[Aberlour10]

Its not a secret that the forums members are very well-read,

It would be interesting to know what are their preferences by buying new books?

Maybe added a few words about "why"...

[Cyberyeti]

No ebook reader/laptop/tablet/smartphone, so paper for me

[gwnn]

The answer is ..... drum roll please ..... It depends. For bridge problems or chess books it's nice to be able to just sit down and click through the stuff. If it's literature I would hate to use anything other than paper! For science, it's kind of a tossup. It's easy on the eyes but if I have to copy-paste stuff or check something real quick, you need a computer. You know what they say, you can't grep dead trees.

[hrothgar]

Cyberyeti, on 2014-February-03, 08:18, said:

No ebook reader/laptop/tablet/smartphone, so paper for me

It depends

For most books, I strongly prefer the ebook format.

1. The Kindle's with eInk are just as good as paper
2. I read a lot of books - 1.25 hour commutes in the morning and the evening - so not having to worry abut storage is a blessing
3. Being able to carry one small piece of hardware rather than 30+ pounds of books while on vacation rocks

There are some types of books where print media still wins out

1. Cookbooks
2. Graphic novels
3. Books with illustrations

For example, the last book that I purchased in hardcopy form was

http://www.amazon.co...1?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[kenberg]

I voted definitely more paper. But as others are saying it depends. For pleasure reading I buy a book or I take it out from the library. I suppose I could learn otherwise but I just find it more comfortable. For mathematics I mostly like books, but I sometimes read journal articles online. I also sometimes print them out since I again find it somehow more comfortable. In those cases where the journal arrives at home and I can also bring it up online, I generally but not always read the paper version. (Well, most often I read neither version, but that's another story.)

Software packages, for example Mathematica, provide many options. I can buy instructional materials for a modest price. I can bring a pdf up for free online, same material. I can bring up the pdf and print it for the price of the ink and paper. I can print it out at the University for free (assuming I don't abuse the privilege). In cases like this I usually bring up the pdf online and browse. If I really want to go over it in detail I print it out, usually just printing it at home. As noted, I like reading paper. Old dogs and new tricks, I guess.

But in so far as the question means how do I want to read a 400 page novel, I want the paper version. I don't underline, I don't highlight, I don't bend pages, but I like the comfort of it. I don't yet own a Kindle. No principle is is involved, i probably will get one, but not yet.

[Antrax]

Novels always e-books. Graphic novels always paper. Prefer hard copies of technical material but usually willing to take the hit for the environment and get the PDF instead.

[Aberlour10]

gwnn, on 2014-February-03, 08:55, said:

. If it's literature I would hate to use anything other than paper! .

Same here. Its a feeling helding paper book in the hands I dont want to miss. Reading novels on tablet simple frustrated me. I buy only literature and art books, the other stuff will be searched in web....so I voted for "only paper"

[Scarabin]

I am probably a special case but I have reached the stage of buying 90% interactive bridge books, to practice play and help with computer simulation, and 10% paper (old books I specially want.

[onoway]

Only paper as well but for me that includes printing out articles. I usually read just enough of them to know if they are a one shot deal or if I want to keep them as reference for more thought. It's more convenient for me than arguing with the computer telling me that it can't find the page or the link is invalid or that there is a problem and it has to close the program..

I don't own a kindle either but since I don't like reading even long articles on the computer then that is a strong
indication that kindles are likely not going to suit. OTOH Hrothgar's points about not having to carry around 30 pounds of books...or getting them back to the library on time.. or finding places to put the damn things... I've a hard time getting rid of books I connected with - are all very valid points indeed.

But computers and I do not have an easy relationship. Every one I've owned has developed some sort of weirdness. AFAIK none of them have been viruses as such but such things as turning themselves on in the middle of the night -that sort of thing.

Aside from anything else - just think if your kindle blew up and you lost all your (favorite) books! Yikes!

[Antrax]

My e-books are a lot more secure than my physical books. If the SD card they're on breaks, I can always restore from the backup on my PC. If my house burns down with all my electronic equipment, I can restore purchases from the cloud.

