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[BossLackey]

I'm a collector and I've loved to read since I was a kid. So because of that, I have a lot of books and physical media in general.

However, last year I finally bought a Kindle and it makes reading just so easy.

Beyond being able to read at night in bed without disturbing my wife thanks to the backlight (and being able to warm that light so I can sleep), not having to fumble around with a physical book is great.

Plus adding the fact that I've got the Kindle app on my phone so I can switch back and forth at will (infinite scroll on Kindle mobile is the shit).

Not to mention I don't have to go to brick and mortar (which might not have the title I'm looking for) or wait for them to ship. If I want to read something, I'm reading it 3 minutes later.

 

[West Texas CEO]

Welcome to 2007.

 

[Superkewl]

I have had a kobo for about 10 years and it's very convenient, but still feel like traditional books are supreme. I cannot explain why but I feel like I can read faster and retain information better from traditional books than I can from e-books, even though e-books allow you change fonts, size, everything. I understand it is completely illogical. I cant explain it.

The worst format for me are audiobooks. I would like to delve in to this format very much, but my attention just drifts off so easily. Same reason I can't listen to podcasts, I just drift off after a couple minutes and it just becomes noise in my ears. If I am watching podcasts on youtube or rumble, I actually have to sit there and watch it, like I was watching a movie of a tv show.

 

[BossLackey]

Welcome to 2007.

I mean, fair. I was holding out in favor of traditional and made the plunge now that the "ecosytem" is better.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

I understand it is completely illogical. I cant explain it.

There are multiple studies showing that people retain more information in paper form. What you are experiencing is normal.

 

[jason10mm]

Welcome to 2007.

No kidding, thought this was a necropost at first.

Only paper books I buy now are art, graphic novel, or deluxe display editions.

 

[Doom85]

I just can’t read that way. Tried it, detested it. Even for comics and manga. Got to have a proper physical copy in my hands.

 

[Trogdor1123]

It’s true. Audio books even more so…

 

[nush]

It lets me take all my books with me and the built in dictionary is great for when I find new words.

 

[NecrosaroIII]

I think it makes sense for digital books. But honestly, I prefer real books just because I want LESS screen time. It's something I usually do before bed to wind down. Looking at a screen defeats that point

 

[Porcile]

If it's a book that isn't easily available in a book shop, I'll often buy the Kindle version and then buy a second-hand copy if I liked it enough to want to read again.

 

[AJUMP23]

I hate them. I lake things I can touch.

 

[jshackles]

I've also got a huge library of digital books - but I feel like it takes something away from the experience. For example, I started reading the TMNT IDW collection, got the first book digital and read it on my tablet. I really liked it, but wanted a physical copy. I've read through the next 9 volumes physically, and had a much better experience.

It's a shame they take up so much room though.

 

[thefool]

I can't. I just can't, its hard for me to focus on these devices. Nothing can substitute the allure of a book, its texture, its smell, its weight. It's just different.

 

[Maestr0]

Use both of them, best of 2 worlds

 

[Trilobit]

I have had a kobo for about 10 years and it's very convenient, but still feel like traditional books are supreme. I cannot explain why but I feel like I can read faster and retain information better from traditional books than I can from e-books, even though e-books allow you change fonts, size, everything. I understand it is completely illogical. I cant explain it.

The worst format for me are audiobooks. I would like to delve in to this format very much, but my attention just drifts off so easily. Same reason I can't listen to podcasts, I just drift off after a couple minutes and it just becomes noise in my ears. If I am watching podcasts on youtube or rumble, I actually have to sit there and watch it, like I was watching a movie of a tv show.

I'm absolutely in love with my Kobo Libra and don't feel like it's that much easier to read fiction on paper. Being able to get Project Gutenberg books to read at a moment's notice is worth gold. I don't live in the states so I don't have the same super cheap (used) physical books and fast delivery that Amazon provides.

But I do agree that when it comes to non-fiction, or technical literature more specifically, paper wins. Physical books also offer a scent, sound and tactical feel when used so they can never be beaten. But right now the convenience of an ereader allows me to read much more.

I tried reading on a tablet, but that was really tiring to my eyes even if I used warm filters and white text. It also overly stimulated me like a digital screen and did not relax like a book. In that regard I appreciate the ink screen, which does not require built in light at all, though I do appreciate the sidelight of my Kobo, which I try to have on a minimum. I do love that in direct sunlight it's virtually a book with its ink. If they ever invent an ereader screen with the same high reflective properties of paper I'll be there with my wallet open.

Now here's a really important question: is there a perfume that smells like books?

