Last year, roughly at the same date, I decided to go digital. Then after a couple of months, in June last year I posted an update with my feelings so far (I had finished my first e-book reading on my e-reader, The Crippled God by Steven Erikson). I thought that after one year and approximately half of the books read since that date in an electronic way, it was time to share again on this subject.
Back in June, I mentioned these pros:
- Incredible portability
- Effortless sessions when holding the reader :)
- Stands easily (Nazgûl not an obligation)
- Pricing (it's even more significant since I don't buy much MMPB...)
- Book storage capacity
- Live dictionary
- Enables me to take notes
Now for the cons:
- Number of lines on a page with a comfortable font size
- DRM/non-amazon reader (I know... my choice and my fault...)
- Loss of physical sensation
I don't need to spend more time on these points since they are still quite as valid as they were after my first reading. However, they are more and more appreciable. Even though I still like the weight and feel of a "real" book in my hands or on a crowded shelf in my bedchamber, I think that the digital revolution is a must for the readers. By now, if I have the choice, I will probably always go with an e-book over a paper book.
If you take a look at the stats, it looks like a fast going trend. Back in January, the USA Today reported that 32 of its 50 top titles were selling more copies in digital format than in print. Moreover, I found out form a post on Zdnet that "The Harris Poll also found that, quite unsurprisingly, owners of tablets and e-reader devices often buy and read more books in a year than someone who doesn’t." Interesting! That Harris Interactive survey also points out that three in ten Americans own e-readers (mostly iPads, Nooks and Kindles). For even more statistics on the subject, you can head on the The Digital Reader.
So then, as we are seeing with the movie rental shop increasingly closing, will we see libraries closing up soon? I think that it will probably take more time but it will probably happen faster than we think. I mean, cookbooks don't belong to e-readers but on a tablet, even them could sell less and less in paper format. Sadly, we will probably also hear "Oh, you're reading [that]!" less often...
Have you switched to e-reading? Completely, partially? On which device? I'd like to hear you out!
11 comments:
I have an addiction to buying fresh, new fantasy novels and get my kicks from being really anal about how they are organised and presented on the shelves. This seems to be more important to me than actually reading them. For this reason, making a switch to digital makes little sense ... I would HAVE to buy both the real copy and the digital copy to keep myself happy.
Stuff the e-reader! What's THAT holding it up!?
My main reason for buying a kindle was that I thought it was the way of the future and as much as I love my paperbacks that I would have to get one sooner or later. I also thought I was missing out on books that were only out in kindle format and I've read alot more indie authors too.
But I agree with Josh above. I have so many fantasy novels on my wishlist that I will buy in paperback just because they'll be brand new and look nice on my shelf (new editions of Robert Jordans Wheel of Timer series for example). But I have read alot more books in the past few weeks since buying one than I usually do.
I love my Kindle now. But I still love paper books too. I use my kindle in the gym, and read mostly indie stuff on it. I've gotten back into short stories since I got my kindle too. But for my favouritest books and favouritest authors, I'll still buy paperback. Like Becca said, I love being surrounded by them in my library (aka spare bedroom).
For me it has been a matter of to read or not to read. I live in Argentina, where the availability of fantasy books depends on the whims of the editorials that bring them from abroad. And it has gotten worse since the people in charge had the brilliant idea of restricting imports to a ridiculous degree. I didn't want to miss reading good books or hunting for years for a series. So I bought a Grammata Papyre, which is a Hanlin v5 sold by a Spanish firm with offices here. Nothing fancy, no WI-FI, no touchscreen, but it supports many formats and has great contrast and battery life. I have come to love the thing. I have found that I actually read much more than I used to. I guess it is the holding it with one hand (if any), which allows me to, say, read during breakfast. I still buy paper books when I find one that interests me, or a fancy collected edition of a series I like, but I can say that most of the books I read these days are digital.
