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/lit/ - Literature

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3844029 No.3844029 [Reply] [Original]

anyone still prefer paper books to Kindle, etc? And if so, how come?

>> No.3844042

if i ever finish reading all the paper books I can´t stop myself from buying then I might see some point in buying an e-book reader

>> No.3844048

Some people leave their homes, travel and find not lugging an entire paper book library preferable.

>> No.3844063

ebooks have all the same words, I promise

>> No.3844075

books look pretty cool. fun to hold.

>> No.3844192

I feel a lot more satisfaction from purchasing a paperback than I do a kindle or Nook edition. Partially because I love the feel but also because I don't want the entire world's lit in the hands of a limited selection of publishers. Plus buying used books from local stores helps the local economy.

>> No.3844200

I never used nor wanted to use an ebook reader.

>> No.3844205

I'm partial to books. I like that each book is different. The cover, the leading, and the dimensions. I feel like holding a book adds something to the experience.

>> No.3844207

>>3844048
Why would you need that many books while traveling?

>> No.3844210

I'm someone who sits down to read and likes to know "alright I need to leave in ten minutes, will I reach a chapter break by then?" and that's somewhat more inconvenient on my Kindle. Especially with books like ASOIAF, which don't have chapter numbers

>> No.3844223

I was doing straight Kindle for awhile, but I recently started buying books again. Maybe because I've got money right now, or maybe because I just prefer the aesthetic experience. Maybe I just want stuff I can hold and point to, and which might tell someone something about me if they see it (something different from what a bookshelf comprised of what I read as a younger man might say). Probably all of the above.

Books have a smell and are comfortable to hold, and it's nice seeing the letters printed on actual physical pages you can flip through. They're a pain in the ass for reading at a deli or diner: have to find some way to keep them jammed open while eating.

Kindle is mostly nice for browsing some classics you can for free on it (even without bothering with the hassle of pirating). Read Dorian Gray and perhaps some questionable translations of Plato on it. A history book I actually shelled out good money for (and don't even have it for my bookshelf). Also, I have a subscription to New Yorker and Philosophy Now on it. Mostly so I can constantly feel like I'm wasting money, because who has time to read the whole New Yorker every week and not just that?

>> No.3844225

Definitely prefer books. I love the feeling of sliding a good, finished book onto the shelf. Plus a book collection is wonderful.

"Hey guys, check out my Kindle collection"

>> No.3844251

I don't know. I just like that I actually hold it in my hands and that no one can take it away or change it unless they pry it out them. Digital books seem too easy to "lose" or change.
Plus dat new book smell.

>> No.3844309

Old habits die hard. All books have their own identities, smells, history. Kindle is just some electronic gadget with 1s and 0s that needs to be recharged. No "soul".

Eh.

>> No.3844448

If you use a kindle you're basically renting the books. It's literature's version of steam.

>> No.3844480

I like how they look on a shelf/ I like have cool cover art. I like having something hefty in my hand while reading. I like the feeling when you finish a massive novel.

I hate when I get a speck of dust on my screen and accidently switch screens.
I hate how the page numbers never line up so I have to hit the next button 4x for the number to change.
I hate how its almost too small. I need a little heft.

>> No.3844520

I still buy/read real books, mainly because I like collecting.

>> No.3844537

I prefer paper books because I dont have money to buy a kindle.

>> No.3844578

the very scent of physical books turns me on

>> No.3844665
File: 6 KB, 150x215, new-book-smell-spray-can.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3844665

>>3844578

>> No.3844686

>>3844223
>They're a pain in the ass for reading at a deli or diner: have to find some way to keep them jammed open while eating
Never thought of ereaders as a solution to that before...

>> No.3844695

I can never be bothered to read electronic books for some reason. I'm pretty much forced to own a physical copy if I expect to read it, despite how inconvenient it is.