[barmar]

I've never understood this "feel of paper in my hands" thing -- the words are what matter. Holding books open is cumbersome, in my opinion, especially if you're try to do other things with your hands. I do most of my reading while eating, I have a stand for my Kindle (for paper books, I have a clip that holds it open, but it's hard on the book's spine, not as easy to flip to the next page, and doesn't work well near the beginning and end of the book).

[dustinst22]

onoway, on 2014-February-03, 22:42, said:

Aside from anything else - just think if your kindle blew up and you lost all your (favorite) books! Yikes!

This isn't an issue -- icloud.

Also with an Amazon account you simply login and resend the books to your new device.

Paper books, on the other hand, are gone when lost/friend doesnt return it/fire, etc etc.

[blackshoe]

A while back I bought an iPad. Part of that was, well, it's an iPad. :-) I use it for a lot of stuff, including occasionally as a book reader. It's really too heavy and awkward for that, though. So I bought a Kindle. The idea was that ebooks are cheaper, kill fewer trees, and I can put a lot of them on my Kindle (or, for that matter, on the iPad). I still think that's a good idea, but I do find myself continuing to buy printed books, usually hardbacks. Mostly these are books by authors I want to keep around. I suppose I could keep them around on the Kindle, but somehow it's just not the same. So anyway, at this point I'm buying some stuff on the Kindle, and some stuff on paper, including in the latter some stuff that I'd probably be just as well off buying on Kindle.

[Rain]

Ebooks. PDF or kindle.

For convenience in having them anywhere.

[Antrax]

One thing to point out is that a computer or an iPad are not e-readers. I never enjoyed reading electronic documents until I got my first electronic ink-based device. So, don't knock off e-books until you've tried an appropriate device.

Another thing in favor of e-books is you can't wear them out. I had to buy a new paper copy of Catch-22 after pages started dropping out of my first copy - and I never did anything obscene like leave the book open face down.

[the hog]

Paper only. I loathe ebooks with a passion.

[gwnn]

Antrax, on 2014-February-04, 22:47, said:

One thing to point out is that a computer or an iPad are not e-readers. I never enjoyed reading electronic documents until I got my first electronic ink-based device. So, don't knock off e-books until you've tried an appropriate device.

I tried a kindle too and it's nice for my eyes and it does kinda look like paper but I still didn't like it.

[kenberg]

dustinst22, on 2014-February-04, 15:51, said:

Paper books, on the other hand, are gone when lost/friend doesnt return it/fire, etc etc.

This part about friends (not) returning books reminds me: What is the current policy on e-books? With paper, I borrow books from friends, I lend books to friends, I give books to friends, I give books to libraries, etc. I assume e-books have some rfestrictions else they would only sell one e-book of each title. But what are the restrictions? I may get a kindle, I haven't yet, just haven't bothered. But I am interested in their policy in passing things on.

[billw55]

kenberg, on 2014-February-05, 12:22, said:

This part about friends (not) returning books reminds me: What is the current policy on e-books? With paper, I borrow books from friends, I lend books to friends, I give books to friends, I give books to libraries, etc. I assume e-books have some rfestrictions else they would only sell one e-book of each title. But what are the restrictions? I may get a kindle, I haven't yet, just haven't bothered. But I am interested in their policy in passing things on.

Hmm, I don't read ebooks, but I would assume that they are locked in such a way that you cannot copy them to another device. So to lend it out, you would need to give the friend your reader, which should be ok under the terms of use.

[dustinst22]

kenberg, on 2014-February-05, 12:22, said:

This part about friends (not) returning books reminds me: What is the current policy on e-books? With paper, I borrow books from friends, I lend books to friends, I give books to friends, I give books to libraries, etc. I assume e-books have some rfestrictions else they would only sell one e-book of each title. But what are the restrictions? I may get a kindle, I haven't yet, just haven't bothered. But I am interested in their policy in passing things on.

Essentially you can't read the book while it's being lent out. I think the maximum amazon allows is 14 days. Can only lend it one time, cant lend out magazines or newspapers.