Which is Better eBook or Paper?

Which is Better eBook or Paper? 

The picture is four stacks of books that I donated today to Goodwill. Why did I give these books away? Several reasons. First, many are books I’ll never look at again Like textbooks from M.A. classes in English politically slanted differently than I am. Another stack is books that if I want to read again, I can get them in an eBook format, so I’m saving space. Another stack is books that all the information I can find online. (The books with cool pictures, I kept). These are mostly dated textbooks. Finally, there’s a box set of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. They are duplicates. I have a nice hardback of Lord of the Rings and the 75^th Anniversary copy of The Hobbit. Might as well let someone else enjoy those classics.

You’re probably saying, yeah who cares. Why write a blog about giving away books? Good question. Why indeed? Hence to the title question. What is your preference? eBooks or paper books?

I have pretty much sold out to eBooks at least for fiction and novels. About the only paperback or hardback books I’d buy anymore are graphic novels or comic collections. I’ve tried one electronic format of a comic and it was too hard to read. I actually started with eBooks way back with something called the Rocketbook. This was before smart phones even. Back in the day of PDAs. Remember those? Yes, I’m a gadget geek.

There are valid arguments both ways. Some say they like the feel of a real book. Or the smell of a real book. The sound of turning pages. The feel and smell of a Kindle is not the same. No doubt there. Some Kindles used to have a page turning sound. Not sure if they still do. Some people are electronically challenged; thus, eBooks is too much of a leap. No worrying about batteries dying. You can read a paper book as long as you want, and it will still work.

On the eBook side, my main argument is space. See those four stacks? That was at least two shelves on my bookshelf that now houses other memorabilia. Paper books take up a lot of space. On a device that fits in my pocket, I can carry thousands of books. Searching. Trying finding something in a paper book quickly when you don’t remember where it was? Electronic books can be searched instantaneously. Backups. If I “lose” my eBook, I can get it back from the retailer. It’s stored in the cloud. Available wherever I am (as long as I have a signal).

On the negative side of electronic books, at least with iPhones, reading outside can be difficult depending on how bright and angle of the son. Kindle has resolved that issue. If you’re a bathtub reader, probably best not to use a Kindle. Drop it and well…that’s it. Paper books dry out and still work. Sharing. For many eBooks it’s difficult to loan out to a friend. There is a setting in Amazon that prohibits the book from being shared. By the way, I don’t set that. I’m fine if you share. The more readers, the better.

I’ve read that paper books are still outselling eBooks. How long will this last, though? My prediction, no more than another five to ten years. With all the technology aids that Kindle and other eReaders are introducing, going electronic is becoming easier. Also, cheaper. In general, eBooks are less expensive than paper. And with Prime reading on Amazon, you can “borrow” an eBook. Even libraries lend out eBooks now.

My biggest beef is with traditional publishers. Many just don’t get it. They are still selling eBooks that have been out of print for years for prices over $10. Not for me. I won’t pay more than $4.99 for an eBook. And I won’t sell my own eBooks for more than that as well.

What’s your preference? Drop a comment and let us know which you prefer and why? Happy reading, everyone. eReading or traditional reading.