Pakistani Readers discussion

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Chit Chat > E-books or Hard copies?

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message 1: by Moon (new)

Moon | 7 comments Hard copy,for sure!! Nothing beats the feeling of turning the pages of a good book.


message 2: by Shehzad (new)

Shehzad | 648 comments Totally agreed. Nothing better than a book in your hand but i think most people in Pakistan read ebooks, not by choice though. The latest books are rarely available unless they're really popular. And those which are, are really expensive by our standards. Some, like me, make do scanning and scavenging old book shops, stalls, even the kabariyas :-P i once bought whole Karen Armstrong collection in Rs 800. Best deal ever. Then there's also the pirated versions available but again of only the bestsellers, the books in demand.


message 3: by Moon (new)

Moon | 7 comments Well said. I too buy my books solely from old book shops-they're so much more reasonably priced plus the fun you have rooting through the books to find something special!!


message 4: by Moon (new)

Moon | 7 comments But when I want some indie book,or something other than the popular chart,ebooks are a savior


message 5: by Maira (new)

Maira | 5852 comments Mod
Moon wrote: "But when I want some indie book,or something other than the popular chart,ebooks are a savior"

Yeah that the solution everyone uses in Pakistan who cannot find a hard copy.


message 6: by Mahnoor (new)

Mahnoor (noor155) Hard copy! E-books are too hard on the eyes. Whenever I read an ebook, I forget the story straight away.


message 7: by [deleted user] (new)

Agree with mahnoor!


message 8: by Risha (new)

Risha | 1549 comments I can read both but I'll always go with the hard copy if I can :)


message 9: by Shehzad (new)

Shehzad | 648 comments @Moon- I know what you're talking about. I go to stalls and old book shops with an open mind, you don't always find the book you're looking for but you usually find something worthwhile. And if you find a really great book, it's a treat.


message 10: by Farhan (new)

Farhan Saya | 21 comments A combination of the two. Whichever book I start reading I keep an e-copy on my phone so that I have access to it whenever I want. However, when I am home I read the hard copy.


message 11: by Moon (new)

Moon | 7 comments @shehzad-I actually think old book shops make you a better reader,range wise. I mean,with the major book shops,you never find something unexpected. Whereas with used books,you take chances and as a result read a variety of books. Does that sound too pretentious? :p
plus,I love the inscriptions you sometimes find in old books. I have a book with a happy birthday from 1976! Makes me happy.


message 12: by Nazish (new)

Nazish Islam (inazish) | 4 comments Hard copy so that everyone can use despite of loadshedding problem etc and E-book so that one can enjoy reading in dark too :D


message 13: by Shehzad (new)

Shehzad | 648 comments Haha yeah. The written in books add to the flavour, history and mystery of the book. I have Stephen King's Desperation, a huge hard copy given as a gift. And an extra copy of The Lord of Flies, it belonged to a literature student, she's made very insightful notes and inscriptions.


message 14: by Shehzad (new)

Shehzad | 648 comments Lol you could have. I had a really bad pirated version at first, then i bought one from a road stall, original version at the same price. Gave away the pirated one to a friend.


message 15: by Mohsina (new)

Mohsina Zafar (mohsinazafar) | 58 comments Old book stores are really great help. N i have a relative with a library n i get a variety of books from there (damn lucky indeed!)
But e-book are preferable too as not all books you "want to read", you can buy!


message 16: by Hadiqa (new)

Hadiqa (phoenix_solaris) Because most of the books I like and wish to read and not available in Pakistan and if they are, they are expensive, I tend to stick with e-books and downloading them from different websites. Then I transfer it to my ipad and read it on them. Initially, I didn't read books because I loved to read in hardcopy but as time flew and I realised it was not gonna happen, I turned to e-books and it isn't that bad :)


message 17: by [deleted user] (last edited Sep 21, 2014 06:15AM) (new)

I like ebooks because i can take a ebooks any where with me. Ebooks are easily available. No need to wander from book shop to book shop.
Hard copies are mostly used when people can't sleep ;). Most of the times hard copies are to decorate the rooms.


message 18: by Umair (new)

