poll: e-books or traditional?

[kloumc]

My daughter is taking a poll for a college research project:

On a scale of 0 to 5, how much do or would you enjoy reading an e-book (i.e. Kindle)? This assumes that money and content are not factors. (5 = highly favoring technology like the Kindle, and 0 = favoring traditional books in fierce animosity towards digital books.) If you feel like it, please explain your number.

 

Thanks for your help in this :)

[Satori]

I say 5. Love my Kindle.

 

Explanation? If I want a book, I can get it in my hands in a few seconds. It's portable and I can take hundreds of books with me. I can read it on my Kindle, all my deskops/laptops, my iPhone. Yes, I am a bit of a geek. I can instantly learn the definition of a work. Take notes without a pen nearby. Search a book quickly. Good for the environment. If my house has a fire, I still have my ebooks... etc... I'm sure there are more benefits, those just came to mind quickly.

 

Some books are not appropriate as eBooks, then I am happy to buy in physical form. Some I have both versions - physical and electronic.

[keptwoman]

2. I like the feel of holding a book, turning the pages, looking at the spots of chocolate or little smudges from the book being used and loved.

[abbeyej]

3. My Kindle is great for some things. I love that I can get so many books instantly (no tracking it down at bookstores or waiting for UPS or the library reservation system). I love that I can carry a stack of books (for me, for the kids) in one slim volume. I find the Kindle screen easy on the eyes -- it's really not like trying to read on a computer screen.

 

There are drawbacks though. When I'm done with a book, I can't pass it on to a friend I think would enjoy it. It's harder to flip back to something I read before and didn't consider significant, but now I want to find it again. I can't mark up the pages. And how silly is it that my "book" could give me a low battery warning?!? ;)

[Amira]

5

 

That doesn't mean that I don't love traditional books (because I do) but I think that digital books have a lot of potential and they have some major benefits over traditional books, especially for people like me who are highly mobile. For example, being able to download books in countries with few, if any, books in English available is a huge thing for me.

 

I find that I forget that I'm reading a digital book on a good reader and it feels like I'm reading a traditional book.

[Orthodox6]

As, on this scale, "3" equates to "neutral", I guess I'll post for 3.

 

I never have used a mechanical book, but concede a place in the universe for such. In fact, I think I would like a toy book if ever I can afford one ! (That is seriously said, not sarcastically.) I rather doubt, nonetheless, that one who is either a bibliophile who appreciates fine papers, exquisite illustrations, or superior bindings and/or a librarian (and I must plead guilty to both categories) will wax rhapsodic about a Kindle or its kith and kin !

Edited March 5, 2010 by Orthodox6

[jujsky]

I vote 2 on a scale of 0-5 IF money was not an option. There is something about holding a real book that I couldn't give up. If $$ wasn't an factor, it might be nice to have a Kindle as a back-up in case I ran out of stuff to read and was stuck somewhere. It wouldn't be my method of choice though.

[Dmmetler]

2, maybe 3. I much prefer print books-the feel, smell, and everything else about them. Having said that, it would certainly increase the space available in this house if we could convert even just the adult level fiction to electronic form!

 

I have, reluctantly, in the interest of having space for the books we're collecting for homeschooling, reduced the print versions of books available on Google books that I don't expect (or, in some cases, WANT) my DD to read in the next few years. But I'm keeping all the various mythologies, folktales, and fairy tales from around the world!

[Orthodox6]

I wish I could convert all schoolwork from the dc into electronic files on an e-book. Then I could hand an e-book machine to college admission staff and let them easily evaluate my students !

[KnitWit]

I will assume 3 is neutral and vote that.

 

My FIRST inclination is to vote 0, because I LOVE holding a book. I love the feel, I am visual and when I read a book for the second or third time, there are memories there because I can remember where I was or whom I was with when I read (see) certain passages or pictures. LOL! To me, a *book* is like an old friend.

 

THAT SAID...I have NEVER had the opportunity to use a Kindle type thing. LOL!

 

I can say, I HATE reading online what I could read in a book.

 

Not helpful huh? LOL! I'm trying to be *fair* in regards to my ignorance. LOL!

[KnitWit]

I wish I could convert all schoolwork from the dc into electronic files on an e-book. Then I could hand an e-book machine to college admission staff and let them easily evaluate my students !

