E books or real books

**tikkifriend** · 06-29-2013 09:00

I know the internet offers an unlimited source of information covering our hobby but how many out there, like me , like the feel of something physical in their hands, something to flick through on occation, to browse, fall asleep and re read

Plus its always a good stand by for birthdays and Christmas

**Flying Officer Kyte** · 06-29-2013 09:08

I download E books for all my Fiction reading, but for anything that may be used as reference I buy a hard copy.
Rob.

**Boney10** · 06-29-2013 09:08

Will use ebooks.. But I'm with you Paul, love the feel of a real book

**Attila57** · 06-29-2013 11:20

I download some technical ebooks and I'am a subscriber to some emagazines.

But my favourite are hardcopies. I love the unmistakable smell of ink and to flip through a book....

Attilio

**Archidamus** · 06-30-2013 01:14

Ex-librarian married to a librarian here

So my wife & I have literally 1,000's of real books (I still have the first books I ever bought - paperback versions of Asimov's Foundation Trilogy bought 46 years ago). I do have e-books on my tablet, but they are copies of the real thing for taking on holiday, and the odd volume out of print that I could get no other way.

**Diamondback** · 06-30-2013 11:21

Depends, each have their virtues. Things I use for WoG and SoG research I like to have both when possible: physical for perusal and feeding into databases while at Home Office, electronic stored on a dedicated "library" hard-drive for when I'm elsewhere or on the road.

**boomerpete53** · 06-30-2013 13:11

For years i thought the only way to enjoy my model railroading hobbies was to "GET" the monthly mag's, but now with the NET i can have just as good reading in a pdf file as a print.
the only thing i would buy printed items are as a reference. as it is if any one know someone that would like back issue of Model Railroader mags, P&H + $10 get's you 12 mags, random choices. would even trade year lots for WOW cards. <AS IF THAT WILL HAPPEN< LOL>>

**Пилот** · 06-30-2013 16:04

For me, reading paper book is better experience. On the other hand, I don't mind reading e-books (but must admit, I tend to print them when possible).

**PunkReaper** · 06-30-2013 16:09

For me novels are read on my Kindle but any books with pictures I prefer to read in paper format. As a preference I would always read the paper version, I love the flicking through the pages and the feel of a new book in my hand, but the saving in space makes the Kindle a necessity....

**celticgriffon** · 07-03-2013 21:45

I still prefer print for reading something I am really interested in. Besides books are a hell of a lot easier to store than my board game collection.. ;p

Michael

**Marechallannes** · 07-03-2013 22:25

Real books, for shure.

Like Archidamus, I kept all the books of my youth (Fantasy, Si-Fi & History) and buy always new ones. Think I have reached 1000 too, most of them are paperback. (...need to count them)

**Archidamus** · 07-03-2013 23:42

Originally Posted by Marechallannes

Real books, for shure.

Like Archidamus, I kept all the books of my youth (Fantasy, Si-Fi & History) and buy always new ones. Think I have reached 1000 too, most of them are paperback. (...need to count them)

Actually, when our friends and my wife's work colleagues come for our BBQ evenings the comment from most first-time guests is "what is this, another library?"

We then explain we both have the disease Librarianensis - defined as the complete inability to dispose of any book once it is in our collection

**Carl_Brisgamer** · 07-04-2013 01:15

I love books, always have as long as I can remember. I love to hold a book of course, but I find myself collecting more ebooks than printed versions these days. It is definitely the availability factor and ease of storage. I can fit an entire room of books on one USB drive and carry it in my pocket.

**grumpybear** · 07-04-2013 03:47

Real books, but I don't read a lot

**Nightbomber** · 07-04-2013 05:35

Real books for me as far as non-fiction ones are concerned (I read much more of documentary books and biographies than fiction ones). The reason is I always read with a pencil in my hand and make a great many underlines, asterisks and notes on inner side of the covers. I mark a site number and a relevant information that could be found there. That is my own "contents". After some time it is easy to get back and recall needed data.
Of course making notes is possible on modern e-readers, but it's not the same and not so easy...

**7eat51** · 07-04-2013 06:27

Real books: the aesthetic quality, the feel of a book in one's hand, the ability to easily underline and make notes. Maybe it's age. Maybe it's more human.

**calm** · 07-04-2013 08:10

Originally Posted by Boney10

Will use ebooks.. But I'm with you Paul, love the feel of a real book

Indeed, nothing like the feel of a phisical book. But I love the portability of ebooks.

And for me it is important as I travel a lot and for long times.

**gully_raker** · 07-04-2013 18:39

Definitely REAL Books for me. Love to feel them in my hands.

**7eat51** · 07-04-2013 20:56

A poll has been added to this thread.

**Flying Officer Kyte** · 07-05-2013 01:49

Now it has come to an actual vote of yes or no I have had to go with real books.
Rob.

