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

[kennyc]

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.

That's the camp I'm in as well. I bought my Sony 505 last year and then added an Astak PP, A Kindle2 and then a Sony 900. I've since sold the Astak, but use the other three regularly and also do lots of reading in paper form as well either because they are not available in ebook or because there is a major price differential -- most of my paper books I buy used via amazon.

I prefer reading on the ebook reader, but it's not a big deal either way at this point.

[amgoforth]

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.

Me too, exactly the same.

[poohbear_nc]

My rule has been: if it's available as an eBook and costs less than $10 (fiction) or $15 (non-fiction) I buy the eBook. I buy pbooks if I'm reading a series and there are holes in the ebook versions. I buy pbooks if there are color photos or maps that don't display well.

Now, if the publisher is playing the delayed availability game, I buy a used copy of the pbook so that none of my money goes to the publisher, and send the publisher a letter to let them know they missed selling the ebook to me, and the amount of money they're not getting from the used pbook sale.

[texasnightowl]

Originally Posted by ficbot

Maybe easier if you are a rich person with plenty of storage space, no plans to move, and lackeys to pack it all up and schlep it for you if you do have to.

For those of us urban apartment-dwellers whose living room storage os shared between books, DVDs, video games etc. it is *much* easier to buy an ebook, strip the DRM and run it over to a backup drive for posterity...

Well, I am an urban apartment-dweller. And I am at a point where I don't necessarily find it easier to buy, strip, convert (sometimes), and archive. But in my case part of that may be that when I get home from work I don't really want to touch a computer for the most part. There are numerous days when I get home that I don't even sit down at my PC to retrieve email. Yeah, dtb storage is an issue. I donated bags and bags and bags of books last year to Goodwill...and I'm still low on physical space (though I do have enough space to double stack some books right now).

[texasnightowl]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I imagine that the people who have gone back to pbooks no longer post here.

Yeah, you are most likely right. Thanks.

[texasnightowl]

Originally Posted by sourcejedi

+1. I don't read the posts here as being defensive in tone. I do think it's funny people kept feeling it was worth adding their own "No, I didn't" posts, without talking about DRM which was the OPs real point :-).

Yeah, I was a little discouraged when several of the initial posts didn't even recognize the issues that I'm a little depressed over. I mean yeah, I guess my title question was a little simplistic and a Yes/No answer was entirely valid, but...

in answer to that question, there are three options

1. Keep on buying DRM'd books, and DRM readers, from the same source.
2. Crack the DRM.
2 b) Grab the books off the darknet
3. Buy only books without DRM.

I don't see anything wrong with 3). It's just saddening if all this only sinks in _after_ you've bought your e-reader. Hopefully you can afford to chalk it up as a learning experience about technology and markets.

I'm already into option 2 and have started use of Calibre so I don't have to worry about option 1. Am I frustrated at the moment about having to do so? Yes.

Don't get me wrong here...I don't plan to (at least at the moment) entirely give up ebooks. Now when the K1 dies, who knows. But with new devices and prices going down all the time I would probably buy some sort of inexpensive device to support any ebooks I already have. But even for my fiction novels I am going to re-evaluate a bit on what I buy in paper and what I buy in ebook.

[texasnightowl]

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.

Originally Posted by Crusader

I completely agree with that and I feel the same way. I still love treebooks just as much as ebooks. Depending on availability and price I will always go for the cheaper and most appropriate option.
...
It's nice to have a bookcase full of treasured books (even if they are only paperbacks) collected throughout the years, and luckily, at this stage I still have ample room for more.
...
I love ebooks too. ... I really can't say that I prefer any format above the other.
...
Some days it's nice to have a physical book in you hands and on other days my Opus is the weapon of choice. Either way I've got LOADS of reading to catch up on...

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I'm a book collector and collect First Editions by authors whom I enjoy.

I enjoy handling and reading both from books and from ebook Readers.

Don

Thanks guys...I'm feeling a little less like a traitor for my thoughts of partially going back to paper.

