by SB Frank
So, Tues November 3rd is the day we post our interview with Ann Aguirre. Meanwhile, I’ve been looking at my swollen bookshelves and debating the idea of buying a Sony/Kindle/Nook e-reader. My limited understanding is this: Kindle ties you irrevocably to Amazon.com. Nook has a memory card and so allows you to read e-books published elsewhere (except Amazon.com). And Sony, well, I don’t know much about the Sony reader. I hear people talk about using their I-pods, too, as e-readers. Then again, even as I consider buying, I think how tragic it would be not to actually have the book to read, and it gives me pause. It’s all very confusing. So…
Discussion Question: Paper or e-book? And, if e-book? Which reader and why? Let’s hear your thoughts. Do you have an e-reader? Considered one? One lucky commenter will receive a copy of A Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis. This discussion will last for most of the week, till Thursday, and the winner will be announced during Ruth’s Thoughtful Thursday post. So, be sure to check back on Tuesday for the interview and on Thursday to see if you’ve won. And while you’re here, check out our most recent daily reviews!
Seak: Mad Kestrel by 
Hi
I have considered getting an ereader but there are too many different readers with proprietary formats. Plus Amazon considers the buyer of an ebook to merely to have “rented” it from them and as such, the reader does not own the ebook, Amazon does. Further, prices for ebooks are unreasonably exorbitant in a lot of places still.
I’m going to wait until there is a universal format & prices are reasonable.
All the best,
RKCharron
I agree with RKCharron. Also, I stare a computer screen most of the day and there is something so satisfying about being able to open a book and flip through the pages. You never have to worry about recharging or batteries, books are tough to break, plus you can have a book out during all time during a plane flight. The only thing you have to worry about with a book is having your bookmark fall out. It would have to be much less expensive for me to consider buying an ebook.
[...] Ongoing: Give us your opinion on e-readers and win a copy of Bitter Night. (Click here to enter) [...]
So I have also been having the same debate. I want to get nook or kindle for christmas. I think it would be awesome to take on trips. I have used e-reader and I liked it but thats on my computer and I don’t want to cart that around.
Does the nook consider you a renter or a buyer? My other drawback to an e-reader is that it would be a disaster if I dropped it the tub. With a paperback, I can let it dry out and I’m fine.
For me it’s Paper, i love the smell of books and touching them. But i’m debating buying an ereader because it would help me save some space in my room. My main problem is that i live in France and i haven’t find yet the perfect international e-reader. The nook looks like the best reader on the market so far
I usually read with paper too, but I’m really waiting for an e-reader that I feel gives me more of the “abilities” that a book allows (I just hate all the limitations that come with most of ebook readers). I’m really liking how the Nook lets you “lend” out your ebook to someone for 2 weeks and in the meantime you can’t read it. And I like that it’ wireless and has color. So.. I’m leaning towards it but not completely sold. Meanwhile, if I want to read ebooks, I use my netbook.
I personally like ebooks for the “search” option, so I can find quotes and passages faster. Most of my ebooks I read on my laptop, and really that’s the only screen I think I’ll need to read from. Otherwise, I prefer physical books that are formatted nicely into a specific number of pages, and has a more flexible cover (ex. glittery or protruding text).
My mother argues that she likes eReaders for their “delete” option though, so she doesn’t need to use up lots of shelf space and can get rid of the books she doesn’t want by deleting it.
I myself have a Kindle and although its a great piece of technology, sometimes I feel something missing, such as the crinkling of paper and the weight and size of the normal book. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Kindle and my extensive library of novels, plus you can read magazines and newspapers on it. Amazon does a fair job with prices and publishers often sell books for free for the Kindle, but there’s no replacing your straight paper back book and that’s often why I occasionally do buy those as well.
I read ebooks mostly on my computer, or on my Ipod Touch. The Stanza app will read pretty much any format you can find the book in, with the exception of kindle and other proprietary format. I still very much prefer a physical book. The feel, the smell, the lack of batteries. A real book is still portable, and I can give to whom ever I please.
a full book-lover myself, I have to say I’m surprisingly pleased with my Kindle. Actually once or twice I’ve found myself reaching to turn a page as I was so immersed in reading. You can’t beat it for extensive travel. When I went to my MFA program the first two years (a several week residency) I carted along two backpacks of books. This summer I took my Kindle. I especially like it for reading non-fiction, most especially non-fiction I read for my writing as I cut and paste and annotate so by the end I have a doc of all my notes I can send/download to my working computer(s). I’ve found that a huge plus. I don’t purchase books I suspect I’ll want to keep (Malazan series, for instance) and I hold off purchasing if they’re over 10 dollars–but usually I find the pricing good and the sales surprisingly so. End result is I’m quite happy with the technology.
