Reading books digitally versus physical copies.

[jdcarpe]

I currently hold library card in three libraries in different counties in this area.

Do you use your work address?

Around here, you have to have a verifiable address to establish residence in the county, or pay a moderately hefty fee per year to a "foreign" county library system

They will do an "inter-library exchange" or something to that effect, but it is slow and cumbersome.

No, I was surprised that at each library, I could register for a card using my home address!

[jdcarpe]

they're a huge waste of space..

But then where would the homeless go to stay warm/cool during the day?

Also, internet-connected PCs for people who don't have any.

[fohat.digs]

Also, internet-connected PCs for people who don't have any.

This too.

Fortunately, my local library is very close, and when I have computer or internet problems it is easy to go up there to get online either using their gear, or their wi-fi and my laptop.

[tp4tissue]

they're a huge waste of space..

But then where would the homeless go to stay warm/cool during the day?

Also, internet-connected PCs for people who don't have any.

Exactly, throw out all the books.. put in computer terminals.

[ideus]

The local library already carries a lot of digital audio books and e-books that they lend as well as hard copies.

[Melvang]

I just want to say, I have read a few studies online that state comprehension is higher when reading paper and ink vs digital media.

[ideus]

I just want to say, I have read a few studies online that state comprehension is higher when reading paper and ink vs digital media.

There is also some evidence supporting visuals, plus sound may enhanced retention of materials from certain subjects. Again, let use everything available in the way the best fits our needs.

[jdcarpe]

I just want to say, I have read a few studies online that state comprehension is higher when reading paper and ink vs digital media.

Probably because when reading something on a device, there is always something nagging at you. Email, Facebook, texts, etc. Distractions abound.

Not so much with a dedicated reader, like a Kindle.

[Melvang]

I just want to say, I have read a few studies online that state comprehension is higher when reading paper and ink vs digital media.

Probably because when reading something on a device, there is always something nagging at you. Email, Facebook, texts, etc. Distractions abound.

Not so much with a dedicated reader, like a Kindle.

Actually a lot of what they found was that with traditional printed material, people read in more of a traditional fashion, left to right, top to bottom.  But in digital media, granted more so on non dedicated readers and with non-fiction material, people tend to read in an F pattern of skimming and only focusing on details when it catches their eye.

[jamster]

I am a voracious reader, have been since about the age of five.

My preference now is for ebook readers, because of the portability and ready access to a book collection. I have owned a Sony PRS, a 3rd gen Kindle and currently a Kobo Aura HD. I'll read off a phone screen if I don't have anything else. I only read magazine articles on a tablet- never books (because the ebook reader will be nearby).

If you spend a lot of time reading, I would strongly recommend buying the Aura HD simply because it's got a slightly bigger screen than the current Kindles. Screen size pretty much trumps DPI (they are all fine for DPI). The ability to change font on the Aura is also surprisingly useful.

It's also not part of the Amazon Borg, if that sort of thing matters to you.

There's now a waterproof Aura HD for about $20 more. So not only can you read on the ****ter, you can read in the bathtub.

But generally, get an ebook reader. ANY ebook reader. For ease of reading they crap all over tablets/computer screens.

[Findecanor]

Also, internet-connected PCs for people who don't have any.

I used to do all my printing at the local library, not too long ago.

My local library is also a hub for the local community in various ways. Information from the city council, local art exhibitions, political meetings, activities for kids, etc.

Actually a lot of what they found was that with traditional printed material, people read in more of a traditional fashion, left to right, top to bottom.  But in digital media, granted more so on non dedicated readers and with non-fiction material, people tend to read in an F pattern of skimming and only focusing on details when it catches their eye.

That has more to do with the type of content and layout than with the medium. I read a printed newspaper every day, in a skimming fashion. You don't skim the words of a novel just because they are on a computer screen.

[Sygaldry]

I like having physical copies of text books, references, (and in a past life, law books and casebooks).

But for all leisurely reading, I have my PaperWhite and my iPad Mini

[ideus]

I like having physical copies of text books, references, (and in a past life, law books and casebooks).

