With the advance of phones, tablets, and ereaders, ebooks have become a popular reading standard. Still, there's something about the feel of an old-fashioned paper book. We asked you which one is better and why, and here are some of the best arguments we heard.
There were a lot of great responses so let's see where you landed.
Ebooks are More Accessible
Ebooks can be read practically anywhere on anything, and MyklFuman points out how easy it is to have your library at hand for whenever there's some waiting to do:
I have a large screen phone (Galaxy S3) so I then always have my books with me. Waiting for the take away to be ready, I read a few pages. Waiting pretty much anywhere, I read. I have been doing so since the Palm Pilot Treo came out... Nice thing with Google books is I can read at my desk on the big monitor then pick up right where I left off on my cell, and visa versa.
CessTHEBest explains how location makes it hard to get certain books, so ebooks are by far the most accessible choice:
I LOVE paper books. But, living in Latin America, e-books have saved my life. The bookstores here have a very small English language selection, and I am just too lazy to read in Spanish. So, E-books have meant no postage, no heavy suitcases full of books, no waiting 4-5 weeks for books from amazon, or lost books.
And some had been dreaming of the accessibility that ebooks finally brought. TheLaughinKipper is one of them:
Ever since the eighties I had been dreaming of replacing those bulky, unwieldly stacks of paper with a thin, light slate that could contain all my library. It has rekindled (pun not intended) my passion for reading like you wouldn't believe.
dr_bombay agrees, and also cites the perks that come along with a lot of ebooks:
i can carry an entire library in my pocket; i can adjust type size, contrast, and color to my liking; i can look up unfamiliar words instantly with the built-in dictionary...
Different Situations Call for Different Things
Our own Whitson Gordon says ebooks all the way, but still makes a solid case for times when a paper book is ideal:
I'm an ebook guy through and through, but my fiancee has a pretty good argument for buying physical books—at least sometimes.
If you're going to the pool or the beach and want to bring a book, it's a lot easier to bring a physical book, since you can leave it alone (to go swimming or whatever) without worrying about it getting stolen. Can't do that with a $100 Kindle. You can also leave it in your car, in your backpack at school, etc.
Paper books are also necessary for certain things. TheRevanchrist mentions one particular situation—going to a book signing—and CaptainJack agrees:
You do have a point about the signed copy. My Wife and many of her author friends have had to resort to signing prints of covers for ebook fans. There really isn't a good way to deal with that without print copies being easily available.
Some of you were die hard paper book readers, but got nudged the other way because of your situation. Wittyname talks about how traveling changed everything:
I bought my Kindle saying that, at worst, I would just use it for flying home for Christmas when I didn't want to carry a bunch of books around but needed more than one to read for the flight and my time at home. But from there I've moved to almost exclusively reading on the Kindle.
It Depends on What You're Reading
Many of you buy certain types of ebooks, but still think paper is the way go for a lot of books. Our own Melanie Pinola has a couple of items on her list that help her determine which to buy:
For me, it depends on the book—how visual it is (graphic novels I like in paper format), whether I'm more likely to race through it (a good novel) or linger and bounce around (poetry), how big it is (I wish the gigantic Robert Moses book was in eBook form), and how well the text was translated to Kindle (I heard bad things about the Game of Thrones digital versions, so went with paper for that).
Sometimes you might not feel like sharing what you're reading with everyone around you. chancyrendezvous points out that ebooks can help prevent embarrassment or strange looks:
No one knows what I'm reading! I'm the Mikey of books, so when someone says, "Hey, CR, read this dinosaur erotica and tell me if it's as awful as it seems it would be," (surprisingly not) or "Someone has to read 50 Cent's book series and it's not going to be me," (it shouldn't be you either, even if the title is
Thong on Fire
), I can read in public and no one gives me judgy eyebrows.
And SuperWittySmitty likes classic paper books, but just doesn't want to haul around War & Peace:
I have a Nook and have enjoyed using it- right now I am working my way through War & Peace and it's certainly easier to grab the Nook than carrying around the big fat book.
Some Prefer the Feel and Utility of Paper Books
I personally think the weight and feel of a paper book is hard to beat most of the time, and Charis agrees:
I am still a total paper book lover. It's just satisfying curling up with a book, the smell of the pages, the heft of the book. And there is the classic "Three B test" - bath, bus, bed.
Plus, chitheatergirl points out that it's easy to immediately see how far you really are in a book:
I was Switzerland in this discussion, but the ebook I was reading told me I was 84% finished with the book when the book ended. The remaining 16% was excerpts from the author's other books, an author interview, and a discussion guide. Paper books are far superior when it comes to letting you know your place in a book, and that's why I prefer them.
Others Think People are Just Being Nostalgic
I may be one of those weirdos that likes the smell of a book, but not everyone thinks the same way. DanYHKim is someone who does not think the same way:
People who love paper books will sometimes wax poetic about the unique smell of books. For me, that is the smell of dust mites and silverfish droppings.
Not everyone thinks the "feel" of a book is anything to write home about, either. Michael Bond sees paper books as nothing but a disadvantage:
I don't really get this... nothing about the "feel" of the book is an advantage to me. I used to read some big books, and having to balance that weight so that I don't have to crane my neck was a pain.
The Right Tool for the Right Job
When you boil it all down, you need the right type of book for the right job it seems, but everyone can at least agree that reading is definitely a job that's right. A good majority of you think there's a time and place for both ebooks and paper books. KnightTim isn't up for battle, just reading, despite what his name might suggest:
I'm going to have to say YES. I love them both, my wife and I have several bookshelves in our house and I would not get rid of my books. But I also have and love my kindle paperwhite.
So I think at this point my vote would be 55% e-book and 45% physical book. (I guess I'm not very good at the war part of this post...)
At the end of the day, James T Wood draws a comparison that I'm sure most of us can get on board with:
I think of the physical vs. electronic book as a both-and proposition.
I have both DVDs and a Netflix subscription.
I have both CDs and a Google Music subscription.
I have both physical books and ebooks.
Whatever you prefer to read on, it seems there's no better choice. As long as you get to read, that's a win.