All that said–I didn’t purchase the Kindle; I was awarded it. If I had a lot of disposable income, I’d probably buy one based on my experience and would recommend them happily. But I don’t (have lots of disposable income, or posable income for that matter) so if I hadn’t been given one I wouldn’t purchase one now due to upfront cost plus competing formats. I’d get one eventually, but most likely wait ’till the format wars are either over or are clearly going to last a long, long time.
Great topic, I’ve been trying to decide the same thing. I love my hardcover/paperbacks, but it would really be nice to have them all in one place. I don’t really like to read a book on pc just not my thing. I’ve heard great things about the Kindle, but didn’t realize you were obligated only to Amazon. I don’t like that idea. I agree with who ever said they were going to wait til a Universal Reader comes out, that sounds better to me than buying one now and having the one I want come out a few months later. We all know someone will put one out soon. Since the Kindle, E-Reader and Sony Reader came out sooner or later all of us avid readers will probally have some type of reader.
I have a Sony Reader Touch Edition. i use it currently for books that are only available as e-books. i went with the Sony because you can use books from almost any source out there. It also, on the Touch edition, has two memory slots…one for an SD card and one for a Sony Memory Stick Duo. I still love the feel and smell of paper books. But having a bunch in a travel-easy package does have it’s advantages. So both is my choice
I don’t read e-books; I love prints. I have read a few e-books but because I don’t have an e-reader (and haven’t a clue which ones are the best) I don’t normally read them, I love being able to touch the pages and just, yup I much prefer print books.
I am sorry, but I love my books. I have heard a lot of people talking about getting some sort of e-reader. I just can’t bring myself to get one. See, I like to put sticky notes in my books as I read so I can easily get back to a certain point when I want to for discussions of just to reread if I need to later in the book. I also have a problem with breaking things, so for me it is cheaper to have the paper in hand. *L* Everyone is different, and I am sure in time I will have to go to the e-reader but for now or at least till I have not choose left I will stay with the good old faithful books.
eBook definitely. I use Stanza on my iPod Touch and I couldn’t live without it. Its a great reader and lets you change the size and color of the text and has so many great features. I get most of my books from booksonboard.com because they are always having sales. Enough said, sales = more books!
Paper. All the way. Forever. I don’t have any kind of ereader and I don’t even have a Blackberry. I just prefer an individual book with a cover that sort of has its own identity. Plus, they’re prettier. If that counts.
Yep, I am a paper type reader. I have been looking at the various devices. My first complaint is that the reader is forced to obtain their books from a particular supplier, and are limited to what they have to offer. I do not like the limitation. I love scouring used book stores for some great find, I do not like being limited in my selections. The main reason is perhaps that even when I read a novella online from a favorite author, I tend to print it out. I find it easier to read the printed copy. Of course with the reader, I would not be forced to stare at a computer screen, but I just so enjoy the feel and act of reading from an actual paper printed book.
I have very little interest in getting an e-book reader. I vastly prefer paper books. I can see that e-book readers would be useful for some people, but nothing can beat the experience of reading a regular paper book for me. That’s also why I still subscribe to several paper magazines, even though almost all the content can be found on the magazines’ websites for free.
I’m a dead-tree reader, for the simple reason that I haven’t had the disposable income recently to shell out for an e-reader!
I can’t think of getting myself an e-reader. First, because they’re expensive. And then because I love books. I like the touch of covers, the smell of the pages, the familiar object on my bedtime table.
I always prefer paper books. I can’t help but be “old-fashioned” about it because paper books is what I first learned to read from. Plus, I love the feeling of the pages between my finger tips, the anticipation of what’s to come. You just don’t get the same feeling with an ebook.
If I was to choose an ebook reader, I would choose Sony. I have always been pleased with Song products. Plus, I have tested the reader at Borders. It looks like a fun and easy to use one.
I just picked up a SONY ereader on loan. I like to test out new technology… but I am finding that I prefer the feel of a book. I will try out the kindle too, but I have a feeling the smell of freshly placed ink will always hold a place in my heart.
