Monday, July 02, 2012

E-Books: Still not convinced..

Within about a week in May I purchased a refurbished iPad2 and found myself with an iPhone (courtesy of my husband). I dutifully loaded them with the Kindle app and books determined to give reading on them a try. I love to have books with me everywhere, but when I had a Kindle, I really didn't use it. For some reason it just didn't click as an enjoyable reading experience for me.

The iPad is great for reading if I'm sitting up (on a train, in a car, waiting somewhere, etc.), but I'm finding it a bit cumbersome for reading in bed or reading while I'm working around the house...my husband laughs when he catches me reading as I blow-dry my hair. The iPhone works better in those settings, but I find I am constantly advancing the page because I read FAST. But the smaller size makes it surprisingly easy to read while on the go or in bed.

Do you have an e-reader? Do you like it? Why or why not? I still think my preference will remain a physical book. There's just something about holding it that I love. Though one of the books I read recently on a reader, I'm likely to purchase in physical form. Doesn't hurt that it's by one of my favorite authors, Randy Singer.

7 comments:

Anne Mateer said...

Even though I still like books, I do like some very specific things about my ereader (kindle). First, I like it for travelling. No longer to I have to leave out clothes in order to pack enough books! Second, I like it to read on the elliptical. With a book, I could never hold the pages open or even see the words very well, so I didn't read while I exercised. Now I do. Finally, I like it especially at night because I have some serious sight issues. When I go from contacts to glasses, I have trouble reading from a page unless it is close to my face. By changing the font on my kindle, I can actually see the words--and without the backlit screen which aggravates my dry eye issues after hours on the computer all day. Will I ever stop buying books? No. But I do love my ereader, too.

Unknown said...

I got a Kindle a few years ago and loved it. Still use it for reading outside or in bed (smaller than my iPad and doesn't change screen orientation when I move). Before I got my iPad, I took my Kindle with me everywhere I went. Now I carry my iPad with me everywhere. I read a LOT and very fast, so I love the fact that by carrying an e-reader I can always have tons of books with me and therefore never run out of things to read.

For nonfiction, I still prefer "real" books so that I can flip from one section to another and save my place with my fingers. For fiction, though, I mostly buy Kindle versions.

Anni said...

I've spent more time the past 6 months reading on my iPhone than I have any other way. I like that it fits in my hand easily, and I can read it in bed easily. I LOVE the portability. No more lugging around a book. The phone slips easily into my pocket, and I'm never without my latest book.

What I don't like is that the e-versions are not very well formatted. I find all kinds of punctuation mistakes, especially in the free classics from Amazon. That gets on my nerves, but evidently not enough to stop me from continuing to read them.

Frances Devine said...

Although, I'll always love print books, especially old ones. My kindle is much easier on my hands. I'm glad I broke down and bought it.

Jonah said...

My husband has an e-reader and LOVES it. I can't stand it! I much prefer the crisp black and white of ink on paper. So any book that he buys that he thinks I might want to read, he has to get the hard copy version.

Cara Putman said...

I got my iPad to replace a Kindle that went on the fritz right after the warranty expired. I got it because of a trip where I knew I couldn't pack enough books. I still went through the print ones first. And I'm with Joanna...I love the print books. But for fiction I may eventually be persuaded. For non-fiction though -- especially book research, I want a physical book. Ironically, the one ebook I've purchased is one I have a print copy of -- back home!

Walt Mussell said...

I have a Nook and a Kindle and use them both. I also use Kindle and Nook apps on an iPad. It's convenient and works well for me.

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