Books: Digital or Non-Digital

[MangoFoalix 25,037]

Here is an interesting topic. Which kind of books do you prefer? Do you prefer to have it on your phone, laptop, or computer or do you prefer to have it the old fashioned way? Me personally, I like it both ways but I like to lean towards a non-digital book. Why? It's because I like the feel, the smell, and just the feeling of not having a screen blasting in my face 24/7. There is nothing that can beat the smell of a new book or even the smell of a book that is years old.

Discuss.

[Tacodidra 61,319]

I read online texts a lot more than I read books. But if a text is in book form (separate pages and such), I definitely prefer physical books to e-books.

[Denim&Venöm 19,342]

At the moment, digital. Most of my reading is on my BlackBerry or on my computer. It helps cause you can read in the dark when on the road. 

The exception would be graphic novels. Those don't translate well in digital, so I just take the book with me. 

[Derplight Sperkle 1,013]

I've read many books in the paper format and only a few digital. I've preferred the paper since it feels better to me to do it that way. I still have plenty of digital books to get to eventually so I could change my mind on this.

I mean, you can read digital at any point, unlike books where you need light too. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[CandyCorn 428]

Non-digital! I prefer the old fashioned way of reading. It's a lot easier for me for one thing. I'm not sure how to explain it... I guess I'm just not really a digital book reader since I'm not really used to it.

[Oleks 1,993]

When I tell people that I don't use paper books since 2010 and totally prefer digital ones, I often am viewed as some kind of heretic. But I really like to read books on by phone or electronic pocket book. Paper books are bulky, impractical and often smell funny. So, I'm all for the digital format.

Spoiler

Plus, "save a tree, burn a book" (c)!

 

[Rikifive 24,222]

I'm not a book horse, but if I'd have to choose, I'd definitely pick physical books.

I have many other things to do on PC, so reading books would be somewhere at the end of the list of possible activities I could choose while on PC. 

There's always phone yes, but I use it only occasionally; when PC is unavailable; I'm at work, for example. I mean, using it only to do few stuff and nothing more, I'm not a fan of working on mobile devices.

So with that being said, physical books would be best as they offer that different experience, rather than just being some other activity on those screens.

But as I said, I never really could get myself into books. Always preferred visual presentation, heh.

I have a relatively short Daring Do book, yet I couldn't get myself even to this. But I swear I'll read it someday! 

I also prefer physical copies, because books are a great decoration ~ I just like their texture and whatsoever. 

 

I guess me not being a book horse is partially because of school; we always had to read books, that weren't interesting at all. I always tried to avoid these and never really had a chance to get used to these. RIP first impressions. 

That also kinda makes me feel bad, because books are nice, I think it's an interesting activity. I just... Never could get myself into this; always tons of other things to do...

Even just sitting in the garden makes me think of productive things I could do instead; so thinking of spending a longer while on a book brings mixed feelings; I even look differently at gaming nowadays.

Okay enough of that.  

Edited August 3, 2018 by Rikifive

[Passion 3,484]

Physical books don't run out of power and turn themselves off on you when you're in the mountains with no access to electric energy anywhere nearby.

Plus, they don't blast your face with constant stream of light. Especially at night. Sure you can't read them at night but- oh wait, I totally did read books with flashlight under bedsheets ;D

 

Physical books > digital anytime for me.

[Brony Number 42 10,073]

I dont think I have bought an ebook. I prefer paper.

[Lord Valtasar 12,700]

good old Hardbacks for me, preferably leather bound
i do like me some audiobooks for when i'm stuck in trafic though

Edited August 3, 2018 by Lord Valtasar

[Jedishy 3,549]

I prefer paper books of any sort. Leather and soft covers being my preference. Digital is heresy and I will laugh when I can read during the zombie apocalypse and all the kindles and nooks are out of power so 

[King of Canterlot 9,603]

My eyes get strained too easily if I'm reading something off a screen, so I prefer to have a good ol' traditional book. That and I also spend way too much of my time staring at a screen anyways, it's good to change it up and stare at a piece of paper with words on it too from time to time  

[Cwanky 17,602]

Call me old-fashioned, but outside of school, I have almost exclusively stuck with traditional paper and hard books. Being nearsighted, I also find it easier to focus on the pages versus a screen but I also like the feel of books and their reliability. I really don't care for people putting dog ears in books. Use a bookmark damnit! 

