Do you prefer an e-book to paperback and why?

[Noosh]

Well, of course nothing can compare to the feel of holding a book in your hands and smelling it and creating an actual physical library. But then again, there's the fact that Kindles come in handy when you're on the road. You take an entire library with you if you simply put your kindle in your bag and you can read anytime you want (day/night) without disturbing others by keeping a light on.
I have my kindle and I have my physical paperback books too. Both have advantages and disadvantages. I love both, I use both.

[Wambui-nj]

E books. Easy to carry around and convenient.

[LinaMueller]

I prefer paperback, but I read ebooks most of the time these days. Digital books are great. They are delivered almost instantaneously and no trees are required to manufacture paper for the pages of ebooks.

[Charlie19]

Yes because that is where i am comfortable of

[leiabutler]

I prefer a real book, I feel like I can read it quicker. I also like how reusable they are. They help sustain charity shops etc and can make a difference.

[Tor95]

Whilst growing up I always read paperbacks and loved the feeling of achievement after finishing a fairly hefty book, however, my kindle is simply more convenient now that I prefer it. Not only are the books typically cheaper but if the next book in a series comes out I can get it instantly regardless of where I happen to be.

[wkdGood]

For the longest time, I definitely preferred paperbacks to ebooks. The feel of the book in my hands, sometimes even the smell of old books (minus the dust) gives me a nerdy high. Also the feeling of accomplishment when you get to the last page of a thick tome, so good! However, since adapting a more minimalist lifestyle, I now prefer ebooks because unlike paperbacks, ebooks will not eventually multiply to fill every nook and cranny of my house ----- I tend to have some separation anxiety with books I love and I can't bear to sell or give them away. Also since I don't work from home, I can carry around multiple ebooks to read at all times as opposed to multiple physical books. Ebooks are wonderful when you commute for work.

[ginger7apodaca]

We have to have physical books I don't think e-readers will replace a paperback book. I still find it hard to read my books on the e-reader I always found it easier to read paperback I also noticed I comprehend what I'm reading more on paperback maybe because there are more distractions on e-readers. Does anyone else feel the try?

[hpearlman--]

Absolutely the opposite. Got my wife a Kindle white and she loves it. When I signed up for Amazon Prime it came with free ebooks to borrow. Up to 10 books at a time stored in my library. I had a new Ipad and started reading the ebooks on it. Also, with the Kindle and the Ipad we can make the font bigger. The problem I was having with books, in general, getting older makes the font option wonderful. We both love reading the ebooks. Many of the ebooks books come with an audible option that I haven't tried yet, but might be a great option on a long car trip.

[DD129]

I prefer ebooks because of the ease of reading and general convenience. When I’m bored, I’m able to just read whenever. Of course, you can do that with a paperback book too, but you also have a wider selection of books to choose from with an e-reader without adding weight for each additional book.

[Ideapad110]

Definately a paper book. They are comfortable for me and make reading easier. Watching the screen while reading takes my mind off as I don't feel I'm in the moment rather I'm simply surfing through the net

[Florence Nalianya]

I myself prefer a paperback. I love the smell (as weird as that sounds) of a good book. And i like the ease at which you can flip back and forth through the pages. On the other hand i love the technology of the kindle readers in that as you read it tells you how many minutes left in the book etc. So i definitly use and read both. What is your preference?

I prefer ebooks all the time cause I can read even in darkness.

[Jade1692]

I was one of the staunch hold-outs against E-readers that would indignantly reply to my friends who suggested I get one, "You will never get me to own one of those." I love physical, paper books. There is something about the feel and the texture and the weight and, yes, the smell, that is nostalgic and joy-inducing and glorious. While I did feel some guilt over the fact that we had another way to read the same content that did not involve killing trees, I still refused to consider it.

And then I moved to another part of the country. And had the massive task of packing up my 500+ books, hardback and paperback, read and to-be-read, new mint bestsellers and crumbling worn classics. It took so many hours that stretched into days, and I started re-thinking what was essential I move and what I could be self-bullied into parting with. The books I knew I wanted read but had not gotten to yet went first--after all, I could just repurchase them elsewhere. All else went with me, and there were more backbreaking hours of lovingly walking those (now down to ~300) books up two flights of stairs into my new flat. All was well for a while.

And then I moved out of the country and began traveling. Those approximately 300 books were walked back down the stairs and put into a storage unit. At this point, no matter HOW much I loved each individual paperback, no matter HOW important each hardback was to me, I was starting to wish I was not so stubborn.

During one of my adventures abroad, I ended up on an island in Fiji for a time with nothing to do but scuba dive and read (such a terrible time of it, I know haha). But while there I came to the realization that if I had an E-reader, I would have more selection, and a bespoke selection at that. And I wouldn't have that terrible feeling of leaving the paperbacks I did read on the island, as they felt as if they desperately needed to go home with me and get out of the damp.

In the end, I broke down and bought a Kindle, and my friends have given me no end of grief about it since. I have never been happier with the amount of convenience I now have at lightweight travel and almost infinite selection of reading material. While I will always prefer a weighty, sensory read of a physical book, I understand where and why an E-reader has its place on the bookworm's bookshelf.

[Squidnnneyyy99+]

I actually prefer to read hard copy rather than e book because I feel like an actual, physical thing I can hold in my hands is better than an e book. I know it sounds weird and cliche but I like the feel of the physical book.

[HeatherEi]

I never thought I would like an e-reader until I tried one out. I definitely prefer real books but sometimes the smell of old books makes me nauseous. Having an e-reader is nice, especially when traveling; it doesn't take up much room.