Did anyone else love their ebook reader at first but start going back to paper? - Page 4

SimonSays · 03-06-2010, 10:14 PM

I still buy plenty of paperback books- actually have just purchased about 5-7 this weekend. I don't think I will ever give up buying paperbacks

Boston · 03-06-2010, 11:15 PM

Although not due to desire or intent, I am going back to paper more and more. If you told me a year ago this would be the case, I would've said you were crazy.

The reason is simply because e-book prices have gone up...
- A larger percentage of new releases are now over $9.99
- A larger percentage are within $1 of the discounted paperback price. (I refuse to pay paper prices for ebooks as they can't be passed along).

So I hold off purchasing until the e-book is less than $10 and is at least $1 off the discounted paper price.

While waiting for the ebook price to drop, I often find the paper version goes bargain priced or can be found on the secondary market (in new/like new condition). That's if I don't lose interest in the meantime.

...when the paper version drops well below the ebook price -or- vice versa, I buy whichever is cheaper. I think I'm probably now buying more paper than ebooks.

So the paper doesn't pile up, I'm trying to discipline my behavior by reading paper books on the weekends when I am home and ebooks during the week.

Dopedangel · 03-07-2010, 06:09 AM

I read mostly fiction and to me the story is important not what I am reading on. I would never go back to reading on paper as they to me are cumbersome unless I really wanted to read a book and had no way to get it in ebook including the darknet
I used to buy books from old book shops and thrift stores
and have had books break up on me.

Gogolo · 03-07-2010, 06:37 AM

When it comes to serious work with a book, memorizing, anotating - for me a paper book is still the best thing. It has a real unique presence, smell and reflects the process of working with. I have relationships with books that I've read a long time ago. They reflect also a part of my development. Epaper is not able to those things in any way. Its good for other things, database functions, searchable etc.
When I realize that a book is important for me, I buy it as a paper book.

kennyc · 03-07-2010, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

....
I used to buy books from old book shops and thrift stores
and have had books break up on me.

I hate it when that happens!

Kevin2960 · 03-07-2010, 06:49 AM

My Eyesight is failing, Badly, give up the ability to READ easily .......

Or Shoot Myself in the Head

???

NO WAY

Are You Mad

?

Ilkyway · 03-07-2010, 07:22 AM

Hello, I am totally new to ebooks. My mother has shone me her ebook reader in the Febrary and has infactet me with it. My days a so pact with different tasks and I allways loose my bookmarks so that I found reading paperbooks very unkompftable lately.
But with the e-reader I could do all the stuff I have to and allways pick the book up, where I left it. Even reading more than one book in a time is no problem. But, and that is a problem what I have not solved jet: I love to by books. I love walking through a bookstore picking one book up, runnig my fingers throug it, reading the backcover, looking at how the book is made... picking up another... this is something I miss with e-books. And asstonishing as it is to me: many ebookstores that I found so far, don`t even show the describtion of the book. So I find myselve going to amazon just so that I can read, what the book is all about.
Long talk short story: I love ebooks for many reasons, but I think the book is not dead jet, not for me anyway.
Ilkyway

ficbot · 03-07-2010, 10:19 AM

I still buy cookbooks and non-fiction in paper, just to clarify

My paper book space is taken up by that. Fiction, I buy in ebook.

WT Sharpe · 03-07-2010, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've been reading eBooks for over 25 years. For me, it's not an "either/or" thing - I buy both eBooks and paper books, depending on availability, and what works well in each format. The overwhelming majority of my fiction is eBooks, but almost all my reference books are paper.

I don't generally read books at my PC, but I devour them on my reader. I'm pretty much spoiled rotten by the ease and convenience of e-readers. I still read paper books, but only when those books aren't available in an electronic format or when an electronic format isn't suitable for the book in question.

WT Sharpe · 03-07-2010, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gogolo

When it comes to serious work with a book, memorizing, anotating - for me a paper book is still the best thing. It has a real unique presence, smell and reflects the process of working with. I have relationships with books that I've read a long time ago. They reflect also a part of my development. Epaper is not able to those things in any way. Its good for other things, database functions, searchable etc.
When I realize that a book is important for me, I buy it as a paper book.

I find copying and annotating text is a breeze on my Kindle. Before I had one, whenever I wanted to quote a passage from a book I had to painstakingly type it out word by word. Now I just copy the entire passage and import it to a word processor.

imaredr · 03-07-2010, 12:06 PM

Since the time I bought my first reader (Rocket Ebook Reader) in 2000, I have not bought one paper novel. If it isn't in digital form, I will not buy it.

