• If you have an ereader with an eink screen… it’s a no-brainer. Digital books are soooo good.

    • virtually no weight
    • virtually no space
    • waaaaay cheaper
    • your local library has probably a way bigger and more accessible catalogue of ebooks than physical ones
    • tap and hold a word and get an automatic definition/translation
    • adjust text size or font
    • dark mode, if you into that (in some models)
    • Text-to-speech (in some models)
    • highlight text and write notes without f-ing up pages
    • literally translate entire phrases or look particular information from Wikipedia or similar with a simple gesture.
    • backup all of those and do crazy stuff like an automatic daily email to yourself with cool notes you took months/years ago.

    Physical books nowadays are like vynil music… it’s for the artwork and having a physical “certificate” of something you love. Like… if I discover a book I really enjoy, I’ll probably buy a physical version so I can, you know, have it there on the shelf, like you have family pics or something.

    •  xep   ( @xep@kbin.social ) 
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      1 year ago

      Being able to carry my entire collection with me is incredible. Before I’d have to select a few to bring on vacation or when visiting relatives.

    • I dunno about the vinyl parallel. I’m a physical book reader myself—I’ve tried an ebook, I read a few books on there. But it didn’t hold me the way books know how to. Just right.

      Not to mention, I’m trying everything I can to realistically separate myself from the “internet of things.” I use the internet, but I try to achieve as private of an experience as I can manage. I’m wary of cameras these days. I never used social media. I cover any camera pointed at me that I can…my point is, a book doesn’t know I’m reading it or how long I’ve read it. Buying used books, no one knows who I am, how long I’ve spent reading, WHAT I’m reading, etc.

      I can’t say the same about these e-readers. I don’t need ANOTHER device I’m constantly worried is stealing every single metric it can possibly gather about me.