Topic: Do you prefer printed or electronic format for books and other reading material?

[ChrissyRyan]

Do you prefer the printed or electronic format for books and other reading material?
Does it matter depending on what kind of book or where you will be doing the reading?

Both formats, as well as the audiobook format, have some advantages.


Chrissy

[JudiBlueEyes]

Call me old fashioned but I like the feel of a book in my hands when I read.  I have read on my tablet but its not as enjoyable.  For news, I've converted to electronic as there is so much happening and pages are refreshed regularly. 

[Northern Star Girl]

It's a PAPER BOOK for me.....    I like to turn pages, look at the book to see how far I have come and how far do I have to go to finish the book .   I sometimes have many bookmarks in the books that I am reading and will go back and forth to the different sections of the book to review what I have read.

Danielle

[SarahEL]

I love books, real paper books, I also love bookshops - I used to run one.
Maybe my detest for electronic books comes from the blame I associate with them destroying the high street book trade? Either way, I have never bought an electronic book. My partner loves them, buys 2 or 3 a week!  (traitor! ).

[Julielynn]

Audiobooks for me, but mostly due to being extremely farsighted.   Back when I had perfect vision, I always liked the paper versions.   I didn't like what the electronic versions were doing to the bookstores.   I did like how the electronic ones could be written and published for virtually nothing.  This opened up a whole new world to poorer writers who would never be heard of otherwise.  There's just something about bookstores I like.  I really wish there had been a good way to integrate both. 

[Gabby]

I get being able to hold a book in my hands, but I like the idea of being able to carry my entire library in my laptop, and therefore, in my backpack. Thanks to micro SD cards, I can keep my library on my phone, too!

[sarahc]

As much as I like the idea of having everything on a Kindle or tablet, I enjoy reading on paper so much more. When I read on the Kindle, the book’s content doesn’t really sink in like a book or magazine. So I still buy books and go to the library.

The Internet has its place, especially around discovery of content. But books and magazines are still wonderful.

Sarah

[Denice]

Depends on what I'm reading, and where. For novels e-books are fine, for more serious reading paper is my choice. We're not allowed to use personal electronic devices at our desks at work, and I haven't gotten around to bringing along some printed material, so Project Gutenberg is my best friend at the moment.

[Leesh]

I prefer printed books. I only read ebooks when I can't find a paper book.

[Avisheh]

Definitely the physical kind of books. Not just for the pleasure of holding them in my hand when reading but just to look at them, standing so proudly in their shelves.

[ChrissyRyan]

Having books books on hand are best. They have multiple uses, from door stopper, to make shift tables, to leveling, or raising tables and chairs.

That is true.

Chrissy

[Kaleig_hC]

I am definitely prefer print books. I like having everything physical. Rather it is video games, music cds, bible teaching from various preachers. I guess I am just old school on stuff like this.

[Northern Star Girl]

Paper books and catalogs are my preferences..... 

[Devlyn]

My mom was a librarian, we were brought up as readers.

Nothing beats the look, feel, and smell of a library book. 

[jennifer7020]

Both!

I love a good book. I love the tactile feel of turning pages. Or finding a page in a book creased from being opened to and read, then re-read. I like being able to easily flip back and forth when reading, especially when some earlier foreshadowing comes to fruition and I want to go back to re-read earlier pages. Need I even bother to mention "electronic cookbook" is not a working concept? I mean I take notes in my favorite cook books.

Then again, I like my kindle. I am indifferent about the feel and read. I am lukewarm that I can see passages people take the time to highlight. I truly, madly, deeply love the convenience. It is connected to my local library and I can take books out super-conveniently. During covid when the library was shut down or in pre-order only/no browsing  mode, the kindle was a lifesaver. I dislike delivery method from the library is via amazon, but I have a special account for it anyway.

[ChrissyRyan]

I like the printed pages.

However, when a friend lent me his iPads a number of years ago, I noticed electronic books.  It took me a number of months to be convinced I should spend money on a tablet, and I am glad now that I took the plunge to get a tablet computer.  (My first was a used one, and it was then I bought my first e-book).

Electronic books do provide some convenience.  I also noticed that as I add ebook-books to the tablet, it does not increase the weight of the tablet, or the telephone.  LOL.


Chrissy

[Jin]

I gotta hold paper in my hands. And I prefer paperback books as they are easier to hold with one hand.

[Northern Star Girl]

I tried electronic books for a time, I finally retired my Kindle. 
I want to read a book with paper pages that I can turn.

With a paper book it is much easier to go forward or back to a
bookmarked or dog-eared page to re-read a passage or a
previous reference that was important to me.   
Danielle