How Do You Read?

[Sayonara]

Which formats do you use? Which is your favourite? Which won't you use, and why?

 

Let battle commence!

[Ringer]

Personally I switched to an e-reader because I got tired of carrying 5+ books around campus so I could study, then read my other books on my breaks from studying. Also, instead of printing a bunch of powerpoints I can upload them to my reader and go through them on there.

 

Honestly though, I probably would use a tablet if I had the money, though I am still terrified that I'm clumsy enough that I'll break it too easily.

[Sayonara]

Personally I switched to an e-reader because I got tired of carrying 5+ books around campus so I could study, then read my other books on my breaks from studying. Also, instead of printing a bunch of powerpoints I can upload them to my reader and go through them on there.

 

Honestly though, I probably would use a tablet if I had the money, though I am still terrified that I'm clumsy enough that I'll break it too easily.

 

I held off buying a Kindle because I was already buying an iPad and thought "well, I can just use the app". I did, and still do sometimes, but I've since bought a Kindle as well and I much prefer it. The screen doesn't tire your eyes anywhere near as quickly as an LCD does, and it's much lighter.

 

It is nice though having the app on a tablet, expecially for books with graphics or charts. And being able to pick up where you left off on your phone when you're in a queue is good too. But I still love my e-Ink device

[Nicholas Kang]

Personally I don`t like looking at the screen for hours long just to read one book. I opt for traditional paperback and hardback books. I like the taste of holding a book on my hand and that is even good if it was a science book!

[Doctor]

I use e-reading only when I have something that can't be aquired in paper form.

[Hendrick Laursen]

I use e-reading only when I have something that can't be acquired in paper form.

Exactly the same here. Too much reading electronic versions is too bad for eyesight.

[John Cuthber]

Exactly the same here. Too much reading electronic versions is too bad for eyesight.

http://xkcd.com/285/

[Hendrick Laursen]

Da! Citation needed?!

The last time I asked for citations here, I was told to go nuts!

 

Anyway, I dunno if there are some researches out in the net on the matter but I even won't trouble myself to surf the net to find something on the material 'cause it's my personal experience. My eyes were ten ten, then I started to read Thomas Hardy excessively on my phone. I finished some 13 volumes, reading day and night.

The next time I visited optometrist he said my eyes were eight eight.

So it's how I owe my glasses to Thomas Hardy!

Edited October 1, 2014 by Hendrick Laursen

[kisai]

Both print and pdf format have their advantages. I prefer not having a hardcopy hanging around, taking up space, unless it's a reference book. That said, hardcopies are very useful for sneaking peeks at during traffic lights, long lines, and times where you want to conserve your battery power.

[Greg H.]

I've read on pretty much all of the above, but I just prefer paper. Maybe I'm old fashioned, or a traditionalist, or whatever, but to me the experience just isn't the same without the weight of a book, and the feel of the paper under my fingers. I'll read things on a tablet or whatever, but it's not my preferred method.

[CharonY]

I think that is true for many people. Reading experience is better with paper, also I prefer reference works, such as text books or historic writing in book format as it is much easier to track back to certain passages. While it is easier to mark things electronically, I always found that half-remembered passages are much easier to find with books rather than using search functions or similar. I guess it has something to do how spatial memory works.

But I found myself moving so much that most reading for entertainment just had to be delegated to electronic readers for practical purposes...

[de gieter]

paperback obv

[CONvenience]

Tablet for convenience but I prefer paperback and hardback.  I use my local public library system.

[dimreepr]

On 9/3/2013 at 5:13 AM, Sayonara said:

Which formats do you use? Which is your favourite?

Audio, I'm a slow reader...

[rufus mosley]

I use PDF downloads of books I find on gutenebrg and archive.org. Sometimes I read online or open PDF's on a computer. Lately, I am splitting PDF's into image file and loading them onto my big screen TV. Insted of watching television shows, I read a book on the TV. This is really nice for browsing and previewing books.

[mistermack]

1 hour ago, rufus mosley said:

I use PDF downloads of books

That's interesting. How do they maintain the copyright privileges if books are available in a pdf? 

I haven't read a book for years, my eyes are pretty crap so all my reading is done on a big screen. I did find a source for free books a few years ago, and started reading one or two but my attention span snapped.

Edited December 13, 2022 by mistermack

[rufus mosley]

51 minutes ago, mistermack said:

That's interesting. How do they maintain the copyright privileges if books are available in a pdf? 

I haven't read a book for years, my eyes are pretty crap so all my reading is done on a big screen. I did find a source for free books a few years ago, and started reading one or two but my attention span snapped.

I like reading classic literature, philosophy, science, math and history. So, most of what I am interested in is in the public domain. It's also good to pick up a recent title evry now and then. My current read - The Logic of Scientific Discovery by Karl Popper, was published in 1934. If you look at any of my lists, the vast majority of what I read was written not less than a century ago.

[other_world]

Personally, I read only such traditional books and especially prefer those with a soft binding and a little bit of gnarled paper if you know what I mean). I just prefer that kind of texture when I'm staying up all night for some great book. I love that feeling of holding a good book at three in the morning....