Thursday, July 22, 2010

Electronic Books or Hardcovers?

Picture 5
Amazon.com officials announced this week that the company now sells more e-books in its online marketplace than hardcovers.

So I wanted to ask....


29 comments:

Lianne said...

i'm still torn between ebooks and the real thing... nothing beats actually being able to turn a page and the smell of a newly opened paperback!

leethroughthelens.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

A year ago, when I first heard about the Kindle... I was completely smitten with the commercial and completely appalled with the product.

But over the course of a year, I looked more into Kindles and other e-readers. A couple weeks ago I bought a Kindle and I must confess that I'm enamored with it.

I will still keep real book copies of my favorites--it's an emotional attachment thing. But as for reading-on-the-go and being away at school away from my bookshelf... the Kindle is my soul mate.

Jessica Miranda said...

oddly enough if I'm going to be paying $8-12 for an e-book ( like in apple's iBooks ) I would rather pay for the physical book. Maybe I just haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet?

Jennifer said...

Real pages to turn are still my favorite. I love books for the information and entertainment they provide, but also as objects. Real books rule!

Rhianne said...

I heart my e-reader, I've read so many books already and I've only had it since January. I love to read and my e-reader just makes it easier to do so!

Ziad Ali said...

i dont have an e-reader so my opionion isnt exactly justified.
but i think there is something magical about reading a real book. the pages bewteen your finders creates something real about the story.
Pearl xo

Tonia said...

Ebooks?! Wrong on the most basic of fundamentals regarding reading: the turning of the page. You can't replicate the feel of the paper, the smell, the rustle; and it's all those things that means the proper book will always reign supreme.
The husband has been told that if he ever buys me one of those things, he can find himself somewhere else to live.
Oh dear, I've made myself quite cross - going for a lie down now.

Lady San Pedro said...

The smell of paper, the sound of pages flipping, the touch, the weight; Print is still more charming, more experiential :-)

Cassandra Dias said...

There's no comparison to the real thing! I just dont understand this whole ebook craze.

yasmine said...

i don't have a preference. it's more about convenience really. if you're on a long trip and don't want to lug a bunch of books to read, i think a reader is best. but at home, i would much prefer printed material.

plus i collect 1st edition and rare books. i feel like printed matter is more valuable in that way. sentimentality is lost with a digital reader.

it's like one of those pocket watches with different gears and intricacies compared to a digital clock. same purpose, different make up.

Ivan P. said...

I prefer paper, but the Kindle is good, especially while travelling, and it is possible to keep all the huge encyclopedias and dictionaries in there.

There are just two problems: Some ebooks are terribly formatted, and still too many good books don't have their electronic versions.

Holly Knitlightly said...

Hardcovers! I just love holding the actual book, and putting it on the bookshelf after you finish reading it...

Anonymous said...

E-books would be great for long journeys when you can't haul lots of stuff. The rest of the time, real books please. I used to clear out my books on a regular basis, but now I keep them all and am still buying more because one day they won't be as easy to find and acquire as they are now. That's my fear. I'm stocking up so when that day comes I'll still be turning real pages.

Emma said...

No comparison IMO. I've loved reading (books) my whole life it seems from when I was a little girl, I can't imagine using one of those e-book things!

It actually makes me sad that so many people like them, I feel like we're losing touch with the past.

As others have said, there's nothing like turning those pages, and having old books in your bookcase from school, uni, or your mum or dad. Some of my Dad's old books I have are more than 40 years old! You can't replace that. I also really love libraries.

Excuse the ramble but you touched on a sore point for me ;)

Casee Marie said...

I never thought I would like e-books because it would feel like staring at a computer screen and I do enough of that with blogging! But I have a nook e-reader from Barnes & Noble which has a brilliant technology on the screen to make it look like a real page. It isn't lit so there's no glare, I use a booklight. It's really charming - and fun to have so many books with me all the time. Still, I won't give up my hardcovers completely. (:

Liv said...

There's just something about the smell of a book. I know that electronic books are extremely convenient, but I'll always prefer the real thing!

Anna Mavromatis said...

I love books to have, to read, to look at but for reading while traveling I absolutely prefer e-books!
Reading on my iPad has been the best thing ever!!!

Cynthia said...

I thought I would hate reading books on a "device", especially since I am one of those people who makes a lot of notes in the margins and highlights like crazy. But when I got my iPad, I discovered reading books on it is great. I can even highlight and make notes. I just took a trip to the east coast and carried novels, magazines, guidebooks with me all in iBooks.

April said...

I guess I might feel differently if I had a Kindle, but I don't get all the hype. I like being able to highlight my favorite parts of books, so I need it in paper.

Amber said...

NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I absolutely REFUSE to give up the feel and smell and sound of books to hold a horrid, cold screen in my hand. It feels to me the soul has been ripped from book and left in its place is a memory of what people use to have. It almost makes me want to cry.

Vivi said...

Library books!! That's my answer (if that counts)!

Anonymous said...

I find amazon's statistic almost impossible to believe. My faith in humanity is really wearing thin. What's wrong with people?

Anyway ... hardcovers. Obviously.

Anonymous said...

... or if need be, those inflatable books you get for kids to read in the bath.

Magdalena said...

Both, I love them both. I can't function without my iPad or my 'real' books, magazines and newspapers.

iva yaneva said...

Wow, it is so strange almost everyone chose hardcover over here :) Which is awesome I think! There is nothing like the smell of a book, the feeling of flipping through the pages.. And I just love bookshelves way too much to give them up :)

Meander said...

Electronic books certainly have their place I guess but books are memories - I guess that's why I love decorating with them, being surrounded by them constantly. I know where I was and what stage in my life I was in when I first read "Wuthering Heights" or "Eat, Pray, Love" you know? That's something that can never be replaced by technology, never.

18thCenturyHistory.com said...

Can't imagine life without books. Too much digital in my world already.

Anonymous said...

Both should have been an option.
I have both and I do tend to g for the hardcover more. But I love my Kindle for travel. E books are the way its going and when I purchase my ipad I can read on the ipad.

J. said...

I really want to get a Kindle, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I am going to though, I think it is a great option!
But for now, I am sticking with the old fashioned version of books, hehe!