Shifting back to physical books...

[Istvan diVega]

All ebooks, except selected non-fiction or the occasional deluxe version of an old favourite. Apart from those I never check the price of physical books and so never have a clue about the price difference. Nor do I care for a moment, as even the most expensive English language ebook will be vastly less expensive than any book bought here at home.

[Ripplinger]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Nope. I don't like reading paper books. They are heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable. As long as the prices are what I am comfortable paying, I am fine with it.

I have felt this way from day one but I know many people feel differently.

ProfCrash sums it up nicely for me too. Ereaders are far more comfortable to hold, turn pages, much better for my crappy eyesight where I can change the font style and size to what's most comfortable for me, much easier to carry around daily since it's already smaller than 1 paperback. And I always have another book to start if I finish up one while out... I used to hate those times when that would happen with paperbacks and I still had a 45 minute ride home. And the space ebooks have saved me has been the best incentive of all to stay with digital books. I've pretty much tossed or donated all my old pbooks with the exception of some nice hard cover editions.

While so far books I've been interested in have always cost less than the pbook, I probably wouldn't mind paying a few dollars more for the ebook because of all the advantages they offer, but not more than that. I don't like it and think ebooks should cost less than pbooks, but sadly it's one of those things I just don't have control over.

[Lyor]

One other strategy I use to keep my ebook cost down is to take advantage of pre-order/pre-release pricing for books by authors I really enjoy reading. This typically saves 30 to 50 percent over release prices.

[DrNefario]

I think I've probably read more paper books than ebooks this year, for a couple of reasons:

1. I already had a fairly significant paper TBR. If I clear it, I can actually get rid of some of the books and recover some shelf-space. (One day, I might even see the back rows of books again!)

2. I've been reading some books I'm not interested in keeping. Essentially rentals. I buy them cheaply used, and then give them away again when I'm done. (In theory. I've bought about 30 Agatha Christie novels this way, and read maybe 6 of them.) I could use a library for this, but that would involve going to the library at the right times. I prefer to lay them up in advance, so I can pick one up whenever the urge takes me. And I'm mainly getting them from charity shops, so everyone wins.

3. The Agatha Christie thing is part of a recent interest in Golden Age crime, and quite a lot of it is unavailable as an ebook. A fair bit is unavailable new in any form.

4. When I go into charity shops and second-hand bookshops, I often see other things I also want.

5. I'm now up to 14 books I've won in various online giveaways/competitions. (4 separate wins.) I'm not going to turn down free stuff.

To be honest, I don't really care what format I read something in. A good quality hardback or attractive paperback can be very nice. Sometimes a pbook is a little more awkward to handle than an ebook. Sometimes an ebook is riddled with scannos and formatting errors.

I will admit that the pbook I am currently reading is sufficiently manky that I kind of want to wash my hands after touching it, but I normally wouldn't buy something in that state. In this case, it's the only copy I've seen, and it was cheap. It's the first book I've had that I would be happy to chop up and scan.

[cortman]

Interesting question.
I probably split my reading about 60-40, with ebooks being the 60%. This is simply because of the convenience- I can slip my Kobo Mini into my shirt pocket and carry it to work, outside, anywhere I go. Since I usually read (physically) clunky classics and history it'd be hard to emulate that with an analog book.
Also I try to only buy nice hardbacks when I buy paper books, and therefore I don't like to carry them just everywhere as I try to keep them in good shape.
Usually I own the book I am currently reading in both paper and ebook form, and I will alternate between the two quite often- read on the ereader at work, and pick up the paper version in the evening.
I still love paper books and will continue to acquire more of them.

[Apache]

No.
Apache

[WillAdams]

Agree w/ Prestidigitweeze.

A bit of something I just posted to the InDesign mailing list:

- ePub --- mass market paperbacks, trade paperbacks --- for fiction, straight text, works w/ minimal need for figures
- ??? --- textbooks and other works which require extensive formatting and an interaction between the text and figures
- apps --- coffee table books

I still haven't seen a middle-ground textbook format w/ any staying power in the marketplace --- did I miss something?

My concern is that there will continue to be a devaluing and moving away from an inter-related formatting of text and figures/images as such things migrates to a lowest-common denominator ePub.

[HomeInMyShoes]

44 to 11 paper to ebook for me this year so far. I did read a lot of stuff that just wasn't going to ever be in my collection and collecting, ebook or paper isn't what I do since I don't reread. Having books around is pointless to me, especially with how easy it is to get something from the library or from Gutenberg in a pinch.

I don't give myself a lot of money to spend on books either which usually goes towards technical, work-related material. Most of everything else comes from the library and a short walk to the library to grab the paper copy is always nice.

[speakingtohe]

I far prefer ebooks. I lost my first ereader (it was returned) and found I preferred reading on my laptop to paper and this was after 50+ years reading paper. I would read paper happily if there was no choice of course.

Price is an object, but I wouldn't quibble over a couple of dollars or so. Sometimes I buy milk at the 711 for about 30% more than the supermarket rather than walk 1/2 mile when I am tired.

To save money by buying a paper book I might have to track it down at a store and spend the money to get to the store etc. or wait for delivery.

I'm pretty thrifty, but I often weigh the cost in other terms than dollars. Do I want something bad enough to pay extra for delivery or take the bus to pick it up, or can I wait till I am going to that area to get it etc. or a better price.

Ebooks, there are probably 20,000 or more I would be quite happy reading, and the one I want is unlikely to go out of print, so I would most likely just carry on and read something else. But if the price was only a few dollars more I might just get all crazy and splurge. If I can buy that special bottle of wine occasionally, or eat out once in a while, what is an occasional tiny bit extra for a book going to do to my budget?

Helen

[Mivo]

The only paper books I get anymore are OOP ones that have no electronic editions.

I greatly enjoy the decrease in clutter since I switched to mostly e-books.

[caleb72]

I'm definitely mainly reading e-books, but lately I've been reading more physical books from my bookshelves at home. Because I was made redundant, I've got much more time to sit home and read, and I don't have as much of a problem reading physical books when I'm not carrying them around all over the place. Having said that, reading The Passage and Buddenbrooks was a bit of a chore. Really annoying to deal with larger books these days as my wrists have turned into Kindle lightweights.

[Barbara1955]

Nope... IF you wait the price of ebooks drop like anything else! Right now the authors I am waiting on thru Amazon the book Pre-Order prices Drop 1/2 the cost of the HB.. IF your waiting for the Pback to come out to save then the eBooks drops again to the PB cost or even lower. I can wait LOL BTW Did you factor in your Gas to go to the Store to Buy the book? No Gas No Upkeep No added polution to get ebook thru WiFi!

[pidgeon92]

I'll never go back to paper books. I don't see price as an issue, as there is nothing that I have to read. I put books I want to read on a wishlist, and I wait for the price to drop under $7, or I wait until it is available to borrow from the library.

[greenasterisk]

I know this sounds stupid but the only thing that would attract me to physical books is its cover. No e-ink reader has come anywhere close to reproducing the visual awesomeness of a full color, visually pleasing cover graphic.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

ProfCrash sums it up nicely for me too. Ereaders are far more comfortable to hold, turn pages, much better for my crappy eyesight where I can change the font style and size to what's most comfortable for me, much easier to carry around daily since it's already smaller than 1 paperback. And I always have another book to start if I finish up one while out... I used to hate those times when that would happen with paperbacks and I still had a 45 minute ride home. And the space ebooks have saved me has been the best incentive of all to stay with digital books. I've pretty much tossed or donated all my old pbooks with the exception of some nice hard cover editions....

This pretty much sums it up for me as well. I have no intention of going back to paper books.