>> No.3844705

a kindle seems like a downgrade from a real book

You have to charge it. People say, "durr, you only have to charge it once every few weeks" but that's still a lot more than never. People always come here to /lit/ whenever they have formatting problems. It must be fun opening up a book on Kindle and finding this: ⓭⓭⓭⡵⡵╧▓▞▞⓭⓭╧▜▨▓⡵⠱ and then troubleshooting how to fix it for the next two hours. Books are also less frail, they don't need extended warranties, and they're easier to annotate. I also like being able to thumb through the pages superfast when I'm looking for a certain passage or note I made, it's much faster than navigating an ebook.

Really, I can't think of a single benefit from owning an ebook.

Smellfags can go fuck off. Get some real reasons to like books.

>> No.3844714

ITT: hipsters struggling to find tangible reasons for their edgy dislike of progress. If you care more about the container than the content itself, you're doing something wrong.

>> No.3844719
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3844719

>>3844714
>hipsters
>edgy
>progress

>> No.3844725

>>3844714

I agree. Tangibility is a thing of the past. Also, fuck preferences. Anyone that doesn't agree is edgy.

>> No.3844727

Can you read on PC/laptop? I start to read and loses my focus, starting to checking my email, opening tabs or whatever. I have so many pdf that I wanted to read but I need to print all them because of this fucking addiction.

>> No.3844728

This might sound weird, but I find it comforting that in the event of an apocalypse that eradicates electricity my books will still be readable.

Then again, I would probably just be able to loot some. Still, I stand by my irrationalities.

>> No.3844733

>>3844714
Agreed with the content over container argument, but why does it hurt to have a preference? Some like readers, other like books. Let them be.

>> No.3844738

people can't tell what book you're reading when you read on an ipad, harder to show off, you could be reading Ulysses but they'll just think you're watching game of thrones or something

>> No.3844746

>>3844738
>reading books for the appearance
You're doing it wrong.

>> No.3844742

>>3844727
i like reading pdfs with Apple preview...the way it swipes the pages across with the trackpad is almost as satisfying as turning the pages of a book and the text looks great on a big ass monitor

>> No.3844750

>>3844733
Because we're on 4chan, and everyone who doesn't share my opinion is a moron. I feel like a lot of people here who have never actually tried getting their hands on a decent e-reader just mask their uneducated opinion under hypocritical statements about their so-called preference for physical books. This being said, your answer made me re-think the tone of that comment. Peace be with you.

>> No.3844752

>>3844746
not when someone comes up and talks to me about the book, go make a foreveralone thread somewhere nerd

>> No.3844755

Of course I do. I think most people do. I told my friend who's taking a postgrad in librarian studies that I had bought a kindle and she gave me puppydog eyes and started in with all this death of the printed word bullshit. Guess what, my first move was not to burn all the paper books sitting on my shelf, I still buy about the same amount of physical copies yearly, and I still pick up books from the library. The only thing that's changed is that I don't have to wait for a new release to become available at the library, and I can choose from a bunch of books when I travel.

>> No.3844758
File: 1.56 MB, 1024x768, Progress.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3844758

>>3844714
>progress for the sake of progress is inherently good

>> No.3844761

>>3844758
>misinterpreting, on top of focusing on the wrong words.

>> No.3844762

>>3844755
>i can choose from a bunch of books when I travel.

Oh god that makes me so hard

>> No.3844775

I prefer paper books because I can use it as a talking point when I try to convince people that I am really INTO books and that I love to READ, even though I don't actually read that much. As long as I make it look like I have a preference, it makes it seem as though I really have strong feelings about literature in general.

>> No.3844787
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3844787

there are only two types of ebook threads on /lit/:

>why don't you have an ebook?
and
>my ebook is broken what do I do?

>> No.3844796

>>3844787
Well this thread seems to be a third type, so no.

>> No.3844799

>>3844705
Do these ebooks lack even a basic search function then that you can use to quickly find keywords in the text? I've never used one before, but if this is the case I am astonished

>> No.3844812

>>3844705
luddite fuck

>> No.3844816

NSA can't sniff my books

>> No.3844852

>be 2 semesters ago
>in English 101 class
>start talking to qt3.14
>start talking about books & politics
>1984 makes it's way into convo
>she hasn't read it
>Tell her it's a good read
>asks me, "Maybe you can let me borrow it?" with a smile
>tfw only copy I have of it is a pdf file on my iTouch
>tfw didn't really talk to her after that day
>tfw what could have been if I had a physical copy

This is why you buy books. Also, don't be a bitch like me.

