2 ms·

Physical books are the ultimate dumb tool: No need to charge; no notifications; can take notes if you like; and fantastic life span if well looked after.

• thebigspacefuck 9y ago
  In defense of e-readers, I can carry an Infinite Jest sized book to the store with me in my pocket and start reading it while my SO is trying on clothes. I can download a new book from the library without having to check which branch has the copy I'm looking for and going there. I can preview a book without looking up which store near me has it, driving to the book store, and finding a place to sit to start reading through the first chapters. The battery life is fairly long as well so charging is usually not an issue. I still have several copies of physical books and still go to the library or the book store on occasion, but the experience of reading on an e-reader is superior in my opinion. The text size can be adjusted to my preference. I can read in low lighting without needing the light to be just right. I grew up reading in bed and now I don't have to lay on my side to make sure the paper is facing the light or deal with the annoyance of being too early or late into the book to where the pages aren't supportive of my hand. With physical books, thin or slippery paper can be an annoyance, but the e-reader is always the same size and experience. Of course, I didn't used to think about such things, I just read away, but once I got started on the e-reader, it's hard to go back. The one exception is a textbook or books where you need to flip back and forth a lot.