I was browsing a tech blog today, found here and the first thing I saw was that one of my favourite magazines is now out of print in favour of online content only.

Wizard World

Bleeding Cool

So I guess what I'm getting at is do you prefer to have a hard copy in your hands or do you prefer reading online. Personally I like having a copy in my hands to read so I don't have to be tethered to an electronic device.

Your thoughts?

 

This has been discussed somewhat in other threads, but I don't think we've had a thread devoted specifically to print vs. online content.

Personally, I prefer print. When I read stuff online, I always get distracted, and I seldom finish what I'm reading unless it's really gripping. I also just prefer the feel of a book (or magazine) in my hands; the weight, the paper, turning pages - they're all part of the reading experience for me. I've tried a Kindle (my mom got one for my grandpa this past Christmas, and I helped him get it set up), but it just didn't evoke the same feelings in me as a book. It was so much easier for me to put down than a print book.

On the other hand, online content for magazines and newspapers can be nice. While I prefer print versions, sometimes the convenience of being able to read them online is nice (i.e. while at work).

 

I'm more relaxed reading a tree-book than I am when I'm reading off my Kindle, so I prefer the paper copy at this point. May change in the future, simply due to easier access to reading material.

 

I prefer books and magazines in print. I find that I don't get as distracted with them since I don't have the internet at the tips of my fingers, and I just like having a collection of books. Newspapers I really like reading online though, I always found get the pages folded just perfectly to be very annoying, and I was incapable of reading it if I didn't get them folded just right.

 

I've never tried a Kindle or similar, so I can't really comment authoritively on those, but there's a part of me that just objects to them. I know it's a little irrational, but I just love books too much. I can see uses for Kindles - on long journeys, holidays etc - but books will always be my first choice. I do read the occasional thing online, but only fanfiction and little bits of news here and there.

 

How did those test results turn out anyway?

I personally prefer an actual paper book, and even though we have an older model Kindle at home, I find I still gravitate to regular books instead. I might feel differently if it were an iPad or if it were in color for magazines or something, but I did find that I liked reading the first couple Dresden books on the Kindle, so perhaps it's a function of the type of book for me. <shrugs> I tried reading Heart of Darkness on Kindle via my phone, and that was "meh" - however, I ended up back with the paper version.

Looking back, I suppose I'll continue reading paper books for my big reads, and save phone reading and online reading for fanfction. I actually read the first Denarian Renegade on Kindle on a laptop, and was pretty pleased with the navigation, etc.

 

^ This.

I like hard copies, and I love my book collection.

Using a scrollbar to look for a particular title will never feel as satisfying as running my finger along the spines of the books that line my shelves. Along the same vein, I have thousands upon thousands of songs on my computer but I still value my record collection more.

Books have soul and character, each one feels and reads differently.

People don't insure their digital book collections. Why? Because if your computer dies and you lose your ebooks, well... you haven't really lost anything, have you? A few mouse clicks and bam you've got them all back. But that signed 1st edition goes up in flames? The world will never see it again, it is literally gone forever. Lose the copy of The Hobbit your father used to read to you? Your kids will never get the chance to read it to their children or their grandchildren, will never feel the legacy left in those pages over the course of generations.

In print there is the possibility of loss, and that makes it all the more real.

 

I def remember this discussion happening somewhere else...cbf'd to find it, though.

I like print for fine art, architecture, and automotive books. The only other real books I have are the few college textbooks that I didn't want to digitize on the same subjects. I like perusing them every now and then; they're in great shape, and because most of the people in my life aren't all that interested in what I do, my books are left alone and stay in excellent shape.

I have my dad's old Kindle for the times when visitors feel like reading. They can get whatever book they want (if I don't already have it), and because it's a device, people are more careful with it than they would be with a paperback or magazine. The dog-ears and ripped (or spilled-upon) pages that used to piss me the fuck off are no longer a concern. I do most of my reading on my laptop - and on the iPhone, strangely enough. The brightness doesn't bother me; if anything, it keeps me from staying on the computer for too long - which isn't a bad thing to be mindful of IMO.

That said: as much as I prefer digital media, I would most likely lose my shit if anything happened to my hardcover books.

 

Wow. Have a care

Personally, even though I prefer reading hard copies, digital ones are not so bad either.

Its simply because the ebooks are very easily available. You checked out some cool reviews, decide you like it, download it, start reading it. Its simply more convenient for me.

The only hard copies that I've got left in my collection are the ones really special, like Harry Potter, LoTR, et cetera.

 

Yeah, there was an e-book vs real book thread somewhere. Or it was a derail.

I prefer print. Why carry around 100+ books with you at all times? If you're not into the one you're reading, there was no point buying it. Digital books don't 'feel' like they hold an awful lot of worth, and I don't have to charge up a book, I don't have to worry about scratching the screen, etc. When I'm chilling out after an entire workday spent staring at screens and want to relax with a book, the last thing I want to do is stare at another screen.

I have a pretty decent collection going now as well. A couple of stacks of shelves filled with books of all types, from rare to signed to first ed to the latest common novels that caught my eye. One of the only things I actually spend money on is books and, as mundane as it is, it's probably more sentiment than practicality.

Fanfiction, articles and realtime headlines are pretty much the only things I read on the internet, and I'll only ever download books that I can't physically get my hands on for whatever reason - The Witcher series, for one, and the original text Don Quixote for another - but even then I intend to buy them hardcopy as soon as I can.

 

In my case, ebooks outsell print by a margin of 3-10 copies to 1. If it is something newer like the anthology, it's down around the 3 number. My short story collection was dropped to the 99 cent price and for the last few months it's selling between 150 and 200 copies per month. which is easily 10 times the numbr of paperbacks sold in any given month.

 

I prefer digital. Ereaders are getting better all the time, and nowadays I usually won't buy a book until it's available as an ebook.

The next generation is going to laugh at all the people today waxing nostalgic about the "smell of paper" and fears of dropping ereaders into tubs and so on.

 

Yeaaaah but:

 

It was touched upon here, but I know there was another thread as well that goes into more detail with the debate. Can't find it, though.

OT: Real Books > Ebooks

 

I don't have an e-reader. I use the Kindle app for the pc. It works pretty well. If I'm doing recreational reading, I still prefer a real book. But if I'm doing "work" for critique groups and the like, on my computer screen is perfectly acceptable.

 

I do my best to avoid purchasing physical books whenever possible. With my Kindle 3, I always have access to almost my entire library, I never have to worry about remembering my place in a book, I can purchase a new book anywhere that I can get a 3G connection, eye strain is practically non-existent with e-ink and the ability to adjust the text size, size and weight become a non-issue, and I never have to worry about the physical health of a book (ie. cracking the spine, having the binding come loose) that I've handled too long, too often, or just accidentally too roughly. Worries about charging seem silly to me considering I have a smartphone that needs regular charging while my Kindle only needs to be charge, at most, once a month. Not to mention you don't have to worry as much about a book going out of print.

I have memories of stuffing bags full of paperbacks and hardcovers for long trips and having to lug around all that weight while also worrying about whether or not any damage might occur during the trip. Now when all I have to do is toss my Kindle into my bag, those memories don't seem fond at all. I really look forward to both the increase in availability of digital content and the advancement of e-reader technology.