Would you use an e-Reader?

I got into a discussion at work not too long ago about e-readers.

Pros: The books are less expensive, you can store many books on your device which makes it easier to carry multiple books around without carting multiple books around, you can download them onto your smart phone for extra convenience, and they can display PDFs you may wish to read.

Cons: Depending on the size of your reader, the text may be too small and it could damage your eyes staring at a screen, if you have to magnify, flipping the page may be inconvenient, you lose the feeling of holding an actual book in your hands that many people like, and they are harder to annotate if you are the type of person who likes to make notes in your book.

I don't do e-readers, I'm not interested in a book that can't be shared and can be repossessed at any time with no recourse.
Besides which, the layout and formatting of converted e-books are universally terrible. Just yesterday I ended up shelling out $50 for a book instead of the ghastly $3 e-version.

I had a Kindle for a while (a friend gave it to me) but I never used it and gave it back when he wanted to use it ^^; I tried to read Wuthering Heights on my phone once and gave up about halfway through because of the small font and the inconvenient page turning. It's hard copies for me!

On the other hand, if you're an inveterate cheapskate like my sister, you can pirate all your e-books like she does
Can't argue with free

Don't many public libraries also support e-readers? I know the Seattle Public Library allows you to digitally check out e-books onto your Kindle, and I believe the Barnes and Noble Nook also has that functionality... It seems like pirating e-books is much more trouble then it's worth, unless your library isn't keeping up with the times (or you just feel rebellious in your literary needs )

I only use e-books when I have to and I prefer printing things out or buying the books. I have an iPad Air so I can't imagine buying a Kindle or Nook or another e-reader just for books/reading. The only times I read e-books or long documents is when I can't print them out (usually because they're too long) or get them in any other form.

I've had the option to buy electronic version of textbooks, but I'd rather go for the physical version. You can't flip through as easily with an electronic version. I also like physical books and papers because you can write in them however you want and put sticky notes or tabs. I know you can kind of do the same on the Kindle, but it's just not the same. I don't write in my books EVER (I prefer tabs), but I know many people who do. And I prefer knowing I have the physical copy of something nearby in case I need it later rather than having it all as a file. I have e-versions of things more as a backup.

If you really want to read PDFs or e-books instead of physical things, or you only read e-things when you have to like me, I would advise buying an iPad. Not only can you do that, but you can do anything else you want. I primarily use my iPad for all of its photography editing software, looking up things on the internet, social media, taking notes, drawing, emails, typing up documents, AND reading books and PDFs. I have my own library on it, and it has books I have downloaded and PDFs. I even have an awesome PDF application that lets me edit it however I want and has loads of good tools. The iPad will also adapt accordingly to any new types of software that comes out and they're bigger so there's no eye strain, at least for me. I think it's a much better long term investment.

I like actual books but about 3 years ago I started having presbyopia. (Yep that on top of astigmatism ).

Got progressive glasses but still can't read fine print unless I put reading glasses on top of progressive glasses. (I might have to try bifocal lens next time)

Now I do most reading on my laptop. I find it hard to keep my files organized and I tend to forget which books I already have. Another problem is blue light making my insomnia worse.

I missed the old days when I just grab a book each night start reading and fell asleep under 20 mins.

I don't like physical books because I've never read a book twice, so I just have them hanging around taking space without any purpose. Also real books are uncomfortable to hold when I'm resting on my bed (I used to change sides at every page it was a mess). Also I love the dictionary function my nook has, because before I used to carry a dictionary with me every time I read a book.

I was always opposed to the idea of e-readers, mainly because I only ever considered them as being used as a substitute for novels.

However, I hate reading large documents on a computer screen, which made me consider getting one that could read pdfs. etc. The model I picked up also has a feature that lets you convert web page articles into a readable format, which is really useful!

They're also great for travelling to, but when it comes to reading a proper book I'll stick to the physical thing. Although having access to a wide range of public domain works is also handy!

Pretty sure most e-readers are better for your eyes than computer screens...no?
The only reason I would use one is that it's lighter to carry than actual books and potentially better for the environment.
I like the feel of the pages.

faith wrote:

Pretty sure most e-readers are better for your eyes than computer screens...no?
The only reason I would use one is that it's lighter to carry than actual books and potentially better for the environment.
I like the feel of the pages.

Click to expand...

Providing they are using an E Ink display, the technology behind them is actually really cool! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroni ... rophoretic

The tactile experience has nothing on a real book of course, I find my eReader to be a bit cumbersome to hold for long periods. Too... thin and plastic-y?

Oh snap, E Ink now does colour!

http://www.neowin.net/news/e-ink-announ ... es-a-catch