Paper books still have an advantage

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by neil_swann80

Ok, how silly of me, let me try again...

What if you've either forgotten your glasses, or they were "stolen" by a juvenile rook or potentially crunched to pieces by a sofa eating dog... and your magnifying glass/lens-contraption was whisked away by two angry robins using a strand of creeper held under their dorsal guiding feathers?

Hold your phone camera over the page and zoom in and read that way for hours. Duh. Paper books are just more convenient...

[neil_swann80]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Hold your phone camera over the page and zoom in and read that way for hours. Duh. Paper books are just more convenient...

...you also only have one hand and paper allergy!

Then... an ereader... surely?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by neil_swann80

Then... an ereader... surely?

But, but, but... ereaders don't have the sentimental notes from your grandmother/deceased sibling/spouse/favorite teacher/celebrity/author. You know, the notes mentioned by every single person that reassures us that ereaders are crap.

Because, you know, every copy of Mack Bolan's The Executioner, every bodice-ripping romance, every copy of James Patterson's latest excretion is just chock full of heartfelt notes.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

But, but, but... ereaders don't have the sentimental notes from your grandmother/deceased sibling/spouse/favorite teacher/celebrity/author. You know, the notes mentioned by every single person that reassures us that ereaders are crap.

Because, you know, every copy of Mack Bolan's The Executioner, every bodice-ripping romance, every copy of James Patterson's latest excretion is just chock full of heartfelt notes.

I do like the Women's Murder Club and the Alex Cross series.

[neil_swann80]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

But, but, but... ereaders don't have the sentimental notes from your grandmother/deceased sibling/spouse/favorite teacher/celebrity/author. You know, the notes mentioned by every single person that reassures us that ereaders are crap.

Because, you know, every copy of Mack Bolan's The Executioner, every bodice-ripping romance, every copy of James Patterson's latest excretion is just chock full of heartfelt notes.

I surrender!

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I do like the Women's Murder Club and the Alex Cross series.

I avoid James Patterson on principle.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

But, but, but... ereaders don't have the sentimental notes from your grandmother/deceased sibling/spouse/favorite teacher/celebrity/author. You know, the notes mentioned by every single person that reassures us that ereaders are crap.

Then clearly Grandma wasn't trying hard enough.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by issybird

If ebooks had been the top choice, the answer would have been very different. The top choice generally runs at 80% or more. People don't bother to answer seriously; they're just collecting their points. All this shows is maybe a 10% swing in favor of paper.

Immediately thought of your response when I saw today's poll question:

[Dsharma]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

All this is very subjective (well, except for the bit about requiring power). For example, I hate the feel and smell of paper books, so the sensory experience they give is a disadvantage for me. They're also a lot harder on my eyes than ebooks. As for used book shopping... I'm glad I won't have to do that again. As for sharing... can't do that with paper books. You either give your paper book to another person and don't have it yourself, or you have it yourself and the other person doesn't. While you can easily share ebooks without DRM (whether you should do it or not, is another kettle of fish).

Yeah, I agree with you that whether you like paper books or e-readers is totally up to you. For me, the feel and smell of paper books are great, but I can see how some people might not like it. I personally find e-books easier on my eyes, especially when I'm reading in bed at night. And, yeah, sharing e-books is definitely more convenient than sharing paper books. But, hey, some people really enjoy the whole used book shopping experience, so to each their own!

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Immediately thought of your response when I saw today's poll question:

LOL. This is the lowest I've ever seen for the top answer!

[SomeSteve]

If you plan on being marooned on a desert island for any length of time, paper books might prove the better choice. (Assuming you could get the e-reader or the books on shore undamaged and protect them from the elements once there.) The e-reader would have the paper books beat as far as the amount and variety of reading material goes, since you could only have a few paper books with you (the usual number for taking to desert islands is, I believe, five or ten ), whereas the e-reader can hold hundreds or thousands. The charge in e-reader batteries runs down with use, and even without it, so you would need to have a solar or crank charger with you. Still, batteries eventually die, or other electronic components can fail, and then not even a charger will help. Bound books fall apart, paper deteriorates over time, but as we know, depending on climate and conditions, a printed book can still last considerably longer than a human life. The question to ponder then is, What will last longer, the battery and electronics of the e-reader, or the paper and bindings of the paper books? And if it's the five or ten paper books that win, will you be so sick of them after the long decades of your Crusoe-esque existence that you never bother to read them anymore anyway?

[neil_swann80]

Originally Posted by SomeSteve

If you plan on being marooned on a desert island for any length of time, paper books might prove the better choice. (Assuming you could get the e-reader or the books on shore undamaged and protect them from the elements once there.) The e-reader would have the paper books beat as far as the amount and variety of reading material goes, since you could only have a few paper books with you (the usual number for taking to desert islands is, I believe, five or ten ), whereas the e-reader can hold hundreds or thousands. The charge in e-reader batteries runs down with use, and even without it, so you would need to have a solar or crank charger with you. Still, batteries eventually die, or other electronic components can fail, and then not even a charger will help. Bound books fall apart, paper deteriorates over time, but as we know, depending on climate and conditions, a printed book can still last considerably longer than a human life. The question to ponder then is, What will last longer, the battery and electronics of the e-reader, or the paper and bindings of the paper books? And if it's the five or ten paper books that win, will you be so sick of them after the long decades of your Crusoe-esque existence that you never bother to read them anymore anyway?

If there are citrus fruits growing on the island you could rig up a few (around 30) in series you could recharge your ereader!

If life gives you lemons... read.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by neil_swann80

If there are citrus fruits growing on the island you could rig up a few (around 30) in series you could recharge your ereader!

If life gives you lemons... read.

Any fruit or vegetable acid or other acid. It's the pair of dissimilar metals plus an acid electrolyte that gives the electricity, not the lemon.

Or you could use low tech solar power. Burn willow to make steam that rotates paddles on a motor. The vibrator in some phones is motor with an offset weight on the shaft. That might be useable as small hand-cranked, water, steam, wind or tidlal powered generator.

Or make sure to be marooned with a "solar power bank" or portable solar panel as well as ereader. Should be good for nearly 10 years.

[Renate]

Nah, you just have to pick your island.
For instance, Sakhalin island.
Those Russkies have abandoned Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators all around there.

[neil_swann80]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Any fruit or vegetable acid or other acid. It's the pair of dissimilar metals plus an acid electrolyte that gives the electricity, not the lemon.

Or you could use low tech solar power. Burn willow to make steam that rotates paddles on a motor. The vibrator in some phones is motor with an offset weight on the shaft. That might be useable as small hand-cranked, water, steam, wind or tidlal powered generator.

Or make sure to be marooned with a "solar power bank" or portable solar panel as well as ereader. Should be good for nearly 10 years.

Right, that's it. I'm handcuffing myself to you before I get marooned on an island.