Ebook readers and real books... some thoughts

lc49 · 10-26-2010, 09:16 AM

I am a recent owner of a Kindle 3 and I must admit that its an amazing device but reading something in the Kindle is not even close to the experience of reading a real paper book. I think its many miles away, really!

And I don´t want to be romantic by saying things like "Oh, I love the smell of paper", "I love to see the shelves filled with marvelous books". Sure that´s important too, but the management of a book in the Kindle in very hard and slow. To skip to certain chapters, to localize where you are in the book, to be able to find information in a quick and accessible way. All of this is very hard in the Kindle.

Don´t get me wrong, I think that the Kindle is a wonderful device for academic articles (as long as they are not in pdf) or small texts, but its not suitable for reading a full book. I think that Ebooks will never ever replace the paper books.

Cheers

Esquire1 · 10-26-2010, 09:30 AM

All it takes is a few clicks to get to the table of contents and then to the chapter you want.

And it's even easier to find certain information in a quick and accessible way with an eBook than it is with paper. With an eBook, you can electronically search the entire book.

abookreader · 10-26-2010, 09:30 AM

No you are right - there are some things that it is harder to do on a digital reader .. for instance when I'm re-reading a book I often like to just skip ahead to certain parts. With a paper book I can usually just thumb through the pages. With a digital reader you have to try some different methods such as learning to remember a key phrase and then search on it. It takes some getting used to. I've recently gotten much better at remembering to stick bookmarks in on my favorite parts, and then use them. That's something I never did with paper books.

Also, eBook format is still all too often the pits. Table of Contents STILL are not always supplied.

But remember there are somethings that are easier and much of it is a learning process. I never used to take notes or highlight much on paper books but I find that not only easier to do on my Kindle, but also easier to then utilize in a meaningful manner once the book is read.

Josieb1 · 10-26-2010, 09:31 AM

For Fiction reading I disagree, i have read exclusively on an ereader for over 18 months. I only own 3 paper books now, all the rest of my paperbooks have been replaced with ebooks, I have over 900 books on my Kindle and each week I add more.

Each to their own as they say

desertblues · 10-26-2010, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lc49

I am a recent owner of a Kindle 3 and I must admit that its an amazing device but reading something in the Kindle is not even close to the experience of reading a real paper book. I think its many miles away, really!...........

To skip to certain chapters, to localize where you are in the book, to be able to find information in a quick and accessible way. All of this is very hard in the Kindle..........

Don´t get me wrong, I think that the Kindle is a wonderful device for academic articles (as long as they are not in pdf) or small texts, but its not suitable for reading a full book. I think that Ebooks will never ever replace the paper books..........

Too right. Ebooks will never replace paper books, but they don't have to compete with them. Apart from the content; it's quite another reading experience.

It's fairly easy to search within a book or go to a location. If you see location as ' approximately' it works well; just as you would randomly open a book in the middle or where ever you would approximately want to look.

I'm a great reader, but have emptied my bookcase these last few years; sold a lot of my old books, because I've an ereader for a few years. Sure love the smell of books; but still have that.

As I'm doing academic research at the moment; I don't agree with the use of academic books on a Kindle. The books I want are not digitalized and my research still is a question of lots of legwork.

But, as Josie says ' each to their own"

jbcohen · 10-26-2010, 10:36 AM

Don't get me wrong, the Kindle is a fine reader and fine technology its just that I am not willing to fork out that much dollars for an ereader.My Aluratek Libra pro is not near as good quality as a kindle is but its great for the dollars that I paid for it. Personally I would preferr a touch screen, but they cost do darn much.

Dharmabum · 10-26-2010, 10:48 AM

I've always read multiple books simultaneously. I really love being able to easily carry them all, anywhere, using the Kindle.

I also love being able to hear about a book and be reading it in less than a minute. Especially since the nearest English book store is over an hour away and the selection is sparse at best.

I haven't read a pbook since I bought my Kindle and I don't miss 'em.

desertgrandma · 10-26-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lc49

I am a recent owner of a Kindle 3 and I must admit that its an amazing device but reading something in the Kindle is not even close to the experience of reading a real paper book. I think its many miles away, really!

And I don´t want to be romantic by saying things like "Oh, I love the smell of paper", "I love to see the shelves filled with marvelous books". Sure that´s important too, but the management of a book in the Kindle in very hard and slow. To skip to certain chapters, to localize where you are in the book, to be able to find information in a quick and accessible way. All of this is very hard in the Kindle.

Don´t get me wrong, I think that the Kindle is a wonderful device for academic articles (as long as they are not in pdf) or small texts, but its not suitable for reading a full book. I think that Ebooks will never ever replace the paper books.

Cheers

Welcome to MobileRead, lc49.

I guess our reading experiences are different. I get involved in the story, not what I"m holding in my hand.

Reading a book on the Kindle is every bit as "real" as reading a paper book.

