Books VS Ebooks
Ebooks are gaining widespread popularity in recent years and the debate which is better an ebook or a real paper book is now more heated than ever. Both have their advantages and disadvantages but one thing is sure - you will not go wrong with either one. Publishers are reporting that sales of ebooks are doubling each year but the total amount of paper books sold at the moment is still greater than total amount of ebooks sold. But trends show us that in the years to follow ebooks will gain more customers and will slowly take over the market.
One of the main features of ebooks is portability. With recent development of ebook reading devices you can take pretty much infinite numbers of books with you on a vacation or on a trip. With an ebook reading device you can collect and own thousands of books and do not need any bookcases and bookshelves at all in your house or apartment. Another great feature or advantage of ebooks is that they are cheap, certainly cheaper than bound paper books. Production costs of an ebook are ten times lower than those of bound paper books. What about weight? Ebooks weight nothing but you do need some sort of device to read it - either pdf reader on a personal computer or specialized ebook reading device such as Amazon Kindle. Want to search for text in a book? With ebooks this is a breeze unlike with paper books. Another advantage right there. What about some of the disadvantages? The only real disadvantage in practical sense of ebooks is that they are not printed on paper and reading can be a little harder on the eyes, especially if reading on computer screen. Specialized devices somehow improve this issue but still cannot match printed word on paper. On the other hand ebooks are certainly more environmentally friendly and that is one thing that we should also take into consideration when choosing one over the other.
But why do some people still swear by paper? There is still some unique appeal to holding a book in your hands to have full experience of reading, some people say. Like already mentioned earlier paper books are sometimes easier on the eyes and easier to read but this is still entirely subjective and with technology improvements that awaits us in the following years it will become obsolete. Another thing worth mentioning is that when you buy a paper book you own it and can later give it away or sell it. That is not the case with ebooks where you are only given a right to read it. Paper book is also more reliable. It can be used anywhere, even where there is no electricity unlike with ebook reading devices that need batteries and recharging . Bookcases and shelves full of paper books can also add a touch of luxury to your house as they are used as a furniture. Shelves full of books can be a beautiful sight and make a home warm and friendly. That is another reason why some people prefer paper over digital.