Monday, July 17, 2017

Ebooks vs. Print - Fast Food or Fine Dining?


Sweetie Mom and I grab our purses and fly out the door when an opportunity to eat out comes along. To a great extent, our level of enthusiasm depends on where we're going. Friday night means Wendy's. We've become regulars, and the staff knows us. It's fun when they plug in my name for the order without asking who I am.

A special dining experience for a birthday, Mother's Day, or to use a gift card (love gift cards!) results in discussions on what to wear, as well as what to eat. Certain restaurants have menu items that make us salivate thinking about them. I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes, but drowning a baked one in honey butter and maple syrup makes me swoon.

Reading an ebook or a print book are like selecting between fast food or casual/fine dining. Lately, I've been reading a lot of books on my Kindle Paperwhite. The last two books I've read, however, are print versions. Here are some of the pros and cons of each:

1.  Fast food places don't require a lot of thought, while other restaurants take more planning. A print book takes up a lot of space, while you can carry around hundreds of books in a Kindle or other e-reader.

2.  Seeing the percentage finished in an ebook doesn't give the same perception as looking where your bookmark sits in a print version. Like fast food, there isn't the savoring of the overall experience.

3.  With an ebook, I sometimes forget the title and/or author of the book I'm reading because it's not on every page. With a print book, I see the title and author. They become linked with the story in my brain because of the repetition. The ambiance of a more formal restaurant creates a memory not easily forgotten.

4.  When I order an ebook, there's no waiting. Zap! It's in my Kindle in a flash. By the time my print books arrive, I've sometimes forgotten what I ordered. The positive side is the excitement of opening a box of books. Fast food is - fast. When you're hungry and you've got a ton or errands, it's the way to go. Casual/fine dining takes planning and more time.

5.  The cost factor plays a big part in this equation. I can afford a lot more ebooks than print books, and the way I blast through them that's a big deal. Library, you say? Our local library doesn't have the kind of selection I can find online. Fast food restaurants don't cost as much as casual/fine dining. I can go there once a week, but my purse can't handle higher-end eateries that often.

So what do I prefer? I love the whole print book experience. The ebook is an economical and convenient choice. It depends on what I need at any given time.

Writers and Readers:  What are your preferences and why?

Photo Credit:  Susan J. Reinhardt

3 comments:

Karen Lange said...

This is an interesting comparison, Susan. I prefer print books overall, but do enjoy the Kindle versions sometimes too. I often pick up ebooks on sale, and have even read them on my smartphone. But to me, there's nothing like holding a book in hand, and being able to more easily flip back to reread something, etc. I also prefer print books when reviewing them for this reason. It's easier to find a chapter or character info and the like with a print book. Good topic. Have a great rest of the week! :)

quietspirit said...

Susan: I am sorry, I prefer a print book. I like to curl up with a book. The idea of a tablet and reading is not quite where I am.

Marja Verschoor-Meijers said...

Hey Susan, nice way of comparing reading books with dining experiences... Since I hardly ever eat fast food (choices are minimal where I live, thank God) and only dine out on special occasions... well, I devour paper books, have only read a few e-books (your first one being one of them) for the simple reason that too much time is spent behind/in front of computer screens, so I just love to sit in my back yard with a real book :)