Pakistani Readers discussion
Books
>
Physical books or e-books?
date
newest »
newest »
Those gadgets hurt my eyes. Feel extra tired when I read off those glaring screens (even if I turn down the brightness!) >_<Actually feel like my neurones are getting fried. Hehe..
I need to have the book in my hands. Not because they don't have the screens, just because it feels right and less tiresome.. And a whole lot more FUN! ^_^
Midhat wrote: "Those gadgets hurt my eyes. Feel extra tired when I read off those glaring screens (even if I turn down the brightness!) >_<Actually feel like my neurones are getting fried. Hehe..
I need to have ..."
Couldn't agree more :D. Books are more satisfying.. and the smell of books ahhhh best thing in the world :p
Physical. But I'm poor enough to suffice with digital stuff. Physical copies se banda extra shokhi maar skta hai.
Ohh Yes, And there is the problem of finding books in order to buy! Online shopping is there but really expensive So, Buying physical books becomes more of a treat. But still Physical books are better!
I'm fine with both,Physical because well ........you know and ebooks because if i had tried to find every book i own in hardcover i would probably at max have around 20 books.
I used to be a big book hoarder. But ever since I started using smartphones, I haven't read a single physical copy of a novel.
There's no real reason to support physical books. E-books are just as 'real' as physical books. It's silly to glamorize physical books. Yeah sure, I like the smell of the pages. But physical paper books are made from tree pulp, for which lots of trees are cut down.
Besides that, you can't carry around 5,000 books in your pocket. But you can if they're e-books.
E-books are better for availability too. Before I started e-books, I rarely found the book I wanted in bookshops, and had to make do with whatever was available. With e-books, I can get absolutely any book at all for free using the wonderful internet.
Paper books will be extinct in a few decades anyway. Perhaps when there are no more trees left to cut down, or perhaps when we stop using paper and switch to electronic mediums for everything except backups.
There's no real reason to support physical books. E-books are just as 'real' as physical books. It's silly to glamorize physical books. Yeah sure, I like the smell of the pages. But physical paper books are made from tree pulp, for which lots of trees are cut down.
Besides that, you can't carry around 5,000 books in your pocket. But you can if they're e-books.
E-books are better for availability too. Before I started e-books, I rarely found the book I wanted in bookshops, and had to make do with whatever was available. With e-books, I can get absolutely any book at all for free using the wonderful internet.
Paper books will be extinct in a few decades anyway. Perhaps when there are no more trees left to cut down, or perhaps when we stop using paper and switch to electronic mediums for everything except backups.
Asad wrote: "I used to be a big book hoarder. But ever since I started using smartphones, I haven't read a single physical copy of a novel.There's no real reason to support physical books. E-books are just as ..."
Haven't you heard about the green paper that can be used to grow trees and stuff? I don't think books are going anywhere, we will just find new ways to preserve renewable resources.
I agree, it is really hard to find good books in Pakistan and the ones that are available are pretty expensive.
I find e-books easy to read. And, with applications like kindle it is easy to know the meaning of words instantly. Click the word and here you get the meaning. Opening dictionaries and finding words is a cumbersome process.
Even typing a word is time consuming.
Moreover, you can take as many ebooks as you want in your smartphone or book reader.
Even typing a word is time consuming.
Moreover, you can take as many ebooks as you want in your smartphone or book reader.
I think paper books will go extinct soon enough. I can't imagine humans of the future lugging around physical books through the depths of space. It makes more sense to store and read books electronically.
E-books are books lol. Just because words are on a physical page does not make them any more important or significant than words on a screen. They're both the same thing. E-books are just the next logical step in our evolution. Books won't totally go extinct but they'll be relegated to existing in museums or personal collections of physical book lovers.
E-books are books lol. Just because words are on a physical page does not make them any more important or significant than words on a screen. They're both the same thing. E-books are just the next logical step in our evolution. Books won't totally go extinct but they'll be relegated to existing in museums or personal collections of physical book lovers.
All the benefits of e-reading are valid, No doubt. Until you start to get blind><(Like me) and start seeing all the -ve points:) But still we can't really do anything about it.
Ayesha wrote: "All the benefits of e-reading are valid, No doubt. Until you start to get blind><(Like me) and start seeing all the -ve points:) But still we can't really do anything about it."
Damn. Sorry to hear that..
But won't that affect reading physical books too?
btw, there are braille ebook readers available on the market. They're a new thing but they'll be common enough in a few years.
Damn. Sorry to hear that..
But won't that affect reading physical books too?
btw, there are braille ebook readers available on the market. They're a new thing but they'll be common enough in a few years.
anything that has"books" at the end. Personally, I prefer physical books but I have adapted quite well to e-books and audiobooks.
Sara wrote: "anything that has"books" at the end. Personally, I prefer physical books but I have adapted quite well to e-books and audiobooks."
I love audiobooks too. Smart phones are great for reading ebooks and listening to audio books and podcasts.
I don't like narrated audio books though. I like audio dramas. There are some great audio drama podcasts and audio books too. For the past year I've been listening to GraphicAudio books. Their audio drama adaptations of good books are amaaaazing.