[TBD 17,256]

Book, digital doesn't feel authentic.  

[碇 シンジン 27,433]

Digital 100% there is still chance for someone to capitalise on it and became the Netflix of Books 

[Fluttershutter 2,537]

Real books. I have a room full of them.

[Dreambiscuit 10,164]

I far prefer traditional non-digital books. I like the supple feeling of a book in my hands, the smell of the paper and the easy ability to flip back and forth through the book without losing my place or having to figure out how to put a bookmark in. Old books are my favorites because they used to come in odd sizes that were a perfect fit for the hands, and the uneven way the pages were cut was nice to flip though. 

I don't mind digital books in their time and place. They're easy to get and inexpensive. Reading them on my small iPod screen isn't as nice as viewing a full-size page, but it doesn't weigh much and I can hold it in one hand without getting tired. 

Both have certain advantages, but I'm gonna go with non-digital here. 

[cuteycindyhoney 13,315]

Due to poor vision, if I can't get a book in large print, I read it on my tablet. I can make the font crazy BIG!

[Red Cedar 1,408]

I prefer to read on paper. I do, however, recognize the value of digital text in keeping some works available in an inexpensive format.

[Guest]

I like paper books a lot more! It's oddly satisfying to have a good book in its physical form. I'm also prone to migraines and just headaches in general so it's a lot more convenient to stare at words on paper than words on a bright screen.

[Jordan D 149]

I spend a lot of my free time contributing to a handful of wikis so it's simply more convenient for me to buy online books and comics so I can cite sources easier and upload scan. For books I read in my own time like Conan the Barbarian, then I buy physical releases.

[SparklingSquirrels 21,355]

Paper books for sure; I find it easier to lose focus when looking at text on a screen for awhile.

Plus, paper books are easier to flip through what do you mean I shouldn't read the ending first

[Soren Peregrine 4,606]

I will always use a physical book over a digital one if I have the option. There is nothing like having a real physical copy of a good book. Electronic screens damage your eyes if you use them too much, especially the blue light. I have good eyesight and I do not want to throw that away anytime soon.

However, if I am traveling, I do like listening to audiobooks read by people who use good elocution. Usually only as long as I have read the book before though.

Edited August 4, 2018 by Soren Peregrine

[Cash In 22,518]

I'm typically enthusiastic about using digital stuff, but in this case, I actually think physical books are far more practical.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

I was hesitant about going digital, but after getting an e-book reader there really was no going back - it's portable, I can read whichever book I feel like that evening (or even buy a new one if I feel so inclined), I don't need to bring a light with me* and perhaps most critically E-books are much cheaper than their paperback equivalents (or even free - I download a lot of stories from Fimfiction.)

I read a lot when I was younger, and continue to read a fair bit now (although sadly 3+ hour evening reading sessions due to having a bedtime that was far too early are no longer) so I've had plenty of experience with both - and I do think that my e-book reader has made reading easier for me. 

And all that is whilst they are still in their infancy - there is a lot of potential to do things that regular books can't do; the 'X-ray' function that my e-book reader has means that in compatible books I can highlight a name and it produces a brief description of the person (along with a timeline of where they appear in the book^), it can connect to a dictionary or to Wikipedia to give a summary of a highlighted word, being able to adjust text size has already been mentioned... there are a lot of possibilities that could really improve the reading experience, and I'm interested in seeing what e-book readers will be able to do ten years down the line.

 

*I recently tried a paper book as my evening read - only to realise that I didn't have a bedside lamp or a torch to hand. And as my e-book reader has a very dim light and some weird tech that I don't understand in it, it doesn't inflict the same blue-light insomnia that most of my other devices with screens do.

^which isn't very clever when it clearly shows where they drop dead later in the story. Teething issues remain.