Using the search function allows me to 'skip' wherever I want...and I don't have to worry about what to read next wherever I am.......its all right there.

mr ploppy · 10-26-2010, 11:39 AM

I don't have a Kindle, but one of the annoying things about my Hanvon is that you can't tell how long the current chapter is without paging forward. Whereas with a real book you can just flick through to count how many pages there is and then decide if you're awake enough to make the end.

monkeyluis · 10-26-2010, 12:00 PM

Reading is reading and I find it much easier to do on my Kindle or iPad than having to carry a book around. I can navigate a book very easily on either device and find what I am looking for.

mldavis2 · 10-26-2010, 01:06 PM

As a new eBook reader, I'm finding arguments on both sides. Most of my personal library is technical and often dated material, so finding such literature in eBook format is probably not going to happen anytime soon.

But for novels, I vote for the eBook. You don't skip chapters normally when reading novels. The dictionary is right at hand, not on the shelf across the room. I can read with one hand and hold my coffee in the other. I can lay the eBook down quickly to answer the phone without losing my place. I can obtain countless 'classics' at no cost. I can accumulate an 'armload' of books to take on vacation without paying extra for luggage on the plane.

No regrets here. I use both.

kindlekitten · 10-26-2010, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I don't have a Kindle, but one of the annoying things about my Hanvon is that you can't tell how long the current chapter is without paging forward. Whereas with a real book you can just flick through to count how many pages there is and then decide if you're awake enough to make the end.

some kindle books (on the K2 at least) are now sporting little dots down in the progress bar. sometimes these are equivalent to chapter breaks, and sometimes they are more pronounced breaks in the book (like Book II of V). but not all Kindle books have them. not sure what the deal is. that is one of the more frustrating things with reading the kindle. gone is the flicking through to see when the next chapter is when you are trying to decide if you should put the book down. I just rely on the larger paragraph breaks. and then there is the rather longish book I read a couple of days ago that didn't have ANY chapters!

Pomtroll · 10-26-2010, 02:23 PM

I like to bounce around when reading fiction. Not always but often enough, especially if I'm not sure I want to finish the book.. I find it a little harder to do with my Kindle. It is easier for me to do it with my NOOK. I just slide my page bar along & stop here & there. I can easily go to the last chapter if I want to also. Yeah I'm one of those.

I think it takes a bit of adjusting with e-readers. But now I enjoy reading with mine & really don't miss pbooks. If I do buy a pbook I generally buy non fiction or reference books. I guess I haven't really tried bookmarks & note taking with my e-reader. I may get to it & then not buy any pbooks if I don't have to.

cvkemp · 10-26-2010, 02:30 PM

I am a person that likes to start at the beginning and go to the end. I much more enjoy reading on my kindle than I do on a paper book. But I believe that is because I am so use to reading pdfs on the computer. I find that a paper book no long fits my hands like the kindle does.

Richey79 · 10-26-2010, 09:09 PM

Since getting an ereader, I've been through my collection of second-hand paperbacks. In many cases, I've given away the original book as soon as I could replace it with an e-version.

Many bog-standard paperbacks that are more than twenty years old have terrible yellowing of the paper as a result of its acid content. Even without this issue, a surprising proportion of books seem to have been published with little real care taken over the choice of typography and print layout.

One of the only things I can't (won't) do with an ereader that I can with a paper-back is read it in the bath. Good job both media are to hand!

10-26-2010, 09:16 AM	#1
lc49 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle 3	Ebook readers and real books... some thoughts I am a recent owner of a Kindle 3 and I must admit that its an amazing device but reading something in the Kindle is not even close to the experience of reading a real paper book. I think its many miles away, really! And I don´t want to be romantic by saying things like "Oh, I love the smell of paper", "I love to see the shelves filled with marvelous books". Sure that´s important too, but the management of a book in the Kindle in very hard and slow. To skip to certain chapters, to localize where you are in the book, to be able to find information in a quick and accessible way. All of this is very hard in the Kindle. Don´t get me wrong, I think that the Kindle is a wonderful device for academic articles (as long as they are not in pdf) or small texts, but its not suitable for reading a full book. I think that Ebooks will never ever replace the paper books. Cheers

10-26-2010, 02:23 PM	#13
Pomtroll Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 1341819 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Minnesota USA Device: Sony 350, Sony T1, Kindle Touch, Kindle PW1	I like to bounce around when reading fiction. Not always but often enough, especially if I'm not sure I want to finish the book.. I find it a little harder to do with my Kindle. It is easier for me to do it with my NOOK. I just slide my page bar along & stop here & there. I can easily go to the last chapter if I want to also. Yeah I'm one of those. I think it takes a bit of adjusting with e-readers. But now I enjoy reading with mine & really don't miss pbooks. If I do buy a pbook I generally buy non fiction or reference books. I guess I haven't really tried bookmarks & note taking with my e-reader. I may get to it & then not buy any pbooks if I don't have to. Last edited by Dr. Drib; 01-25-2015 at 07:53 PM.