But for all leisurely reading, I have my PaperWhite and my iPad Mini

How do you rate the experience of reading ebooks exclusively with your kindle against your ipad?

[iMav]

I read quite a bit and have owned Kindles since they were first released.  I very much enjoy the e-ink models (Fires are not suitable as serious readers).  My current daily reader is the Voyage, which I like quite a bit...however, I'd still recommend the PaperWhite to save a few bucks (Voyage doesn't add much additional value).

I do like physical books, but will usually ALSO buy the Kindle version, if available.  Having my library accessible where ever I go is a major value-add for me.  The ergonomics of reading off a Kindle and a book are near-identical, so that argument is a non-starter. 

The Kindles can be had for so cheap, it is a no-brainer.

[SpAmRaY]

I'm leaning towards the paper white.

 My wife has a kindle 3 that she bought off a relative for $20, it's not too bad to read on.

[tp4tissue]

nah.. waste of time..

if you actually want to READ and not merely "Shop"


Computer monitor is the way to go..

Fast text search,  easy  contrast/brightness control..

Internet access to cross reference information..

Quick text input via KEYBOARD...


Conventional reading is for chumps...

[SpAmRaY]

nah.. waste of time..

if you actually want to READ and not merely "Shop"


Computer monitor is the way to go..

Fast text search,  easy  contrast/brightness control..

Internet access to cross reference information..

Quick text input via KEYBOARD...


Conventional reading is for chumps...

But I want to read on the couch not in front of the computer.

[tp4tissue]

nah.. waste of time..

if you actually want to READ and not merely "Shop"


Computer monitor is the way to go..

Fast text search,  easy  contrast/brightness control..

Internet access to cross reference information..

Quick text input via KEYBOARD...


Conventional reading is for chumps...

But I want to read on the couch not in front of the computer.

The couch no longer xists..

It's over Spam..   That aspect of living has come and gone..

[foxer]

Just like a pair of boobs. I prefer the real thing.

[tp4tissue]

Just like a pair of boobs. I prefer the real thing.

LOL... hrrrm...

They perform different functions..

The fake sets are decorative..  while the real-sets may be indicative of superior genes for procreation...

They're not mutually exclusive though..

[aref]

I'm leaning towards the paper white.

 My wife has a kindle 3 that she bought off a relative for $20, it's not too bad to read on.

I've had several Kindle readers. My favorite one is my latest acquisition, Kindle Paperwhite. Far easier to read than hard-copy books; my eyes don't tire nearly as quickly compared with reading hard-copy books. Also, sign on to BookBub for daily e-book specials; many are available through Amazon. But BookBub brings various titles to the forefront. Wait! Buy my book from Amazon! I need the money for my HHKB!

I think you'll quite like a Paperwhite. It's an excellent reader.

[R1N3]

I've busted my lip at least 7 times and have at least one small chip in a front tooth from falling asleep while laying down eReading.

Practice safe eReading. Your grill will thank me later.

[tbc]

I've busted my lip at least 7 times and have at least one small chip in a front tooth from falling asleep while laying down eReading.

Practice safe eReading. Your grill will thank me later.

sideways....not over your head...

[R1N3]

I've busted my lip at least 7 times and have at least one small chip in a front tooth from falling asleep while laying down eReading.

Practice safe eReading. Your grill will thank me later.

sideways....not over your head...

I'd rest it sitting up on my chest with my head elevated on a pillow. Needless to say I'm team sideways ever since I chipped a tooth.

[SpAmRaY]

For those with kindles is it worth $20 to get one without special offers?

[vindaon]

For those with kindles is it worth $20 to get one without special offers?

The ads aren't that intrusive, imo.

[hastur]

I like my Kobo Glo since I can lie on my bed or on the beach with it and still have access to the hundreds of books I have on it. It also  doesn't hurt that the battery lasts for a month of near constant reading. The only downside is that I can't take a bath with it. I love it almost as much as I love my dead-tree books.

[slaction]

While I love the idea of having an actual book on the shelf that I can grab anytime, I actually do more reading on my IPad than with physical books.

I do a lot of programing and so I have a lot of tech books from the days before the kindle was around.  I love having the books until it's time to move.  A plastic tote full of programming books can easily weight 100lbs which isn't fun to have to move.

