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Books vs. Kindle (other electronic readers are available)

Reading the thread on Theo's book, brought to mind a discussion I've had a fair few times. There may be another thread on this so please forgive if there is.

Which do you prefer, print on paper or an electronic device?

I personally don't care as to my mind it's the words that are important, but I'm sure others will disagree.
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Comments

  • Have tried Kindle but not the same (to me anyway) as physically holding a book. Also appreciate the cover and cover notes on 'real' books. Also the different paper and fonts used make for a different feel. Apparently some research a few years ago showed that people reading, as part of their studies, remembered more from paper books than a Kindle. Something to do with the look and feel, of the different textbooks. On top of that I like to see books in a bookcase!
  • Prefer books for similar reasons to those already mentioned, but Kindles are more practical for someone who is an occasional book reader like me
  • When I moved house I realised just how many books I had and how I was unlikely to read most of them ever again. I really like books as an object but they take up too much room for something that sits there doing nothing for 99% of the time. I get most of my books on kindle now, though I read them on my tablet via the android app. My actual kindle is the old push button version that I don't use much unless I'm going to be away from an easy recharge.
  • I'm old school. I LOVE books, the feel, the smell, the look and have hundreds here at home and more in storage .. tried kindle, much cheaper of course than books, but for me it's a no go, after 10 minutes I have eye/headache ..
    I have friends however who love kindle/ fire/whatever and for many it means they have discovered or rediscovered the pleasure to be had from a good read
  • iainment said:

    Books. But I've never used a reader.
    I love the feel of books.
    I love having bookshelves with books in.
    I love browsing in a bookshop.
    I suppose if I was travelling a kindle or similar might make sense but...

    I agree entirely but my eyesight is a bit shot now and Kindle is good for that.
  • I have tried a kindle type thing and it's ok. A bit like reading Charlton Life on the laptop.

    Much prefer an old fashioned book though.

    Then I am an Old Git.
  • Me bad. Every book I've bought over the last 7-8 years has been digital. Much prefer reading on my iPad with my kindle app.
  • Sitting at home on a winter's night in front of the fire, it's a book - laying by the pool on holiday, it's a kindle.
  • cafc-west said:

    Have tried Kindle but not the same (to me anyway) as physically holding a book. Also appreciate the cover and cover notes on 'real' books. Also the different paper and fonts used make for a different feel. Apparently some research a few years ago showed that people reading, as part of their studies, remembered more from paper books than a Kindle. Something to do with the look and feel, of the different textbooks. On top of that I like to see books in a bookcase!

    Never used a kindle & don't intend to any time soon. I love books, the covers & notes, the individuality. My book case is full so I'm always coming across books hidden away or a pile here & there,
    & it's always good to revisit "an old friend" & I'm sure that you can't get the same feeling from an electronic box. It's the same as records v CDs downloads etc etc. Yes the modern facilities may be more convenient & I use you tube & an mp3 but to me there's nothing like pulling a couple of boxes out on a friday /saturday night, handling the vinyl, the smell the colour & design of the labels. Putting them on a decent deck, the sound quality is far & away better than any other kind of format.

    One more word on kindle, they are a pet hate of mine because of the amount of selfish twats who dawdle through tube subways or block the paths because they insist on reading as they walk (this also includes those who actually watch films/tv as they walk or play games on their fucking phones) Mr Angry ? You bet !!!!!!!
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  • Half and half

    as @bobmunro said, in the lounge, curled up then paper all the way. On a plane / by the pool - normally kindle. In fact I have kindle and paper versions of several favourites for that very reason.

    Definitely 'reads' differently though. I have tried for years to read Dickens in print and failed miserably; never got past the first couple of pages of 'A Tale of Two Cities'. Thought I'd give it a last go on a kindle and breezed through along with other of his books. Don't know why, maybe just the font. Similarly with The Count of Monte Cristo, although in that case I think it's the fact that with a kindle it's not obvious you've another 1000 pages to go....
  • I have a kindle - not a very new one - (and a book - okay more than one....)
    The kindle is great for holidays - much less packing, less weight, loads of free stuff available. My latest kindle read has been Samuel Pepys Diary. I find the annoying thing about a Kindle is when you want to double-check something and it could be many "pages" away. That's much easier to do with a book imo.