Ellen

MattW · 03-07-2010, 04:16 PM

Honestly?

I still prefer paper books - it's not even close. I've had my PRS-505 for two years now and I really like it. I've used it extensively on a year-long backpacking trip around the world, where every gram counts. For travelling, there's simply no better way to carry a large number of books around. I still carry it with me on all shorter and longer trips I take.

I'm not going into the "real books just *feel* different" argument - it's just that I think that the current technology is not yet good enough to give me the same reading experience on a display that I have with paper. I vastly prefer e-ink over LCD, but, IMHO, before we need color we need white that is actually, you know, *white* and black that is black.

I am amazed at the lack of quality of American mass-market paperbacks - sure, they are cheap, but, boy, do they look ugly. E-Ink isn't that much worse, but since I mostly read hardcovers and trade paperbacks, contrast is important to me.

While I won't be throwing my PRS-505 away any time soon, I'm still waiting for the next big step in display technology. And while I like the idea of Sony's touch screen readers, I'm simply not going to settle for a display that's even worse.

Matthias

Ea · 03-07-2010, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattW

I am amazed at the lack of quality of American mass-market paperbacks - sure, they are cheap, but, boy, do they look ugly. E-Ink isn't that much worse, but since I mostly read hardcovers and trade paperbacks, contrast is important to me.

I recently bought a hardback - so-called "collector's edition" - of a book I liked. What it boils down to is, I guess, the normal hard-cover in a slipcase and with the authors's signature, but anyhow... I knew paperback was bad, but I think this is the first time I've bought an English language hardcover book, and I was quite disappointed. Thin paper and tiny margins. If I compare it with a few recent Danish trade paperback I own, it loses hands down (trade paperback is hardcover quality printing with a soft cover). Overall quality seems to be going down, also for hardback/trade paperback.

fugazied · 03-07-2010, 04:27 PM

I still go back to paper every now and then but it's only because publishers force me to with slow releases of e-books and some ridiculous pricing issues.

I do prefer e-readers now though.

dkb · 03-07-2010, 06:27 PM

Except for two books for my book club that I couldn't legally get in e-book form, all my fiction and nonfiction purchases since I got my reader 2 yrs. ago have been e-books. I still buy kid's books, cookbooks, and reference books in print.

I have considered buying the Demy Kitchen Safe Touchscreen Recipe Reader to replace my cookbooks, but the mechanism for getting recipes on the device is unsatisfactory at this time.

03-06-2010, 11:15 PM	#47
Boston Fanatic Posts: 555 Karma: 40032 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Boston :) Device: Kindle, Kobo Aura H20, Pixel XL	Although not due to desire or intent, I am going back to paper more and more. If you told me a year ago this would be the case, I would've said you were crazy. The reason is simply because e-book prices have gone up... - A larger percentage of new releases are now over $9.99 - A larger percentage are within $1 of the discounted paperback price. (I refuse to pay paper prices for ebooks as they can't be passed along). So I hold off purchasing until the e-book is less than $10 and is at least $1 off the discounted paper price. While waiting for the ebook price to drop, I often find the paper version goes bargain priced or can be found on the secondary market (in new/like new condition). That's if I don't lose interest in the meantime. ...when the paper version drops well below the ebook price -or- vice versa, I buy whichever is cheaper. I think I'm probably now buying more paper than ebooks. So the paper doesn't pile up, I'm trying to discipline my behavior by reading paper books on the weekends when I am home and ebooks during the week. Last edited by Boston; 03-06-2010 at 11:19 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Back to the Future: Paper E-Books?	Bob Russell	News	9	05-22-2010 10:31 AM
Love the book or money back	neilmarr	Reading Recommendations	35	01-12-2010 11:14 AM
Paper Book Strikes Back!	Mycropht	News	1	04-25-2009 04:27 AM
Create your own 6" EBOOK reader device with Electronic paper display!!!	JessicaTung	News	16	03-04-2009 04:32 PM
Philips spins off Liquavista to start yet another e-paper venture	Alexander Turcic	News	1	04-19-2006 03:08 PM

03-06-2010, 10:14 PM	#46
SimonSays No wire hangers, ever! Posts: 183 Karma: 540 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: O-hi-o Device: Sony PRS-300	I still buy plenty of paperback books- actually have just purchased about 5-7 this weekend. I don't think I will ever give up buying paperbacks

03-07-2010, 06:09 AM	#48
Dopedangel Wizard Posts: 1,794 Karma: 30548723 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Singapore Device: Boyue	I read mostly fiction and to me the story is important not what I am reading on. I would never go back to reading on paper as they to me are cumbersome unless I really wanted to read a book and had no way to get it in ebook including the darknet I used to buy books from old book shops and thrift stores and have had books break up on me.

