If you go back in time to ten or fifteen years ago, you might struggle to find anyone who was using an e-reader. The world of reading, in particular, e-reading has come a very long way in a relatively short amount of time. Now, when you go on public transport, you will probably come across at least one person who is using an e-reader. As the trend for e-reading is not looking like it will go away anytime soon, its increasing dominance has led people to question why it continues to reign supreme?
Portability
One of the main reasons why people are actively choosing e-readers over print books is quite simply because they are far more portable. While taking a paperback novella with you as you go about your day isn’t too troublesome, things become quite different when you are reading a 600-page novel or even a textbook.
E-readers are highly portable, making them the perfect solution for people who are looking to read on their way to work or as they travel. As many e-readers are lightweight and able to fit in your back pocket, they are much easier to transport than the majority of books. Moreover, as you can download an entire library on one device, it is the perfect way to take many books with you as you travel.
Price
If you have ever shopped for books on Amazon, then you might have noticed the discrepancy in price between the e-reader and the print book. Often the price difference between an e-book and a print book is comparable to the difference between a print and hardback copy. This difference in price means that the e-reader is the economical choice for avid book lovers.
Accessibility
Another reason why people are continuing to love using e-readers is quite simply because they are accessible. Most people will have a tablet, mobile phone, or laptop, and as Lenovo explains, the e-reading feature is one of the most common pre-downloaded features. Access to these features means that you can instantly download your book of choice and start reading on your device. This is very different to your experience with a print book, where you would have to go to your local bookstore or library or order a copy online and wait for it to arrive.
Sustainability
There is a growing movement to shop and spend money in a more sustainable fashion. As many consumers are actively seeking out sustainable alternatives to common products, the popularity of e-readers makes even more sense. If you use the e-reading feature on your device, then you are eliminating the need for a physical product. This makes the book purchasing process much more sustainable, as you are not creating emissions from the creation of transportation processes.
Versatility
When you read a physical book, you need a few basic features to be able to actually read the page in front of you. Namely, you need good lighting. With an e-reader, you can read anywhere, no matter the light. That means that it is easier than ever to read wherever you are. People who use an e-reader will no longer have to be concerned about things like waking their partner up at night, as the low lit screen is effective but non-invasive.
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.