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Kindle Vs Books
As technology has advanced, the ways in which we consume information have also changed. One of the biggest changes in recent years has been the rise of e-readers, which offer a more convenient and portable way to read books.
Electronic paper was incorporated first into the Sony Librie that was released in 2004 and Sony Reader in 2006, followed by the Amazon Kindle, a device which, upon its release in 2007, sold out within five and a half hours. Fun Fact : The number of Kindle devices sold globally since than is estimated to be more than 150 million (not including other E Readers). Amazon is known to have sold at least 487 million Kindle books.
With introduction of note taking with stylus, audiobooks and colored E Ink Technology. E Readers are definitely the future of reading. But is this future preferred by everyone? What is the future of physical books? What are the benefits of buying an e-Reader? In this article Kindle Vs Real Books, we’ll take a look at the benefits of buying an e-reader over traditional books.
What is an E Reader?
Electronic readers, commonly known as e-readers, are portable devices that allow you to read books electronically. The main difference with other reading platforms is the screen. E Readers have a special screen based on E-ink Technology.
The benefits of E ink screen over Traditional LCD screen is numerous when it comes to reading for long stretches of time. Paper like feel, less power consumption & better readability outdoors are a few to name.
Comparison Chart (Kindle vs Paperbacks)
1. Customizable
Books aren’t customizable, you are at the mercy of the publisher, you can’t change anything. Whereas Kindle & E-Readers are super customizable.
- Adjustable font sizes which makes it easier for those who prefer larger text.
- Increase of decrease the contrast making the test crisper.
- Don’t like a particular font? Change it.
- Change form portrait to landscape mode
2. Cost
Yes, the initial cost of an e-reader is generally higher than a physical book, over time, e-readers pay for themselves.
- e-books are often cheaper than physical books
- you can download free or discounted e-books, and you don’t have to worry about shipping costs or bookstore markups.
- For Kindle, You can take a Kindle Unlimited subscription. This effectively reduces the price per book as many books are offered for FREE with Kindle Unlimited. If you have access to Prime Reading, you can also get free books every month.
3. Storage
E-readers can hold thousands of books, making it easy to carry an entire library with you wherever you go. You don’t have to worry about finding space to store physical books, and you can easily organize and access your entire library.
4. Environmental Impact
E-readers are are far more environmentally friendly and can help reduce paper waste. Kindle is taking special measures to ensure their devices are made from recycled material.
- You can read books electronically, reducing the need for paper production.
- E-readers don’t require shipping, which reduces carbon emissions.
- E-books don’t contribute to deforestation, which is a growing concern for environmentalists.
5. Accessibility
E-readers make reading accessible to people with visual impairments.
- Adjustable fonts & Text to speech make them a great option for people with reading difficulties.
- Audio books can be downloaded, making them ideal for people who prefer to listen to books.
- No need to physically turn pages – helpful for people with mobility issues or who like to read in bed.
6. Social Features
Many e-readers have social features that allow you to highlight and take notes that can be shared with others. Additionally, some e-readers have features that allow you to share books with family and friends without physically transferring the book.
7. Health Benefits
E-readers offer several health benefits over traditional books.
- Adjustable font can reduce eye strain – common problem if you read for extended periods.
- E-readers eliminate the need to hold a book open, reducing hand and wrist fatigue.
- E-readers have built-in lights that don’t strain your eyes in low light.
8. Reading Experience
Once you get used to it, the reading experience is far greater than physical books.
- Most e-readers have built-in dictionaries, which makes it easy to look up unfamiliar words or you can even translate text
- Access to Encyclopedia with in the book helps to better understand the book
- Highlight feature and l reviewing the highlighted notes makes the assimilation and note taking experience far better.
9. Access to variety of Reading Material
E-readers offer a wide variety of reading material, including books, magazines, and newspapers. Many e-readers allow you to subscribe to your favorite publications and have them delivered directly to your device. Amazon Kindle has the biggest library with millions of titles. This is especially helpful for people who live in areas where it’s challenging to find certain publications or who prefer to read digital versions of magazines or newspapers.
10. Flexibility
E-readers offer a great deal of flexibility.
- Change font size, adjust brightness or choose from different reading modes.
- In Build search function to quickly find specific words or phrases in a book
- Allow quick switching between books, making it easy to read multiple books at once.
11. Compatibility
E-readers are compatible with a wide variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers.
- Read on your e-reader or switch to your smartphone or tablet without losing your place.
- Most E-readers allow you to sync your reading progress across multiple devices, allowing you to read on one device and pick up where you left off on another.
12. Instantly Book Access.
You want to read a certain book? No need to go to a nearby book store or order a physical books and wait for 2-3 days for the book to be delivered to your location. Connect your wifi and buy the book instantly from the in build book store
13. Great for Night-Time Reading
Like reading in the bed before sleeping? Or your partner gets annoyed with the bedside lamp?
If an E Reader is a perfect option for you! One of the biggest advantages of a Kindle is that you don’t need to keep the lights switched on in order to read a book!
You can easily adjust the light settings on a Kindle if you need the screen to look a little brighter. Premium E Readers have warm lights as well
14. Durability
Another advantage to reading on a E Reader is that it more durable than a book
- Most E-readers are Waterproof up to a few meter depth ideal for beaches and pools.
- More heat resistant than a book. Paper catches fire easily.
- And Definitely Termite proof.
Drawbacks of Reading On a Kindle
The Debate of Kindle Vs Paperbacks has been going for years now, while there are several advantages of reading on a Kindle, there are certain disadvantages of using a Kindle too!
1. A Paperback is A Paperback
No matter how many ever advantages a Kindle may have over physical books, the fact of the matter remains that it is not a real book.
Its perhaps the closest experience to a real book, however, the experience is not the same. If you like the conventional experience of book reading, you will need some time to make that shift.
2. E Readers Require Charge
One biggest advantage that works in the favor of physical books is that you can just pick it up and start reading! You don’t need to worry about charging it!
3. Sharing Books with Others is a Problem
One of the major drawbacks of a Kindle is that sharing books with others is quite difficult! If you have to share a physical book, all you have to do is simply pick up the book and hand it over to your loved one! But, that is not the case with a Kindle book. Sharing a Kindle book is just not allowed (legally at least).
4. Kindle Can Stop Working or Show Errors
Unlike a book, a Kindle is a gadget. Errors can occur, hardware can malfunction but this rarely happens! I’ve owned a Kindle for over 8 years now and never faced such an issue.
Which E Reader Should You Buy?
If you were with us till now then probably you have made up your mind to buy a E Reader. But which E Reader to buy? Let us help you with that.
Kindle Paperwhite is our top recommendation, it has most of the important features available in the Premium Kindle variants.
If you want to buy some other E Book Reader you can check out our article on Best E Readers to Buy .
If you are interested in buying a Kobo E Readers (Which in our option are almost as good as kindles). Then see Kobo E-Readers – Best Kindle Alternative.