I love audiobooks too. Smart phones are great for reading ebooks and listening to audio books and podcasts.
I don't like narrated audio books though. I like audio dramas. There are some great audio drama podcasts and audio books too. For the past year I've been listening to GraphicAudio books. Their audio drama adaptations of good books are amaaaazing.
Buhahahha!!!I 'm not literally blind just severely myopic.
Ayesha wrote: "Buhahahha!!!I 'm not literally blind just severely myopic."
Lol I didn't assume that you were totally blind! I knew you meant that your eyesight was degenerating... I guess.
Lol I didn't assume that you were totally blind! I knew you meant that your eyesight was degenerating... I guess.
Asad wrote: "Sara wrote: "anything that has"books" at the end. Personally, I prefer physical books but I have adapted quite well to e-books and audiobooks."I love audiobooks too. Smart phones are great for re..."
I haven't listened to an audio drama yet. Are there different voices for every character?
Yes there are different voice actors and sound effects and music. It's like a movie in your mind.
Sara, check out this page
http://theaudiodramadirectory.com/sta...
And the audio drama section of this page
http://www.parsecawards.com/2015-pars...
This should give you a start in audio drama. There are thousands of audio dramas and podcasts and its a vast genre.
http://theaudiodramadirectory.com/sta...
And the audio drama section of this page
http://www.parsecawards.com/2015-pars...
This should give you a start in audio drama. There are thousands of audio dramas and podcasts and its a vast genre.
Oh wow! *o*I'd like to listen to those audio dramas very much! Where can I find them, please could anyone guide? Or maybe send a link or sth.
No problem midhat. I'd reccomend trying out an anthology podcast like campfire radio theatre or earbud theatre
And this website let's you find audio books. I use it to get graphicaudio book torrents.
http://audiobookbay.me
http://audiobookbay.me
Awesome! Will check them all out! (Y) Thanks!
I haven't read any physical book yet. I read books on my Computer or Tablet.I think, one benefit of reading e-books is: there is no tension to manage your books, no matter how much you have.
You guys should try out ereaders like Kindle. Non straining on the eyes and as close to a book as you can get
I’ve tried both. And though I usually read e-books more than I read physical, I still believe e-books don’t give that kind of at-home feeling as physical books do.
I like the physical books because when I buy one, I am making a commitment to read that book. I have to use my laptop for studying (I'm an engineer) so I get tired of looking at the screen for a long time. A physical book is a better reading exprience overall.I think we should buy original physical books. Yes sometimes they are costly but in this way we support the author who wrote the book. Reading pirated books does not support authors.
Also, they look great in a bookshelf. I always enjoy looking at all the books that I have read. They bring back great memories.
There is no substitute of crinkling of pages, no advancement of technology could take away the romance of going to shop, spending lengthy time "tasting" different titles , reading flaps and selecting one from the shelve while expecting some discount from the shop owner ,feeling excited by getting one and then rushing towards the home to open it and staring with in no time. e-books are no substitute for this surreal feeling
I like to browse in bookshops too and I agree buying a new book one likes can be a delightful experience.I have my own library which I take good care of.But e books have their uses too.Particularly in the case of Urdu books,I like to read e books,including those I read years ago and those I keep discovering online.It is so convenient.
I agree that the feeling of an actual book is the best - but in this day and age, its a luxury. People like me who are constantly on the move cannot lug around our "collections" and hence, a kindle has been nothing short of a revelation. I couldn't finish a book on my phone /tablet because of the eye strain but e-ink is awesome ! The portability and convenience is a game changer in my view !
Saad wrote: "I agree that the feeling of an actual book is the best - but in this day and age, its a luxury. People like me who are constantly on the move cannot lug around our "collections" and hence, a kindle..."True that!
Saad wrote: "There is no substitute of crinkling of pages, no advancement of technology could take away the romance of going to shop, spending lengthy time "tasting" different titles , reading flaps and selecti..."True. That feeling alone is priceless
…… Romantics cannot be convinced through utilitarian arguments.
The objective should be reading the books. You should go for whatever works for you. I was a die-hard fan of printed books and still love to spend time at bookshops buying and reading printed books. I did try to read on my laptop and on my table and cell phone but it just did not work for me. It hurt my eyes after a while and was just not working for me.
However, finding Kindle brought back the joy. It's look and feel is great and is a good alternate for the print version. However, my first choice is still a printed book.
4 billion trees (give or take a few millions) are cut down every year for paper production. All those billions of trees are sacrificed just so you can get those idealized and romantic feelings associated with physical books. Otherwise, there's really no real difference between physical and electronic books.
I guess it depends. with some books that are super thick and have miniscule font I would definitely prefer a e-book but for non-fiction and Urdu books ebook doesn't work for me
Tehreem wrote: "I guess it depends. with some books that are super thick and have miniscule font I would definitely prefer a e-book but for non-fiction and Urdu books ebook doesn't work for me"Helen Khan
Shrouds Over Eden: A Voice for the broken-hearted
Readability is so important. As an author I am mindful of that and whether it is an ebook or paperback, I choose a font that is easy to read. Most publishers, whether self-publishing platforms or tradtional publishers will advise a readable font size.