    At home I tend to read books. As well as being lucky enough to still have a library in the village, we also have an old telephone kiosk which has been given a new lease of life as a miniture book exchange and which we also make frequent use of.
  • cafcfan said:

    I have a kindle - not a very new one - (and a book - okay more than one....)
    The kindle is great for holidays - much less packing, less weight, loads of free stuff available. My latest kindle read has been Samuel Pepys Diary. I find the annoying thing about a Kindle is when you want to double-check something and it could be many "pages" away. That's much easier to do with a book imo.

    At home I tend to read books. As well as being lucky enough to still have a library in the village, we also have an old telephone kiosk which has been given a new lease of life as a miniture book exchange and which we also make frequent use of.

    We have exactly the same.
  • In the circs, you'd think I'd be able to spell miniature wouldn't you? :blush:
  • I much prefer books but my old kindle does have its advantages when travelling (I still take a book or two) and when wanting to read books with small font size and packed out pages. I got into Kindle when wanting to read a trilogy by Neil Stephenson Quicksilver etc as these books were uncomfortable to read. With Kindle you can increase the font size to your liking.
  • cafcfan said:

    In the circs, you'd think I'd be able to spell miniature wouldn't you? :blush:

    I wouldn't have thought miniature was an overused word in English literature!
  • Books at home - Audible audio books on the move.
  • Kindle at home and on holiday for the last five years. I cannot see me going back to books now.
  • If a book is any good, someone will make a film about it.

    Almost inevitably a partly rewritten/rehashed dramatised version that will totally ruin it.
  • Use and enjoy both but prefer printed books.

    For travel, the Kindle is wonderful.
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  • edited September 2018
    A big part of my pleasure in books lies in the physical and design characteristics: paper, typography, print quality of text and images. I'm a serious collector of photography and art books, and shelf space at home is always a problem: I already have almost 40 metres full up.

    Anthony Powell was right in saying "Books do furnish a room". But if I were constantly on the move, a Kindle would be a lifesaver.
  • If a book is any good, someone will make a film about it.

    Almost inevitably a partly rewritten/rehashed dramatised version that will totally ruin it.
    Right for him though.
  • Love both but probably enjoying books on the kindle reader more than a physical book at the moment as I have found my old 4th gen kindle.
  • iainment said:

    Books. But I've never used a reader.
    I love the feel of books.
    I love having bookshelves with books in.
    I love browsing in a bookshop.
    I suppose if I was travelling a kindle or similar might make sense but...

    And don’t forget the smell. First thing I do when I buy a book is open and smell it.
  • iainment said:

    Books. But I've never used a reader.
    I love the feel of books.
    I love having bookshelves with books in.
    I love browsing in a bookshop.
    I suppose if I was travelling a kindle or similar might make sense but...

    And don’t forget the smell. First thing I do when I buy a used latex gimp outfit is open and smell it.
    Kindle all the way, books take up tons of room and I can't take many on holiday. Also if you finish a book and fond there are others in the series you can start reading them straight away on an ebook.

    That said, I use the kindle app on my phone more than the kindle now
  • I have a kindle paperwhite and love it! So practical. Don’t miss carrying books at all Reading more than ever
  • Bog standard Kindle for me, the one without any back light to it. Can't beat the convenience. Fits in suit pocket for the daily commute. And, as Carter says, you can get the next book in a series immediately. Love real books too, but never buy them anymore.
  • edited September 2018
    Love a book at home but my god I don't miss having to carry the extra 2kg that an ereader saves you on holiday.
  • Books. E readers have their uses, particularly if you're travelling for a long time, you can't hold a heavy book, or need extra magnification, but they have their drawbacks. You can't wrap a download as a gift, or lend it to your mate because it was brilliant and they really must read it, and you can't read it if you've run out of battery and the power's out. Also as you're only buying the licence to read it you're at the mercy of the whims of the publisher, like the time Amazon deleted 1984 off people's kindles. Although at least in that case Amazon credited the accounts of the people concerned, whereas Apple have done something similar with movies in someone's iTunes library, and are just offering a couple of free rentals as compensation.


    For anything I'm spending good money on I'd much rather have physical media than an electronic version.
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