E-books or Books?
Technology has invaded for good in our everyday life replacing things like newspapers and books. Everyone owns a tablet or a smartphone so is much easier to read your book in electronic format rather printed. But are e-books the same with printed books? And if not, which one should we choose?
E-books go everywhere
Of course it’s easier to carry your tablet on a trip instead of packing the books you want to read and make your suitcase heavier or even better if you choose to use your smartphone as your reader. You can read your favorite books on the subway or in a waiting room. You don’t have to keep them stored in boxes in your basement, you can keep them all in the device you choose to use.
But books make your room beautiful
Books may require space but that’s why bookcases and shelves are for. There’s nothing more beautiful than having a bookcase in your room and having all your books there, it looks pleasing to the eye. As Marcus Tullius Cicero said “a room without books is like a body without a soul”.
E-books are cheaper
Reading can generally be considered as an expensive hobby since books are expensive and not everyone can afford it. E-books, on the other hand, can be cheaper than printed books and sometimes you can find some classic books online, so that’s even better. Furthermore, don’t forget the money we spend on publishing thousands of books and the paper.
So are public libraries
Every city has it’s own library, even a small one. You can borrow the book you want for free and read it at your own pace. You don’t have to spend money, you can read as many books as you want and it’s a good place to relax and enjoy your reading. Finally, if you have enough books and no space to keep them, you could donate them to the library. This way you help the library expand the variety of books and you don’t have to throw away your books. But if you definitely what to buy a book, you should try second-hand bookstores, large variety and cheap books.
Don’t forget the touch
Keeping a book in your hands, feeling its weight and turning the pages is completely different from holding your tablet, phone or Kindle and touching the screen in order to turn the page. Of course a heavy book may be tiring to hold but it’s far more pleasant and gives you the satisfaction of reading a book.
E-books have screen
The brightness of the tablet’s screen makes you tired easier. Blue light from electronic devices can cause you trouble in sleeping and keep you awake for unnecessary amounts of time. That is a problem you won’t face with a printed book. On the contrary, it helps you relax and even sleep easier.
But have visual benefits
Printed books have fixed font size so for people with poor eyesight there aren’t much that can be done to make reading comfortable. E-books give you the ability to change the font size or even the font style. There is also the night mode which uses the dark theme, appropriate for night reading.
And you can listen the book
We have audio books. This way you can listen to your book while you are on the move or in the car. You can change the volume or even the voice of the reader. This is unusual for someone who is used to reading them but it’s a different experience.
Finally, books are gifts
Books can be a very beautiful gift for everyone, especially for those who love them. By writing a dedication, you can make it more personal and make you unforgettable for the person you’re giving it.
Choose the best e-book reader
If you decide that you prefer e-books over printed ones, you have to choose a good e-book reader. Tablets and smartphones aren’t the best choice, if we take under consideration what we said above. Here are some of the best e-book readers of 2018.
Kobo Forma
It’s a waterproof e-book reader with a big screen that supports more e-book formats and it is appropriate for readers who buy books, use EPUB e-books, borrow e-books from the library, or like to read near water. It has the minimum blue light exposure and has a long battery life.
Amazon’s Kindle Oasis (2017)
For readers who invest in Amazon the Kindle Oasis is the best. Since you already have a library of Kindle e-books, use your e-book reader for audio books, or just love the WhisperSync feature. Even though it’s the most expensive Kindle, it has a very good display and the battery life has improved.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2018)
If you’re looking for an inexpensive e-book reader with all the bells and whistles, you should try Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. It has a beautiful high-resolution display although it’s a little smaller than the previous one.
Kobo Clara HD
Kobo Clara HD is an inexpensive e-book reader with a front-lit HD display and plenty of storage, suited for readers who enjoy purchasing media in multiple formats.
Amazon Kindle
For Kindle users on a budget who want the best deal there is the best cheap Kindle. It’s the basic Kindle with a 6-inch screen, good for daytime reading, but at night, you still need your reading light to see the words on the page.
And now, Amazon Kindle or Kobo?
Amazon Kindle is more famous than Kobo but is it better? Their main difference is in the variety of book formats they support.
- Amazon Kindle supports Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI and PRC. Formats like HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP files are only supported through conversion. It doesn’t support EPUB files, a major drawback ,and Apple iBooks.
- Kobo supports EPUB, EPUB3, PDF, MOBI, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, TXT, HTML, RTF, CBZ and CBR files. Kindle files and Apple iBooks are not supported.
So, if you are a huge fan of Amazon you can choose a Kindle but if you want an e-book reader that supports many file formats, you should choose Kobo.
After all these, we understand that there are both advantages and disadvantages for traditional books and e-books. It’s only a matter of personal choice.For me, I wouldn’t change a printed book for anything!
If you liked this combination, books and technology, let me know!