 

A big, hearty "Here! Here!" to THAT!!!

[MyLittleWonders]

1, maybe 2 if I'm feeling generous! ;) I love real books - the smell, the feel, the accessibility. My eyes tired when I'm not reading real paper (granted, I don't have any real experience with Kindle, and I know without backlight it is better, but just the electronic screen is enough for me). I'm also a bit of a traditionalist! :D That said, I will probably end up with an iPad, and will probably have at least a few books on it to read. But, if I had to choose, real books win hands-down any day.

[Diann]

5. I love reading books on my Kindle.

[eaglei]

I will assume 3 is neutral and vote that.

 

My FIRST inclination is to vote 0, because I LOVE holding a book. I love the feel, I am visual and when I read a book for the second or third time, there are memories there because I can remember where I was or whom I was with when I read (see) certain passages or pictures. LOL! To me, a *book* is like an old friend.

 

THAT SAID...I have NEVER had the opportunity to use a Kindle type thing. LOL!

 

I can say, I HATE reading online what I could read in a book.

 

Not helpful huh? LOL! I'm trying to be *fair* in regards to my ignorance. LOL!

 

Well said. On each point, :iagree: However, IF 3 is NOT neutral, then I'd be inclined to vote 0 for me, even though I know technology has its place and may be the only way some people will read. As for me, I've not used a Kindle (just learned what it was not all that long ago), intensely dislike reading online, and MUCH prefer holding a book!:)

[hsmom]

0 I absolutely love a real book. One I can hold, touch, smell, turn the pages, and the feel of a new book the crisp pages and sound of the tight binding as you open it for the first time. You just don't get that with an electronic book reader. IMO ebooks just are not the same. Now they are nice for somethings, but a book well they can be treasured, passed down, collected, loved. That is just me.

Edited March 5, 2010 by hsmom

[MamaT]

I vote 5. I was very reluctant to get a digital reader, mostly because I intensely dislike reading books on my computer. I got a nook for Christmas though, and have to say I love it. I like being able to take it with me and download a book whenever I want a new one. Instead of taking a pile of books when I leave the house, I can just grab my nook. I still love real books, but have to say I love my nook too. I forget it is not a "real" book when I'm reading.

[Mekanamom]

5

 

I love reading on my Kindle just as much as I love reading regular books.

[OrganicAnn]

0 - Old school - love the real thing.

[kalanamak]

1

 

I will never own a Kindle, and I love books, but I want Kindley things to exist in case I end up with a bad case of MS, e.g., and have to read off a screen I control by blowing on a straw.

 

(BTW, I don't own a cell phone or ipod or blackberry or digital camera or...or....or, so you see where I'm coming from.)

[Crissy]

3.

I do love the convenience of reading ebooks with Kindle software on my iPod, but I sure miss the ease of returning to post-it note marked passages that I like to record in my journal.

[Laurel]

I say 5. Love my Kindle.

 

Explanation? If I want a book, I can get it in my hands in a few seconds. It's portable and I can take hundreds of books with me. I can read it on my Kindle, all my deskops/laptops, my iPhone. Yes, I am a bit of a geek. I can instantly learn the definition of a work. Take notes without a pen nearby. Search a book quickly. Good for the environment. If my house has a fire, I still have my ebooks... etc... I'm sure there are more benefits, those just came to mind quickly.

 

Some books are not appropriate as eBooks, then I am happy to buy in physical form. Some I have both versions - physical and electronic.

 

:iagree: with everything Angela said. Definitely a 5. When I travel, I can take 1 light book-like object instead of 10+ heavy books. (I always travel with at least a book a day, because I can and sometimes do read that much, and the idea of being without a book freaks me out.) If I'm out and about and have some unexpected free time and find myself without a book, I can pull one up on my iPhone - and it will even come up to the page I was on. (Which is another benefit, as I read to fall asleep, and usually don't manage to get a bookmark in a book - my Kindle keeps my place for me.) A surprising advantage is that I can read my Kindle in the bathtub (in a ziploc bag, though they do also make waterproof covers), without worrying about it, whereas I am much more likely to ruin a physical book in the bath.

 

I love "real" books as well, and there's no way I'd give up my house library, but now that I've experienced the Kindle, I wouldn't want to give that up either.

