Tech For Women: E-Books Vs Real Books

Digital transitions are becoming a way of life. For those of us who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, we’ve moved from cassette tapes to CDs to MP3s, from VHS tapes to DVDs to Blu-Rays. But e-books look set to stay with the new slew of e-readers (some with multiple purposes), and can be of great use to the busy superwoman.

By: Sharlene Tan

E-books are being read more than ever – the Association of American Publishers reported that e-book sales were up 154.8% by end April 2009, while overall book sales were down by 4.1%. With the Sony Reader, Kindle and the highly anticipated iPad (for now, you can read books on your iPhone or iPod Touch), as well as the various smartphones available, e-books have a plethora of platforms on which to be read.

Convenience Is The Word

Marnie K, an engineer, is one aficionado of e-books and estimates that about 85% of her reading is via e-books. She told Nanzinc.Com that e-books make reading more convenient for her superwoman lifestyle. “I definitely prefer e-books. I like that I can hold the iPhone with one hand and read while walking on my treadmill.” Being able to search for definitions of words is another plus for her, as well as the ability to change the font size and switch to night mode for reading in dimly lit areas.

A Library At Your Fingertips
One of the best things about an e-book reader – or even a smartphone – is its capacity for storing hundreds of books, even out-of-print books. Marnie says that she loves having all her books with her and finds it a more productive way to pass the time. She adds that she no longer loses her place or has to look for a bookmark as the e-book software automatically remembers where she last left off from the last read.

More Space, Less Clutter
The thing about books – especially if you are an avid reader – is the amount of space they take up. For Wired writer Brad Moon, a self-professed book collector/hoarder, his six months with an e-reader came out on the side of e-books.

“I sometimes look at those bookshelves and think of them as 30 square feet of floor space, or 160 cubic feet or so of storage space. If we lived in a McMansion or had fewer kids and animals running around the place, I might leave them alone, but as it is, every square foot of storage space is valuable.”

The Other Side Of The Page: Paper Books Can’t Be Beat?
While e-books offer the ability to have a whole library at hand along with its many other built-in features, there are many ways in which paper books can’t be beat.

Books don’t need a power source, so you don’t have to worry about bringing a charger along with you. They’re easy to pick up at a bookstore. And on that note, bookstores are great places to hang out, wait for friends, people watch and browse for new reads. And while e-books may be great for reading text, they don’t show off graphics and illustrations quite as well – or in some cases, not at all.

They’re hardy. You can drop a book and dust it off, but drop your iPhone or e-reader and your heart will probably sink (to the bottom of the toilet bowl ~ Ed). And to some readers, it’s the feel of books that they miss. As Marnie concedes: “E-books don’t have that ‘new book’ smell!”

What are your thoughts on paper books vs e-books? Tell us! Leave a comment!