E-Books vs traditional books

[Ultor grissom]

Which format do you prefer and what are the positive and negative aspects of each one of them.
I have recently acquired a smartphone that can use the Kindle application and am wondering if I should stick with regular printed books or make yet another part of my life digital. I like the idea of not having to carry my books around with me and having the possibility of creating a handheld library but I do not like the idea of relying on something that needs power because sometimes you just do not have enough of it.

[Anuket]

When I get lazy I prefer to read Ebooks but sometimes I'd miss the old traditional books, there's something more real about reading it and it feels really great having to have something in your hands. So what I suggest is that if you do some light reading try going with Ebooks but if not then stick to the old traditional books. There's always something cozy about traditional ones.

[Princess Cupcake]

An actual book is much more enjoyable. I prefer things to be more concrete. And what are you going to do when your computer isn't working all of a sudden but you were about to get to the best part? Guess I'm just old fashioned :P

[OminousCloud]

E-books are nice because they're not as heavy as real books and you can have thousands of them on your reader at a time, but I prefer flipping through a real book. It also doesn't strain the eyes as much.

[Kaitou Ace]

Ebooks all the way for me. I've got a eReader (the Sony touch 650 model) and about 1600 books on it currently. It's relatively light to carry, the battery lasts for about three weeks, and there is no extra eye strain because of the screen technology. The ease of having my entire library on hand at all times is wonderful, and every book remembers where I left off.

I do like paper books for some things, but overall, well over 90% of my reading in the last five years has been on an ereader of some sort.

[OminousCloud]

I like to bookswap, which is kind of lame when you try and do it with e-books =/

[Ophidian]

I haven't had the opportunity to get my hands on an e-book, but the prospect of one day having my own library will always be there. Can't beat old dusty books.

[Megamind's Minion]

books.. Real.. Dusty,.. Smelly books...
no harm meant to e-books but they strain my eyes...

[law~]

traditional books ftw!
they just look so adorable on a bookshelf ^^
e-books hurt my eyes *_*

[Fabala]

Call me old-fashioned, but I love my traditional books. I like to curl up on the couch or in bed clutching my books and reading away for hours. Yes, I could do that with an e-book reader, but it would be lacking something. I also take an almost unnatural pride in the number of books I own. I very rarely buy new books, and getting them second-hand means I can increase my collection that much easier ^^

The exception in all of this is in relation to university work. I've collected hundreds of e-books over the last few years to use as reference or pleasure reading in relation to my studies. The fact is, they were available to me through the university for free, and would have cost me a small fortune had I purchased all of them, even second-hand.

[dream magician]

I don't know but I read fast when it's in Ebook format ( which is a good thing) but traditional ones hypes up my imagination (which is also a good thing). I guess I both like them- they have benefits.

[Nyanko]

There's just something about reading a real book. I lose interest reading long things on my computer, so I doubt I'd very easily get through a whole book on a kindle or something. Seeing "Page 134/150" is a far cry from holding the book in your hands and seeing for yourself how many pages are left.

[Avi-chan]

Traditional Books are waaaaaaaay better!!
I read e-books if they are requered for school and if I can't find the book in the library

[animeyay]

Ebooks please. I can search easily for a specific section/phrase, whereas with a real book I'll need to rely on my memory and flip through pages. Not that I don't like traditional books, of course, but ebooks are just so much more convenient.

[Furore]

eBooks. I like them as they're cheaper, take up no shelf space, are more portable and some eBook readers allow me to do things like magnify text which can be great in low light situations.
The one thing I prefer about traditional books is the cover art - it's not the same on eBooks even if the format has a scan of the cover.

[-GAZKUL-]

Traditional Books, can't beat them, besides i'm hopeless with tech

[╬Karami Mew~Meow]

I prefer traditional books actually cuz I'm just old fashioned like that. But I have more stamina for ebooks.

There is a university in Philippines that actually is testing right now how it would go if students just had ebooks [like a kindle] instead of having to carry many heavy books around. I am quite impressed o.o WHere'd they get the money?! And sheesh even my school in USA doesn't have that ~
That's actually pretty cool

[marvel_phoenix]

I'm old fashioned I like the feel, weight, and smell of a real book. I like to be able to pick it up and automatically tell how far i've progressed without having to open anything. (Part of why I like to write long hand :P) I want that big library of books I've gathered over the years, to run my fingers over their spines and remember why I like each and every one of them.

Digital is just not the same. It puts a strain on my eyes, and one hand just does not know what to with itself when there are no actual pages to turn. It just doesn't feel natural.

[Anniexo]

I've never read an ebook before, but I guess it could be good if you like hi-tech stuff like that, the pro I can see for it, is that it's not very thick and you can hold lots of books on one, but it's con is that when reading outside on a nice day, the sun could make it hard to read, and if it rains there is a risk of it not working if it get's too wet. As for good old books, it's pro is that you can read it anywhere and don't have to worry as much of it getting damaged, because it will normally be one but that can easy be replaced, and not many books that coat a lot to replace, the con is you can't really carry to many with you unless you have a big bag and can carry a lot.

[Ezza Obsuna]

aargh!! this is hard. at most, i read about 10 books a week. it can be pretty expensive if i buy what you call a traditional book. ebooks are easier to get. also,traditional books take up a more space. but i'd say that it is a more thrilling experience when you read holding a real book. i have about a hundred ebooks in my phone right now but i also have many books in my room. so i'd say it's a tie.

[brolyx74]

real, tangible books all the way. I want to be able to display everything I've read, and I love going to my manga library and seeing every shelf full with more overflowing on the sides. It makes me feel accomplished.

[Rainbow Crash]

Real books. I like physically having a copy of the book i like in my hand. Plus they make me feel smarter sitting on my bookshelf. I don't mind toting my books around. I only carry one at a time and any book besides a dictionary and a school textbook is fairly light. One day when I get rich I'm going to have a mini library in my home x.x

Another thing.. You can leave your book sitting somewhere without the worry someone will steal it... Not the same story with an e-book device. My friend got her kindle stolen on a school bus. Right under her nose.

[Elphaba]

Traditinal books.
I like collecting them, seriously my house is like a library. I like carrying a book with me all the time because I feel empty without one. I also like looking for certain books, I find it fun to go to different places and see if they have what I'm looking for or just to walk down the aisles.

[Masakisu]

I'm not particularly either way.

I've never understood the whole 'real books r b8r' argument - one doesn't read books in order to sniff at it and exclaim 'This page smells particularly musty!', one reads them in order to experience a captivating story. Certainly I like traditional books, but when I'm reading I tend not to notice I'm actually holding a book, especially when I'm engrossed in the story. And I too like displaying my books, but it's not like that takes precedence over enjoying them (especially when I have nowhere to store them: my books (save some graphic novels) are just piled in the corner).

I find e-books to be much handier. With an e-book reader, I don't have to worry about not bringing enough books when I travel, nor about them clogging up space at home (my bedroom isn't particularly suited for storage). It's very easy to pirate e-books also, reducing another drain on my finances, and I can simply download any book I want instantly rather than having to search for it in shops (I rarely tend to buy books online unless they're graphic novels or particularly hard-to-come-by) - this is especially useful for reading unofficially translated material (light novels for instance).

I'm not particularly fussed whether I read a book physically or on my Kindle, but if I had to make a choice, I'd wager the latter.

[The Butcher]

Traditional books.

Don't get me wrong, once I get a Kindle or something like that I'll start getting E-Books. Their a lot cheaper, and easier to tote around. Too bad a Kindle is high.