 

[bad guy]

Now here's a really important question: is there a perfume that smells like books?

Perfume would be a cool idea for physical books. Imagine smelling the setting, like in a pine forest or on a flowery field. Salty sea air mixed with a smoky boozed up pirate. Or how about sex scenes, smelling like musky wide spead ass.

 

[FullMetalx117]

The effects of digital books for me is similar to Netflix/Gamepass. As in I think the scarcity, the intention to actually go out and buy it, made me actually read the book. And now...I just hop around never finishing any.

 

[Trunx81]

I just love the smell of a new Kindle.
Used mine more than any console I ever owned. Having a Neverending Story at the palm of your hand just feels great.
Haven’t missed real books one day.

Audiobooks on the other hand, I find terrible. Tried them a few times, but after hours of listening I was still around page 300. Stopped listening, bought the book and was through in a few days. I’m a fast reader (1000 pages can be read in 2 days), and I just feel like audio is holding me back. That’s why I also detest audio messages on Whatsapp. Just write it down and with one look I can grab what you want.

 

[DeviantBoi]

I love my Kindle.

And I love the browser plugin that alerts me of price drops.

Most of my books I’ve bought at discount - $1, $2, or $3.

 

[bitbydeath]

Use both of them, best of 2 worlds

This.
Being able to carry all your books in a single device and knowing they won’t get damaged is great, but the overall reading experience is mediocre in comparison to that of a real book.

 

[jason10mm]

I just love the smell of a new Kindle.
Used mine more than any console I ever owned. Having a Neverending Story at the palm of your hand just feels great.
Haven’t missed real books one day.

Audiobooks on the other hand, I find terrible. Tried them a few times, but after hours of listening I was still around page 300. Stopped listening, bought the book and was through in a few days. I’m a fast reader (1000 pages can be read in 2 days), and I just feel like audio is holding me back. That’s why I also detest audio messages on Whatsapp. Just write it down and with one look I can grab what you want.

I am very picky about the narrator for audiobooks. There are entire series I've ONLY listened to on audio (Dresden Files, The Expanse, Jack Carr, etc) and the narrator makes a world of difference. I've tried the 1.25 or 1.5 speed tricks for books or podcasts but it ruins the tempo and cadence of speech for me. If someone just drones on and on, I dump it instead.

Female narrators/speakers are the least consistent for me. The amount of vocal fry or upward end lilt (everything sounds like a question??) or just over rehearsed cadence for technical phrases is too prevelant in that population. Some are good, but most of what I listen to on audio is male oriented action fiction so there is little need for female dialogue (a good falsetto gets the job done).

I gotta say though, those AI narrators I hear in instagrams are getting REALLY good, gonna be hell to pay for mediocre audiobook narrators in a few years.

 

[AJUMP23]

I also worry about inheritance in an all digital world. Can I pass along all my purchases or do they die with me.

 

[TwiztidElf]

Might be going against the purists on this one, but I find with a Kindle, I'm more engrossed and immersed in the content.
I find just a gentle push on a button is less intrusive to the experience than turning a paper page.

The big downer is the life of the devices themselves. I've had two Kindles die on me now, and I won't buy another unless I go on another book bender.

 

[jason10mm]

For me the main downside of kindle is not having the cover art and losing a sense of where you are in a book. % read isn't as useful as being able to thumb back and forth quickly or see that half read book sitting on the nightstand, taunting you.

Kindle is MUCH easier to read though, no need for external light, one hand for it while the other is for eating/drinking, and it fits easily in a back pocket no matter what Sanderson doorstopper novel you are reading. Seeing what others have highlighted is kinda cool, I guess, and the search function and dictionary has its uses as well.

Amazon has never made a really good library/book store shelf style system to track books in a series or by author though, even the Fire with it's wheel was clunky at best. Very surprising, really, if they had virtual shelves with ghost outlines of books in a series/by an author that you HAVEN'T bought yet, wow would that tickle the old OCD completionist itch They never seemed to promote, or even allow, really, curated lists of "preferred reading order" for complex series or even author written recommended reading lists. Amazon tends to push the same handful of semi-self published authors all the time and just a few bestsellers, it never got a really good "you may like" algorithm like some streaming services have.

 

[Trilobit]

Perfume would be a cool idea for physical books. Imagine smelling the setting, like in a pine forest or on a flowery field. Salty sea air mixed with a smoky boozed up pirate. Or how about sex scenes, smelling like musky wide spead ass.

