Can e-books replace paperbacks?

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Dilemma
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Re: Can e-books replace paperbacks?

Post by Dilemma »

I love them both. There is a time and place for each, with pros and cons connected to both. I try hope paper books never disappear as there really isn't anything as wonderful as getting a brand new book in your hands. It's really such a tactile experience.
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Insightsintobooks
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Post by Insightsintobooks »

I love my Kindle because they are convent and I just don't have the space for a lot of books but nothing can replace the feel of an actual book. I hope to one day have my own library.
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MeganebuKris22
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Post by MeganebuKris22 »

Nothing can replace the feel of a book in my hands or the beauty of physically turning a page. While I understand the convenience of an e-book I'd much rather just keep lugging around an actual book in bag instead of an e-reader. Books are works of art and they can't be fully appreciated unless they are in they're raw real form.
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Kailynn
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Post by Kailynn »

I dont think so. I love the smell of a new or old book from a bookshop. I think e books are a great idea for ease of traveling long distance etc but for local or just a few hour trips give me a paper back any day.
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kandscreeley
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Post by kandscreeley »

I think both have their merits. I have enjoyed the accessibility of e-books. It's great being able to go on vacation with a whole library of books on a small device. However, I still enjoy being able to hold a real book in my hand, flip its pages, and smell its newness.
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imacd
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Post by imacd »

I am an artist who is watching thousands of art galleries go out of business because artists can make direct contact with art collectors via the internet. An artist no longer needs to share half of their revenue with a gallery. Buyers can now acquire art a lower price because the middleman has been cut out. The same thing is happening with books. Using free apps, a writer can now easily turn a manuscript, written in Microsoft Word, into a first class e-book. Collaborating via the internet with their readers, in the pre-publication phase, a writer can now create better books because readers can easily make suggestions and draw manuscript errors to the writer's attention. The book publishing houses and the few large book retailers are in a rapidly shrinking market. The population, who cling to novels, printed on paper, are dying off or are being forced, by the high production and distributions costs of printed books, to go to less expensive e-publications. Hundreds of thousands of e-books can now be down loaded to a tablet for free because delivery and production costs are not a consideration. This was never possible with books printed on paper.
MadLibraryScientist
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Post by MadLibraryScientist »

I don't think that ebooks will ever completely replace physical books of any kind. Like the Doctor says, people never really stop loving books. That said, I love ebooks, on the right device. I love them on my tablet, but anything much smaller than that and I have a hard time concentrating. I also don't care for them on a computer. But there have been times when ebooks have been more convenient than the physical copy--such as with particularly thick books. I think we'll move to a nice balance where people either use a hybrid of both formats, or settle on one or the other.
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Bookworm Beth
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Post by Bookworm Beth »

I love my kindle paperwhite. I can hold it with one hand while I read lying on my side, I can always carry dozens of books around with me, I can read it in the dark next to my sleeping boyfriend without some cheap booklight, and I don't even have to leave the privacy of my home to instantly acquire and start reading my next book. That being said, I do miss that wonderful book smell and all of the nostalgic feelings. Maybe we should be trying to invent a way to make kindle smell like a paperback. I certainly prefer the convenience of my kindle and do not miss struggling to hold that book open with one hand or flip pages while in bed.
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Post by CzechTigg »

I hope not.. the need for libraries as part of a town or city's community is still quite vital.
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imacd
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Post by imacd »

Artificial intelligence has already replaced much of what librarians used to do. Everyone expects to have immediate, electronic access to all the information in the world. The days when the bank's librarians tried to block the bank's executive from having direct access to online data are long gone. You do have to wonder why physical buildings, storing data on a printed paper format that can't be easily searched, sorted or delivered to readers, still exist. The Dewey Decimal System has a hard time competing with Google. The contents of an entire library can be stored on one iphone. Being able to buy a Samsung tablet for $100 makes you wonder if it would be more beneficial to take library budgets and use it to give away free tablets to readers.
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Post by Lyn8245+ »

There are just some books that I want to keep forever and for me, that means paperback or hard bound. I love reading on my tablet at night before I go to sleep, but when I have to replace it, I will lose the books I have on my carousel. So like a lot of you, I enjoy both.
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ramblinggnomes
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Post by ramblinggnomes »

I don´t think ebooks will ever replace traditional print books. I suspect what will happen is exactly what happened with digital photography. Analogue suppliers started closing down all over the world but then there was a revival and it´s coming back.

Ebooks are great, they´re easy to use and definitely take the packing stress out of holidays but I think that, once the initial excitement has worn off, people will return to print. Despite the abundance of ebooks, they´re often more expensive than print books. Reading a print book is an experience, having them in your home and declaring to the world that you are a reader is something that people don´t want to lose.
I have kindle as I live abroad, don´t know how long I´m staying and live in a tiny apartment. Once I´m settled, I´ll be back to print.
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Michela_1977
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Post by Michela_1977 »

I miss my paperbacks...but I read sooooo much that my house isn't big enough to store all my books.... e-books are amazing. I think I bought the first kindle that came out. But to answer the question? No, I'm sorry but the smell of a paperback, turning the pages, seeing the book when it was read a few times and it was getting old, no I will always miss my paperbacks.....
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Post by Kb3ck »

I believe that e-books are definitely trying to replace books and I will admit that on my travels it is more convenient to have my kindle in my bag than two or three books. Although I love my kindle, nothing beats the feeling of a book in my hand and the smell of the pages that hold the words with in.
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ms62
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Post by ms62 »

asmaahsan wrote:Nothing gives me more pleasure than a well-written, well-bound book in my hands.

I was an avid reader untill my early twenties when I became a mother and committed home-maker. I didnt read books anymore as I didnt get the time to sit and marvel at an excellent piece of literature. I started reading a lot of stuff on the internet.

As e-books became more popular, I found it so convenient to read them!

I read a lot online. I enjoy e-books now because in the middle of my concentrated reading sessions, if some phrase comes up that confuses me or gives me a sense of deja vu, I can always look it up immediately online, something thats a bit inconvenient if you are curled up with a book and the internet access is not close at hand.

Its easy to read an e-book on an android phone or some other modern internet enabled device and you can always pretend that you are checking your mail if amongst company that may label you as being a bookworm, something you may not like to be considered.

That e-books are the future of reading is a certainty, no doubt, but book lovers like me will always try to unearth and treasure those timeless collector's editions that you would only leave to someone who loves books as much as you, as your legacy.
I must add that Still A Paper Back is called a Book. E-Books are convenient but Nothing can Replace a Paper Counter Part with a Tea/Cofee and curled up in a Chair or Bed or anywhere while travelling, even in bathrooms....

Cheers!
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