What do you all think of E-books?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Plum on August 18, 2010 at 7:50pm

Ohoho! Yes. E-books. I love those things.

I know how it can be with us bookworms... We love our books. I get it. Like 90% of the time when I mention my e-reader, my fellow bookworm will start going on and on about the smell of books, and for a long time I was totally in that same boat. And then I moved into a new apartment, with all of my boxes and boxes of books. And then I moved into another apartment, with my boxes and boxes of books. Repeat a few more times aaannnd... Yeah, I got a Barnes & Noble Nook last March. It's my baby. Goes with my everywhere, holds all of my books and I added two GB of music to it just for kicks. Oh, and it has full internet and sudoku and chess.

I can not stress just how much I love my Nook. If you have never seen e-ink, don't hesitate to check it out next time you're in a Barnes & Noble store.

I have a full review of my Nook (with photos) here. I also post Nook wallpapers and convert manga for e-readers every Monday. I wrote a tutorial for people to convert manga (or other comics) themselves here.

I am now in the habit of reading up to four books at once, and I have all of them right in my purse, along with all of my favorite books and a handful of books just waiting for me to read them. It's wonderful.

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Manor on September 15, 2010 at 11:59pm

It will replace books altogether.

Permalink Reply by Maria Celina on September 19, 2010 at 10:39pm

Call me old fashioned, but I hope that E-books do not replace the tactile art of holding a book in one's hand and experiencing a novel in its book form. I cannot see myself give up the physical book just yet.

But perhaps E-books are a matter of taste. I can see the usefulness of it in an academic setting, particularly when it comes to readings and textbooks. I majored in Interior Design/Interior Architecture, so I had gargantuan textbooks, like Francis D. K. Ching's building and construction books, thick volumes of architectural and Interior Design ergonomic standards, and the like. Had E-readers penetrated the market years ago, I could have easily done away with shelling out three-fourths of my wallet for a single university textbook. (Assuming E-textbooks don't also cost an arm and a leg.)

After all, I'd much rather lug around a novel than a large textbook.

Permalink Reply by Verne Ahyong on October 18, 2010 at 8:42am

I don't think e-books are a fad. The fact that the top Amazon e-books (even one's that aren't free) are selling millions of copies proves this.

I own an Amazon Kindle and have no problem reading from it. I find it useful for downloading foreign books not readily available in the Philippines. Rare books and non-bestsellers are usually cheaper in the Kindle store than in the bookstore too.

But if I want to buy a book everyone is reading at the moment - like "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" - it's much cheaper in paperback than online.

I end up reading both traditional books and e-books, and both are perfectly fine with me. In the end, it's the content of what I'm reading that counts.

Permalink Reply by Lissa on November 26, 2010 at 1:07am

I love curling up to a good book in the winter time. Something about the act of holding that physical object has more nostalgia than an e-book could ever muster. And I love catching a glance at someone else reading a book, and perhaps striking up a conversation about the plot or something that would never happen, had they been reading an e-book.

I don't think that e-books are a fad. It's all too green for me to be completely against it. To be perfectly honest I didn't think I would like them - I thought there would be glare or it would be weird reading a screen, but it has proved otherwise. I have used my Kindle to download a lot of the classics (free) and books that have expired their copyright. I will probably still get the "real" version of newer books in book form, at least for now, because I like having it on my coffee table or carrying it on the plane and being able to lend it to a friend. To minimize change and to rebel against technology my e-book is simply an e-book. I don't play games or listen to music on it - and I don't plan on doing that. I just want to use if to read.

So for now, nope not giving up the real thing, but definitely going to read more of those books I "should have" read on my e-reader, and keeping up with the times in a good ole bookstore.

Permalink Reply by Joanne on November 27, 2010 at 4:39pm

I like E-books if you have a good gadget to read them with. Don't consider them better than paper books, but they can be equally useful in a different way, you know?

If it ever becomes more than just a "fad" for textbooks, then you know companies will just make you pay a ridiculous amount for copyright anyhow!

Permalink Reply by Sheila on February 10, 2011 at 10:55am

I have gone back and forth on the idea of owning an e-reader.

 

On one hand, i love the feel of holding a book and flipping the pages. 

On the flip side, I am living overseas right now and it's very difficult to pack all the books I want to take with me when I travel because they are so heavy! It would be nice to just pack one device. 

 

I have heard that kindles are the best because they are not LCD which can be bad for the eyes. Glad to hear that those of you who own one like it.

 

-Sheila

www.ciaosheila.com

Permalink Reply by K "♥Ẫçӗ♥" H on February 13, 2011 at 7:41am

I really, really, *really* hope that e-books don't replace physical books.  Don't get me wrong, they're great for a lot of people, since they're extremely lightweight and it's hugely convenient to be able to browse on a web page and find a book to read rather than having to go out in search of it, but for me, like a lot of people have already said, there is something truly wonderful about having an actual, page-turning, physical book in your hands to immerse yourself in.  The feel, the smell, the comforting weight...It doesn't compare (^_^) I have read an e-book and I enjoyed it but I did feel there was something missing from the experience.  And reading a lot on a lit screen tends to make my eyes really tired too.