Poll: Do you use an e-book reader?

[Idlemessiah]

All my books are on good old tree pulp.

However, given that I'm likely going to be living in tight spaces for the foreseeable future, I really ought to cut down physical books.

Digital games and movies have really prevented my library from consuming all of my space, but I do have a soft spot for proper books.

 

[Creator002]

Unless my phone counts, no. I have read a couple of books on my phone's screen.

 

[Fdzzaigl]

Tried it a few times, but I honestly can't stand them. It feels totally weird and is very fatigueing for the eyes. Although I do read a lot of e-comics.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Yup, I got a Kobo e-reader for most of my reading pleasures, though not all. We need a step between "some" and "all" there in that poll. I couldn't read ebooks on anything other than an e-ink reader. Reading on a regular LED-screen is very fatiguing for the eyes.

It saves me a lot of money on printing school texts, since gutenberg.com has most the philosophical texts we need to read in .epub format, and books in general. Space-wise too. When I travel back to my parents' place I don't have much space in my bags, and a slim e-reader with a crapton of books that goes in my pants pocket wins over a ton of paperbacks any day of the week.

Plus, here in my small student apartment I'm running out of shelf space, and an e-reader is a great help with that. I like having books on shelves mind you, I love looking at my probably 1st/2nd/3rd print of Steinbeck's The Wayward Bus for instance. You can't have that with ebooks alright.

Tried it a few times, but I honestly can't stand them. It feels totally weird and is very fatigueing for the eyes. Although I do read a lot of e-comics.

Try an e-ink reader if you want a decent ereading experience. It's pretty much the same as reading a book, like seeing letters printed on a plastic card instead of regular display.

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

Got a Kobo e-reader as well a little while ago. It was on sale from a Target clearance sale for $60. I've only actually bought one book for it, the rest I borrowed from the library. In terms of that alone it has more than paid for itself. I still prefer books if given the opportunity, but I'm rather enjoying it nonetheless. For one, it's far easier to manage on the train when you have to stand up, which is where I do most of my reading.

I'd say my biggest complaint is that I expected ebooks to be a lot cheaper than they were. They're maybe a dollar or two less than physical books in my experience.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

Yeah, paper books are dead to me now. They take up too much room and I have to leave the house to buy another one. Plus I can aways find what I want online quickly.

E-reader all the way for me.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Yeah, I have one, but I struggle to find material in a suitable format a lot of the time.
Doesn't help I don't really buy books.
Most of the stuff I've read has come from libraries in the past.

And you can't really borrow digital books that easily.

Still, as a frequent traveller, I do find a device that can hold several hundred books, and has a 1 month battery life, surprisingly useful sometimes.

 

[Christian Neihart]

I read e-books almost exclusively and I wish that they had freaking steam sales so that way I can clear my wishlist.

 

[Caffiene]

I like the idea of ebooks, but Im pretty much 100% entirely a physical book reader.

If ereaders offered a guarantee that ebooks I purchase now will still be supported formats and licensed & available for re-download in 10 (or 20, or 50) years time, that would go a long way to convincing me. I have classic books that my parents owned as children 50 years or more ago - I dont for a second believe that ebooks I buy today will last half that long.

I also dont feel that the tech is fully mature yet. Its "good enough", but I know with my luck as soon as I buy one therell be a sudden breakthrough offering colour e-ink, 6 month screen-on battery life and quad HD resolutions.

The look of a physical collection is quite nice, too.

 

[Samael Barghest]

I've been thinking about getting an e-reader. I'm at the point where I just don't have the physical space anymore for more books. I own currently 109 books. So I can see the use of an e-reader simply for storage.

 

[Fox12]

I do, for a lot of books, but not for reference, text, studies and that kind of thing. For piling a bunch of standard paperbacks into a portable container though, you can't beat an e-reader.

They also have a ton of books in the public domain. I probably have 40+ books on my kindle, and they're all free. Most of my books are classical literature anyway, so it fits perfect. Otherwise, I prefer a physical copy, and most of my library is physical.

It's also useful for, uh, historical analysis. I want to read Mein Kampf from a historical point of view, for academic reasons, for instance. But try walking up to a counter with that in your hands : /

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I still buy books occasionally... and all my comics and graphic novels are of the hard-copy varient, but I read most of my books on my Kindle. As a member of the military too, most of the people around me also use e-books. Try going away for 4-5 months (sometimes longer) and only being able to take 2 bags and some hand luggage. Once all your uniform, phys kit and civvies are in the bags it doesn't leave much room for 6 months worth of books and games... Now, thanks to soft copies, I am never bored!

I'll also point out that my parents getting me a kindle one birthday because 'they didn't know what I wanted' actually got me back into reading big time... And, on top of that, being able to highlight a word on Kindle and seeing it's definition is great for expanding vocabluary. Especially as it now saves all the words you looked up in flashcard format for revising and learning.

Oh... and that I can also log into Amazon (even at work where electronic devices are prohibited,) or the kindle app on my phone, and carry on reading whereever I am, even without the kindle!

 

[Fox12]

I do, for a lot of books, but not for reference, text, studies and that kind of thing. For piling a bunch of standard paperbacks into a portable container though, you can't beat an e-reader.

They also have a ton of books in the public domain. I probably have 40+ books on my kindle, and they're all free. Most of my books are classical literature anyway, so it fits perfect. Otherwise, I prefer a physical copy, and most of my library is physical.

It's also useful for, uh, historical analysis. I want to read Mein Kampf from a historical point of view, for academic reasons, for instance. But try walking up to a counter with that in your hands : /

Definitely! Well, except for that last bit, you kind of lost me there. (The Bluebird Chirps At Midnight. Heil Hitler!)

I love the free or low cost books too, and you can get library books digitally on it too.

It's an awful text, but it's important to understand how these things happen.

I also have a small comic collection on my kindle. It's a very versatile platform. I'm not the biggest comic reader, though, so take that as you will. It's certainly convenient for travel.

 

[Callate]

I do, primarily for magazines. It's much easier to keep a periodical subscription on a tablet device, and I don't feel bad about all the gratuitous paper waste.

I have to say, though, that the most recent Samsung-based Nook (Barnes and Noble's e-reader) is a pretty decent Android tablet, but only a mediocre reader. It still periodically mis-interprets "turn the page" gestures as "dim/brighten screen" or "zoom out to all pages view", and "zoom/pan" as "turn the page". Kind of makes one appreciate why the first Kindles used buttons for those functions.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Its great. Much cheaper usually thanks to the cost involved is much lower than that involved with physical book production. Unless the owners are bastards who just price it unfairly.

I can be reading a book in mere minutes after purchase from the comfort of my home(data is usually neglible for a novel.) and I can store one copy on multiple devices! Kindle, iphone, computer yada yada.

Its nice to be able to read a bit of the Quoran, a fantasy novel, sciencey books or Arnolds Encyclopedia of bodybuilding whenever I feel like it at lunch breaks at work! Off my iphone.

Speaking of the Quoran, its handy for books you might not want your family seeing on your shelf. My christian family might not understand my desire to read other holy books for the philosophy(Im agnostic anyway so I treat the bible this way anyways.)

 

[Johnny Impact]

I prefer real paper books. Evocative of memories, satisfying to hold, and satisfying to stack on shelves.

I own a Kindle, but to give you an idea of how long it's been since I used it, the screen changed to "battery flat" over a year ago and has stayed that way.