Umair Abbasi (Maire68) | 31 comments Well there is nothing which can beat a real book. hard copy


message 19: by Zaynab (new)

Zaynab | 4 comments Good old hard copies can't be replaced ! Definitely !


message 20: by A.J. (new)

A.J. Raven (ajraven) | 6 comments U know people seem to be in ebooks these days, and that's also the format I make most of sales from, but I don't know, for me the feeling of a hard bound copy is something that an ebook can give me. Turning the pages of an actual book just feel different and better than tapping a tablet screen to move on to the next page. I was super excited when I got copies of my books in the mail compared to when they went up on the Word Wide Web as ebooks :)


message 21: by Sara (new)

Sara Naveed (sara-naveed) | 71 comments I'll always go with the hard copies no matter how many e-book devices come out. Paperbacks can never go obsolete. The fact that e-book devices can store millions of books inside but the feeling you get with a hard copy is just priceless.


message 22: by A.J. (new)

A.J. Raven (ajraven) | 6 comments Sara wrote: "I'll always go with the hard copies no matter how many e-book devices come out. Paperbacks can never go obsolete. The fact that e-book devices can store millions of books inside but the feeling you..."

True that!! ^^


message 23: by Hina Tabassum (new)

Hina Tabassum Khatri | 295 comments I have tried eBook but they do not give me the feeling of reading a book. However old my book may be, I could always smell those pages and that woodsy papery smell confirms for me that I am in fact reading a book.


message 24: by Sara (new)

Sara Naveed (sara-naveed) | 71 comments A.J. wrote: "Sara wrote: "I'll always go with the hard copies no matter how many e-book devices come out. Paperbacks can never go obsolete. The fact that e-book devices can store millions of books inside but th..."

:)


message 25: by Zarish (new)

Zarish Fatima (zarishfatima94gmailcom) love ebooks...you can read more u can afford more.........but of course hard copies of course are the real deal if u are looking for ultimate bookish experience.........


message 26: by Komal (new)

Komal (k0k0) | 219 comments Both of them. Both have their pros and cons; e-book's biggest strength being diversity of books and the latest stuff, its weakness being unconventional. Hardcopies are forever welcome in our hands, but they cost more and may not always be available. Also, spacing! My mother is after me to sell half my shelf since it has reached the magnitude of a Dam near breaking.


message 27: by Sara (new)

Sara Naveed (sara-naveed) | 71 comments Komal wrote: "Both of them. Both have their pros and cons; e-book's biggest strength being diversity of books and the latest stuff, its weakness being unconventional. Hardcopies are forever welcome in our hands,..."
Hahaha. I don't mind creating a mountain of books at my home. Yes, the advantages of e-books are quite evident. You can store 'em as much as you want but still paperbacks win for me.


message 28: by Ayeza (new)

Ayeza (ayezaabidkalim) | 9 comments I had always read paperbacks all through my childhood and much of my teen, granted they were all pirated because originals are just too damn expensive and then almost two years ago i found the most wonderful thing known as ebooks and i solely read these for the past two year even though i longed to have the feel of book in my hand but a few days ago i saved some allowance and bought an original Cassandra Clare but i just couldn't read it, being so used to the eBook format the hard-copy felt so foreign and alienating. But i do wish to read more in hard-copy because the eBooks have started to strain my eyes so i hope i get used to the hard-version though i'll never abandon the eBook, like ever.


message 29: by Noor (new)

Noor (NoorF) I agree. The original books are very expensive. EBooks come in handy, you know? Whenever you see a good title, just download it.

