Books vs Kindle

Soldato
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Wasn't sure where to post this as it fits in to many categories.

The last few years I have got back in to reading books again as I have a mountain of stuff I want to get through.

I have limited shelf space and have found over the last 4 years that I am having to clear out things I don't need such as my 90s CD collection to make space for books.

I'm old fashioned when it comes to books and like the feel, the front covers and turning the page too much but I can see how something like a Kindle solves a lot of problems.

Has anyone made the switch from traditional books to Kindle type devices and have any thoughts?

With Black Friday on it would be a good time to purchase one.

Are the best e-books the Kindle range from the digital river or are there any better ones?

I see we have vaguely two types: Paperwhite and Oasis.
 
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I had a stint with a kindle for a few years, I moved back to buying real books, digital simply doesn't give the same experience for me. It's not just words on a page, there's a whole tactile angle that books give digital can never replicate.
 
If you could make the pages of a book glow, so I didn't need a light on to read, i'd much prefer books, but as I read mostly before I go to bed.. I much prefer the kindle type digital reader now.

Do miss the tactile feel of a book though.
 
they are both a very different experience, why not get a cheap £20 used Kindle and see how you like it before spending £70+ on a new one.
 
The Mrs banned me from buying books. I got a Kindle and loads of books on that for a fraction of the price I was spending on physical books. The maximum I'll pay for a Kindle book is £2.99 as there's generally loads of deals on!
 
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I've recently got a kindle a few months back many due to space.. I read a limited range of books and passing them and there's not many people who I could pass them onto.

Kindles are great, you can fall a sleep and don't lose what page your on, also depending if you are allowed to read with a bed lamp on or not, there are models that can cater for reading in the dark.
I still buy the odd physical book for taking away on holiday in case there's an issue with the kindle and if I need it as a reference book, yes there's a feature for tagging and snipping text using a kindle, but it's not as quick as going to the index and bringing that page up in a book but that maybe down to the version of kindle I have.
 
I've been 100% kindle for about a decade now, I love how everything I want to read is at my fingertips.

That said, I did pick up a dog eared paperback on holiday by the pool and enjoyed it.

Issue I have is, I use the Kindle app on my phone where I can get easily distracted. If it wasn't for a space issue I'd probably go back to proper books.
 
real book everytime. reading on a digital screen isn't even close to being the same. so sayeth me!

Reading on a kindle is nothing like reading on a full digital screen like an ipad / phone though. I agree I really dislike reading on a mobile / tablet / PC, but a kindle is something completely different from those.

I bought my first Kindle 12 years ago and I don't think I've bought a physical book ever since (and I read every day).
 
Not a big reader admittedly despite owning a Kindle, but I much prefer real books. Yes, Kindle has convenience, but I can annotate and highlight in real books, and refer back to things much quicker than trying to search a clunky, slow-refreshing monochrome digital screen.
 
I find the problem with books is when the publisher comes around to scribble out the words no longer acceptable under newspeak. At least with a kindle when they sanitise the writing I don't have to open the front door.

More seriously the aesthetic of owning and reading a book is far more satisfying for me. Having shelves of books I can browse and choose from is more rewarding to the soul than flicking lists on my iPad or Kindle.
 
I didn't get on with an e-book (kobo something or other). The final straw was when it ran out of charge when I was waiting for a bus.

I prefer real books, but that's just personal preference. I find them easier to use. Also, I spend enough time farting about with electronic devices, without adding to that.

Charity shops are the answer to your space problem, and cost of new books. Also, use your local library- everyone wins.
 
I also like how my kindle and audible books sync. It's great, I can listen to an audible book on the bus and later pick up my kindle and continue from exactly where I left off.

Whilst I do enjoy the physical book as well, when I am fully immersed in a book the benefits of having the actual thing fade away into oblivion. And when I put the book down I've still got my entire back catalogue on one device, taking up no physical space at all.

I also like the dictionary function, it's so seamless to tap a word and get it's full definition.
 
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I read for at least a couple of hours a day, often more. I got a Kindle probably 7-8 years ago and I haven't gone back even once. I love books, they're beautiful. They're also annoying. I was (am) incredibly protective of my books. I like them to look unread. With the amount I read, I was also finding my thumb getting very tired from holding books open, and when my wife was trying to sleep the light was a problem. Since getting the kindle, those problems have gone away. I still have lots of books, but I don't buy them; I kept the ones that were special to me.
 
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