Cost of eBooks vs dead-tree books

[binaryhermit]

Originally Posted by Apache

Who would have ever guessed that humans have trouble with making anything in one standard size or format.
Apache

https://xkcd.com/927/

[Sirtel]

For rereading the best format is ebook. It never wears out, no matter how many times you read it.

I have few hardcovers in my paper book library. I've never been affluent enough to afford them, plus I live in a tiny apartment and have little space for storing them. Moreover, after I moved from paper to ebooks 10 years ago I lost any enjoyment in dead tree books. I no longer feel the slightest pleasure when I look at my bookshelves. I'm just annoyed they clutter up my home, as there are still too many of them, even after getting rid of hundreds of paper books. No one else in my family reads for pleasure, so I don't even have anyone to give them to. They're a nuisance, except for a few coffee-table books with color photos, those I still cherish. And books with no electronic edition (mostly Estonian books). The rest will probably have to go sooner or later. I'm not the least bit sentimental about paper books these days.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

For rereading the best format is ebook. It never wears out, no matter how many times you read it.

Well, until the bit rot sets in. But you did backup, didn't you?

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Uncle Robin

My personal library has all books fitting very neatly in one shelf, 159 mm high

. Loved this

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Well, until the bit rot sets in. But you did backup, didn't you?

Of course.

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by rhadin

Many years ago I bought MMPBs because they were affordable and took up (relatively) little space. But I quickly realized that for me, I was throwing my money away. Too often the spines were damaged after the first read and certainly after the second or third read. Covers tore easily, almost as easily as a dust jacket, and the pages tended to deteriorate rapidly..

You should have been reported to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Books.

I have literally bought thousands of secondhand MMPBs read them and had a business selling them as a hobby. They were all in at least in good or better condition even though they may have passed through several people's hands.

How were you reading them to damage them like that?

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Thasaidon

How were you reading them to damage them like that?

You mean you aren't supposed to violently fling all your books into walls?

[Thasaidon]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

You mean you aren't supposed to violently fling all your books into walls?

[fathead]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

You mean you aren't supposed to violently fling all your books into walls?

Not ALL of them, just the really awful ones.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rhadin

Many years ago I bought MMPBs because they were affordable and took up (relatively) little space. But I quickly realized that for me, I was throwing my money away. Too often the spines were damaged after the first read and certainly after the second or third read. Covers tore easily, almost as easily as a dust jacket, and the pages tended to deteriorate rapidly. MMPBs were great for books that I wanted to read and then give away and never see again, but not for books that I might want to reread or have in my library for others to borrow and read or for my children/grandchildren to inherit.

How are you treating your MMPB? I have had some covers come off the spine, but overall, not many. I've never torn any covers. I managed to keep the spines in pretty good condition. The ones that did have the cover come off, I was able to fix with some glue.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rhadin

And looking at creased or torn or broken spines of a MMPB that has been read is aesthetically pleasing?

I have thousands of hardcovers and not once have I thought how ugly it is that books in a series are of mixed sizes. I have thought, however, how terrible it is that the newest book is not nearly as well written or interesting as earlier books in a series or how the dust jacket artwork is not as good as it should be, but never size.

Books are like people -- they come in different shapes and sizes, which helps make life more interesting. But then each to his/her own .

So you've never bought a book to find out because of the different size it doesn't fit on the shelf and you've then got a rather lot of work ahead f you to get it to fit as you have to shift many books and adjust other shelf heights?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rhadin

I guess the joke's on her -- she'll just have to buy more bookshelves

Of she can do what wives do best. "You cannot buy any more bookcases. You'll just have to get rid of some of those books to make room for new ones."

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by Pajamaman

Yeah, publishers are ripping readers off. Assume the position.

I used to feel like the prices of e-books were the publishers capitalizing on a loophole. But I have spent years insisting that "ebooks are real books!". Yet, I didn't want to pay the cost of a real book? So, I have over the past few years, been agreeable to the cost of e-books because they are what I want. I don't want printed books, so I don't care what they cost in comparison to my chosen product.

That having been said, I borrow e-books from the library, keep my eyes open for sales. (Sometimes right place right time, the book would be on a flash sale for under $5 Canadian), and happily pay first-release price if it's an author I am a fan of.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by rhadin

Many years ago I bought MMPBs because they were affordable and took up (relatively) little space. But I quickly realized that for me, I was throwing my money away. Too often the spines were damaged after the first read and certainly after the second or third read. Covers tore easily, almost as easily as a dust jacket, and the pages tended to deteriorate rapidly. MMPBs were great for books that I wanted to read and then give away and never see again, but not for books that I might want to reread or have in my library for others to borrow and read or for my children/grandchildren to inherit.

What are people doing to their books?

We have a whole bunch of Agatha Christie books of various vintages that we got from my parents, who got them from my great-aunt. The one in worst condition I could find from a quick scan is from 1961, so is almost 60 years old, and I'd say that is now at the point of falling apart. It cost 2/6 in old money (which I think would be about USD$2 adjusting for inflation), that seems pretty good value. I've got dozens of others from the same source and the same vintage that are still fine. The ones from the 70s are absolutely fine.

I just dug out one book that was printed in 1983, loaded out by a library until 1990 and then I bought it. So 37 years old, 6ish of which was in public library usage. It is still completely fine.

I'm not arguing that a well-made hardback will last longer, of course it will, I have several sets from the late 19th century that are still in good condition, some from the mid 19th century that are readable with care, although a set from the early 19th century has completely lost its covers, as the binding from the front and back covers to the spine has completely disintegrated.

But a MMPB, treated well, should last a couple of generations, and I have shelves full of ones that have.

I have hardcovers that I bought in the 70s and 80s that I have read more than once but that still appear to be new. I have hardcovers from the 50s and 60s that show minimal wear. The biggest wear on the older books occurs on the dust jackets, extra care is required to preserve them.

My experience with hardbacks is that if you actually want to read them rather than just store them you might as well just throw away the dust jacket as soon as you buy the book, as in normal use it will get damaged immediately.

I only have a very small number of modern hardbacks, but it seems the trend now is to print the design directly onto the cover, rather than have a dust jacket, which I totally approve of.

A good example is my set of the Saga of Recluce books by L.E. Modesitt Jr. I have the complete series in hardcover and even the first book (published in 1991) is in near-new condition after having been read by several times by several people.

I have the same set in paperback, it is also in excellent condition

As others have indicated, whether the ebook, the trade paperback, the MMPB, or the hardcover is the preferred format is wholly up to the reader. It depends on what the reader wants from a book.

Absolutely.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

For rereading the best format is ebook. It never wears out, no matter how many times you read it.

I think that is true only if you are staying on top of the situation and converting formats and storage as needed.

I have readable books from 170+ years ago. I don't think there will be a device capable of reading a current format ebook in 170 years time, nor is there a common digital storage medium that will last that long.

But as long as you take the time to do this, and to migrate to formats and storage mediums that will last that long, then yes, I agree.