I was this close to putting a heart on your comment, but you had to make it weird.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Digital books are the best for text-only stuff you’re probably not going to read twice.
The art of the paper book has gone to shit, probably in part because of the rise of ebooks. These days print books do all sorts of shenanigans with borders, fonts, spacing, kerning, letter size and page size to make the physical object somewhat different than the digital file. This sacrifices readability and the handling of the actual book, though. Then there’s this trend now, at least in Italy, with book sagas being printed in vocabulary-sized tomes with big letter size, enormous page borders, and thick hardback covers with cheap cover art. I don’t know how that’s gonna make people want to buy books in a country where a lot of people don’t read as it is. Me, I used to love American paperbacks when my vision was better. So much text in such a compact package.

I love physical books, but I see the convenience of ebooks and these days I’ll buy a paper book only if it has many color pics and/or it’s a reference book where the digital format would make consultation impractical.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

There are multiple studies showing that people retain more information in paper form. What you are experiencing is normal.

Are those vs LCD, or E Ink as well? I don't doubt the conclusions, just wondering.

Also wonder if the retention has changed over time, as in as people become even more accustomed to non-paper it gets better. Or worse!

 

[near]

I've wanted to invest in a Kindle for years, but they seem overpriced for what they are. I mean they don't even support colour, which would be convenient for the occasional graphic novel. Last I checked there weren't any other good e-readers that are feature rich like the Kindle but support colour, has this changed? I'm still willing to buy one if it's good.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

Wait till you discover audio books

 

[jason10mm]

I've wanted to invest in a Kindle for years, but they seem overpriced for what they are. I mean they don't even support colour, which would be convenient for the occasional graphic novel. Last I checked there weren't any other good e-readers that are feature rich like the Kindle but support colour, has this changed? I'm still willing to buy one if it's good.

They were kicking around color e-ink a few years back but I don't think it ever got commercially viable. Given how the technology works, it would be hard to even imagine how it could happen to be adequate for brightly colored comics.

Kindle screen tech seems to have stalled out at the current dpi and speed. The only real advancements over the past 5 years or so is more even backlighting. Some of the touch screen writing e-ink pads are kinda neat though but I think that's just another layer around the eink and lighting ones.

 

[IDKFA]

I'm a collector and I've loved to read since I was a kid. So because of that, I have a lot of books and physical media in general.

However, last year I finally bought a Kindle and it makes reading just so easy.

Beyond being able to read at night in bed without disturbing my wife thanks to the backlight (and being able to warm that light so I can sleep), not having to fumble around with a physical book is great.

Plus adding the fact that I've got the Kindle app on my phone so I can switch back and forth at will (infinite scroll on Kindle mobile is the shit).

Not to mention I don't have to go to brick and mortar (which might not have the title I'm looking for) or wait for them to ship. If I want to read something, I'm reading it 3 minutes later.

I have a Kindle. I agree, it is very convenient, especially if you're going away on a trip. Why try and carry around a large hardback when you can fit the Kindle in your pocket.

However, as I mostly read nonfiction, physical books are supreme for me.

I also buy physical for fiction that I deem to be a classic and I want to keep in my personal library. Throwaway fiction (books I'd read once) is what I use the Kindle for.

Another reason is that I collect books. Books are and always will be a huge part of my life and I love having a personal library on hand. When I'm gone from this world, at an ripe old age, my books can be used as library to entertain and educate future generations.

Finally, I'm not comfortable with digital books and/or Amazon controling my library. As we've seen with the recent controversy of James Bond and Roald Dahl books, publishers can and will change classics if they don't believe the contents are suitable for modern society. They can't change my physical book I already own.

Side note, my dream is to have a library like Umberto Eco.

 

[near]

I caved and got me the kindle, hopefully I don't regret it.

 

[Drew1440]

I'd love to get into book collecting but I just don't have the space for them. Used to have a Sony reader before they were discontinued, switched and got a Kobo Forma which has been pretty good, though it lacks USB-C and uses micro USB to charge.

 

[Insane Metal]

Read 'digital boobs'.

Maybe it's time to get off the internet.

 

[Mistake]

I've been using foxit pdf and getting free pdfs online for my reading. Does a lot of things kindle does. I need to get a good tablet though and make it a dedicated manga/book machine. I like physical books, but doesn't help when I move around so much and can't keep a library

 

[Bry0]

Can I load my own PDFs and the like on a kindle or is it all locked down to Amazon stuff

 

[nush]

I just use the Ebook reader on my iPad.

 

[RJMacready73]

I like the idea of it but i just love a book even though on a recent flight back from Egypt I spent about 5hrs straight manhandling a typically huge Peter F Hamilton epic and would've killed for a nice light Kindle, my mate does all his reading on his bloody phone lol

 

[ChazAshley]

Read 'digital boobs'.

