Paper Book vs. Digital Book

As I read “Books in the Age of the iPad” by Craig Mod, I created a pros and cons list of the traditional paper book versus the new digital book. However, the pros and cons lists appear equally matched so one is not better than the other. It all comes down to preference. I personally prefer a paper book. Nothing can replace the feeling one gets when holding a book.

Pros:

• Collectors of first editions
• The satisfying feeling and smell of a traditional book
• You don’t have to charge a traditional book
• Some people are sensitive to reading on a screen
• Page flipping feels more progressive than scrolling endlessly

Cons:

• Text cannot be zoomed in and out
• Traditional books cost more than digital books
• One has to go to a store to buy a traditional book but digital books can be bought instantly from the comfort of one’s bed
• It’s difficult to read a traditional book in the dark but a digital book is easy to read because the screen lights up
• Traditional books deteriorate easily