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by sourcejedi

2. Crack the DRM. (If you don't crack it now, you won't know for sure whether it's possible in the future). That makes you a criminal under EU and US law, and dependent on the continued availability of technology which is suppressed by law. But it is at least physically possible for you to do this with all the major formats right now.

2 b) Grab the books off the darknet (and try to find alternative ways to reimburse your favourite authors). IMO this is morally superior to cracking DRM yourself, but it's more risky (if publishers crack your darknet).

I know this is getting off topic, but I think that if you don't make your stripped and converted books public, 2) is morally superior than 2b) because you're definitely compensating the author and even though it's not legally viewed this way, I consider it a fair-use of format-shifting, analogous to me buying a CD and ripping it to my mp3 player.

Back to the topic.

I've been reading ebooks on my PDA and computer for at least 3-4 years now, and I just bought a nook because I didn't think that I'd be buying paper books any more. I used to buy at least 30-50 paper books a year (many of them used), and for the last year or so, I don't think I've purchased any paper books that weren't for scanning for Distributed Proofreaders.

[catsittingstill]

The rest of my life is fairly plain vanilla, but about books I am openly poly. :-)

I love my Kindle (read 3 books on it in two days last week). Its crisp display--its wireless access to the internet--its window on a bookstore I don't need to travel to reach--it's the perfect magic book. I love my iPod Touch's "handful of glowing jewels" LCD screen--the books are free from Gutenberg, the Touch fits in my pocket and goes everywhere with me, the backlight makes it perfect for reading under the covers, and when my eyes get tired, that reminds me to turn it off and go to sleep. And I love my old paper books and frequently reread them, and buy new paper books by preference for items where I need a large format or large color illustrations--woodworking books and graphic novels pop to mind.

How fortunate I am that none of these beloveds are jealous of the others!

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

as a matter of fact I have a dozen or so pbooks to read and just don't fell like reading them. Although I guess I will some day. Or maybe I'll just get the ebooks... Foundation Trilogy is 3 of them.

BOb

I know what you mean...


For me, if the ebook is available and easy to read on my ereader, I'll not read the pbook version. So, this includes almost all novels. For study or reference material, I still prefer the pbook.

[Sydney's Mom]

I have been reading ebooks since I got my Kindle 11/08. The convenience is making me love it more and more. I still order pbooks from the library if the publisher windows it (I can usually get it within a month), but it takes me a long time to read it, because I won't lug it back and forth, I will only read it at home.

[kovidgoyal]

What are paper books?

For me it comes down to what sort of book is in question and how long I want to keep it:

1. Books that are graphic heavy, especially color graphics, or contain a lot of tables and formulas.
   
   • If I only want it short term I will get it in paper from the library.
     
   • If I want it in my permanent library I will buy it in paper.

1. Books that are straight text or only B&W graphics.
   
   • If it is available in ebook format in public domain I'll get that obviously.
     
   • If I want a permanent copy, it is available in ebook format, at a cost I will buy the ebook format and strip the DRM so I will always be able to view it now and in the future.
     
   • If I don't want a permanent copy and it is in ebook format from my library I will get it there.
     
   • If it is not available from my library as an ebook I will get from the library in paper.

So I guess the bottom line is the only paper books I will buy are books with color graphics that I want to own permanently. Other then that my choice is an ebook.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

Yeah, I was a little discouraged when several of the initial posts didn't even recognize the issues that I'm a little depressed over. I mean yeah, I guess my title question was a little simplistic and a Yes/No answer was entirely valid, but...

Sorry. I guess that issue didn't show through enough in your post to register with me. I AM personally quite annoyed with DRM and geographic restrictions. The DRM I habitually strip from any books I buy, but as for geo restrictions I just don't buy if I can't and find a library book, or a PD e-book, to read instead. Or something else. The original reason I started to read e-books, was that I read fiction off the 'Net - it was great to be able to not have to read it of the monitor.

[mollybo]

I've read maybe two or three paper books in the past two years, and a few reference books (like one on trusts I got a few weeks back - not available in ebook format, of course). I just find the paper books annoying at this point - I have to use two hands, can't read in the dark, have to keep turning pages, easily lose my place, etc. etc. etc.

I love ebooks.