03-07-2010, 06:37 AM	#49
Gogolo Addict Posts: 353 Karma: 92 Join Date: Sep 2007 Device: DR1000S, Nook ST (rooted), Kobo Aura one (ksm)	When it comes to serious work with a book, memorizing, anotating - for me a paper book is still the best thing. It has a real unique presence, smell and reflects the process of working with. I have relationships with books that I've read a long time ago. They reflect also a part of my development. Epaper is not able to those things in any way. Its good for other things, database functions, searchable etc. When I realize that a book is important for me, I buy it as a paper book.

03-07-2010, 06:49 AM	#51
Kevin2960 YODA's Uglier Twin Posts: 974 Karma: 6295251 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Leicester, UK Device: PRS-600 and 2 Kindle 3's - and now a K4 + HTC Desire HD	My Eyesight is failing, Badly, give up the ability to READ easily ....... Or Shoot Myself in the Head ??? NO WAY Are You Mad ?

03-07-2010, 07:22 AM	#52
Ilkyway Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 282 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Germany Device: Sony 505	Hello, I am totally new to ebooks. My mother has shone me her ebook reader in the Febrary and has infactet me with it. My days a so pact with different tasks and I allways loose my bookmarks so that I found reading paperbooks very unkompftable lately. But with the e-reader I could do all the stuff I have to and allways pick the book up, where I left it. Even reading more than one book in a time is no problem. But, and that is a problem what I have not solved jet: I love to by books. I love walking through a bookstore picking one book up, runnig my fingers throug it, reading the backcover, looking at how the book is made... picking up another... this is something I miss with e-books. And asstonishing as it is to me: many ebookstores that I found so far, don`t even show the describtion of the book. So I find myselve going to amazon just so that I can read, what the book is all about. Long talk short story: I love ebooks for many reasons, but I think the book is not dead jet, not for me anyway. Ilkyway

03-07-2010, 10:19 AM	#53
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	I still buy cookbooks and non-fiction in paper, just to clarify My paper book space is taken up by that. Fiction, I buy in ebook.

03-07-2010, 12:06 PM	#56
imaredr Collector Posts: 441 Karma: 1002238 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Harker Heights, Texas Device: Cybook	Since the time I bought my first reader (Rocket Ebook Reader) in 2000, I have not bought one paper novel. If it isn't in digital form, I will not buy it. Ellen

03-07-2010, 04:16 PM	#57
MattW Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 2129612 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: Sony PRS-650, Sony PRS-T1, Sony PRS 505, Sony PRS T2, Kindle PW	Honestly? I still prefer paper books - it's not even close. I've had my PRS-505 for two years now and I really like it. I've used it extensively on a year-long backpacking trip around the world, where every gram counts. For travelling, there's simply no better way to carry a large number of books around. I still carry it with me on all shorter and longer trips I take. I'm not going into the "real books just feel different" argument - it's just that I think that the current technology is not yet good enough to give me the same reading experience on a display that I have with paper. I vastly prefer e-ink over LCD, but, IMHO, before we need color we need white that is actually, you know, white and black that is black. I am amazed at the lack of quality of American mass-market paperbacks - sure, they are cheap, but, boy, do they look ugly. E-Ink isn't that much worse, but since I mostly read hardcovers and trade paperbacks, contrast is important to me. While I won't be throwing my PRS-505 away any time soon, I'm still waiting for the next big step in display technology. And while I like the idea of Sony's touch screen readers, I'm simply not going to settle for a display that's even worse. Matthias

03-07-2010, 04:27 PM	#59
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	I still go back to paper every now and then but it's only because publishers force me to with slow releases of e-books and some ridiculous pricing issues. I do prefer e-readers now though.

03-07-2010, 06:27 PM	#60
dkb ebook enthusiast Posts: 85 Karma: 40466 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Midlothian, VA Device: Kindle 2, iPhone, Sony PRS-350, Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch	Except for two books for my book club that I couldn't legally get in e-book form, all my fiction and nonfiction purchases since I got my reader 2 yrs. ago have been e-books. I still buy kid's books, cookbooks, and reference books in print. I have considered buying the Demy Kitchen Safe Touchscreen Recipe Reader to replace my cookbooks, but the mechanism for getting recipes on the device is unsatisfactory at this time.