Tehreem wrote: "I guess it depends. with some books that are super thick and have miniscule font I would definitely prefer a e-book but for non-fiction and Urdu books ebook doesn't work for me"
Tehreem, do you read e-books in PDF format? That's something that always kind of surprises me, to hear that people read ebooks in PDF format. In my opinion, that's pretty much the worst way to read ebooks. With PDF files, the format of the pages of the ebook is fixed and the reader has to fumble and squint to read sentences, often having to turn the device horizontal just to be able to fix a single line on the screen, and that too doesn't work and you end up having to manually scroll the page to the right just to read the sentence, and then back left to get to the next sentence (or right to left if it's an Urdu book).
To really experience reading e-books properly, you should use a dedicated e-reader and proper ebook formats like epub, mobi, or azw, etc. In these formats and with any decent e-reader (most of which are free), you can change the font size, the brightness and light settings and dozens of other settings that make reading ebooks convenient and hassle-free.
In regard to non-fiction books, this is just my opinion, but reading non-fiction in digital format is a lot easier than reading them in hard copy. That's because you can search for specific words or phrases, look up the meanings of words with the in-built dictionaries that most ereaders have these days, bookmark different places that you want to refer back to later, and a lot of other stuff that's a lot more of a chore with physical non-fiction books. Plus, you won't ruin the book by underlining words and phrases, lol.
Tehreem, do you read e-books in PDF format? That's something that always kind of surprises me, to hear that people read ebooks in PDF format. In my opinion, that's pretty much the worst way to read ebooks. With PDF files, the format of the pages of the ebook is fixed and the reader has to fumble and squint to read sentences, often having to turn the device horizontal just to be able to fix a single line on the screen, and that too doesn't work and you end up having to manually scroll the page to the right just to read the sentence, and then back left to get to the next sentence (or right to left if it's an Urdu book).
To really experience reading e-books properly, you should use a dedicated e-reader and proper ebook formats like epub, mobi, or azw, etc. In these formats and with any decent e-reader (most of which are free), you can change the font size, the brightness and light settings and dozens of other settings that make reading ebooks convenient and hassle-free.
In regard to non-fiction books, this is just my opinion, but reading non-fiction in digital format is a lot easier than reading them in hard copy. That's because you can search for specific words or phrases, look up the meanings of words with the in-built dictionaries that most ereaders have these days, bookmark different places that you want to refer back to later, and a lot of other stuff that's a lot more of a chore with physical non-fiction books. Plus, you won't ruin the book by underlining words and phrases, lol.
Helen wrote: "Tehreem wrote: "I guess it depends. with some books that are super thick and have miniscule font I would definitely prefer a e-book but for non-fiction and Urdu books ebook doesn't work for me"[au..."
No i stopped reading in PDF format a long time back. PDF format of a document is fine if you have a laptop but for tablets or e-readers i prefer MOBI and EPUB.
when i was talking about the thickness of the book and font size i was talking about physical books i have a paper back copy of Atlas Shrugged and a can't bring myself to read it cause of the font size. In such cases i would rather switch to a e-book. For urdu books finding the MOBI and EPUB format is hard so i prefer buying book.
as far as non-fiction are concerned i like to make notes and underline lines/ mark passages (with a pencil- i can't stand writing in a book with a ball point). I like to keep copies of non-fiction books in my library to read later so that way it is easy to find the book. It is more of a personal choice whatever works for someone.
Helen wrote: "Tehreem wrote: "I guess it depends. with some books that are super thick and have miniscule font I would definitely prefer a e-book but for non-fiction and Urdu books ebook doesn't work for me"[au..."
You are an amazing person Helen.
Tehreem wrote: "when i was talking about the thickness of the book and font size i was talking about physical books i have a paper back copy of Atlas Shrugged and a can't bring myself to read it cause of the font size. In such cases i would rather switch to a e-book. For urdu books finding the MOBI and EPUB format is hard so i prefer buying book.
as far as non-fiction are concerned i like to make notes and underline lines/ mark passages (with a pencil- i can't stand writing in a book with a ball point). I like to keep copies of non-fiction books in my library to read later so that way it is easy to find the book. It is more of a personal choice whatever works for someone."
Makes sense. Good points
as far as non-fiction are concerned i like to make notes and underline lines/ mark passages (with a pencil- i can't stand writing in a book with a ball point). I like to keep copies of non-fiction books in my library to read later so that way it is easy to find the book. It is more of a personal choice whatever works for someone."
Makes sense. Good points
i'm so hungry for books that it really realllyyyy doesn't matter at all if its a physical copy or electronic one !!!
Some advantages of e books :Free,in many cases.
No hassles with storage.
No problems with disposal.
Portability.
Easy availability.
I prefer books over e-books; I am big book hoarder. I just find it hard to read on all these electronic devices.