Thursday, January 20, 2011

Nina vs. ARGH: Printed Books vs. Ebooks


I am currently reading Me, Dead Dad & Alcatraz by Chris Lynch (print) and Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwen Cready (digital) and as far as I know, I'm making more progress - although still dismal - reading the first book than the second.  It's not that Seducing Mr. Darcy is not good, I think it's all right, but I've been doing a lot of things that's been preventing me from getting near my reader.  On the other hand, ARGH says I don't make much progress because I mostly forget to bring my reader with me and continue to lug heavy books around, and because I favor printed books, which he thinks is so 1999.

Which results to a new argument discussion between me and ARGH:



                           Printed books      vs.              Ebooks


I prefer printed books because:
  1. The story feels more tangible to me when I have its printed book in my hands as I read it.  
  2. I love the cover designs and the different colors.  Ebooks also have cover designs but I love seeing a particular book cover whenever I want to without having to start a gadget or whatever hassle just to look at it.
  3. It's easier to pace myself when reading words on paper.  With digital books, I get dizzy sometimes and my eyes hurt from prolonged reading.
  4. It's easy to purchase - just go to the bookstore and there you go!  Ebooks aren't sold much in the Philippines.
  5. I can go back and forth different pages easily.
  6. My library looks impressive because of the number of books I have :D
  7. I don't have to lug around a laptop/my reader just so I can read.  Print books do not need power to function - just a well-lighted, comfy spot.
  8. I can smell them - can't do that with digital books!
  9. The urge to do my book ritual is satisfied - I can't cover Ebooks with plastic cover.
  10. A printed book helps me concentrate more on what I'm reading, unlike Ebooks which I automatically associate with digital articles which I have a little difficulty focusing my attention on.

But ARGH thinks Ebooks are cooler because:

  1. It saves trees from getting slaughtered and turned into books.  You can't recycle a bad book - you think you can turn it into a flower vase once you got tired of it or thought it was hideous?
  2. You do not have to carry a heavier bag just for the sheer amount of books you packed in it.
  3. It saves space - especially in the bedroom so he has more space for himself.
  4. Ebook readers are compact but contains multiple ebooks so whether you got bored reading one book, you can switch to another.
  5. You can easily take notes and bookmark a page - unlike printed books that get ruined pages when you fold them as bookmark, and the notes stay on the page forever.
  6. ARGH also points out that my eyes got ruined at a young age because I loved to read - even in dark places.  Ebooks are read using a reader and it has its own light source.
  7. Ebooks never get damaged from fires, water, or sticky substances - not to mention the destructive reading habits of other people who borrow your perfectly-kept print book and return it like it's practically dying.

Do you agree with ARGH or with me?  We can't settle this by ourselves so if you could help us, that would be great:  Do you prefer the printed book or a digital copy would suffice? 


The Culprit
Nina is busy reading. When she's not too busy with her books, she works as a nurse and gets hit by little boys and girls that she poked with a needle. Her hobbies include reading, sharing great reads with her mother/brother/boyfriend/friends, and practicing how to dodge children's fists.

Posted by Nina B. at 2:18 PM
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6 comments:

  1. ElodieJanuary 20, 2011 at 2:49 PM

    Thanks for entering my giveaway Nina !! =) Good luck ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. La ToyaJanuary 20, 2011 at 4:36 PM

    I definitely prefer printed books. Call me old-fashioned. I just can't wrap my mind around an E-book. I'm reading one now and I read Here lies Bridget on Netgalley e-reader and it just doesn't feel like I'm reading books. Feels like one long blog entry.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Playing LibrarianJanuary 20, 2011 at 5:05 PM

    I'm with you on this, Nina!! I concur #1-10.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Small ReviewJanuary 20, 2011 at 11:02 PM

    For some reason, I can't really "get into" a book on an e-reader (in my case, my computer) as much as I can with a printed book. It's getting easier the more I read books on my computer, but it's still not as good.

    I like looking around my room and seeing all my books. I like the little reminders of the different stories and experiences.

    I like having the cover there for me to look at all the time. I really miss this with e-books.

    I'm sorry to break it to ARGH, but e-books are actually LESS green than printed books. So more points to Nina :) Plus, I don't think an e-reader would fare any better than a printed book if you dropped it in the bathtub (though I've never tried).

    ARGH does have a point with numbers 2-5 though.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AyleeJanuary 21, 2011 at 1:28 AM

    I'm conflicted on what I think... I think one main argument that I have against eBooks is I really love to force books onto my friends to make them read them. I can't do that with eBooks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nina B.January 21, 2011 at 9:21 AM

    I think the one advantage of Ebooks over printed books is convenience. But in my opinion, print books still rule, hands down.

    ReplyDelete

I just have to tell you, ARGH feeds on awesomeness, so if you can, drop him some awesome here, and I promise to give some awesome back :D

Right now, because of my really busy schedule, I'm cutting back on receiving awards. So until further notice, me and ARGH would not be accepting awards. But thank you for thinking of us, we really appreciate it!

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