I have the privilege of welcoming Teresa Jackson to my blog today with a wonderful and relevant article: Real Books vs. E-books, the topic we’ve all been discussing and worrying over…
Real Books Vs E-Book Readers - What’s Your Cup of Tea?
The only real passion that has stayed with me from my childhood and through all these years is my love for books. All my friends and family members know that I’m happy with a good book and that I really don’t need anything else to be content. But of late, my affinity for books is being questioned, not because I’ve lost my love of reading, but because I’m torn between the e-version and the real thing. My new Kindle is kindling up new feelings in me, but I feel like I’m betraying my one true love and being tempted by a sleeker model because it is more convenient and trendy. And even though I don’t want to accept it, I must admit that the Kindle does have its finer points.
Among its advantages are:
- You can carry around much more than one book and not add to your burden by a single ounce.
- You can buy eBooks which are now much cheaper than the paperback version.
- You can download any book (that’s available in the eBook format) instantly
without having to go to a bookstore and buy it off the shelves. - You can search for and skip to any part of the book in a jiffy using the tools that are available.
- Your e-books are all saved in your Kindle account, so you don’t lose access to them even if you misplace your Kindle tool. Of course, you do now have to spend some money to buy a new gadget.
- If you’re worried about your eyes, the Kindle uses an eco-friendly format called e-ink which is easy to read, even for a prolonged period of time. So try it before you skip it outright.
But then, the merits of good old-fashioned reading still stand:
- There’s nothing to beat the feel and smell of paper when reading a flesh-and-blood (I use this term because it seems most apt) book.
- The Kindle and other e-Book readers could set you back by as much as $300. Besides, you also have to pay for the books you download.
- You cannot build a library, that impressive collection of books, using your Kindle and its listing of eBooks.
- You are limited to buying only the books that are available in the electronic format with a Kindle.
- Although a Kindle can hold a multitude of books, when it runs out of charge, you don’t have access to a single one of them until you recharge the device.
- There is no strain on your eyes from staring at an electronic screen for the time it takes you to read a book.
- The Kindle is a little flimsy and delicate, so you risk breaking it if you’re clumsy and not careful with your gadgets.
- The Kindle can hold only 1500 books, and although this is a large number, it does not allow for memory expansion.
So you can see why I’m torn between something that’s convenient and something that has been around for ages and comforted me through thick and thin. I finally decided to buy a Kindle and put my favorite books on it. But I still make a detour to the airport’s bookstore every time I take a flight – that’s the one concession I’m still going to make for my one true love.
This guest article is written by Teresa Jackson, she writes on the subject of Nurse Practitioner Programs . Email her at teresa.jackson19@gmail.com.
What do you guys think? Do you prefer e-books and Kindles (or any other e-reader) or real books?
Personally, I prefer real books and hope that there are enough people out there like me to keep them from going out of print. Think about Fahrenheit 451. Do we really want that? Because that’s where it’s leading… Big Brother is watching you… ;)
One day I’m going to have an office with floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall bookshelves and every book I love will be proudly displayed… and they will be my friends :) Because that’s what books are, right? They’re our friends.
Leave a comment and tell me which you prefer and why.
~Haleyknitz 
I know, it's been a debate for me too. I feel I should get into the next generation but... although, now I edit all work on the computer so I read there anyways. Most send me their work to be edited electronically, so I don't know what my hold up is.
ReplyDeleteann
I resisted the ebook phenomenon out of spite. I love my books. I love them on my shelves and in my hands. I too dream of a library of my very own with floor to ceiling books.
ReplyDeleteBut, I'm a gadget lover at heart. I finally caved and asked for a nook for my birthday. I love the convenience of having all those books in one lightweight format. I love the instant gratification factor of buying and then reading a book in seconds in my pajamas at 3 am. And I like that it's starting to make reading "cool" again. I'm for anything that promotes reading. When a huge percentage of adults don't even read one book a year, something needs to change.
I don't think one will replace the other. Both have their advocates and personally, I can find good purposes for both formats. I would never read on my nook in the pool, but I would rather travel with the nook than with a ton of books. Everything has it's place and I think I'll be using both from now on.
While I do have a few ebooks [very few] I simply prefer the old "flesh and blood" book in my hand.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I'm a keeper. I never get rid of a book. Like it or not. I may need it one day for reference if nothing else! Right?
Second, I've such an eclectic taste that many of my books have notes I have written into the margins, or are highlighted. Kind of hard to do that with an ebook!
I can't imagine taking a Kindle to the beach or lakeside for an afternoon reading while relaxing on the sand. And can you imagine falling asleep in said location, to drop the Kindle over your face? [Am I alone in falling asleep with my book covering my face from the sun?]
And, as you stated, the Kindle has room for only 1500 titles. Owning many more than that, what would I do? Have to purchase another Kindle when one is full? And then what do I do, have multiple Kindle's charged at once for easy retrieval or reference?
Let me keep my cluttered book shelves. At least I know where my books are [most at least]. I can retrieve most any of them in a matter moments [no, not even minutes, mere moments], and I can hold that text in my hands. I can manipulate its spine so that the book falls open at an angle I prefer.
But mostly, I enjoy the smell of old books. There is none other on this planet like the smell of books, with their pages turning yellow, and yes, at times fragile and crumbly. There's something solid, and comforting about them.
A cup of Earl Grey, a bit of lemon, a good book, my afghan, and I am set for any winter's afternoon. I just can't see myself cuddling up with the Kindle.
Just no substitute for the real thing!
I prefer real books. However, due to space issues, in the future, I may get an e-reader. My family could possibly want me to have one sooner though!
ReplyDeleteI like the look and feel of real books, but I can definitely dig the space saving aspects of an e-book reader. I'll probably get one in the future for traveling and such, but as for normal, day to day reading I'll stick with lovely pretty paper books. ^_^
ReplyDelete