Does someone in Lahore knows an old book store with a large collection of books? It would help if it's somewhere near Model Town, Jail Road or Liberty.


message 30: by Risha (new)

Risha | 1549 comments There is one on Link Road in Model Town. It's called the Old Book Store. Its comes in the Raja Sahab Lane keep going forward if you enter from the ECS turn and once Raja Sahab appears, slow the car and look for the shop in the basement.


message 31: by Noor (new)

Noor (NoorF) I know that one. Most of the times, they don't have what I want.


message 32: by Farrukh (new)

Farrukh Siddiqui (sos21) | 86 comments Definitely hard copies.


message 33: by Faizan (new)

Faizan (faizanahmad) | 10 comments Anyone tried reading book on ebook reader like Amazon Kindle?


message 34: by Risha (new)

Risha | 1549 comments @Faizan. O frequently read eBooks on Kindle :)


message 35: by Risha (new)

Risha | 1549 comments @Noor. Well then you can try the ones in Main market. Near Anees and Iqbal bookstores. there are a number of old bookshops there


message 36: by Noor (new)

Noor (NoorF) Thank you Risha :) I'll try those too


message 37: by Jibran (new)

Jibran (marbles5) | 133 comments I have only ever read a dozen or so e-books, and that's because I couldn't find their hard copies. I noticed that in case of ebooks my retention level goes down; I tend to lose the conten easily and can't remember it well. With hard copies, however, it's not the case.

Now I have started reading more ebooks but only short story collections and poetry, because they are short and easily read. I still don't like reading a tome electronically. For example I'll never try to read any major of work Tolstoy on my handheld device. It just doesn't work for me.


message 38: by Salman (new)

Salman Nazir (salman180) | 864 comments hard or paperback always but sometime cant find physical copy or very expensive then E-book coke Handy.
Reading from physical book has its charm.


message 39: by Nagwa (new)

Nagwa Malik (nagwamalik) | 91 comments Agreed- perhaps why i am trying so hard to make my book available in stores physically in Pakistan but unfortunately although it is available all over the globe both virtually and physically they do not cover Pakistan...a bother!


message 40: by Fatima (new)

Fatima Naqvi (phateemay) | 126 comments hard copy!


message 41: by Sameer (new)

Sameer Afzal (safzal) | 2 comments E-books.

If I'm reading something that requires highlighting and note taking I would get hard copies. If I'm reading for leisure, its going to be an eBook. ebooks are more readily available, and the type of books I read can't be found in Pakistan. Also hard copies take space and once you are done with them its harder to get rid of them. ebooks are also more environment friendly.


message 42: by Muhammad Younis (new)

Muhammad Younis | 5 comments The real taste of reading is only in hard copies. when you can touch and feel the words. Beside I am keen of book collection so that also contributes additional species.


message 43: by Myra (new)

Myra (myrakhann) | 3 comments Hard-copyy for me. I can also read e-books but I’ll always choose hardcopy if I have a choice. Their touch, smell, everything is amazing.


message 44: by Mir (new)

Mir Ali | 32 comments Hard copies!! E books are not fun


message 45: by Muhammad (new)

Muhammad Ahsen Tahiri (ahsentahiri) | 204 comments Aah, millions of books at your disposal is a way mouthwatering. I had problem ereading, but I solved it by getting an app for ePub Reading, "Book Bazaar Reader", dimming light and changing page colour to a lighter and real book page like. Now I have my own Library at my hostel room :) Blessed Boy


message 46: by Zarish (new)

Zarish Fatima (zarishfatima94gmailcom) Book bazar is definitely a good reader and an excellent place to categorize and organize books for windows.
aldiko is great for andriod.
But hard copies are irreplaceable.........


message 47: by Muhammad (new)

Muhammad Ahsen Tahiri (ahsentahiri) | 204 comments Almost everyone has to agree with it. I think the question may not be like "which is better", it be "do you manage to eread or not". :P


message 48: by Saira (new)

Saira (SairaT) | 2 comments Hard copy all the way


message 49: by Maria (new)

Maria (mariasaleem) | 11 comments Hard copy obviously! EBooks can be so annoying. There's nothing like holding a physical book and flipping paper after every page and the papery smell feeling like a fragrance.


message 50: by Uzair (new)

Uzair | 1172 comments AHH,you people are all like my brother!HE HATES EBOOKS!!!But man if you can't get access to hard copy then you gotta do what you gotta do.It's been so long since i've bought a hard copy book i almost forgot that smell when you buy a NEW(Old ones don't have it) hard copy.So moving on i like both cause well hard copy is hard copy(What more is there to say?) And ebooks cause without them i would have stopped reading at my 12th book or something


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