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10-26-2010, 09:30 AM	#2
Esquire1 Banned Posts: 34 Karma: 90 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle 3 wifi; PRS-500 (gone); iPad NOT for reading e-books ;)	All it takes is a few clicks to get to the table of contents and then to the chapter you want. And it's even easier to find certain information in a quick and accessible way with an eBook than it is with paper. With an eBook, you can electronically search the entire book.

10-26-2010, 09:30 AM	#3
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	No you are right - there are some things that it is harder to do on a digital reader .. for instance when I'm re-reading a book I often like to just skip ahead to certain parts. With a paper book I can usually just thumb through the pages. With a digital reader you have to try some different methods such as learning to remember a key phrase and then search on it. It takes some getting used to. I've recently gotten much better at remembering to stick bookmarks in on my favorite parts, and then use them. That's something I never did with paper books. Also, eBook format is still all too often the pits. Table of Contents STILL are not always supplied. But remember there are somethings that are easier and much of it is a learning process. I never used to take notes or highlight much on paper books but I find that not only easier to do on my Kindle, but also easier to then utilize in a meaningful manner once the book is read.

10-26-2010, 09:31 AM	#4
Josieb1 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,013 Karma: 18018738 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Device: Kobo Forma, Libra2, Clara 2e, Kindle PW SE & Kindle 2022	For Fiction reading I disagree, i have read exclusively on an ereader for over 18 months. I only own 3 paper books now, all the rest of my paperbooks have been replaced with ebooks, I have over 900 books on my Kindle and each week I add more. Each to their own as they say

10-26-2010, 10:36 AM	#6
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	Don't get me wrong, the Kindle is a fine reader and fine technology its just that I am not willing to fork out that much dollars for an ereader.My Aluratek Libra pro is not near as good quality as a kindle is but its great for the dollars that I paid for it. Personally I would preferr a touch screen, but they cost do darn much.

10-26-2010, 10:48 AM	#7
Dharmabum Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Kindle 2, Paper White	I've always read multiple books simultaneously. I really love being able to easily carry them all, anywhere, using the Kindle. I also love being able to hear about a book and be reading it in less than a minute. Especially since the nearest English book store is over an hour away and the selection is sparse at best. I haven't read a pbook since I bought my Kindle and I don't miss 'em.

10-26-2010, 11:39 AM	#9
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	I don't have a Kindle, but one of the annoying things about my Hanvon is that you can't tell how long the current chapter is without paging forward. Whereas with a real book you can just flick through to count how many pages there is and then decide if you're awake enough to make the end.

10-26-2010, 12:00 PM	#10
monkeyluis Banned Posts: 725 Karma: 656644 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Central Florida Device: iPad "3", Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire, iPhone 4S	Reading is reading and I find it much easier to do on my Kindle or iPad than having to carry a book around. I can navigate a book very easily on either device and find what I am looking for.

10-26-2010, 01:06 PM	#11
mldavis2 Coffee Nut Posts: 410 Karma: 298350 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Missouri Device: Kindle 3; K4PC; Calibre	As a new eBook reader, I'm finding arguments on both sides. Most of my personal library is technical and often dated material, so finding such literature in eBook format is probably not going to happen anytime soon. But for novels, I vote for the eBook. You don't skip chapters normally when reading novels. The dictionary is right at hand, not on the shelf across the room. I can read with one hand and hold my coffee in the other. I can lay the eBook down quickly to answer the phone without losing my place. I can obtain countless 'classics' at no cost. I can accumulate an 'armload' of books to take on vacation without paying extra for luggage on the plane. No regrets here. I use both.

10-26-2010, 02:30 PM	#14
cvkemp Loving life Posts: 1,412 Karma: 7991496 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Hot Springs Village, Arkansas Device: PaperWhite 5,iPhone 13, IPad, MacBook Air	I am a person that likes to start at the beginning and go to the end. I much more enjoy reading on my kindle than I do on a paper book. But I believe that is because I am so use to reading pdfs on the computer. I find that a paper book no long fits my hands like the kindle does.

10-26-2010, 09:09 PM	#15
Richey79 mrkrgnao Posts: 241 Karma: 237248 Join Date: May 2010 Device: PRS650, K3 Wireless, Galaxy S3, iPad 3.	Since getting an ereader, I've been through my collection of second-hand paperbacks. In many cases, I've given away the original book as soon as I could replace it with an e-version. Many bog-standard paperbacks that are more than twenty years old have terrible yellowing of the paper as a result of its acid content. Even without this issue, a surprising proportion of books seem to have been published with little real care taken over the choice of typography and print layout. One of the only things I can't (won't) do with an ereader that I can with a paper-back is read it in the bath. Good job both media are to hand!

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