Computers v reading books

Jenny

I recently saw an article regarding people who now find it difficult to concentrate on books due to using the computer.
I thought it was in The Times, but can't find it there. However the following article says much the same thing:

http://davidmaister.com/blog/259/Ive-Stopped-Reading

Carol

The Times is now behind a paywall Jenny, so we would have to pay to read it if you'd found it.
So thank you for an alternative. :)

Liz

Some of the responses were far too long and didn't get to the point fast enough.

Stan2

.........

Jenny

What does that mean in Morse Code, Stan?

Gully

Well, that didn't take long, did it?

MonkeyNuts

I find it difficult to read most things on-screen.

As a lot of my work involves research, reading and editing, I find I have to print practically everything out in order to 'digest' it.

I just hope these new net-book thingy-ma-jigs don't take off. I'd hate to see the end of paper books.

Carol

I actually find it more comfortable to read a book longer on my e-reader screen than a book. I'm stuck with the print size the publisher has decided on, while my e-reader gives me a choice of size.
Sometimes when I'm reading something on the computer I need to increase the font size to read some smaller fonts that can appear on web pages.
I don't think paper books will be disppearing yet MN, so huge sighs of relief all round. :)

MonkeyNuts

No, obviously I don't mean just yet.

I can't help but wonder what will be in a century from now though...

Stan2

I often read sections of reference books on screen. And I'm enjoying my e-reader - I also enlarge the font.

MonkeyNuts

How could you, Mr Stanley?!

;-)

Carol

Me and Stan both...:)

Jenny

[quote=Stan2]I also enlarge the font[/quote]

Is that because babies are getting bigger?

Carol

:D

Celtic C

Jenny - :D

SilentTony

Got to admit that since I bought a Sony Reader I am now reading more. The font change, the weight, the ease and many more factors have converted me. I can't read too much on a monitor though. Like most people I guess I can't edit properly on screen either. Now I see gaping errors, typos, spelling mistakes and awful narrative displacement on the e-reader though. That thing is (almost) as good as paper.

I have been thinking of this and I know that one day printed books will be gone (thank god I got some stuff in print before that) and I'm torn. I want to see the dawn of paperless technology that saves all those trees but know that books are not that big a dent in tree felling. I also want to have no books stopping me getting into rooms because there are boxes of them everywhere, yet want bookcases because they look cool. Also the books that fill them look cool. I want books.

I did think of a photo to sell with an Ikea Billy case full of Sony Readers and Amazon Kindles but who would buy it? Could make a good poster to cover that light rectangle of wallpaper where the bookcase used to be I guess.

Claudia

I hate the idea of losing books and I hate the idea of e-readers. However, this is purely a gut reaction and I know I'm being silly because:
a) I've never tried an e-reader, and
b) it would be so much more convenient than lugging paperbacks around.
Sometimes OH and I have seven or eight books in our luggage when we're travelling. I know it would make sense to have an e-reader each, if only I can get my head around the idea.

mcbemused

[quote=claudia]Sometimes OH and I have seven or eight books in our luggage when we're travelling. I know it would make sense to have an e-reader each, if only I can get my head around the idea.[/quote]

Your head, and your wallet!! How much do you reckon it would cost extra each year to have to buy e-books instead of paperbacks? Will libraries download them for free on production of a library ticket? Won't the cost of this put e-readers out of the reach of much of the population (me included!)

richt

As far as I can see, e-books are far cheaper than paperbacks, not the reverse. Certainly they are on Amazon, anyway. After you have invested in the reader, that is.

SilentTony

Try buying a second hand one because they often come full of books already purchased. I was given a lot of e-books when I got my e-reader, loads of which I deleted and lots I've kept to read. Since then I have given two boxes of paperbacks to our local charity shop.

Carol

Well while the e-books on Amazon are cheap don't expect them to always be so.
At the moment there is a battle going on with Amazon trying to corner the market with their readers and e-books.

I just have a basic Sony reader, and like ST I have been reading more, and a wider variety too.
I have 39 on my reader at the moment, about 12 of them I've finished, another 6 or 7 I'm reading, both fiction and non fiction. My library (on my desk top) has about 70 now as I've taken advantage of the big discounts being offered at the moment.
I'm particularly enjoying Alan Bennet's An Uncommon Reader- I just wouldn't have bought it as a physical copy, or read it.
My husband complains when I buy more books (fiction)- and space for them is a problem as ST mentioned.
So now I only buy my favourite authors in book form, and if possible e-book form for others I enjoy.
Otherwise reference books I buy are in solid form.

I don't find them tiring on the eyes either, unlike a computer screen.
Travelling they are ideal as you only have the device which is light and very compact. You can bookmark your page before you turn it off, and have bookmarks for the other books you've got on it and are also reading.
If you want to add notes then you will pay more for that reader, but if you just want to read books then a basic model is adequate.

I would never get rid of my paper books- and I will still buy them. But I'm finding the e-reader very useful.

dorothyd

I really will have to investigate the e-reader when (when) finances pick up. I am supposedly going to be travelling fair bit in the future, on book associated matters and then there is the small thing of trying to read in bed - sounds like the perfect solution for me.

Someone on ebay has 16,000 books for e-readers for £14.95!!!!!!

Carol

They must be very old otherwise I would worry because legal e-books mostly use DRM so they can't be sold on again.
Some smaller e-book providers admitedly don't use DRM, and obviously out of copyright stuff that you will find on Guttenberg could be sold on by an unscrupulous person.

dorothyd

I went looking for the listing to copy it but it had gone, I guess somebody bought them. I found this instead:
500 horror books for £3.29!

EBAY AND VERO PLEASE NOTE:
ALL OF OUR MP3s AND EBOOKS ARE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND COMPLY WITH EBAY RULES AND REGULATIONS. NO TRADEMARKS OR COPYRIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED THROUGH THIS SALE. THIS PRODUCT FULLY CONFORMS TO EBAY COMPILATION AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA POLICY AND EBAYS DOWNLOADABLE MEDIA POLICY. WE ARE NOT INFRINGING ANY COPYRIGHT LAWS BY SELLING THIS ITEM AS NO COPYRIGHT EXISTS OR AS EXPIRED.

THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING COLLECTION OF HORROR EBOOKS,THERE ARE OVER 500. THEY ARE IN EPUB FORMAT WHICH MEANS THEY CAN BE READ ON ANY EBOOK READER OR EVEN JUST ON YOUR PC.
DONT BUY IN PDF FORMAT AND HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CONVERTING TO YOUR EBOOK READER THESE BOOKS ARE ALREADY FULLY COMPATIBLE TO ALL EBOOK READERS, A FULL LIST IS HIGHLIGHTED BELOW.
IF YOU DONT HAVE AN EBOOK READER IT DOESNT MATTER YOU CAN READ THESE ON YOUR PC WITH THE SOFTWARE PROVIDED TO YOU FREE OF CHARGE!!

Carol

I think you would be able to find them yourself by checking Guttenberg and the US libraries system. But obviously that takes time.
I can read PDF's on my reader, though most of my e-books are E-pub.

SilentTony

You should try out http://manybooks.net/
They have a genre list too so if you just want horror or romance you can browse through them without being flooded by everything else. They have over 28,000 books on their site all legal to download and in many formats including epub.