I’ve tried digital books, but I’ve found that physical books work much better for my brain. I retain more information and can “get lost” in the story, whereas, for some inexplicable reason, digital books being read on a screen kind of “flatten” a story for me. It’s almost like a 3d vs 2d experience for me.
Have you ever used an eink reader, or just a tablet or something? The difference is night and day for me. The first time I used an eink reader I thought there was paper covering the screen at first.
I have! But unfortunately, I had the same result as if it were my phone/tablet. I really wish I understood why it was like this for me so I could maybe work on it, but I guess I’m just one of those “need-to-physically-turn-the-page” people :/
No this totally makes sense to me.
It doesn’t impact my experience of the story, but there is something to having the next page hidden behind the turn and knowing that it’s right there. When I read an ebook it’s like reading an article. The sensation is different and it loses a touch of excitement without that tactile feeling of ‘the next page’. Pages don’t matter in ebooks either. You adjust the text size and the ‘page’ count is suddenly radically different. I measure my progress in chapters or percentages now.
It makes sense to me why that wouldn’t work for some folks.
I pirate digital books, because I don’t want to spend the money. I buy physical books so that I can resell them.
I am almost the same, but I don’t sell my physical books.
Physical. Hardcover if it exists. I like to collect them
Yes, because I like reading.
But seriously, ebooks… maybe 8.5 times out of 10. E-ink screens are amazing and just as good as paper, but having your books also available on your phone, and thus always in your pocket, is transformative. So, digital on a platform that syncs between devices. (Bonus points for accomplishing this with an open-source app.)
Do you have any app that you suggest and any store where to actually download the file? Right now I buy physical — I love the feeling of paper — but it’s annoying that I can’t read when outside
Not OP but KOReader. It’s an open source e-reader software which runs practically everywhere, even the low-end Kobos. Tons of features. Good UX. Seemless integration to popular hardwares.
I love the Moon+ Reader app. Tons of features. I like that it has a dark mode and you can set the brightness very very low (on OLED) so reading in the dark at night is comfortable.
I buy physical usually.
I feel, i tend to abandon ebooks a little more often. Somehow i feel more committed to actually read most of my ever growing stack of books someday.
Ebook-reader are great nonetheless.
I aquire thrm digitally… In the high seas.
Almost always digital on my tablet or phone these days (I have a Kindle too but just can’t get used to the display), but I’ll buy physical copies to keep and/or give away if I really like them.
Digital. I’ve run out of space for storing physical books.
Purely a space issue for me these days, but the more I use my Kindle, the more I like it. Being able to just highlight a word and get the definition has been a real game changer. Although, it’s only because of e-ink displays that I even considered it in the first place. Definitely would not be reading books on a regular tablet/display.
Digital, unless I really want the book and it is only analog.
The analog form factor of books is IMHO much nicer, and I understand everyone who doesn’t like digital books.
Stil, for me going digital beats analog:
- Having books always in my pocket, I never wonder what to do if I have to wait somewhere
- Going for work/leisure travel, always fully stocked with interesting reading material
- Learning from books and making notes? Digital makes it far easier
- I mostly read English books for learning and in my country one has to pay a heavy surcharge for English books
I also have to say, Amazon really earned all the critic it gets, but their Kindle apps and physical devices are awesome. It is easy to buy DRM free books and read/sync them with Amazon kindle infrastructure (send to device etc.).
E-books. I read too many books for physical to be practical.
Physical. And then, depending on what I feel like, maybe download a digital copy somewhere and read it on my ereader. Usually the case with big, phat books that I don’t feel like holding for a longer time or lugging around with me.
Pirate digital and by used physical books
I tend to buy ebooks nowadays just because it’s convenient. I find ereader experience nowadays is pretty much the same as reading a regular book.
Audio book gang unite!
I normally pirate audio books and purchase them physically for our bookshelves around the house because I like the look and supporting the author but I like listening a lot more.
