On 1/24/13 5:31 PM, D Finnigan wrote:
I think that eBook readers and the whole ebook thing is still rather ridiculous. Of course this is to be expected, since this is all still rather new technology.
I prefer paper books. I like the way they look, feel, and smell--dunno what it is about paper, perhaps the binding glue, anyway ...
I have many books at home with many shelves dedicated to hosting my books.I hate traveling with books. I move around. A lot. And I try to avoid traveling with paper products of any sort (cash ok). The iPad has provided great utility for magazines and books. The retina display handles retro scanned text as well as eBooks, eMags, etc...
Digital is also great for finding things. But very poor for thumbing through. That I truly miss. I often forget to place multiple bookmarks in eBooks. With paper I *know* what I need is 5/8th of the way through. I like holding a textbook with my fingers in three places so that I can quickly flip back and forth.
I did an experiment on the NY Subway and London Tube in 2011. I read multiple books in multiple physical and digital formats. Nothing beats the classic cheap paperback for portability and quick pocketability. iPad, forget it, too big, too much of a target (in NY). Kindle eInk, light, easy one-handed use (other hand on support rail or equivalent), too ugly to swipe. iPhone, quick pocketability, headphones in ears (sound off) to discourage panhandlers from talking to you. iPhone drawback, too small at times. A moving subway (esp. N, Q, R) makes it difficult to keep focused on text. This is a problem with some paperbacks too. At least with eReaders you can enlarge the text.
There isn't a perfect replacement for books, but for travelers eBooks reduce weight, can be used one handed for any size text, fonts can be adjusted, and back-lighting is a plus. They are a great alternative to paper books.
P.S. the last eBook I read was Terrible Nerd. This book is full of URLs that enhance the experience. The iPad was the perfect medium for reading this book (Kindle eInk, not so much--poor web experience).