Marginalia - How do you deal with it?

Gideon · 07-10-2009, 09:40 AM

The thing that I just can't get around regarding superiority of real books to ebooks is marginalia - writing things out on the side, making comments at the end of a chapter and seeing this interspersed with the text.

It is true that the Amazon allows underlining and annotation. Underlining works well - it is apparent when you read the text and is fast and easy to do. Annotations... not so much. I've had all three Kindles but none of them do this quickly or easily (and w/the DX it is almost totally worthless - takes a lot for me to even touch the keyboard).

So what do you do? Or do you at all?

I've been thinking of getting a large moleskine and recording marginalia in it as I read.

MaggieScratch · 07-10-2009, 10:01 AM

I hate reading books that have been written in. I know a lot of people like it.

That being said, one thing I enjoyed about eReader on my Palm OS devices was being able to take notes and export them. It's really nice if you're in a book club. Just print out your notes and bring them along.

Gideon · 07-10-2009, 10:03 AM

For me it allows me to 'reread' a book very quickly. If I've underlined and annotated well enough I can look through an entire book in about 15 minutes/half hour and it'll completely refresh me to its content.

Just nonfiction though... I don't write in fiction, unless it's something rather heavy where I might underline... Dostoevsky or Hesse, for instance.

FizzyWater · 07-10-2009, 07:36 PM

I always felt horrified at the mere thought of writing in my books!

When I was using the eBookwise exclusively, I'd use the "markup" (notes) ability to circle errors in the text so I could clean them up later. I miss that with my PRS505 and would consider it a bonus if I could find another Reader that gave it back - as long as I didn't lose clarity (which is why I didn't switch to the PRS700).

ShortNCuddlyAm · 07-10-2009, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gideon

I've been thinking of getting a large moleskine and recording marginalia in it as I read.

That's how I do it

(from before ebook days, too - whilst I appreciate the value of marginalia in some old books, the thought of actually writing it myself makes me shudder

And at school I hated finding other people's notes in text books. I refused to even underline bits in my own copies!)

Sonist · 07-10-2009, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

I hate reading books that have been written in....

I am the same, for regular books it's sacrilegious.

But if someone can implement the stickies that Acrobat Pro allows you to place on PDFs (which can be toggled On/Off), I can see the value in it. For textbooks, it'd be a must.

Sweetpea · 07-12-2009, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I always felt horrified at the mere thought of writing in my books!

When I was using the eBookwise exclusively, I'd use the "markup" (notes) ability to circle errors in the text so I could clean them up later. I miss that with my PRS505 and would consider it a bonus if I could find another Reader that gave it back - as long as I didn't lose clarity (which is why I didn't switch to the PRS700).

That's what I use the highlighting feature for, exlusively. I've never been able to write in books, fiction or non-fiction.

HarryT · 07-12-2009, 04:17 AM

It sounds as though you need an iRex DR1000S, Gideon. It allows you to "write" on your books, provided that they are in PDF format.

Personally, the idea of writing in books makes me cringe

.

07-10-2009, 09:40 AM	#1
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	Marginalia - How do you deal with it? The thing that I just can't get around regarding superiority of real books to ebooks is marginalia - writing things out on the side, making comments at the end of a chapter and seeing this interspersed with the text. It is true that the Amazon allows underlining and annotation. Underlining works well - it is apparent when you read the text and is fast and easy to do. Annotations... not so much. I've had all three Kindles but none of them do this quickly or easily (and w/the DX it is almost totally worthless - takes a lot for me to even touch the keyboard). So what do you do? Or do you at all? I've been thinking of getting a large moleskine and recording marginalia in it as I read.

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07-10-2009, 10:01 AM	#2
MaggieScratch Has got to the black veil Posts: 542 Karma: 2144168 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Device: Kobo Aura One, Kindle Paperwhite 2	I hate reading books that have been written in. I know a lot of people like it. That being said, one thing I enjoyed about eReader on my Palm OS devices was being able to take notes and export them. It's really nice if you're in a book club. Just print out your notes and bring them along.

07-10-2009, 10:03 AM	#3
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	For me it allows me to 'reread' a book very quickly. If I've underlined and annotated well enough I can look through an entire book in about 15 minutes/half hour and it'll completely refresh me to its content. Just nonfiction though... I don't write in fiction, unless it's something rather heavy where I might underline... Dostoevsky or Hesse, for instance.

07-10-2009, 07:36 PM	#4
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	I always felt horrified at the mere thought of writing in my books! When I was using the eBookwise exclusively, I'd use the "markup" (notes) ability to circle errors in the text so I could clean them up later. I miss that with my PRS505 and would consider it a bonus if I could find another Reader that gave it back - as long as I didn't lose clarity (which is why I didn't switch to the PRS700).

07-12-2009, 04:17 AM	#8
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It sounds as though you need an iRex DR1000S, Gideon. It allows you to "write" on your books, provided that they are in PDF format. Personally, the idea of writing in books makes me cringe .

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