[LauraGB]

I'd say 1, pretty much for all the same reasons that have already been mentioned. But there is more. I don't think I'll be able to explain it very well, but I'll try. Being in a library, seeing a wall of books (or several walls of books) makes me feel...good. I like seeing so much knowledge, history, different places, stories, entire lives written out before me, knowing that I can reach out and immerse myself in whatever I have chosen. I don't get that same feeling from looking at a piece of equipment that reminds me so much of a hand held video game (which I know it is not). And I can't see everything it contains just by looking at the box. Maybe I'm just set in my ways, but that's how I see it.

 

Also, there is the whole problem with getting to know people. When I go over to someone's house, I look for their bookshelves. I like to see what they are reading or have read or have cared about enough to purchase. I guess it's kind of like using the bathroom and going through the medicine cabinet ;) (which I don't do!). I've learned a lot about people just by seeing what they read. Can't subtly get that done with a Kindle.

 

ETA another thing that bothers me is how in the world will anyone know anything about us in 500+ years if everything is digital? What happens when they don't have the technology to read it anymore? Tech advances so quickly and things become obsolete the day before they come out. Hardcopy, written things have helped us understand history forever.

Edited March 5, 2010 by LauraGB

[melissel]

2. I like the feel of holding a book, turning the pages, looking at the spots of chocolate or little smudges from the book being used and loved.

 

I would say a 1, mainly for the above reasons. I love the whole aesthetic aspect of physical books. I also love using my library. While I love to read, I don't feel strongly enough about most books to pay for them, even at a decreased price. I've seen the Kindle and used it a bit, but it's not for me.

[Spy Car]

Can I go for both 0 and 5?

 

Because I love books. Real books. Books printed on real (acid-free) paper. With sewn bindings that lay flat. That are printed with lead and ink. With great typography and design that incorporate all the printing arts.

 

Today we mostly get "books" printed on pulp-paper that self destruct. With "glued bindings. Printed on off-set machines. To me these don't inspire love.

 

While I don't own an e-reader yet, I love the idea of tapping into a vast virtual-library of long out of print and rare books that I could never hope to access other-wise (or at least to without great effort or expense). Already, I read a great many work on my computer monitor (which is not ideal) because I want the "content." If the right e-reader can make reading e-books a pleasure, I'll be stoked.

 

Bill (who will inherit so many thousands of old and rare books on top of the books he and Mrs Spy Car have filling ever nook and cranny of our home, that an e-book will seem like a blessing from above)

Edited March 5, 2010 by Spy Car

[happygrrl]

0 and 5.

 

For example, I have a very beautiful rare edition of Les Miserables on my shelf, 2 paperback versions of the same (for lending) and another (free!) copy is on my new kindle right now.

 

In other words, my kindle does not *replace* my treasured books, merely extends the pleasure of reading them. I am currently traveling across the country and have so many books in the palm of my hand! This is amazing to me, especially since last year I had about 10 books in my handbag (one being Brothers Karamozov and the rest of similar heft.) I think the majority of books on my kindle have real-life counterparts on my shelves at home. The lone exception is a lovely book I just picked up for free.... and now I am on the lookout for a real copy.

[oujisan]

1. I like the feel of books. I like to be able to put post-its in my cookbooks so I can tell at a glance where my recipes are. I am a very visual person. I identify my books by the colors on the spine and by their size. For instance, if I need a specific recipe, for say grilled tofu, I can tell my to get me the narrow cookbook with the red spine and yellow text. I can't remember the name of the book at all, but I know the colors. That is also how I generally choose books at the library and bookstore. I look at the cover and if I like the picture, I get it.

 

Also, having that pile of books sitting on the desk reminds me that I need to read them. It is way to easy to ignore electronic devices and never even turn them on. I've purchased some e-books and never gotten around to reading them because they are in electronic format.

 

I've never used a kindle, but if they are like most electronics, it would be really hard to read on one when the sun is hitting the screen. That is not a problem with real books.