WOW!!! I guess this a decision that a bunch of us book-worms are considering. It’s been something that’s been nagging at me ever since I saw the ad for Kindle on Amazon.
I never liked the idea of electronic books before. There is just something that seems more intimite about holding a book, with its uniquely designed cover and fonts on the pages, in your hands to read, pretty much the way its been done for centuries.
But when I saw how the Kindle displays everything just like it looks in the book, plus the idea of being able to access and download a new book and/or magazine, that’s very tempting. Plus, I just went through a move which really drove home how much space all my books require -not too mention how heavy a box of them is. I even traded enough of them in at my loca (not so local now) used-book store to get $61 in credit (that will last me for years).
Why do we feel like we need to keep all these books anyway? Of all the ones I have, I’ll probably only re-read less then 10% of them. So I guess the rest are basically like hunting trophies?
I think the only thing holding me back now is the money, not only for the device, but it seems like the price of the books is too close to what a new paperback cost anyway. And I how would I explain to my wife, that I just spent a 3 or 4 hundred bucks for a Kindle, that there will still be real books I’ll want to buy just for the sake of collecting. Plus, what if I end-up not really liking the darn thing?
But I know, since I’ve already put this much thought into it, sooner or later I’ll probably break down and get one.
I’ve been debating buying one for a while now. I love real books. I love being surrounded by them. But they do take up a ton of space. My biggest objection to buying an e-reader is not being able to loan a book to my family members like I do now. The cool thing about the Nook, is you can loan it, and even better, it comes back to you automatically. No more hunting down who borrowed it last. I think I’m going to wait for some customer feedback on this one, but right now, the Nook is the one I’m leaning towards. I will probably break down and get an e-reader at some point, but I know I’ll still be buying regular books as well.
I really love paper. Being a librarian I feel the need to have books around me at all times! That being said, I have to admit that one of the reasons I bought an ipod touch is that there is a free Kindle app for it. I have the app and a few other apps that allow me to download books onto my itouch. I really like this format but you will have to pull paper books out of my cold dead hand!
I do not have a e-reader. And for home use I would never use one, I love reading a actual physical book. But I travel a couple times a year and one would make that so much easier so I have considered it. But you are right, what one to choose is a hard call, right now I am leaning towards the Kindle should I give in and choose to get one. But I am going to wait and see what the Nook does and what the feelings are after it has been out for a while. It is a not a urgent decision on my part since I can always carry books with me, just a possibility should I have the extra money and want the convenience. So luckily I have time to wait and see. Especially since I could never ever give up actual books for day to day reading.
I have though about saving for an e-reader but as with so many other I find I just prefer a printed book. As others have said, the feel, the ability to read anywhere and pure habit mean it is unlikely thatI will buy one.
Also I have seen rants on some blogs recently, that the price of e-books is increasing and that sometimes an e-book is actually more expensive than a print copy.
I am a Kindler (as you can see from my website), but became one after testing the Sony in-store and talking to a co-worker who has one. I have been a bookworm since I can remember (I was reading prior to kindergarten), but once I started ebooking, I haven’t looked back. I bought my last DTB in 2007 and don’t regret it. I was able to throw away my reading glasses–for general fiction, anyway–and pretty much take it with me whereever I go so I no longer complain about long lines or wait times anywhere.
Let me echo previous comments – you can NOT beat a Kindle for vacation or travel reading. I went on a week long cruise and was giddy because I did not have to decide on one or two books. I loaded up with a bunch of classics, some papers from work and about 10 books that I had been waiting to read. That kind of power still gives me shivers (she says geekily)
Just so you know, I buy books from a multitude of sources; although I consider Amazon to be a pretty good long-term bet to be tied to, I also back-up all my books as should any person with an ereader.
I swore I’d never give up my books, but getting older and still being of flexible mind led me to the realization that I don’t like collecting fiction books but for a tiny percentage that I know I’ll read throughout my life. I felt wasteful tossing books at people as soon as I finished them. Buying a kindle, with it’s instant access to the bookstore with no need to plug into a computer at 3 am when I can’t sleep, has been the best modern device in the last 5 yrs. for me. I delete books constantly, download sample chapters to check writing style, and read reviews right before clicking that Buy button. Instant gratification. Love the Kindle. The sony doesn’t have the wireless no computer yet still shopping thing. I handled both and knew the kindle was it. Love blogs on the kindle!
Paper for sure- right now. But I have been considering getting an e-reader. Waiting for prices to come doew.