Will e-book readers eventually go back to paper books?

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by tompe

Really? I have never noticed that. Are you sure you do not need glasses or lenses?

i have glasses. they're a realitively weak prescription so i'm not blind as a bat or anything lol.

its only really a problem when the books are poorly laid out/using a lousy typeface to begin with like the early Dune novels for example, the books that reeeeeally need to be updated when they're reprinted for the 100th time.

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

For me, it's the portability. I travel a lot for work and am an avid reader. The ability to carry hundreds of books with me is the selling point for me - paper books are never going to be able to offer that.

As an example, I was stuck in Germany when the ash cloud descended. If I hadn't had my e-reader with me, I would have run out of things to read. For me, that's not far away from running out of air to breathe

Exactly the reason I made the switch and have not looked back.

I used to carry 10 - 15 books on a trip. That is a good bit of space and weight. Now a simple ereader.

[Rockbobster]

My ebook experience goes way back to the days of DOS, and collecting ASCII text files. I started with jokes, short stories and articles. When I got access to networks and some of the amazing collections available, my library grew. I migrated it from large floppies to small floppies to CDs and now it rests on a pocket sized external HD, and is mirrored on another external HD. It is also on my notebook, and parts of it are on my 2 ereader devices. Beside the hardware migration, I have seen formats come and go. Plain text was first, then DOC and PDF. Some branches have fallen aside, such as Palm PDB. I have migrated my library through all these transitions, and will do so as the hardware and formats change. My paper library has been dwindling as more things are available in e-formats. I will always have a place for titles that have not been converted over, and large format photo books. Certain things, like my Audubon field guide and shop manuals work better on paper. Most fiction and other titles that are mostly text work better with ereading. As device technology matures, I expect the quirks to go away, such as limited font selection and limited dictionary support for some formats. For me, ereaders are here to stay, and so is paper.

[Kayden]

I absolutely love my e-reader, becaue it is very convenient. The truth is though, that I would not give up paper books either. To me, reading is reading, whichever way I choose to do it. I am drawn to paper books, and I can't wait to open up my e-reader - one does not replace the other.

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by Tony1988

Especially middle aged woman.

I guess you missed the thread where those women are the prime buyers of ebooks.

They can read romances without others seeing the covers of the books.

[Jar Jar Binks]

I haven't given up totally on Paper Books. But I can tell you that my E reader goes everywhere I go. I can read waiting for my appointments in the doctor's office. Not having to stop and put down the story in the magazine I am reading and leave it behind when I leave. I really enjoying having my e reader. I don't have a credit card but when it comes to my e reader "I don't leave home without it". I read more than I used to because I have my e reader. I cannot see it being a passing fad. I show it to anyone who is interested and one woman bought two for her daughters in college. It is an amazing device and there is no way they go the way of the dodo.

[Laura81]

I still read paperbacks and hardcovers, but rarely now. Sometimes though I still like the feel of a 'real' book in my hands and that certain smell books have.

[RW2112]

I still also love my pbooks, but as others have said you can't beat ebooks for convenience sake.

I use an iPad 2, and with my different apps I can handle any format my ebooks may take. Not to mention I can fire up Pandora and select my favorite music channel, put on my earphones and kick back to read while the world fades away. Ah, bliss...

[mldavis2]

For me, it all boils down to finding what I want to read and then picking the most efficient and economical source. I do an online web search for eBook sources and prices using one of several search engines, check the local online library listings, surf through my favorite used bookstore, drop by BAM, check with reading friends, not necessarily in that order. Depends on the publishing date of the book, its accessibility and its price. The eBook is usually a preference unless it's a book I want to keep for reference or display, which at my age are few now. I'm out of the collecting stage and there are far and away too many books on my 'to-read' list to consider going back and re-reading much of anything.

[Chi Cygni]

I don't leave house without my Opus. I recently bought two dt books and they have been sitting on the shelf ever since. Somehow I don't feel like reading them. And strangely enough I'm not as fond of the Kindle as I thought I'd be. I prefer the little one. And Times New Roman. I found myself looking with some kind of pity at people who haul large and heavy books on the metro.

[soktavia]

E-books will continue to gain in popularity until we do away with the paper books.

[Graham Coulson]

Originally Posted by soktavia

E-books will continue to gain in popularity until we do away with the paper books.

Huh? I personally can't see paper books being "done away with" -- but then that's just me...

[Laura81]

Originally Posted by Graham Coulson

Huh? I personally can't see paper books being "done away with" -- but then that's just me...

Me neither. I think 'paper books' will always be around to some extent.

[carpetmojo]

See thread on my latest ebook price incident !

That sort thing'll definitely do it....fer a bit.

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

Having just come home after a brief trip up to Sydney (one and a half hour's flight from Melbourne), I have discovered the one drawback of an e-reader. You spend quite a bit of time not being allowed to read because all electronic devices must be turned off during take-off and until the seatbelt sign goes off, and then again when it goes back on for the descent. Hard to believe an ereader in Airplane mode could cause any problems, but those are the rules.

It adds up to quite a bit of time on a short flight and I was wishing I had brought a paper book with me instead. But for a longer flight and of course a longer time away, it's so much easier with an ereader than carrying a few books with me.

Several solutions:

1) Take longer flights.
2) Carry a magazine to read then.
3) Actually read the airlines inflight magazine, or at least on the US carriers, look through the SkyMall catalog.