Preferred format of reading

[stonebender]

I find I'm a faster, more focused reader when using my Kindle.  Maybe it's because I'm looking at a smaller portion of text head-on, maybe because the Kindle is easier to hold for long periods (especially compared to 600+ page books).  That said, my physical backlog is big enough that I haven't even used my Kindle yet this year.  And for my very favorite authors I like to have the real thing on my shelf.     

[HexMachina]

5 hours ago, baxus said:

Are we talking about what we prefer personally, or what majority of readers find very useful and more practical?

There's no denying it's way more practical to have one e-reader with all my books than keeping all my books on shelves but I'm too used to reading printed books. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever finished reading a books in digital format. It just feels weird to me to read the book on screen.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must say I've never tried Kindle or any similar device and am talking about reading books on my computer.

Well I mentioned both; I prefer hard-copy books but find my ereader more practical. (IP is correct though, proper ereaders are far superior to reading on iPads or laptop screens)

[Corvinus85]

Kindle/Android phone. But I do prefer the paper version for the more special books. I will, for sure, buy and read the hardcover of Winds of Winter. But I will also buy the e-book for re-reads. Encyclopedias are a must in paper format.

I got my Kindle Fire as a Christmas present four Decembers ago, and it's still going strong. Never had any issue with it. I like switching between the two devices, as I can sneakily use the phone to read at work when I'm bored, or if I need to travel light.

I also typically have time to read mainly in the evening, and I prefer the Kindle over a paperbook because it has its own light, so if I read in bed, I don't have to have the room light turned on. I only have to charge it every 3 days if I read on a regular basis, so it's not a big hassle.

So, for most purposes, a means to electronically read a book is more practical. That being said, there is practicality in reading a paperbook as well, for example, at the beach. Besides sunlight, which doesn't agree with some ereaders, there is that thing that Anakin Skywalker hates that can be bad for electronics, but doesn't affect paperbooks, unless you bury your book in it (for whatever stupid reason).

[Magnar of Skagos]

22 hours ago, HelenaExMachina said:

No it doesn't, but that was my point. It's also exceedingly unusual that you lose all possibility of recovering your ebooks just because a device is broken. They are linked to your account - Amazon, Kobo, etc. Just because my iPad breaks, and maybe my laptop is down too, doesn't mean I lost those files. I still have them, I just need to access my account again.

And while we may not need technology, it makes buying and carrying around books so much easier. If I want to read War and Peace on my commute, it's not exactly practical to lug it around in my bag and try to prop it open during rush hour on the tube. Whereas with an e-reader it's much easier. Same with travelling. If I'm on an extended journey I like to carry a lot of books. Having an ereader means I have an entire library and none of the book weight. Carrying around the number of physical books I want to read on a long journey is just not practical.

I do like physical copies of books. I find it easier reading print, which is why my university textbooks are always physical copies. But you have to be awfully stubborn to ignore the fact that ereaders and ebooks are very useful and more practical for the majority of readers.

Do you ever get paranoid with one at all? I'm not quite sure how much one of those would cost but I would always feel paranoid of it getting lost and stolen when carrying it around, say to the beach or something.

[Ninefingers]

You can get an amazon fire tablet for $39.99 these days. If you want a kindle (easier on the eyes) they're $79.99. They've gotten significantly cheaper.

[Gertrude]

10 hours ago, Maelys I Blackfyre said:

Do you ever get paranoid with one at all? I'm not quite sure how much one of those would cost but I would always feel paranoid of it getting lost and stolen when carrying it around, say to the beach or something.

I'm less paranoid about my Kindle than my phone. Of course I just chuck it in my purse, so that's an easy catch-all for valuables. I can't say I've taken it to the beach to read with, but I do read outside a lot and it's never registered enough for me be paranoid about it. Rain, sure, but paper books don't fare well there either. My Kindle does have a fairly sealed cover though, so a little water isn't going to bother it.

[Larry of the Lawn]

Yeah e-readers and tablets are cheap now.  I still have my nook from 2009 and it's battery life has decreased a bit but it still holds a charge for a couple of days of use.  I also have an older droid tablet that my mom gave me when she upgraded and Kindle and nook work fine on it.  Even if one device fails I can read on my phone of I choose to.  

I still prefer paper books but ebooks are convenient.  I buy both all the time.

[The Wedge]

My kids read physical books, but are discovering books I have on our Kindle account.  They use their Kindle Fires to read. 

This past weekend they discovered using my old e-ink Kindle Touch was incredibly easy to read in full sunlight, so now they want an e-ink Kindle.

[Gertrude]

E-ink really doesn't compare to reading on a tablet or phone. It's so much better. I've had an e-reader for years, but it didn't have the backlight. I couldn't justify buying a new one, cheap as they are, because the old one still works fine (that's just a me thing). I like to read in bed, so I tried reading on my tablet since it does have the backlighting, but it was never the same. I broke down and got a Kindle with the backlight and I'm so happy I did. I didn't realized how much my reading had dropped off because I didn't like the format.

[Nugget1229]

I use my Kindle and mini iPad mostly to read.  I have carpal tunnel in both hands so holding a real book can be painful after a few hours.  I have cases/protectors that allow me to prop them up and I can read hands free; I couldn't use a book stand in bed or on the arm of the couch for a real book.  All that being said, I miss real books.

 

ETA:The kindle is easy to hide under paperwork at work if it's slow 

[Leofric]

I used to be all in on physical books, but circumstance is turning me into an e-reader convert.

