PalmAddicts: E-books or conventional books?

[Alexander Turcic]

This question has been raised many times before, and the answer is about as obvious as the next combination of numbers in the Powerball lottery. PalmAddict editor Jonathan Winter contemplates whether the e-book stands a chance to replace good ol' Gutenberg's invention.

I have spoken many times in my editorials about a wide variety of topics, I was thinking to myself about what I could take about this time. I was sitting at home in front of the fire reading one of my favourite books, and it was at this precise moment that a realisation hit me. And without a second’s thought I realised that I was performing an activity that may possibly soon become exceedingly rare and out of date!

Link to the full editorial

[Moonraker]

It is not as easy on your eyes to read an e-book as you are having to read through lots of text on the screen;

Personally, I disagree with this statement and don't understand the assumption that everyones eyesight is the same.

If you had eyesight like mine, then an ebook is far easier to read and curl up with. Not counting the large print books that I can get from my library, I find it nearly impossible to find a paper book where I can read the text comfortably.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

When will we be saved from "authorities" who make subjective judgements and declare them gospel? This whole "I don't like little screens, I don't like changing pages with my thumb" nonsense is pathetic.

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

When will we be saved from "authorities" who make subjective judgements and declare them gospel?

Probably not any time soon this seems to be a longstanding phenomenon:

"A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
but delights in airing his own opinions."

Proverbs 18:2 (NIV)

(I have this quote up next to my monitor at work, mostly as a reminder to myself -- no one else can really see it where it is)

[mogui]

I really enjoy conventional books -- particularly paperbacks. It is an old comfort activity of mine. I will never give it up willingly. Recently when I traveled I had my Palm device with me, and on it many ebooks. But I bought a paperback in the Hong Kong airport. It just felt so nice to hold a book again.

I like my Palm (TRGpro) for carrying around town. There are always those times when I must wait for something. Out comes the Palm, and I find something I can read to pass the time.

When I am traveling, I prefer my new Sony Reader. On the 4G SD card within it, it can contain more books than I can probably read in a lifetime. It is even more readable than some paperbacks because I can adjust the font size to suit the condition of my eyes and the lighting. It will remember where I was in any of the books contained on it, so I never have to buy those little sticky tabs again. I can read more than one book at a time and never worry about forgetting where I was.

When I felt satisfied that I could keep all my music on my computer and carry an MP3 player if I so chose, I converted my CD collection and gave the disks away! Now I am doing the same with my conventional books. I see no need to keep a paper copy if I have the e-book on my computer. I can store 10 books or a million with equivalent effort.

But I will always love paper books. I will always buy them. I will always keep a collection of reference books like atlases with their big colorful easy-to-read pages. Having the best of both worlds makes my life easier and more pleasant.

As the world gradually discovers the convenience and (sometimes) economy of e-books, readers will become more popular and e-book download sites cheaper and more common.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by mogui

I really enjoy conventional books...

When I felt satisfied that I could keep all my music on my computer and carry an MP3 player if I so chose, I converted my CD collection and gave the disks away! Now I am doing the same with my conventional books. I see no need to keep a paper copy if I have the e-book on my computer. I can store 10 books or a million with equivalent effort.

But I will always love paper books. I will always buy them.

[RWood]

Well said ,mogui, well said.