 

Also, I hate to admit this, but my family is hard on electronics. We are always loosing remotes, the digital camera, chargers and the ipods. I can't recall the number of times various remotes have fallen on the tile floor and the back falls off and the batteries scatter across the room. Or how many times people drop their cell phones in the toilet or in a puddle. I'm not talking kids here, I'm talking adults. So obviously we are better off without portable electronics.:)

[KidsHappen]

0 - I love books. I love everything about them, well except for maybe papercuts. I don't own nor have I ever used a Kindle but I am disinclined to do so. I hate technology and I hate change. My brother was going to buy me a Kindle for my birthday and I literally had to beg him not to. My books are what make my house a home and it wouldn't feel very warm, comfy and cozy without them. I can't even imagine a home without books. I love to browse bookstores, libraries, and my own bookshelves. How in the world do you browse a Kindle? :glare:

[TeacherZee]

3. It would be a 5 if the initial outlay for the device wasn't so much. Right now I can't afford one of the devices. I do have Kindle for PC but it doesn't have the note taking facilities so I have to do that on paper. With a real book at least I can write in the book (WHAT?! SWB said we could!:D). I would love a Kindle though because that would save space in my suitcase when I travel (I'm one of those people who takes a selection of 10 books for a long weekend :lol:)

[RoughCollie]

2. I'd rather read an actual book.

 

I would like to have a Kindle, given that money is no object. I can see that it would be very handy because it is portable and it saves storage space. I think of the Kindle as being akin to convenience foods.

 

I think, however, that the price of Kindle books is too high. From a business standpoint, that is a good place to be. It's kind of like companies who sell razors -- they make a large portion of their profit from the replacement blades, not from selling the actual razors.

 

I can get classics from the library, or read the ones I already own. The books I would buy for it would be the ones that were recently published. I can get those from the library, too. I think the price of the books sticks in my craw more than anything.

 

OTOH, I think that it would be a good idea for textbooks for high school and college to be available on the Kindle. That way the kids would not need to carry all those heavy books to and from school. Now, I would make sure they had a set of actual schoolbooks at home, but that has no bearing on whether the kids would agree that was necessary.

 

Anyway, I'd prefer actual books. I think e-books will eventually take over the market, though, as the population is replaced by people who prefer them for their convenience, portability, and other (unknown to me) attributes.

[Rhonda in TX]

I would say 1. Here are my reasons...

 

1. I love browsing bookshelves. I have found so many treasures over the years, just looking through the shelves at libraries and bookstores. You can't do that with an e-reader.

 

2. Like somebody else mentioned, I'm visual. I need a hard copy of something in order to remember it. Files on my computer are forgotten and misplaced. I see that happening with an e-reader as well.

 

3. I like to borrow and lend books. You can't do that with a Kindle. You can with a Nook, but only if the other person has a Nook. They can't have a different e-reader.

 

4. I do not like Amazon's ability to remove books from the Kindle. You do not actually own the books. They are only licensed to you. I think that's pretty scary.

 

I'm sure there are other reasons, but that's what I thought of right away.

Edited March 5, 2010 by Rhonda in TX
remembered another big reason

[tex-mex]

1 - slight distrust of publishers that the book is on "loan" electronically. I like the idea of owning a book and doing whatever I want with it. Share, loan, or sell it after I'm done reading it.

[TravelingChris]

Never read a Kindle or any type of book like that but have read things online. I will vote 1. I don't buy books and don't want to even though I have the money. I am a strong, strong supporter of the public library and would hate to have them disappear because of KIndles and such like.

[MaMa2005]

My vote is a 5. I am a Kindle user and really love it. I recently read a 'traditional' book (pleasure reading) and that really cemented my bond with my Kindle. The traditional book was difficult to hold in bed and I was always twisting and turning to get it just right. With my Kindle, I am able to remove my bifocals, increase the font size and lie on my side to read in bed. No moving around - just a simple click to turn a page.

 

Also, we do a great deal of traveling. My Kindle affords me the opportunity to have travel books, pleasure books, and my son's reading books all in a small device, always with us. Traditional books just wouldn't work.

[kloumc]

Thank you one and all for your insightful input! My daughter has tried to gather information for this poll in another venue, but my Well-Trained Mind Forum friends have contributed the most! This is great! Any one else want to put in their two cents?

[Heather in Neverland]

5! I love my kindle!

[Crissy]

I am a strong, strong supporter of the public library and would hate to have them disappear because of KIndles and such like.

 

We are great supporters of our public libraries as well. I haven't found that we check out fewer books since my son and I began reading on e-book devices. Now, in fact, there are a number of e-books checked out in addition to the stacks of physical books we borrow.