>> No.3844870

>>3844852
the only legitimate reason to prefer a physical over a digital copy

>> No.3844874

>>3844870
BUT...MUH SMELLS

>> No.3844876

>>3844705
>opening up a book on Kindle and finding this: ⓭⓭⓭⡵⡵╧▓▞▞⓭⓭╧▜▨▓⡵⠱ and then troubleshooting how to fix it for the next two hours.

It's so very obvious you've never touched a Kindle before in your life.

>> No.3844880

prefer kobo/kindle
easier to hold, easier to read, the text looks nicer, internal lighting

carry your entire library in your hand..this is literally MAGIC

free books also

>> No.3844885

>>3844852
>Oh, I have an e-book version, write down your e-mail address and I'll send it to you. You know how to read PDFs, right?

I've had this conversation many times.

>> No.3844897

>>3844705
It's true you never have to 'charge' a book, but a book can't magically change into another book, either. That one book (many far bigger and heavier than a kindle) is just that one book. Would I rather spend money on one paper book you never have to charge or one e-reader that I charge once a month that can be ANY book? The latter.

It's bizarre that you think e-books change from text into something like wingdings. That never happens. The "formatting" issues with Kindle is more a matter of margins than anything else, so you can still read it. Is it annoying? Yes. Is it wingdings? No.

As for searching for a "certain passage or note", all e-readers allow you to make notes, which is saved at the location it was made. Furthermore, as easy as it is to hit CTRL + F on a PC, you can search the entire text of an e-book for specific words or phrases.

Don't kid yourself, there are many advantages of an e-reader. It sounds like you're just ignorant, though. If you ever tried an e-reader out and learned all of its features, you'd probably end up being its strongest advocate.

Wouldn't want that, so stay ignorant.

>> No.3844904

Ever since I put a fuckload of PDFs onto my Galaxy I haven't looked back.

>> No.3844910

>>3844705

>You have to charge it. People say, "durr, you only have to charge it once every few weeks" but that's still a lot more than never.

Yes, it is more than never. That doesn't make it meaningfully inconvenient. For those of us charging phones, tablets, laptops, etc. daily, finding a few seconds to plug another device in weekly doesn't even register.

The only valid point you made was about navigation, and even then I only find myself being annoyed by large, color PDFs.

>> No.3844947

>>3844897
Ebooks don't magically change either. I think it's sort of ridiculous that you think buying an ebook compared to buying a real book is like casting a voodoo spell, and I like how you pretend that ebooks don't have limited storage space. You're right that my copy of Catcher in the Rye will never turn into Harry Potter overnight, but it's not like it's difficult to own more than one book at a time.

>It's bizarre that you think e-books change from text into something like wingdings. That never happens.
I've seen people on /lit/ with that exact problem multiple times.

>Don't kid yourself, there are many advantages of an e-reader
...which you will not list for some reason. Probably because there are none.

>> No.3845039

>>3844537
haha poor guy. look at the poory, being poor.

why did you give it a rest poory, i get it, youre poor. quit shoving your poorness in my face

/you should buy a kindle cos its cheaper in the long run. most of the classics/lit material is free and you can torrent the rest (provided you're ok with that)

>> No.3845048

>>3844947

Your arguments tend towards weird abstractions to absurdity.

>Its battery life isn't infinite, therefore it's bad.
>Its storage space isn't infinite, therefore it's bad.

And your harping on his use of the word 'magically' is nonsensical and entirely off point. His point, which I'm sure you understood, was simply that you can store magnitudes more information on a single, smaller, lighter and more convenient object.

Also your anecdote about wingdings is difficult to believe.