Maybe it's time to get off the internet.

Same, mainly because of this. Gaf has ruined me.

But on topic - ebooks are awesome especially for school. Although I go back and forth cuz I love the feel of physical books. CTRL-F'ing my way through chapters and what I highligted is awesome. Plus reading a kindle on a flight is the bomb.

 

[Nintendo's Witch]

My Kindle is, by far, the best piece of electronics I've ever owned.

 

[near]

I like the idea of it but i just love a book even though on a recent flight back from Egypt I spent about 5hrs straight manhandling a typically huge Peter F Hamilton epic and would've killed for a nice light Kindle, my mate does all his reading on his bloody phone lol

I've deliberated the idea for far too long, I tend to not buy things for the sake of buying them. But I just need the convenience of an ereader right now. I don't really want to forgo the option of reading something in order to have a tangible book. There have been far too many occasions where I could've really used one, and since I'm travelling a lot more lately, it was time to give in to the urge. The build quality, the screen, and ultimately the high praises the kindle has had, it just became my default choice. A dedicated device was the only way to go for me, rather than use my iPhone or tablet.

 

[jufonuk]

Someone recommended me a good audiobook something sci-fi space opera style. Possible stand alone. Trying to get I to dune but it feels like a slog

 

[JimmyRustler]

Tried if for a while, don’t like it.

Love the combo of having a real book in my hands and an audiobook reading it to me. Found that I can focus best on books this way, especially when they are non-fiction.

 

[Tertullian]

I tend to do audiobooks (for convenience) and dead trees (sometimes the only option at the library for a given book), but e-readers are convenient for travel.

I will probably upgrade my old 6” Kindle Paperwhite if they come out with a new Paperwhite this year. I want the larger screen.

 

[M1chl]

I sure hope so, I am developing now in my company digital reader for biggest publisher of books in my country and that shit is harder than game development. So I hope it will be worth it to people.

 

[jshackles]

Someone recommended me a good audiobook something sci-fi space opera style. Possible stand alone. Trying to get I to dune but it feels like a slog

Not exactly stand alone (since there are several spin off series now), but this is my favorite audiobook of all time:

Galaxy Outlaws: The Complete Black Ocean Mobius Missions, 1-16.5

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Meet the galaxy's unluckiest outlaws. Carl Ramsey is an ex-Earth Navy fighter pilot turned con man. His ship, the Mobius, is home to a ragtag crew of misfits and refugees looking to score a big payday but more often just scratching to pay for fuel. The...

www.audible.com

It's 85 hours total, but split into 16 digestible stories. Space opera / space epic in both style and scope. A really fun listen, and an interesting blend of sci-fi and traditional fantasy (space flight in this universe is powered by wizards / magic). If you enjoy that and want more, there is another spin off series set in the same universe called Astral Prime that is more grounded and mostly takes place on a space station (à la Deep Space Nine).

 

[jufonuk]

Not exactly stand alone (since there are several spin off series now), but this is my favorite audiobook of all time:

Galaxy Outlaws: The Complete Black Ocean Mobius Missions, 1-16.5

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Meet the galaxy's unluckiest outlaws. Carl Ramsey is an ex-Earth Navy fighter pilot turned con man. His ship, the Mobius, is home to a ragtag crew of misfits and refugees looking to score a big payday but more often just scratching to pay for fuel. The...

www.audible.com

It's 85 hours total, but split into 16 digestible stories. Space opera / space epic in both style and scope. A really fun listen, and an interesting blend of sci-fi and traditional fantasy (space flight in this universe is powered by wizards / magic). If you enjoy that and want more, there is another spin off series set in the same universe called Astral Prime that is more grounded and mostly takes place on a space station (à la Deep Space Nine).

thank you for this suggestion, it has been added to my wish list as I have also been recommended a darth palgueis books so I downloaded that first but this is going on my next credit

 

[Fbh]

While there is certainly nothing quite like reading a proper book... I do love my Kindle.

It has helped me a lot with my English reading comprehension and vocabulary (limited as it might be). Being able to buy books in English easily and cheaply is great. Before the Kindle, around here you either had to go to one of the few bookstores with books in English (with ridiculous prices) or import them and pay for shipping and importing fees which was just as bad.
I also love the built in dictionary, just pressing on any word and getting a definition has been a godsent

 

[Tams]

I'm about to cave and get a Kobo Libra Colour.

I had a KingJim Freeno, a varient of the Mobiscribe. There's a Kaleido 3 Mobiscribe, but they don't ship to the UK, and Android sucks power like crazy. A shame as it has Wacom EMR.