Kindle vs Book? for Questionland Seattle

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Kindle vs Book?

Part of me loves the idea of a Kindle, it saves me money and shelf space in the long run, then a big part if me is old fashioned and I feel like I'd be letting an old friend down. What's your opinion?

ohyouprettything asked in Other Books & Writing about 1 year ago | Report

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David Wright

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As a reader, I'm really glad there's both. I haven't quite hit my stride w/ eReaders - something I keep putting off fully indulging in, perhaps because in the library I'm literally swimming in an abundance of really good, free books - it's glorious - so I'm doing more downloadable audio than ebooks.

As a librarian (and a consumer) it is a little more complicated. I'm not going to use this as a platform to lauch into any kind of anti-DRM diatribe - there are plenty of other more well-informed people who do a better job of that - but I will say I have serious concerns about the shrinking preserve of the public sector and of fair use in a time when so many of our rights are signed away in dialogue box filled with henscratch that nobody reads before clicking on it. The other concern for librarians has to do with the archival aspect of all this: yes, it is phenomenal that I can now rave about some long lost, long out of print book and you can pull the whole thing up on your phone while riding a bus, for free. But technologies and devices change with staggering rapidity, and those technologies leave a lot of people in the dark. Librarians wince at the blithe "it's all online" sentiment that we hear more and more, because it very much isn't, and even if it were that doesn't mean it is safe or accessible.

David Wright answered in Other Books & Writing about 1 year ago | Report

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I always mention this when people ask about e-readers: There are two killer apps for the Kindle and other e-readers.
1. Free first chapters for many books, so you can decide whether to buy a book by actually starting to read it.
2. Access to affordable English-language books while traveling. This is particularly important if you traveling with a kid who can burn through a complete young-adult novel in one train ride.

Tom Sackett answered in Other Books & Writing about 1 year ago | Report

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When I flew across the Pacific in March, I would have killed for an e-reader. Lightweight, not bulky, perfect. I had already fancied the possibilities of the e-reader in terms of expanding the book's horizons, but convenience ruled for me.

But I have reservations mostly because of the DRM issue. I really don't relish buying a book that can only be read on a particular piece of hardware. (And yeah, I know it's possible to convert formats ... but why do I have to do that? Especially if my library gets big enough for that to be a hassle.)

I also really like the freedom of being able to sell or trade my books once I'm done with them. The used market is still an important source of books for me, and there is no electronic equivalent of that yet.

Happy medium? If places like Amazon sold physical books bundled with digital copies.

Gloria answered in Other Books & Writing about 1 year ago | Report

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I am totally split on this. I LOVE the feel smell and weight of a real book but still my Kindle is the best damn thing I have ever purchased. I especially love it for reading the Daily Telegraph and the Washington Post. I also enjoy the Kindle since I have a habit of wanting to read while at a coffee shop or the bus and like to change what I am reading after a period of time.

The Doctor answered in Other Books & Writing about 1 year ago | Report

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Oh Oh! I can help with this one. I am a hardcore Luddite (I still write handwritten letters and send them through the US Mail, and use landline phones), but I LOVE my Kindle. I thought I would never switch to this technology, but I got one for my birthday, and it is the BEE'S KNEES.

I still read printed books on paper too, though. Not everything is on the Kindle, especially history books - my favorite subject.

I'd say these days my reading is about 60% Kindle, 40% book. My briefcase has two printed books and one Kindle in it at the moment, in fact.

You don't have to be monogamous with printed books or the Kindle. They don't mind if you have an open relationship. Read books on the Kindle when it strikes your fancy, and pick up an old friend on paper and ink when you're in the mood. You can have the best of both worlds.

soundslikepuget answered in Other Books & Writing about 1 year ago | Report

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It doesn't have to be an either or thing. You can have both and I think they will continue to coexist for a long time if not for ever.

There are things that are much better to read as a book and things that are better on a Kindle. Anything with graphics of any kind is still better as a book for example (although that may change).

It's hard for a book to compete with a medium which allows you to look up words you don't understand.

The real issue at the heart of all this are publishers. They are stodgy businesses set on protecting their legacy. They don't innovate in anything and resist all change. If they continued to push the book in new directions it might have properties beyond text on a page which would make it a good alternative. Meanwhile, if all a book is is a string of text then the electronic form will dominate.

infernactual answered in Other Books & Writing about 1 year ago | Report

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