>> No.3845050

>>3844876

Observation: at least half of the "1 star" reviews on Amazon are due to poor Kindle formatting.

>> No.3845057

Because its fucking real.

>> No.3845064

>>3844207
I out of town for a week, I brought 5 books with me, I finished two.

>it is the second day of the trip.

>> No.3845068

>>3845048
>Its battery life isn't infinite, therefore it's bad.
It's certainly worse than the alternative.

>> No.3845071

Is there any advantage in a kindle vs. a tablet with an ebook reader?

either way I prefer paper.

>> No.3845077

Why can't you paperfags just admit you like the signalling value of having books on a shelf in your home that guests will see when they come by.

>> No.3845096

Pros of books:
>I like to collect and display
>Easily identifiable book can initiate conversation when reading in public
>It's easy to loan books

Pros of Kindle:
>Library at my fingertips
>Lightweight

Huh, look at that. Both have good qualities. Imagine that.

>> No.3845102

>>3845096
but only the Kindle has bad qualities

>> No.3845108
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3845108

This is going to sound like some ridiculous hipster mumbo-jumbo, but I just really like the feel of proper, paper books. It's a more organic experience or something. I don't really feel like I'm reading a book when I'm staring at an electronic screen. Even though the information is the same, the experience doesn't follow somehow.

>> No.3845123

I like buying books because it's easier to annotate etc. I have nothing against kindle users (I have one as well).

I like reading and buying books that are special to me. I want my collection to slowly build over my life.

I want to be able to flip through a book that was special to me years from now and see the underlines and notes I've left in it. For me having that special window into my mind and thoughts years removed in the books I most enjoyed at that time is one of the reasons I enjoy buying and collecting books. Collecting is and will be a lifelong pursuit to me.

>> No.3845125

>>3845068

Technically true and immaterial to the argument.

>> No.3845126

spend all your time on the computer staring at fucking screen
spend all your time on your phone staring at a fucking screen
spend all your time watching tv staring at a fucking screen

now you even want to stare at a fucking screen when you read a book? don't we have enough of this shit already?

>> No.3845127

>>3845125

>immaterial to the argument

Supreme denial.

>> No.3845131

>>3845127

Recharging a reader doesn't cost significant time, energy, money or thought. It literally does not matter. It's no more inconvenient than placing a book on a bookshelf. It means nothing.

But it's technically more recharging than books need, so somehow they're better.

>> No.3845133

I refuse to pay for digital media when I can get it for free. I end up with hundreds of pdfs I'll never read, if I spend money it gives a little more incentive to actually read the thing.

I also find books more comfortable.

>> No.3845138

Paper books are each special. The shade of the paper, what the paper is made of, the font, the text size, how the book is bound, the cover - all of it is different for every single book, and for me, it affects the way I feel about the book. To me, the books are like people, and these are their specific traits; these help to show what make it unique. If books were just in a kindle, they each wouldn't be special in that way. They'd all be the same - while in paper, you're in THEIR element, you're in THEIR world.
Kindle's suck.

>> No.3845139

>>3845131

>It literally does not matter.
>It means nothing.
>But it's technically more

Just stop posting you laughable moron.

>> No.3845142

>>3844029
Because it's the only thing remaining I enjoy that is not on a screen.

>> No.3845143

I find it difficult to read books on a kindle or any type of electronic screen, really.

I much prefer having a physical copy of something. I like to feel the weight of the book and the pages. It also seems more familiar and comfortable for me to read from a book than something thin like a Kindle.

I do own a kindle, which holds a plethora of novels, but I tend to keep returning to real copies.

>> No.3845158

>>3844448
this
can't lend them out
can't sell them
can't give them away
can't buy them for $2 at the used book shop
that being said, once you actually have the material, the reading experience itself is usually slightly better
but i don't want to participate in that type of bullshit (voluntarily giving up rights) more than i have to

>> No.3845160

>>3845158
Sounds like the XBONE.