I started with a Kobo about a 1 1/2 years ago. While I enjoyed that e reader, it was their basic version with no wireless connectivity. In comparison to the Kindle it was larger in size and slower in speed, so I eventually switched and haven't looked back. In all that time, I've almost exclusively read ebooks and I don't feel that I've missed paper books. I'm different from many readers in that I only keep my very favorite books in my bookcase and don't mind selling the others to secondhand bookshops. I love being able to shop and purchase books on the fly.
been using one for two years now the last gen kindle the one before the giant sized ones and then kindle fire.
First thing i did upon getting mine was unlocking it so any books i purchased went unto the device drm free.
Its great for portability but i fear for digital ebook media in these few early years the publishers are out to gouge the customer not only with drm but with pricing have you seen the cost of the ebook versions of some novels on amazon, barnes and noble etc? They sometimes cost more or as much as a brand new physical hardcover version being sold by these retailers, sometimes i wonder what we the customer is paying for when we buy the ebook version , it cant be for the materials put into constructing the ebook or the delivery method, if its the ideas that went into making the story then why isnt the physical copy more?
I dont expect to be paying for example 99 cents for the latest book by say Jim Butcher etc but at the same time its disheartening to see even if you buy the physical copy from a local bookstore you will pay less than what the digital version costs when the idea (supposedly) behind digital distribution (for all media music, movies, games etc) was a lowering of prices for the consumer as well as publishers/studios but the exact opposite has occured on the consumer side prices have in fact gone up.
been using one for two years now the last gen kindle the one before the giant sized ones and then kindle fire.
First thing i did upon getting mine was unlocking it so any books i purchased went unto the device drm free.
Its great for portability but i fear for digital ebook media in these few early years the publishers are out to gouge the customer not only with drm but with pricing have you seen the cost of the ebook versions of some novels on amazon, barnes and noble etc? They sometimes cost more or as much as a brand new physical hardcover version being sold by these retailers, sometimes i wonder what we the customer is paying for when we buy the ebook version , it cant be for the materials put into constructing the ebook or the delivery method, if its the ideas that went into making the story then why isnt the physical copy more?
I dont expect to be paying for example 99 cents for the latest book by say Jim Butcher etc but at the same time its disheartening to see even if you buy the physical copy from a local bookstore you will pay less than what the digital version costs when the idea (supposedly) behind digital distribution (for all media music, movies, games etc) was a lowering of prices for the consumer as well as publishers/studios but the exact opposite has occured on the consumer side prices have in fact gone up.
been using one for two years now the last gen kindle the one before the giant sized ones and then kindle fire.
First thing i did upon getting mine was unlocking it so any books i purchased went unto the device drm free.
Its great for portability but i fear for digital ebook media in these few early years the publishers are out to gouge the customer not only with drm but with pricing have you seen the cost of the ebook versions of some novels on amazon, barnes and noble etc? They sometimes cost more or as much as a brand new physical hardcover version being sold by these retailers, sometimes i wonder what we the customer is paying for when we buy the ebook version , it cant be for the materials put into constructing the ebook or the delivery method, if its the ideas that went into making the story then why isnt the physical copy more?
I dont expect to be paying for example 99 cents for the latest book by say Jim Butcher etc but at the same time its disheartening to see even if you buy the physical copy from a local bookstore you will pay less than what the digital version costs when the idea (supposedly) behind digital distribution (for all media music, movies, games etc) was a lowering of prices for the consumer as well as publishers/studios but the exact opposite has occured on the consumer side prices have in fact gone up.
Have been reading on a Kindle over a year now and since I travel on public transport it has been most satisfying for that purpose. Also since I read mostly fantasy I never have a hard time finding the second or third book in a series now. Do miss the cover art and easy flipping to the front if a map is provided (cannot read a map on the Kindle and cannot figure out how to flip back to it anyway.
have discovered a few new series through the first book in a series free download so far I have bought the remaining books in the series(I always want to know what happens next even if the book was not great) Did find a Brent Weeks series in paperback at a used book store but once I finished it was right back to the kindle.
Yes, I have switched to e-reading, because I can't carry those heavy books with me wherever I go. Also, it's great that we can find so many sites with free eBooks. I've found many of my favorite books on All you can books... a great site told by a friend who reads much more than me :D
I forgot to tell you that I have a Kindle Fire, because it was recommended... I also read so many good feedback and reviews about it.
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