Many of you who read this blog know that I am fascinated with e-book readers. I find it so interesting how these devices have changed (and will change) the way that people read books.
Despite e-book readers’ growing popularity, nobody in my close circle (i.e., people I see on a daily basis) has one. As a result, I haven’t been able to hold, touch, or play with one.
So I asked my 294 Facebook friends about it. Their answers were so interesting that I had to share them here.
Survey Says...
I asked:
Do you have a Kindle, Nook, or other type of e-book reader? If so, what do you love about it, and has it made you get rid of paper books? If not, do you ever see yourself getting one, or are you sticking to paper books forever?
Many people who responded did have an e-book reader and were in love with it. Others boldly took a stand that they would be loyal to paper books until the end.
Here are the highlights.
E-Book Readers: Pros
- Nice to have on trips (most e-book owners mentioned this)
- I like not having books cluttering my house… and my carry-on when I travel
- I love being able to get a new book anywhere, anytime (Kindle)
- I like the screen size and the matte background. I can't stand reading on a monitor, especially after sitting in front of a computer for 8+ hours (Kindle)
- I can read it outside in sunlight (Kindle)
- I can read in the dark (iPad)
- I can borrow ebooks from my library with it (Nook)
- I like making notes and keeping quotes in a file and using the dictionary option. (Kindle)
- With work and research I have a ton of academic journal articles and books and literally don't have room for more on the shelves. I didn't want to buy books for fun because I had nowhere to put them.
- Tons of free books (Kindle)
- I read books on my iphone every night with the Kindle app… it's nice because you can set it to have a black background with white text (so no need for an exterior light to read in the dark)... But you can’t read in direct sunlight with the ipad/phone.
- The Pandigital does movies, music, and pictures as well.
E-Book Readers: Cons (and Points in Favor of Physical Books)
- I don't like that I can't share books. :( (Kindle)
- It’s not flash capable and surfing the web on it is a bit cumbersome. (Nook Color)
- It's not good in water (I destroyed my first one the second day I had it) (Kindle)
- I like my hardcopies. There is something personal, unique, and intimate about the printed page and the markings, dog-earings, and stuff of life it accumulates.
- Reading on a screen dries out and strains my eyes, giving me tension headaches. It is also difficult for me to concentrate when reading electronic documents.
- As an author I just like the idea of publishing a physical, self-contained book. … For some reason, not willing to pay more money to buy a physical book, a little piece of art, seems disrespectful to an author.
- I still buy comics in paper form, but mostly because most of the ones I like aren't available digitally.
- The concept of paying for a file seems ridiculous to me… what happened to mp3's will happen to ebooks.
- I end up spending too much money.
- If I want to read a book but have no desire to add it to my book shelf, I'll just support my public library and check it out from there.
- [My husband] has a Pandigital and he LOVES it, but he will not give up paper books. He likes being able to read more books more easily and will then purchase the books he wants to have for the shelves based on that.
- I'm just not that keen on the Kindle when I have an attic full of books.
- Paper books are pretty, and they smell good.
- The "read to me" kid books are filmstrip like, so not a real bonus. (Nook Color)
- The screen is not as responsive as I'd like, sometimes you push and nothing happens or you turn a page, then two sentences in you realize you just read that. (Nook Color)
The Most Telling Comments
Two comments really summed it up for me:
- I've started coming around to the idea of an e-reader, if only because shelf space in my apartment is a finite resource and as much as I love reading and books, I'm starting to think that I'd rather reserve that space for the physical books I truly LOVE. I may enjoy re-reading my Valdemar books and the Shopaholic series as guilty pleasure "palate cleansers," but do I really need them taking up my shelf space? Nah. Keeping them on an e-reader seems like a good solution.
Plus, I've definitely been guilty of keeping books, even though I'm likely not going to re-read them again, because it's a book one "should" read/keep on hand for reference (I mean honestly, I'd rather have my toenails pulled than read Moby Dick again, so why do I have it on my shelf??); something of the whole "look at my shelf and see how well-read I am!" thing. And really, I'm not an insecure teenager anymore. But I'd still like to have those books on hand, so again, e-reader material.
- I've always been a die-hard paper fan... I fear change. However, having moved twice in the last 3 years and looking at maybe moving again soon it would sure be nice not to have to pack and unpack 9 boxes of books every time.
The finite nature of bookshelf space may be the most appealing argument in favor of e-book readers for me.
It’s also nice to think about moving house without having 20 very heavy boxes of books in the equation. This is already a problem, and I’m 34, and I expect to keep purchasing books throughout my life. By the time I’m 68, I’ll need an army of burly moving men just to haul my books.
I am also guilty of keeping books that I am unlikely to read again. I find it difficult to get rid of books. I’m not sure why. Sure, I paid for them, but that’s not the issue (with a couple of expensive exceptions, like my antique Complete Works of Shakespeare and my high school literature textbook). Part of it is a pack-rat tendency (“Well, I MIGHT someday read it again, or loan it to someone”).
Mostly I have trouble getting rid of physical books because the written word has been, and always will be, such an important part of my life. Books are an external demonstration of that. A bookshelf full of books says something about you: “I am literate and educated, and I value great ideas.” But perhaps an e-book reader says that about you too…
Then there’s the appeal of the physical book. Somehow, having an object that I can hold in my hand makes it more real to me, and therefore more valuable in some inexpressible way. I wonder if my daughter will feel the same way, or if a “book,” to her, will always mean just a long series of words on a screen.
No comments:
Post a Comment