>> No.3845165

>>3845160
r u 12

>> No.3845168

I prefer looking at paper then a screen. And the paper retains a history that electronic versions don't. I have a book that I've kept for 6 years and I swear to god when I run through that book I flash back to days I forgot about. All from looking at the stains and smelling the paper that I saw and smelled back then.

>> No.3845174

>>3845139
>hey guys, I invented a perpetual motion machine!
>well... technically it loses 1% of its energy every few hours...
>but still, it's so insignificant it doesn't make a difference. Perpetual energy!

>> No.3845185

>>3845077
But nobody comes to me.

>> No.3845189

i'm poor and don't have atm.

>> No.3845217

>anyone still prefer paper books to Kindle, etc? And if so, how come?

1) Speed: You can go back to where you left off in just a second. A kindles needs to power on. You can go to any part of the book very fast. A kindle requires you to fumble around with the interface.

2) Privacy: No one knows what book you are reading. With a kindle, Amazon could know your exact reading habits and book collection, and delete the books stored in your kindle at will.

3) Economy: Books don't need to be powered by electricity. You could read as long and as slowly as you want without worrying about batteries.

4) Robustness:Books aren't affected by electrical surges like EMP.

5) Overall value: You get a nice cover and paper printed with text. With eBooks, it's just data.

6) No eye fatigue.

>> No.3845257

>>3845050
It's not that hard to correct the formatting or simply to acquire a book that is formatted correctly. Issues with formatting don't usually last beyond the first week or so of actually having and using the e-reader.

If you think about it, lots of people who don't read buy e-readers and then try to read. They probably don't like reading, anyway, but expected the novelty of an ebook on a screen to somehow change the experience for them.

>> No.3845259

>>3845071
The devices with e-ink are basically like reading on paper. Personally, I prefer the portability and the discretion of an e-reader. Walking around with a book that has an embarrassing cover sucks and walking around with a book at all can invite some unwanted conversations. Carrying a tablet with you is pretty normal, people probably just think it's a phone or don't even notice it.

I read paper books at home, but never read them in public.

>> No.3845268

>dat new book smell
>dat old book smell
>dat feel
>dat cover
>dat tangibility

>> No.3845279

>>3845268
hey, thanks for compiling that list of things that don't change anything about the content of the book itself and shouldn't even be taken into consideration by anyone but the most pretentious of tryhard bookfags

you faggots who defend paper books, I hope you're all reading everything in its original language only. and I hope you're reading 1st edition, 1st printing hardcover books too.

>> No.3845292

>>3845279
>mad

>> No.3845300

>>3845279
Why do you even care, I prefer what I prefer and you as well, stop being so angry.

>> No.3845311

What's wrong with having both? When it's convenient, or when a good torrent comes about, I have no problem with getting some e-books, but I love going to bookstores and buying physical copies as well.

>> No.3845326

>>3845268
>that big splotch of chocolate
>That cum stain on an emotion evoking page

>> No.3845327

>>3845326
They're all clues to the meta-narrative of the book itself.

>> No.3845417

I have the biggest and best dorm room of my friends, who live on the same hall (fridge, Keurig, 2 sofas), so they come over a lot.

Paper books make better coffee table books.
Paper books can be lent out more easily.
Paper books can be displayed better.
I don't think they make e-book coloring books (I have coloring books and supplies, for instance, "The Gangsta Rap Coloring Book", for when people are bored)
Paper books are better for my /tg/ group (look better, it's fine if they fall on the floor vs. an e-reader)
Some of my classes do not allow e-readers or other electronics and want specific editions of the book used in class
Paper books make better gifts (even if the e-book edition is the same price) because they look better and can be opened at a party instead of just redeemed via e-mail
Paper books are more social and shareable

>> No.3845422

>>3845417
>(I have coloring books and supplies, for instance, "The Gangsta Rap Coloring Book", for when people are bored)

I like you.

>> No.3845433

>>3845422

Thanks. I also have a few kid-safe ones (generic geometric stuff and fantasy princesses, not like kid's show stuff) in case my friends need to babysit a kid and they forget their toys.