[rowdy]

I like my Kobo Glo since I can lie on my bed or on the beach with it and still have access to the hundreds of books I have on it. It also  doesn't hurt that the battery lasts for a month of near constant reading. The only downside is that I can't take a bath with it. I love it almost as much as I love my dead-tree books.

Welcome to Geekhack!

I'm guessing that taking a bath with a paper book also runs some risk, although electrocution might not be one of them.

[HughJarss]

I make my living from writing and publishing books, so spend most of my life either writing, editing, or reading.
I have thousands of paper books, and maybe a hundred ebooks, which I've read on a laptop, an iPad, and an iPhone 6+.
I tried a Kindle and didn't like it. The eReading experience is nicer using the iPad with the Kindle app, but one level nicer again using Apple's iBooks app. The only problem with this compared to a dedicated eReader is if you want to read outside in the sun. The iPad then sucks, of course.

Reading from a screen at night is a real problem, it does mess with your sleep. Still, you can install f lux on your computer, which I've found fantastic in helping me sleep better — it stops the screen emitting blue light at night, so your brain doesn't think it's daytime any more, and starts to wind down. HUGE help. (Just don't try to do Photoshop work with it on, everything's sort of pink!)

Someone else said many eBooks have bad formatting and typos. Absolutely they do — but this is because so many people are self-publishing, and not because of the medium itself. In fact, paperbacks are MUCH more difficult to format correctly, and there are now some terrible paperbacks around also.

Ebooks are okay for novels, but I rarely buy them any more for non-fiction. When we need to learn stuff from reading, our brains make a map of where we read it, sort of. But mostly, we need to read something more than once to learn it, and because of the nature of eBooks, the location of that information is in a different place each time we read it. Click forward a few pages in any eBook, then go back, and the words will be in a different place on the page. So the map to where to find the information is corrupted and confusing, and our brains don't trust the information as well as it they need to. Also, despite the theory being that eBooks are better because their text is searchable, in the real world a paperback is much easier to find what you want MOST of the time.

So I think that if you prefer paper books, you should read those as much as you can. That's what I do, anyway.

[Ardvan]

I don't buy kindle format until I really can't find it in another format and I really want this e-book.

I tried an ebook reader with ink display. I don't read at night, the only advantage of it was to read outside, what i rarely do. Problem is also you can only read with it.

IMO the best file format for ink display readers and small devices like phones is epub. It creates pages on the fly and they fit on the screen. But looks simplified. PDF are a pain on small screens because the page size and layout is not changeable. You have to zoom in a lot (for every page again). Looks nice though.

On the other hand PDF's work well on a iPad IMO. And with "good reader" you can mark stuff or write annotations into the pdf file what I do. You can also mask out the white frame of a page so that the text uses the full screen size.

[jamster]

I like my Kobo Glo since I can lie on my bed or on the beach with it and still have access to the hundreds of books I have on it. It also  doesn't hurt that the battery lasts for a month of near constant reading. The only downside is that I can't take a bath with it. I love it almost as much as I love my dead-tree books.

The latest Kobo Aura HD (bigger screen than any of the Kindles save the massive DX, if that is still made) is fully waterproof.

[hastur]

I like my Kobo Glo since I can lie on my bed or on the beach with it and still have access to the hundreds of books I have on it. It also  doesn't hurt that the battery lasts for a month of near constant reading. The only downside is that I can't take a bath with it. I love it almost as much as I love my dead-tree books.

The latest Kobo Aura HD (bigger screen than any of the Kindles save the massive DX, if that is still made) is fully waterproof.

I commute a lot, sometimes without a bag and the Glo barely fits in my pocket so it's the perfect size for me. 

[Binge]

If it's just words I can't do it on a monitor.  The eye-strain is too much.  For most reading I prefer books or e-ink.

[ideus]

If it's just words I can't do it on a monitor.  The eye-strain is too much.  For most reading I prefer books or e-ink.

In your opinion, how much better is e-ink than LCDs for reading?

[Binge]

If it's just words I can't do it on a monitor.  The eye-strain is too much.  For most reading I prefer books or e-ink.