**calm** · 07-05-2013 02:57

Originally Posted by Flying Officer Kyte

Now it has come to an actual vote of yes or no I have had to go with real books.
Rob.

Same here.

**Lt. S.Kafloc** · 07-05-2013 09:25

Reference books I prefer the real thing but now I have a kindle I love taking 10-12 or more books on holiday and reading what I like. Prefer the 'story' kind of book on the e-reader but for reference the real thing. Perhaps a third choice would have been both?

**phililphall** · 07-05-2013 09:44

I have converted to e-books from necessity. Being retired funds are limited and the cheaper I can get a new book the better. I recently purchased a new ebook for $9.99. If I had purchased the hardboound copy it would have cost me $26.95. I do like real books also and everything I purchased prior to getting my Kindle in February and literally have a few thousand taking up space. If it were possible I would get some of my reference books from long ago on my Kindle. I like the portability it provides and the fact that I can carry my library with me. Plus the weight of the Kindle makes it easier to hold than a larger tome.

**Jago85** · 07-05-2013 15:51

I like real books myself but also being somebody who was away for annual training ,ebooks were nice I could load a bunch onto my ereader and have only the weight of the ereader.

**Jager** · 07-05-2013 16:18

I prefer hardcopy for reference, but will use e-books for reading.
Karl

**Bluedevil** · 07-08-2013 07:25

There's nothing like a real book...

I would use e-books for things that can not be found otherwise or perhaps an e-magazine...

**wargamer** · 07-08-2013 08:51

I used to love real books. That first Sci Fi anthology back in 1966 was awesome. My collection grew through high school and college. Then the military said it was time to move, and they packed the collection. And somewhere betwixt Fort Benning and Kitzigen it disappeared into the movers black hole. Tried to repopulate it but it was difficult as far too many were out of print and only available at prices far beyond my means.

As the computer age grew I began to collect some of the early versions of ebooks. When the palm handheld computer showed up, I started collecting ebooks as fast as I could find them. Still bought hard copy to keep up with new stuff. Then dell offered a superior handheld. Around 1999 Baen Books started selling their latest SF in ebook format as well as paper and hardback versions. As Baen found older books and authors and added them to their line, those too joined my collection - very nice to find many of the books I had lost in the 70's finally back into my ebook library. The fact that Baen had a large online free collection of recent books available was interesting - sort of here, read this - then you can buy the rest (insert evil laugh track).

So, yes, I will read the occasional books, but mostly I prefer the ebook version - except for things like Janes. The newest thing I love about Baen and ebooks is the advance reader copies so that you can get the latest sci fi a bit before the book actually is available for print (eARC's) but you do have accept that these eARC's are just like hard copy ARC's in that they are what the writer turned in to the publisher. So they are unproofed, with typos and so on.

Now the negative about the ebook formats is the difference between protected and unprotected. Over the years, several companies have been bought out by larger companies, and despite claims to the contrary, you tend to lose any support. So if you bought protected books, you can no longer get them transferred to a newer computer or smartphone. Lost almost 800 books when Fictionwise was acquired by B&N. Will never purchase a protected version of a book again. While the various publishers claim that selling unprotected books is a baaad idea, Baen Books has been successful since their inception as a publisher on just that idea. Oh well, rant off now.

**Doug** · 07-15-2013 02:33

Originally Posted by Пилот

For me, reading paper book is better experience. On the other hand, I don't mind reading e-books (but must admit, I tend to print them when possible).

Likewise

**somaliavet** · 07-23-2013 06:23

I voted for hard copy books as I would much rather have a book in hand. However, I have started the transition to digital for some books, mainly pulp sci-fi/fantasy that I would buy in paperback. I always swore that I would never purchase reference books in digital format, but my will is crumbling now that I looked at how much cheaper Osprey books are in e-books.

**Burt** · 07-23-2013 11:44

I just love having a real book to thumb through.
Whenever I go to the throne room I like to have something to pass a few moments with..

**Hunter** · 10-22-2013 08:20

Yes!!!!

**Diamondback** · 10-23-2013 12:52

That reminds me... my local library had the old Beagle Books biography of Ginger Lacey for 50 cents at their annual book-sale last weekend. If anybody else in the States wants to borrow it after I'm done, send me a PM... so far it's skosh on technicals, more 'human interest'.

**Biggles downunder** · 10-23-2013 17:40

Originally Posted by Flying Officer Kyte

I download E books for all my Fiction reading, but for anything that may be used as reference I buy a hard copy.
Rob.

Me too

**Teaticket** · 01-09-2014 20:01

Real books rule.

**Captain Chum** · 01-09-2014 20:19

Real books rule X2.

**itchy** · 01-10-2014 01:42

I do prefer "real books " but I do own a kindle and the ease of being able to take a load of books to a museum or battle field with you is excellent ,plus the room as well I got to the point where I was running out of room and found my good lady was selling her book collection to house mine and I was not having that so the kindles a god send .