>> No.3845450

Other than being a whore for books in the printed form. The one reason why I like printed stuff is that when we go through a format change. We often will lose parts of media. Like I know a good amount of my collection is still not to be found on Kindle due to various copyright and other issues with publishers and writers.

>> No.3845468

>>3845279
>thanks for compiling that list of things that don't change anything about the content of the book itself
You mean like battery life, convenience, size of your e-library and everything else ebook users list? Face it, you're a moron trying to start useless arguments over preferences.

>> No.3845595

>>3845168
>I prefer looking at a paper then a screen
that must be expensive

>> No.3845625

...it's because books smell better.

>> No.3845631

>>3845422
>colored people
lol

>> No.3845726

E-books lack the characteristics a real book have it's also fun to hold them, smell them and I love my bookshelf. It's like comparing vinyl to CD.

I also despise the idea of charging up a book.

>> No.3845754

ebooks will never be as convenient as a real book

>> No.3846011

>>3845726

>It's like comparing vinyl to CD.

So eventually people will stop pretending the older format has any advantages and accept that they're just a pleasant thing to collect?

>> No.3846057

>>3846011
Vinyl does have superior sound quality to CD's though.

There's no difference between vinyls and FLAC though.

>> No.3846088

>>3846057

>FLAC superior to WAV

m8

>> No.3846095
File: 2.14 MB, 2146x955, NAMA_Linear_B_tablet_of_Pylos[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3846095

>Keeping your literature on perishable, floppy wood pulp
You plebs are fucking disgusting, I don't know why I even come on here.

>> No.3846105

The best thing about ebook readers is that you can get your hands on else inaccessible books and read them conveniently.

>> No.3846109

>>3844029
>anyone still
what is this /v/? books are still the norm and ebooks are a niche. nothing has come along that makes them iPod cool. there's been attempts, like the Kindle, but nothing is perfect and they all suffer from being electronic and requiring power.

>> No.3846110

>>3846095
>Keeping your literature on electronic hardware that self destructs if it gets near a fucking magnet and even a small amount of damage can make it pretty much useless
shiggy to the diggy to the do

>> No.3846113

>>3846110
>hurr durr I'm to retarded for basic danger assessment

>> No.3846115

>>3846110
>Not backing up your ebook files elsewhere
>Implying they cost anything in the first place
Keep your wood pulp away from me you dirty casual.

>> No.3846124

>>3846110
Because paper is famously indestructible

>> No.3846128

>>3844714
>hurr people dont like what i like and actually want to collect pieces of an extensive and amazing form of art instead of having 1's and 0's translated into it
>you should all go get pictures of famous paintings and put them up in museums too!!!

>> No.3846133

>>3846124
>What is a leather binding
i've had more USB's/memory cards/computers break than books destroyed

>> No.3846139

>>3846133
Keep buying. We need to fuel eternal growth.

>> No.3846158

I have 5 bookshelves full of books although I have nearly triple that on my computer. Still prefer paperbacks. When I have a more permanent house I will have a room filled with paper books.

>> No.3846162

>>3846133

I'm sorry for your losses

>> No.3846193

>>3846110

>self destructs if it gets near a fucking magnet
>magnet

It's not the 90s anymore, you Luddite.

>> No.3846208

This is possibly the only place for discussion of books on the internet where owning books is looked down upon by a good amount of users.

Why is that?

>> No.3846231

>>3846208
Books != literature. Books are just a format.

>> No.3846237

>>3846231
...and? That doesn't change the fact that literature is primarily distributed through books.

Care to answer the question?

>> No.3846239

>literature is primarily distributed through books.
ahahahhaahahaaaaa

Good one.

>> No.3846242

>>3846239
>I know I'm wrong and can't think of anything to say
Cute.

>> No.3846243

>>3846242
>sage is le downboat XDDDDDDDDD
You know where to go.

>> No.3846245

>>3846243
Daww, look at this little kiddo.

>> No.3846254
File: 1.80 MB, 2148x3215, Tim_Berners-Lee_CP[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3846254

>>3846237
>literature is primarily distributed through books.