[Parrothead]

0. I find it difficult to read electronic media. I have a hard time following a line of writing if there is nothing but writing line after line- such as in the gray box on this website.

[CAMom]

 

In other words, my kindle does not *replace* my treasured books, merely extends the pleasure of reading them. I am currently traveling across the country and have so many books in the palm of my hand! This is amazing to me, especially since last year I had about 10 books in my handbag (one being Brothers Karamozov and the rest of similar heft.) I think the majority of books on my kindle have real-life counterparts on my shelves at home. The lone exception is a lovely book I just picked up for free.... and now I am on the lookout for a real copy.

 

:iagree:

 

I find it interesting that those voting 0 are those who have never even read on a Kindle (or other device). Some are, in fact, making false assumptions about the Kindle as well.

 

Frankly, I was originally in the crowd who said, "I love books too much to ever get a Kindle!" But, I was worn down over time and I absolutely love my Kindle! It is *not* like reading a computer screen at all! My eyes are very sensitive to computer monitors but I can read for hours on my Kindle without the "electronic effect."

 

I still absolutely love books! I love everything about them that the others have mentioned! But, I have allowed space for my Kindle in my life and I am much the better for it! I get books on my Kindle that wouldn't necessarily earn a spot on my bookshelves in the house because of limited space. I take it with me when I'm out which has allowed me to get in much more reading than I otherwise would if I had to carry several books.

 

So, I'm a die hard book lover. But, my Kindle has a place in my heart.:) I love both!

[Crissy]

0. I find it difficult to read electronic media. I have a hard time following a line of writing if there is nothing but writing line after line- such as in the gray box on this website.

 

I don't read on an actual Kindle, but use their software on my iPod.

My screen doesn't look anything like the link you posted. The layout is much more similar to a page in a book.

I have read on a Nook, and it looks like a physical book page as well.

[CAMom]

I don't read on an actual Kindle, but use their software on my iPod.

My screen doesn't look anything like the link you posted. The layout is much more similar to a page in a book.

I have read on a Nook, and it looks like a physical book page as well.

 

I agree.

 

My Kindle looks nothing like the text on that link. There's no way I could read it if it was. I looks very much like type on an actual page. In fact, I have my font size set so there is less type on the page which makes it much easier for me to read! In fact, I find it easier to read in that sense than a book. When I can see both pages at a time in a book, my eyes jump all over the place. The Kindle allows me to focus on a much smaller area and all of that is eliminated!:)

[KnitWit]

Thanks for this poll.

 

I appreciate all the points being made. SpyCar made me think about all those rare and oop books...hmmm... :D

 

I am not *anti* Kindle by any means. I am especially interested in trying one now that I realize that the screen is different to reading on a laptop and the point of being able to read in bed.

 

There *is* something cozy about retiring with a *book*. However, I cannot forget the night I fell asleep reading Anna Karenina and nearly conked myself out when I dropped a 3" thick book on my face! LOL!

[Crissy]

The Kindle allows me to focus on a much smaller area and all of that is eliminated!:)

 

That is so interesting, Ronette. I just mentioned to my son the other day how much better I seem to be able to follow a line of text on the iPod.

I'll have to tell him that I'm not alone. :)

[Krista in LA]

I would say 2 - I love the feel and smell of a real book. I'm also a very visual person and can remember where I read something on a page within a book - I think that would be lost on an electronic device.

[rhettsmommy]

Definitely a 4. I love my ereader, my ds is more enthusiastic about reading on it also. His book taste leans toward a rather thick book (he's 8) and visually, he feels overwelmed. On the ereader, he doesn't pay attention to the page number because he realizes that it changes with font size. Go figure :)

[Scuff]

1

[mommaduck]

I'll go for a 2. I love holding and collecting books. I like having them on bookshelves. Libraries full of paper are so very valuable and we don't have to depend on a battery or electricity to be able to read. I've never had a Kindle, but have read a few books (fiction) online. It hurts my eyes after a time and isn't as enjoyable as smelling a book and turning a page. I believe there was a study done showing that there were positive effects to the brain in holding a book and turning pages compared to scrolling online or on a Kindle. On the plus side of technology, it is nice that there is a compact means that some can use to carry multiple books and read anywhere (as long as they can keep juicing up the battery).