4 ms·

I hate reading paper books. Yes, you can see them in bright light. You also can't read them in no light. I read in the dark way more than I read outside in dire

I hate reading paper books. Yes, you can see them in bright light. You also can't read them in no light. I read in the dark way more than I read outside in direct sunlight. I find that I'm constantly readjusting a book to get the light to hit it correctly. With an iPad I get constant light across the whole page all the time. You can't ctrl-f a paper book. Page numbers? Page numbers vary per printing of the book depending on its size. It is no better for paper than it is for ebook. In fact, an ebook's word count will be the same across all editions of the book (assuming there aren't any changes). The only thing I like about paper books is that you can read them on a plane before 10,000 feet and sometimes the covers look cool.

zecho 15y ago
Funny. I always run into issues of glare under florescent lighting with the iPad and it drives me nuts. And no matter how long I use the Kindle, I can't stop noticing the distracting flash between pages. On the flipside, searching and highlighting is advantageous with ebooks, which is why I've primarily used them with reference books. This is a great piece on interaction design that's been posted to HN already, but in case you missed it, have a read: http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesign/ http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesi... The parts on distribution of weight make perfect sense to me, especially when I compare that experience of sensing place to the experience of sensing place in, say, the New York Times iPad app.
- technoslut 15y ago
  As someone who was a former book enthusiast who now owns an iPad, I also miss the appreciation of the binding of hard books, how the pages felt and the musty smell. I think the iPad is great but the part of the atmosphere of a good book is gone even though digital is desperate in the attempt to replicate it.
dkarl 15y ago
You can't ctrl-f a paper book. But how often do you need to? Large topics are in the index, and if you remember a detail but can't flip to it within a few seconds, then you don't know the structure of the book well, and it will do you good to spend a minute or two looking around. I agree that there are many works where you want to instantly find a particular five sentences and read nothing else, but they should never become e-books. They should become some other form, such as a web site, a wiki, a set of man pages, etc.
technoslut 15y ago
>With an iPad I get constant light across the whole page all the time. Hopefully there is a higher-res iPad because my eyes feel more tired after reading an iPad at length. I don't know if that is the main reason (or the backlight) but I suspect it is. >Page numbers? Page numbers vary per printing of the book depending on its size. It is no better for paper than it is for ebook. In fact, an ebook's word count will be the same across all editions of the book (assuming there aren't any changes). I keep my books. For example, I still remember my favorite pages in The Catcher in the Rye because I read the same paperback I purchased in HS. It always amuses me to see the notes, in the book, I'd taken during that time. I don't think that books have lost their romanticism but are giving away to something more efficient.
jcfrei 15y ago
You can't ctrl-f a paper book. biggest downside from my perspective. then again i'm not a typical reader, because it's been far too long since I've read a whole book ( in the sense of reading fiction, or biographies). to me, the only, but probably one of the most important reasons for still relying on books is that they are less strenuous on the eyes (e ink, is better but less interactive as of now).

zecho 15y ago

Funny. I always run into issues of glare under florescent lighting with the iPad and it drives me nuts. And no matter how long I use the Kindle, I can't stop noticing the distracting flash between pages. On the flipside, searching and highlighting is advantageous with ebooks, which is why I've primarily used them with reference books. This is a great piece on interaction design that's been posted to HN already, but in case you missed it, have a read: http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesign/ http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesi... The parts on distribution of weight make perfect sense to me, especially when I compare that experience of sensing place to the experience of sensing place in, say, the New York Times iPad app.

technoslut 15y ago
As someone who was a former book enthusiast who now owns an iPad, I also miss the appreciation of the binding of hard books, how the pages felt and the musty smell. I think the iPad is great but the part of the atmosphere of a good book is gone even though digital is desperate in the attempt to replicate it.

dkarl 15y ago

You can't ctrl-f a paper book. But how often do you need to? Large topics are in the index, and if you remember a detail but can't flip to it within a few seconds, then you don't know the structure of the book well, and it will do you good to spend a minute or two looking around. I agree that there are many works where you want to instantly find a particular five sentences and read nothing else, but they should never become e-books. They should become some other form, such as a web site, a wiki, a set of man pages, etc.

technoslut 15y ago

>With an iPad I get constant light across the whole page all the time. Hopefully there is a higher-res iPad because my eyes feel more tired after reading an iPad at length. I don't know if that is the main reason (or the backlight) but I suspect it is. >Page numbers? Page numbers vary per printing of the book depending on its size. It is no better for paper than it is for ebook. In fact, an ebook's word count will be the same across all editions of the book (assuming there aren't any changes). I keep my books. For example, I still remember my favorite pages in The Catcher in the Rye because I read the same paperback I purchased in HS. It always amuses me to see the notes, in the book, I'd taken during that time. I don't think that books have lost their romanticism but are giving away to something more efficient.

jcfrei 15y ago

You can't ctrl-f a paper book. biggest downside from my perspective. then again i'm not a typical reader, because it's been far too long since I've read a whole book ( in the sense of reading fiction, or biographies). to me, the only, but probably one of the most important reasons for still relying on books is that they are less strenuous on the eyes (e ink, is better but less interactive as of now).