Ebooks have become the hot new way to read. Having hundreds of books at your fingertips in a tiny, lightweight device can be a lifesaver, especially if your bookshelves are already overflowing. However, there is a big debate about which is better, a physical book or an e-books? What are some of the main differences between an ebook and a physical book?
Weight
This is a huge issue for many people. Throwing a tablet into your bag is a lot less weight then throwing a physical copy of a book into your bag. Ebooks have more options of books to read, you can easily have over 100 ebooks available to you and can easily switch from one book to the next. You can even purchase ebooks right from your device without having to find a bookstore or wait for a package to arrive in the mail.
Point: Ebooks: 1; Physical Books: 0
Durability
Most e-readers are sturdy little devices, there isn’t too much worry about ripping it in half or anything like that, but there is a great deal of worry about spilling anything on it, scratching the screen, dropping it, letting little ones touch it, etc. With a physical book those issues aren’t very worrisome. You still have to take care of them, but if you drop it, no big deal.
Point: Ebooks: 1; Physical Books: 1
Readability
The biggest complaint (next to the fact that ebooks are killing bookstores) is that reading on that backlit screen can be killer on your eyes. Now, Amazon’s Kindle with e-ink has avoided this problem and to say that reading off of it is not so much different than a physical book, but other tablets do still have the backlit screens which can put a big strain on your eyes after reading for a while.
Point: Ebooks: 1; Physical Books: 2
Ease of Use
One of ebooks greatest advantages is that it the text sizes can be adjusted so that those with vision impairment can read with ease. Many ebooks are even available as audio books making it easy for anyone to be able to listen to the words. Physical books in brail or in large font sizes are usually more expensive, and harder to find.
Ebooks: 2; Physical Books: 2
Cost
Here ebooks really shine. Many books are available electronically for much less than their physical counterparts, after the initial investment. Many classic works that are available electronically are free for download and there are many books that are available for $0.99 or less.
Ebooks: 3; Physical Books: 2
Collectable Value
As much fun as it is to read ebooks, no one is going to walk into your home and comment on your lovely first edition copy of an ebook. And as of right now, there is still no feasible way of an author to sign an ebook for a reader. These factors make ebooks less of a collectable item than a physical book. A digital copy, no matter the print run, is still a digital copy, it does not retain the value or collectability of a physical book.
Ebooks: 3; Physical Books: 3
In the end, what matters is reading. How you read is really irrelevant. If you like the tactile feel of paper brushing against your fingertips as you slip into a magical world then by all means keep on buying physical books. If the flashing of a screen as it turns pages thrills you then keep on buying ebooks. The important thing is to just keep reading!
Andi the Intern