E-books have been around for more than 20 years, and the same goes for the debate whether they are better than paper books. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages, so when choosing which one to go for, you should consider multiple factors.
Why E-Books May Be a Better Option?
Although paper books provide you with a reading experience which can never be beaten by e-books, the latter may be a more practical choice. Below, we discuss why electronic books may be the better way to read.
An Entire Library at Your Fingertips
One of the main reasons why e-books are a better option is the fact that they are accessible anywhere, anytime. With your e-reader, you can have a whole library at your fingertips, and even gain access to rare books you may not be able to find at physical bookstores.
E-books are easy to carry. While physical books can take a lot of space, which is especially inconvenient when travelling, you can carry multiple e-books on a single device wherever you go. Like a casino app for mobile gamblers, an e-reader is all you need to quench your thirst for reading.
Customizable
Another reason why e-books may be more convenient than their paper counterparts is the fact that you can customize them according to your needs. By adjusting the layout, font size and brightness, you can make an e-book easy on the eyes. This is one of the biggest differences between e-books and paper books, whose appearance you can’t change.
Advanced Features
Besides features that allow customization, e-books also let you use certain elements that can enhance the reading experience. For instance, some e-books come with embedded multimedia or hyperlinks that can help you understand the context better.
At the same time, you can highlight sentences and whole paragraphs, insert comments or bookmark favorite pages. E-books also come with a built-in dictionary you can use if you have difficulties to understand certain words.
Multi-Sensory Reading Experience
You may not be able to feel and smell paper when reading e-books, but that should not be a reason to give up on them. Most of them come with a built-in read-aloud feature. It can provide you with a multi-sensory experience, and enable you to listen to the book if you can’t focus on reading it. It also comes in handy for readers with certain disabilities, such as visual impairments or dyslexia.
Cost-Effective and Eco-Friendly Solution
E-books are cheaper as you don’t pay printing costs when buying them. Since no printing is involved, they have a positive environmental impact. It is estimated that a 10-inch-thick tree produces 20 to 30 books with 300 pages each. So, if you choose an e-book over a physical one, you will act in an environmentally friendly way and you can save some money.
Can E-Books Replace Paper Books?
Despite all the advantages of e-books, we are positive that they can never make their physical counterparts redundant. There will always be readers who prefer paper books, at least for nostalgic reasons. If you are one of them, you don’t have to worry. Paper books are here to stay and you will be able to enjoy them even if you occasionally go for an e-book.
Markus lives in San Francisco, California and is the video game and audio expert on Good e-Reader! He has a huge interest in new e-readers and tablets, and gaming.