen to audiobooks from the Library or free audibles (from here).

My question is for anyone who has an Ipod Nano 5th Generation (or 4th is the same) how the heck does the sleep timer work? It doesn't always work, it is set, but yet I wake up 2-3 hours later and the bleeping thing is still playing. It is set for 30 minutes. The timer works for music.

ficbot · 02-20-2010, 05:46 PM

Surprised nobody's mentioned text to speech. I use it all the time on my Kindle and then I can resume reading the regular way without losing my place when I am ready. For example, I can walk to the subway and have it read to me, then when I get on the subway and get settled, turn off the voice and read the regular way. Best of both worlds.

WT Sharpe · 02-20-2010, 05:52 PM

E-books. It's hard to underline and take notes in an audiobook.

But audiobooks have their place as well. It's hard to read an e-book while doing dishes, cutting the grass, or working in the garden.

I like both!

new · 02-20-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

Surprised nobody's mentioned text to speech. I use it all the time on my Kindle and then I can resume reading the regular way without losing my place when I am ready. For example, I can walk to the subway and have it read to me, then when I get on the subway and get settled, turn off the voice and read the regular way. Best of both worlds.

Can you do that on Sony PRS-505? No, more than likely. I have made Text to Speech for some written books on the Mac and recorded, transferred to the Ipod. Librovox voices are sometimes unnerving, too lound, not consistent.

Do you know about Ipod Nano's and sleep timer?

02-20-2010, 05:52 PM	#29
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	E-books. It's hard to underline and take notes in an audiobook. But audiobooks have their place as well. It's hard to read an e-book while doing dishes, cutting the grass, or working in the garden. I like both! Last edited by WT Sharpe; 02-20-2010 at 07:39 PM.

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05-26-2008, 06:30 PM	#16
BookishDreamer Cultural Artist Posts: 1,128 Karma: 12829 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Georgia Device: Sony 505, Kindle 2	I started listening to audiobooks when I was in college. Going home to visit the family consisted of 300 miles solo driving (majority of it seemed to be 2 lane country roads stuck behind tractors). Listening to Keith Szarabajka read Dean Koontz's "Fear Nothing" made me wish the trip was longer. I only listen to unabridged versions and prefer narrators who infuse their delivery with personality. Right now I'm working my way through the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters. I love the way Barbara Rosenblat "ages" Rames' voice! These days I listen primarily at lunch in my car. Just plug a tiny speaker into the mp3 player and I'm a happy camper sitting under a tree with the windows rolled down. It's a good escape from the daily insanity that is my job. Ebooks are for breakfast and bedtime reading and eating alone in restaurants. Lately my restaurant reading has been interrupted by curious wait staff wondering about the beautiful piece of technology resting next to my plate. I'm currently trying to read my way through manybooks.net. In fact, I'm downloading the Scarlet Pimpernel series (had no idea Baroness Orczy wrote so many!) right now. I think my preference has to be reading ebooks. There's something about concocting my own mental image of a setting or character that appeals to my creative mind. Dreamer

05-27-2008, 09:14 AM	#17
kilohertz53 Zealot Posts: 141 Karma: 671 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Harwichport, MA Device: Sony PRS-500, Sony PRS-350, Augen "The Book"	As many have stated here, audiobooks are great for for those times when your hands and eyes are otherwise engaged. And since I have to spend the time on driving, laundry, cooking, cleaning, gardening, or whatever anyway, I can even afford to be less discriminating in my audio "reading" choices. I don't even mind abridgements for some novels. I just want a good narrator to tell me an entertaining story. An IPod is not my preferred player, however, because most of my audiobooks are DRM'ed Windows Media Audio files from my public library subscription services -- Overdrive & NetLibrary. They're easy to use, convenient, and have a pretty good selection of titles. Even a puny 1G capacity mp3 player from Creative or Sansa can hold 5 unabridged audiobooks of average length. I probably listen to about 50 to 60 audiobooks a year.

05-27-2008, 01:45 PM	#18
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	I always thought an ideal use for the mp3 player on the Cybook would be for the user to both read at the same time as listening to an audio version of same..... Perhaps more useful for learning a language?

05-27-2008, 02:15 PM	#19
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	I don't like audiobooks at all. However, it is the only way my husband will "read," so he has some for the car. I'm to inept when I drive to be listening to anything except others honking. (And don't get me started on phone calls while driving - if I didn't order the pizza while the car was still parked, then I'll just have to pull over and call. Mine or another person's life is more important than pizza!!!!) That being said, I'm happy to report my eye surgery was great and I already read Mistborn since the procedure. However, the eye disease is ongoing and sooner or later, I'll have to switch to audiobooks. Hopefully not for another couple of decades! It is a joy to read with both eyes again.

05-31-2008, 05:36 AM	#20
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	I love both audio books and e-books. I've been a member of audible.com since 2001--and have lots of books from them. Lately, I've also been downloading a lot of different audio books from my local library. Like others, I listen to audio books during my commute,exercising, and when doing housework, etc. I also listen to them when I'm in bed--I set the sleep timer on my mp3 player for 15 minutes, and usually fall asleep before the book stops playing. by setting the sleep timer, I only have to go back a few minutes in the book to find my place. I also really enjoy reading--and love my new Sony 505. I do find reading when waiting in line much better than listening--it's much easier to deal with interruptions, and people seem to interrupt less when I'm reading as opposed to listening. I'd hate to have to choose between the two, as both are vastly different experiences for me. I really do enjoy curling up with a good book, but listening can give me just as much pleasure. dordale

05-31-2008, 06:54 AM	#21
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm another person who listens to audiobooks during my 40 minute commute to and from work - it makes an otherwise wasted time useful and enjoyable. I keep a dedicated iPod in my car (playing though the car's audio system) for that purpose.

05-31-2008, 09:06 AM	#22
vivaldirules When's Doughnut Day? Posts: 10,059 Karma: 13675475 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Houston, TX, US Device: Sony PRS-505, iPad	I share a common opinion. I love to read books and only find audiobooks useful (but also essential) for long commutes. If the drive is less than about 45 minutes (my one-way drive time to and from work is 30 min.), then I'd prefer listen to NPR, music, think, etc. Long hauls are where I give in to audiobooks out of desperation.

05-31-2008, 09:15 AM	#23
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I buy a lot of audiobook lecture series from The Teaching Company. The lectures are 30 minutes long, so they fit in perfectly with commuting. On longer journeys, I listen to fiction audiobooks.

05-31-2008, 07:20 PM	#24
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	I've tried to get into Audiobooks. More than once even, but I can't. I just find stories are much harder to follow that way that in written form. I can't imagine driving and listening -- I'd either lose the story completely or have an accident. It's too easy to get distracted, so I really have to focus on the story I'm listening to. I think part of it is simply the difference in data rate. I read and think much faster than people read audiobooks. Still, I'm very glad current devices support both text and audio formats.

05-31-2008, 09:04 PM	#25
tompe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,452 Karma: 7185064 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Linköpng, Sweden Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW	I cannot get into a fiction audiobook (non-fiction is much easier) and the experience it not at all like reading. In some sense the audio (in the same way as in a film) add an extra layer between the experience and the work and the experince is not as real as when I read.

02-20-2010, 05:46 PM	#28
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Surprised nobody's mentioned text to speech. I use it all the time on my Kindle and then I can resume reading the regular way without losing my place when I am ready. For example, I can walk to the subway and have it read to me, then when I get on the subway and get settled, turn off the voice and read the regular way. Best of both worlds.