In your opinion, how much better is e-ink than LCDs for reading?

It is easier for me to read a reflective surface than a emitting surface.  I would say the difference is pretty intense.  My dyslexia goes haywire on monitors whereas it only gets bad on other surfaces if the color is too white in a fluorescent lit room.

[astrafo]

I read around 12 books a year and I love paper. If I cannot get the physical book, I get a digital copy, then I create the booklets using a small program that I coded for this purpose, then I print it out and do the sewing and bookbinding by myself. You can get an idea about how I love paper.

That being said, I own a Kindle Paperwhite (properly jailbroken and with Duokan OS installed) and since I use it I'm 50% happier. I love it too. I have tried other digital ways to read stuff and nothing seems better to me than e-ink mainly because of the backlight of the devices. E-ink feels just like paper, weights less and some devices have a nice light that doesn't aim to your eyes. If you read at night you need half the ambient light you use with paper to read in a e-ink device with proper leds (this is, to me, a huge advantage as I normally read at night) and the battery lasts enough to not think about it while you use the device.

[jacobolus]

Any tips or tricks to transitioning to reading digital copies of books?

Don’t bother. Digital books suck for reading.

(On the other hand, digital books on a laptop are great for reference use, if you need to search inside them. Search on mobile devices and e-readers is **** though.)

[jacobolus]

I own a nook and have played around with Kindles.  I still hate e-books compared to physical copies.  There's something about holding a real book and reading it.  That and I've also noticed that it feels like there are a lot more errors in e-books than in physical books, be they weird formatting issues or spelling and grammar issues.

I’ve never seen an ebook that didn’t have absolutely garbage typography. Kindles have worse typography than about 90% of the books published in the last 450 years. Apple’s book reader software on iPads is marginally better, but still pretty ****ty.

Typically, an ebook is a poor hacked together derivative of the paper version, done by a stoned intern (or more realistically, a fully automated job done with no human involvement) with absolutely no care given to the process or product, and no QA check afterward. Internal pictures and diagrams are often corrupted, ****ty quality, or missing entirely. Sometimes the content is just a bad OCR filled with typos. It’s a disgrace. For technical books, broken formatting often makes it completely impossible to follow the content.

If the only thing you read is dozens of Danielle Steel and Tom Clancy novels, then it doesn’t matter quite as much, because there’s no need to read carefully, skip back and forth between multiple parts of the text, look things up, or analyze a complex argument. But for anything that’s not a completely disposable pulp novel, forget it.

Almost nobody making “ebooks” does anything to make them interactive. There are a ton of things that an interactive computer book can do better than paper, especially if they include simulations, animations, etc., but I can count on one hand the books taking full advantage of that capability.

Ebook hardware and software could make itself useful even for plain text documents, if it allowed effective cross-linking, highlighting, note taking, and discussion. In theory, digital platforms should allow all kinds of better ways for indexing, searching, and building up personal research collections. But other than a few simple niceties like looking up words in a dictionary, book reading/annotating/cataloging software fails to live up to any of its potential. For the basic reading experience, ebooks end up much worse than the paper version.

[ideus]

Any tips or tricks to transitioning to reading digital copies of books?

Don’t bother. Digital books suck for reading.

(On the other hand, digital books on a laptop are great for reference use, if you need to search inside them. Search on mobile devices and e-readers is **** though.)

In some cases the digital copies may be get just in time for some urgent work; but, they are very hard to read in any case. You should choose between convinced or comfort.

[SpAmRaY]

As a follow up, I started using my wife's old kindle then decided to get myself a paperwhite.

So far it's just ok but convenient and my reading on it definitely falls into the purely casual type.

I've also bought some physical books that are either older versions or that were simply cheaper than the digital version.

[jdcarpe]

I find that for reading novels, short stories, etc. I prefer e-Ink over LCD. To me a Kindle is most similar in the reading experience to a bound volume.

Maybe it's the ADD that always tugs at me when I'm on an actual tablet, saying that there are other, more exciting things to check at the tap of a finger. When I'm reading on a Kindle, those distractions aren't there on the same device.