This is a well known debate in the book community, to buy or not to buy an Ereader? Ok I must admit when Amazon.com first came out with the Kindle I was repulsed! Well, the inner techie in me was overjoyed and secretly itching to drop the money on the new gadget even though I had neither the money nor the knowhow to purchase the kindle, and the book lover in me was thinking "... oh no here is the end of books, everyone rebut!".
Now, there are many reason why I love books; the simple joy of lounging around with a hardback, the ability to pimp out my favorite books to my mom when I'm done with them, and the most important thing: I LOVE THE SMELL OF BOOKS. I will admit sometimes I will walk into my University library at school, go up to the stacks on the top level of the library and sniff some old ones. This is both embrassing for me when I get caught by an unexpecting walker-by, but also embrassing for my innocent-bystander-friends that label me as "a crazy nerd". A title I am quite comfortable with. However, all of these reasons aside I have been considering buying an Ereader for a couple months now.
The main reason why I have been seriously considering this purchase is;
a) this solves the problem of not being able to bring a suitcase full of books when I go to Italy, I can simply download them to my kindle!
b) I can get a book within seconds of experiencing the overcoming want to purchase books
c) I won't have to worry about that growing hernia in my back, as a result of carting all my books around
and
d)well come on... it's kinda pretty
I knew this was a good debate to bring up to all my lovely blogger friends, as you can both understand my pros and cons on Ereaders. So what will it be; pass or fail?
"I LOVE THE SMELL OF BOOKS." <-- I couldn't say it better myself! Haha.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I like the idea that I can carry so many books with me inside a tiny, little -- pretty -- gadget. I have to admit, it is convenient and useful! However, it is just not the same. The experience itself, of reading -- of holding the book and turning the pages yourself -- is gone. Imo, these are the small perks of reading, among many others. Ereaders take that away, so for me.. fail. Then again, it depends entirely on the person and their situation. As for you, since you are traveling, it would be very useful for you. So maybe, pass? haha. ;)
I love to talk,feel,read,love,sleep books!! Not in favor of ereader!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I am a Kindle owner. I and first I just have to say, "You can still buy book even if you have an ereader!" Okay, that's out of the way.
ReplyDeleteI am with you. I love owning books. I love the smell, the beautiful covers, ect...
And when I really love a book, or if I think a cover is a work of art, I still buy it (or when I am too impatient to wait foe the book to get on kindle).
But on the other hand, I love my Kindle. I love how I can buy a book anywhere. If I am stuck at a doctor waiting room for hours, I can buy a book without even getting up. I love how anytime you turn it back on, the book is at the page you were at last. I love how I can have so many books with me at once.
So I am a lover of real books, and e-books. You can love both. Sorry for the rambling.
I agree with all your pros and cons, but I think one more con to an Ereader is that you can't put all the books you already have onto it. That bugs me. And yes. They are pretty.... Lol. I think that they are great ideas, but they do have a few issues.
ReplyDeleteGreat guys and many thanks!! And no worries Jami I was looking for a rant!!
ReplyDeleteHeehee-- I'm a book smeller too. I like the whole organic tactile experience of books and couldn't imagine why anyone would want a kindle until I read about the travel benefit awhile back. It is hard lugging books.
ReplyDeleteThen a older lady told me she could enlarge the text which is good for older eyes. She also said she could read at night without turning on a light and disturbing her husband.
So I still don't want one but I don't poopoo them like I did. I think you ought to go for it for your trip. What does it cost to buy the e-books? Are they cheaper than real books? You can always buy beautiful editions of favorite books for your personal library.
Lesa
I love the new book smell! Finally...people who don't think I'm nuts. Honestly, I'm not against e-book readers, but I'll never own one. I love holding a book in my hand, flipping through the pages, absorbing into the world with each passing word. I can't justify spending an enormous amount of money on handheld computer screen (in my opinion - that's all it is). Plus, what's better than shelves full of books to light up your home?! That's something that will last forever...long past when your kindle fails :)
ReplyDeleteWe are a Kindle and Nook family.
ReplyDeleteI smell books to see if they have passed their expiration date on the shelves of many school libraries I work with. I can usually tell the copyright within 5 years by the front cover and smell when I weed a library collection.
Back to eReaders - I carry my Nook in my purse at all times with it's Kate Spade cover. I will never own another Kate Spade item - due to the expense but I feel fabulous when I pull out my reader and read anywhere - anytime.
I read a lot and have read more than ever since getting my Nook. I feel I read faster.
I think it is too bad that people can't try out the eReader devices before they buy one.
It is a costly investment and if you don't like it then you are stuck.
Good luck to all in making your decision.
Having a Nook will not slow down my print book purchasing - it will just enchance it with getting the books I really want to see on the shelve and leaving many others such as the mind candy books to my Nook.
Honestly, I agree with everything Jami said. You can love both. I have an ereader, but I still own hundreds of books and I haven't stopped purchasing print books. I love my ereader because it's convenient, I can download classics from the public domain for free, I can put eGalleys on it, and it's a lot lighter than the tomes I normally read, oh yeah and my eReader is pink and engraved. I don't see them replacing books, I see eReaders as being in harmony with physical books!
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