Thursday, January 19, 2012

To e-read or not to e-read?


My favourite!

I love books!  I love the smell of books, the feel of crinkly library coverings in your hands, the satisfying moment a book is opened for the first time.  I also love the feel of an old, worn book that's like a friend who always makes you feel comfortable and at home. 

I love kids books, with bright colours, soft paints and important messages.  I love cookbooks with tasty looking food.  I love the glossy pictures in the middle of biographies and history books.  I doubt that I will ever not love the feeling of a book.

But, I'm realistic.  I no longer use a Beta VCR, my DVD player is on the way out and will likely hang out in the same technological purgatory as my walkman, discman and early iPod.  That's the way we do life--progress.  And I can't ignore the progress of the e-reader and the tablet.  To imagine that we'll do away with these nifty hand held devices and will stick with large desktops seems a bit  a lot naive.  BUT, will we do away with books?

I don't think we will--even people with e-readers and/or tablets still have books.  I do, however, think most of will end up with some combination.  I'm still not entirely sold on the e-reader.  One of my cooking favourites, Alton Brown, always admonishes single-use kitchen utensils.  That's kind of how I see the e-reader--a single-use tool.  However, e-readers now have much higher functionality along with all the reader-friendly features we are just starting to see on the more standard tablets (like battery life and lighting). 



I am all ears for ideas, opinions and ways to engage this technology.  What do you think?  Do you love your e-reader? Why?  Do you read on your tablet?  Why or why not?

I'm guessing at some point, we'll end up with a version of a tablet in our home.  I'm hoping it will be good for books (actually, that might be the tipping point on which one I buy).  I'm well aware that while I love reading books, lugging around The Game is a bit heavy, especially when you are also lugging around a small person (or two!). 

I'd love to hear your thoughts! To e-read or not to e-read? 
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2 comments:

  1. The Seasonal FamilyJanuary 25, 2012 at 7:34 PM

    To quote Rupert Giles:

    "Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower, or a-a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell musty and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer it has no texture, no context. It's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then the getting of knowledge should be tangible, it should be, smelly. "

    :) Go books! Hardcover, softcover, either way, tangible is best. And I LOVE children's book. For my birthday one year Paul got me 1001 children's books to read before you die. Still have many to cross off the list (have to learn German first!).

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  2. Sarah WhyteJanuary 30, 2012 at 9:14 AM

    1001 books! My goodness!

    Yes, for me, there is something in the turning the pages and enjoying the feel of paper. Plus, how can a little one lift flaps, turn wheels or find pop ups on a computer?

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