Saturday 5 May 2012

E-Books VS Paper Books - A Year Later

It's been almost a year since I bought a kindle. I love my kindle. It's functional, convenient, and for travelling - an absolute blessing. It's a cool gadget. But that's it. It still does not give me the same feeling as reading an actual, physical book.

I have read a lot of stuff on Kindle for the past year, and sometimes when I consistently read two or three books, I found myself missing my paper books. Kindle gives me a feeling of dissatisfaction. It's the same story, same author, same words. But it is not the same experience.

Holding a particular book in my hand is a visceral experience. Every book is different, and the work and the effort that went into designing its cover and pages and font, feeds into the actual reading experience. That is why, I still continue to purchase mostly physical books.

So I would never give up my kindle, because of its practical, convenient value. But I don't think I could ever value it over physical books. I don't think it could ever give me the same feeling that an actual book does.

What about you? How are you faring with your e-reader? If you don't have one, would you ever consider buying one?

6 comments:

  1. Interesting, I fail to see the 'vs' thing. My kindle came as a surprise birthday present last year and it slowly became my favourite way of reading. Books are very nice objects and there are situations where an e-reader isn't ideal (bath tub, for example) but I don't feel like my reading experience is lessened. Actually, I seem to read faster on e-readers for some reason. Like you said, they are very practical and the words you read are the same. I also have a kindle app and often read on my phone as well. Again, it's simply practical and it turns dull moments (delays, unexpected queues...) in interesting ones. On the kindle I also love the dictionary feature. The only thing I really miss is the cover art. I love cover art and I'm confident new and better e-readers won't miss out on the chance to do it justice. Also covers will probably be adapted to suite e-readers, so no big deal. But I know you love paper, you also like to write on paper. And why not?

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  2. Michela,

    I know. You are not the only one. My husband prefers Kindle as well, as do several other readers I know. But as you pointed out, I do have a particular attachment to paper, so that's why it's a big deal for me :-) Just as well...paper books will have some champions and people spending money on them ;)

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  3. My Kindle was an unexpected gift and I couldn't imagine life without it. However, I love my hard copy books and would never give them up.

    The Kindle is convenient, easy to carry, and easy on the eyes. But I love the tactile feel of a book, being able to flip through it with ease, even the smell of the ink on paper.

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  4. Carol,

    I wouldn't give up my kindle either. It's godsend for travelling. But like you, it's the tactile feel of a book that I miss.

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