So this is something I've been thinking of writing about for almost a year. I'm sure a lot of you have e-readers and love them, so I'm probably going to step on your toes, but I really don't like them. I don't see the point of owning one, except to spend anywhere from $149 to $275 on a piece of technology nobody really needs.
E-books can be downloaded to your computer, laptop, I-Pad, netbook or phone. So why lug around an e-reader too? From a practicality standpoint, I would rather have a printed book. I like the feel of a book in my hands. I like the look of books on my shelves. If I drop a book down the stairs, I just go down and pick it up, no harm done. If I drop an e-reader down the stairs, I have to clean up a bunch of shattered plastic and buy another e-reader.
Then there's the cost of e-books. While some are free, most cost at least as much as a paperback. So why not just buy a paperback? If I buy an e-book, what do I have to show for my money? Twenty years from now, the books on my shelves will still be readable and I won't have had to invest any more money to keep reading them, or pass them on to someone else. Technology is constantly changing and what is new now will be obsolete and no longer functional in a few years. After all, the computer I had ten years ago can't even get on the net anymore. So I imagine if I want to keep up with e-books, I would have to keep investing in upgraded technology when the old becomes too slow to make the interface.
I heard one person argue that e-readers were environmentally friendly because they don't use paper, save a tree and all that. Please don't get me wrong, I love trees. Forests are one of my favorite things in the world and I get very upset when I see a beautiful tree cut down for no reason. BUT--The fact is that paper, and the trees it's made from, are a renewable resource. Cut down a tree and a new one, or more, can be planted in its place. Paper is also recyclable and bio-degradable, unlike the components of an e-reader, or a computer, cell phone, etc. The batteries in these devices are quite toxic and do I really have to mention the manufacturing process from the acquisition of the raw materials on (strip mining for metals for example)?
So what is the point of having one more electronic gizmo tethered to us? Paper is renewable, bio-degradable, recyclable, durable, portable, does not require batteries, has been around for thousands of years and will never become obsolete. Wow, I don't know what you think, but that sounds like the perfect piece of technology to me. I think I'll pass on the e-reader and spend my $149 dollars on a stack of new, PRINTED books instead.
I felt the same way until I received my Kindle for Christmas. Now I can't imagine how I lived without it. It's not just the convenience of being able to buy a book at two a.m. on a rainy night, but also being able to store it. My bookshelves are overflowing with experiments. Those books I think I'm going to fall in love with, and read. And after reading, I know I'll never read them again. They take up space on my bookshelf that should go to more worthy prose. Now I don't have to worry about that. I can experiment to my hearts delight and never have to worry about storage:) Anyway, my Kindle is the best Christmas present EVER!!! Done gushing.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it also depends on an individual's reading and buying habits. I read all the time, but I use the library as my main source of books. I only buy books I know I'll want to read again and again. And I do. The books on my shelves are worn and have seen a lot of love.
ReplyDeleteI think e-readers are great devices for people on the go: literary agents and editors, business people commuting, etc. For someone like me who is home most of the time, I don't need portable gadgets. I don't even need a cellphone. It's not from being a ludite either. I can't justify the expense or the need.
Actual books are portable enough that I can carry them from one side of the house to the other, unlike my desktop computer. I don't have to recharge them or worry that my kids are going to mess with them. On the flip side, I can envision a future where we use smaller homes because most of our information clutter is online.
So for the record, I'm neutral. There's a method for every need out there, it seems. As long as the method does fit the need and isn't used just because it's trendy. =)
I too used to be anti e-reader. Lately publishers are putting more money into digital media. I've noticed more than one who's using the digital format only. No paperback even available to buy.
ReplyDeleteSo if the trend continues, I'll be forced to get an e-reader to have access to the full amount of books available.
I do like the cute little things, but I love the books on my shelf.
I'm debating on getting an e-reader or a netbook. I love my computer, but I need (want) something a bit more portable.
ReplyDeleteI love books. They make me happy. They help me relax after a long, stress day at work.
An e-reader will never replace my preference for a book, just as my laptop has never replaced my preference for my desk top. So, like Clippership, I'm "voting" neutral.