Real books VS Digital books
Reading digital/Ebooks on Kindle or iPad is the biggest thing since the invention of the printing press. Or is it? The relatively new phenomena of eBooks and the success of electronic reading devices such as Amazon’s Kindle are throwing the world of publishing and reading into a whole new age of controversy and turmoil. But the majority of readers still seem to prefer reading the old fashioned way – so far.
The first commercial e-reader became available at retail in 2007. Since then, the primary version (the Amazon Kindle) has undergone revision and improvement, and many other manufacturers have decided to try their hand in the e-reader market place. Initially, the device was touted as an innovation and logical evolution of the traditional print based book. The added intent (beyond convenience) of an all-digital text platform would be that it reduces waste, production costs and time, transportation and delivery costs, and cuts down on cutting down trees. Many advocates would quickly state that a digital reader and all digital books are the perfect union of the time honored traditions of literature and the digital evolution consumers are experiencing in other facets of everyday life.
Here is a quick comparison of traditional printed books and digital books -
EBooks are perfect for traveling; real books are a burden Multiple EBooks can be carried at all times in one reader; want multiple real books with you at all times? Bring a suitcase. Regular books don’t include a keyboard and dictionary
Regular books don’t require a battery or charging time Regular books are plentiful and don’t require Wi-Fi or a computer in order for you to attain and read them Regular books are real and tactile – something for which there is no substitute
All things evolve and the same course of invention, refining, and reintroduction will occur with eBooks over time and as more users adopt them. The universal issue, or complaint about eBooks and digital readers is the difference in tactile feel – an e-reader is flat, slim, sleek, lightweight and small. It is essentially a small computer screen. There are no pages to physically flip, no dust jacket to protect the cover, no spine to crack and no weight to rest in your lap or on your chest. Today, eBooks look like conventional book pages but are displayed on a digital screen, if there were a way to mimic the feel of an actual book with bound paper pages and a spine, but still maintain all of the features and advantages of eBooks and digital readers, a hybrid of both, then a true evolutionary leap will have been achieved.
EBooks and digital reading devices are still in their infancy, although the benefits they already pose cannot be denied. But for the time being, real paper pages instead of digital downloads are still the preferred method of delivery when it comes to literature, but the future of both will continue to be intertwined and the possibilities for a continued, combined evolution of both formats is intriguing.
Sarah O’Sullivan represents CollegeBookRenter.com where our goal is to make your textbook rental experience as easy as possible! Not only is our rental system faster and easier but with CollegeBookRenter.com, renting your textbooks can save you up to 85% on your textbook costs! For more information about College Book Renter, check us out on Youtube!
