E-readers aren’t better than books

Published 12:01 am Friday, October 28, 2011

While Jackson Holtz did make a good case for e-readers vs. iPads, he did leave out a few things. (Sunday, “How e-readers stack up.“) The e-books purchased from Amazon (Kindle) or Barnes & Noble (Nook) are encrypted with their own method to prevent piracy. Both companies do, however, make available software to allow you to read their books on a computer (iPad) so with an iPad you should be able to read e-books from either book dealer. This, however, does not make an iPad, or for that matter any e-reader, advantageous over an old-fashioned book.

If you drop a book you lose your place. If you drop your reader, you may lose your entire library and significant money. You can’t give your e-book to your kids, a friend, or donate it to the library when done. You can’t stick your e-reader in your back pocket, or use it during the first 10 minutes of an airplane flight. You can’t make notes in the margins, or highlight sections, although I must admit you can make bookmarks. When your battery dies, you have to put it down for a few hours, or at least stay next to an outlet.

The biggest problem with e-readers, in my opinion, is longevity. Not of the reader, but of the e-book. In 20 years, will a device or software exist to read any of the books in your library? Borders closed down. Barnes & Noble has been on the edge for awhile. I don’t know about Amazon’s book department. I still pull out a favorite book now and then and re-read it. Books are like old friends. I just can’t get all that chummy with an e-reader.

Terry Martz
Marysville