E-books. I read too many books for physical to be practical.
Digital, unless I really want the book and it is only analog.
The analog form factor of books is IMHO much nicer, and I understand everyone who doesn’t like digital books.
Stil, for me going digital beats analog:
- Having books always in my pocket, I never wonder what to do if I have to wait somewhere
- Going for work/leisure travel, always fully stocked with interesting reading material
- Learning from books and making notes? Digital makes it far easier
- I mostly read English books for learning and in my country one has to pay a heavy surcharge for English books
I also have to say, Amazon really earned all the critic it gets, but their Kindle apps and physical devices are awesome. It is easy to buy DRM free books and read/sync them with Amazon kindle infrastructure (send to device etc.).
Physical. And then, depending on what I feel like, maybe download a digital copy somewhere and read it on my ereader. Usually the case with big, phat books that I don’t feel like holding for a longer time or lugging around with me.
I tend to buy ebooks nowadays just because it’s convenient. I find ereader experience nowadays is pretty much the same as reading a regular book.
Physical books! I want to fully own my books not have them be locked by some asshole company. It’s also just nicer to read paper instead of a screen. It’s also easier to carry around a small book instead of a bigger tablet and having to deal with charging yet another device.
If the vendor offers EPUB format you can carry it in a general e-reader or even your phone or computer without them ever being able to lock you out.
Audio book gang unite!
I normally pirate audio books and purchase them physically for our bookshelves around the house because I like the look and supporting the author but I like listening a lot more.
I like physical books as I find it more immersive compared to phones and such. When using a phone or computer it’s much more tempting to open up social media or another app.
That’s why I also like to draw/design on paper as well and use a dedicated music player.
Purely a space issue for me these days, but the more I use my Kindle, the more I like it. Being able to just highlight a word and get the definition has been a real game changer. Although, it’s only because of e-ink displays that I even considered it in the first place. Definitely would not be reading books on a regular tablet/display.
Almost always digital on my tablet or phone these days (I have a Kindle too but just can’t get used to the display), but I’ll buy physical copies to keep and/or give away if I really like them.
Pirate digital and by used physical books
I’ve tried digital books, but I’ve found that physical books work much better for my brain. I retain more information and can “get lost” in the story, whereas, for some inexplicable reason, digital books being read on a screen kind of “flatten” a story for me. It’s almost like a 3d vs 2d experience for me.
Have you ever used an eink reader, or just a tablet or something? The difference is night and day for me. The first time I used an eink reader I thought there was paper covering the screen at first.
I have! But unfortunately, I had the same result as if it were my phone/tablet. I really wish I understood why it was like this for me so I could maybe work on it, but I guess I’m just one of those “need-to-physically-turn-the-page” people :/
No this totally makes sense to me.
It doesn’t impact my experience of the story, but there is something to having the next page hidden behind the turn and knowing that it’s right there. When I read an ebook it’s like reading an article. The sensation is different and it loses a touch of excitement without that tactile feeling of ‘the next page’. Pages don’t matter in ebooks either. You adjust the text size and the ‘page’ count is suddenly radically different. I measure my progress in chapters or percentages now.
It makes sense to me why that wouldn’t work for some folks.
Physical for some comics, mostly digital because I get most of my books from the library. A lot of libraries around the US have fantastic support for digital media.
Ebooks have their convenience, and once in a while I’ll take a free one if offered, or pick them up cheap in a bundle.
But physical books capture my interest way better. More satisfying to hold and look at. Having a physical object around is a reminder to read. And paper books are better for tuning out distractions. If I try to read ebooks on a phone, tablet, or PC I can easily lose focus (though nice dumb-device readers are surely out there, I don’t have one).
The eink readers are a night and day experience vs a normal screen, but if you’re not invested already it can be hard to consider buying one.
No.