10 years ago I had 4 new bookstores and 3 used bookstores  within 15 minutes of my house.   5 years ago that dropped to 2 new bookstores and 2 used bookstores.    Now, I have 1 used bookstore within 15 minutes,  and for new books I would have to make a 2-3 hour round trip.

So I got Amazon Prime and began ordering books online, but then I had to wait a day or more to start reading any book I picked out rather than reading it right away.        Then I got a Kindle Fire this past Christmas, I could start reading books as soon as I purchased them and found the Kindle is easier to hold and read from than many hardcovers, as well as providing its own light, book marks and dictionary.    I'm still ordering some physical books, mainly completing series that I already owned a few physical books in already, but more and more I'm buying e-books instead.

I still miss browsing the shelves in book stores and finding new authors that I wasn't looking for, this can't be duplicated on-line, but it's no longer something I can do on a whim.   I have to plan a 3-hour trip to the nearest new book store, and we all know how those trips can work out.    Now I have depend even more on all of you at this site, as well as the Amazon and Goodreads recommendations they provide based on books I've purchased or read in the past, to decide what to read next,  but it feels a little bit like being led by the nose, rather than stumbling on something new.  

 

[Iskaral Pust]

On 4/12/2017 at 7:55 PM, Gertrude said:

E-ink really doesn't compare to reading on a tablet or phone. It's so much better. I've had an e-reader for years, but it didn't have the backlight. I couldn't justify buying a new one, cheap as they are, because the old one still works fine (that's just a me thing). I like to read in bed, so I tried reading on my tablet since it does have the backlighting, but it was never the same. I broke down and got a Kindle with the backlight and I'm so happy I did. I didn't realized how much my reading had dropped off because I didn't like the format.

Yep, if you're using a laptop, tablet or phone as your e-reader, then you're not really getting the experience at all.  The backlit e-ink Kindle is lightweight, easy on the eyes, can be read in different lights and doesn't generate tons of allergen dust in your home.

[Contrarius+]

4 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said:

Yep, if you're using a laptop, tablet or phone as your e-reader, then you're not really getting the experience at all. 

Hey, speak for yourself.

I own a Kindle Fire HDX, 8.9" -- but I still find myself doing most of my reading on my laptop. (Yes, I know, the Fire doesn't have the "E-Ink". Big whoop. )  I got the Fire mostly for magazines and movies/TV, though I do sometimes read books on it as well.

 

I pretty much hate reading on my phone, though.

[Gertrude]

5 hours ago, Contrarius+ said:

(Yes, I know, the Fire doesn't have the "E-Ink". Big whoop. ) 

That's kind of the point of what I was saying, though. I'm not saying it doesn't work for other people, just that the experience of reading e-ink over an LCD screen is significantly different. If people who have a bad association with LCD readers (tablets, phones, laptop)  haven't tried e-ink, I think it's worth checking out.

And magazines and other media is perfect for the Fire. I use my tablet for that and comics - not that I consume much of either, but occasionally, It's all about having the right tool for the right job.

[mcbigski]

Kindle w the e ink.  If I want to buy a book it takes about 20 seconds to start reading.  Factoring in the time fuel and depreciation involved in driving to a book store, the books are practically free!  And its much easier to read one handed.  With my other hand I usually just hold my old copy of the Hobbit and inhale deeply when the mood strikes.

[Ninefingers]

This thread feels like a good place to leave this link.

[Gertrude]

Like the author, I never would have thought about that. (nice bookshelves being harder to find and shop for)  I do find my bookshelves lighter now a days, but they still fill up.Over the years i've gotten pretty good at improvising storage for my books. The good ones go in the main case, and my homemade attempts are in less visible places. My first attempts were milk crates and decorative fabrics, but I've learned some basic woodworking over the years. My smaller bookcases aren't super pretty, but they aren't anything to be hidden away anymore, either.

[Corvinus85]

A couple of years ago, I bought new bedroom furniture, and I also wanted to get some kind of shelf furniture because I had room to spare. I, luckily, found exactly what I was looking for, a sort of bookcase, square, with 9 little squares in it, where I can combine books with other stuff like board games, statuettes, etc. I use it for the primary collections of stuff that I have, while the rest of the books go on a more regular bookshelf. But the store I bought this from had a small bookshelf area, where only one was a full on bookshelf, and the rest doubled up as cabinets of one style or another.

[The Wedge]

On 4/14/2017 at 9:58 PM, Gertrude said:

That's kind of the point of what I was saying, though. I'm not saying it doesn't work for other people, just that the experience of reading e-ink over an LCD screen is significantly different. If people who have a bad association with LCD readers (tablets, phones, laptop)  haven't tried e-ink, I think it's worth checking out.

For reading out in sunlight, e-ink readers are amazing.  Lounging by the pool, on the beach, in the park, or in the backyard, there's no glare or eye strain.

 

[Inkdaub]

I read pretty much everything on my Kindle. 

I was a dedicated paper-book reader who refused to even entertain the idea of an e-reader.  Then I got a job working graveyard hours with a decent amount of down time in the wee hours.  So I bought a Kindle so I could read books and comics and magazines and newspapers at work.  I was hooked almost immediately.  Reading in bed with no lights on sealed the deal.

That said, my bookshelves are overflowing.  I need a new one but am putting it off until I move to a new apartment in September.  I still buy paper books but am now more choosy about it and buy books I want to keep.