Some of you may be reading this entry on an iPhone or other PDA. Some may have found the few moments at a computer to cast their eye over the site. Alot of the busy world probably does the majority of their reading on a display; as such we have the question.
Paper or Plastic?
It seems the world of literature is hedging its bets, and to be honest I like the option. Some of the staff here had a bit of a back and forth on twitter recently about e-books and paperbacks. No one denies there is something special about having the book itself in your own hands, feeling the texture of the paper and being able to enjoy the story unfolding anywhere you can whip out a book. Others pointed out the ease of e-books and how handy it can be to have a few novels stored in the device you would be carrying anyway that are there to be read at any time.
Two examples of the fence sitting can be found easily. The Book Depository, whom you can be sure I will talk about again when I start wielding the almighty plastic version of paper money, offers free e-books in their newsletters and on the site. Even if you don’t feel like buying a book, you can still get away with a read of some description. On the other hand we have Galaxy Chocolate, who of course are trying to make money on their treats, but are doing so by promoting and glorifying the idea of cuddling up on the sofa with a treat and a book.
None of the Galaxy advertising suggests you grab a PDA for your indulgent night in and no free e-book over has ever come along suggesting you warm up the printer. Even the world of electronics has seen the trend and reacted accordingly, why else would we have the Kindle and the Sony E-Book reader? Big book shaped devices that could be a quarter the size, but meant to make you feel at home with a “book” that changes its text at the touch of a button.
Either way it means one thing for sure, the indulgence of a paper novel is here to stay. In any climate, in any cash flow there’s always going to be space for a good book away from the computer. In the end, if it’s something you’ve been looking forward to reading; you don’t want to share the brain space with us here do you? Go, find your favourite chair and get away from it all. Paper or plastic, whichever you prefer, it’s all about the holiday away from the world.
Although I have always viewed myself as being strongly against e-books, the practical person in me is starting to get himself heard. I love my books, and I always look with fondness/pride/madness on my bookcase. If there was a way to forever keep my books pristine while at the same time be able to read them I would be overjoyed.
Sitting on a train or bus for hours would be torture if I didn’t have a book with me, but brining a book on such a journey means it would be placed in a bag and get chipped. And bringing a hardcover book on 1200 pages with me is just painful. For my arms and anyone sitting beside me. So having a small Kindle for travels while keeping my “real” books at home to be read in bed (and a 1200 page book on the toilet is also troublesome) is definitely something I would like. But a Kindle is quite expensive for just using on journeys, and I would essentially be buying two editions of the books (although the e-book is dirty cheap).
I’m torn.
This must be the third time you’ve mentioned reading on the toilet in regards to large books/e-books. Tell us the truth: you do ALL your reading on the toilet, don’t you?
;p
It is a valid concern! Toilet reading with large books is a problem that has baffled the civilized world for centuries!
All the best reading is done in the littlest room.
Actually, I don’t mind my books getting a somewhat ‘handled’ look. I love reading old books that have been handed down through the years.
I’ll just say this: “a book that doesn’t look read, doesn’t deserve reading.” Unless it’s brand new of course =P
This is quite the conundrum indeed. While I love the sight, touch and smell of books, it’s not always practical to take my literature with me. I travel two hours by train every day, getting my reading fix. Even though the Kindle does look like paper, I loath reading things on a screen. Even tech manuals I’d rather read in book-form. And just like you said, there’s no room in my brain space for anything else. A multifunctional device would offer too many distractions, while I just want to drown in the story.
So, in short: paper!
Paper! At least until developers can find a way to make your PDA smell like a fresh, new book. When I buy a new book the first thing I do is crack it open and bury my nose it it, taking in a deep breath. Ahh, the sweet smell of literature.
And I thought I was weird when I did that. Pre-ordered copy so fresh the ink has barely dried. Ahhh.
Paper.
I love gadgets and all, but I’m going to stick with paper books for the foreseeable future. When I fly, I like to read, and I don’t want to fight with the steward/ess about whether or not my ebook reader can be on during takeoff. Price is also an issue. Kindle versions of books are only a dollar or two cheaper, which not worth getting locked into their platform.
I was making all my willpower checks vs. Kindle until I saw one of them. I’ve been at a -2 penalty ever since, and I greatly fear I can’t continue to roll high.
…If Kindles have that free wireless access here that they do in America, I will probably botch that willpower roll.
If I had the disposable income, I’d have an e-reader in a flash, not least because it would be so easy to carry around with me, let alone because it’s a pretty shiny gadget. On the other hand, considering my ability to destroy any delicate tech I come into contact with, I think I’d be better off sticking with paper for now.
Besides, paper books have pretty covers.
It’s not the new book smell that gets me, it’s cracking open a much-loved book from 15 years ago and the slightly musty smell of the cheaper leaf of paperbacks that does it.
As far as e-books, I would love to have a Sony Reader, possibly a Kindle, but there’s just something fundamentally different about the random access to an e-book rather than the analog access to a stack of bound paper that I just can’t get my hands around. The key lies in an easy bookmark system. That and the Sony Reader needs to change pages much faster than it does right now.
Paper all the way. It’s also the collection thing as well, there is nothing as beautiful as the spines of a collection lined up on the wall. Space is an issue, but I will add more rooms when necessary.
To be honest my biggest problem isn’t the space, it’s the time. I book backlog gets bigger by the year. Playing an MMO and doing a blog aren’t known to be bed fellows who like to share either.
Unfortunately I don’t spend enough time on public transport to justify an Ereader and to be honest I am not sure I would like to give up the paper. I like my 1st editions to much.
I would love to see a dual version option, buy the hardback and get the Kindle version for an extra few dollars, half price, or free. I would surrender and buy a Kindle (despite my DRM concerns) if I could continue to collect books but have an e-reader option for little or no extra cost.
What happens to your Kindle e-books if the Kindle tanks? Do you get to convert them to a non-proprietary format?
I don’t own one, but I believe your books are still attached to your account and you can download them again once you get a new one. I’m sure the books are protected though so you would have to get a new Kindle and I doubt they’d let you convert them since that would break the copy protection.
I do have another issue with electronic devices…. Chargers when going abroard. It’s not great when your hand luggage is weighed down with chargers and other assorted electronic junk. A paper book is power independant and looks good on the bookshelf :)