Out of all the different methods of communication available today, the written word in a book is by far the oldest and the most common. Having been in use for millennia, though not always as a bound book in the way you see today, written texts are a critical part of society and civilization. But an argument has recently developed over whether the traditional, printed book is the best; or whether the newer, digital eBook is the way to go.
Both have distinctive advantages and disadvantages, and both are perfectly capable of storing whatever written information you wish. So which is best, and what’s the big deal behind the argument in the first place?
Origins of the Controversy
There isn’t a particular date or timeframe that denotes the exact beginning of the argument between print and digital books. It sort of just developed as eBooks and other digital mediums became more popular and prominent in the market. However, the early years of the eBook are rather lacking in any sort of controversy. As University of Toronto author Marie Lebert discusses, the first digital library, Project Gutenberg, was the only place to find any sort of digital book for decades. In fact, Project Gutenberg only managed to finish its tenth eBook in 1989, almost 20 years after the project was started.
While the origin of eBooks was slow and rather unknown, things started speeding up as the Internet started to take off. With the Internet continuing to gain more users and eBooks beginning to increase in number, the first inkling of controversy and argument over which medium is best began in 1998, as Lebert states.
Since then, there are millions of eBooks, multiple kinds of eBook readers like the Samsung NOOK, and many different vendors and businesses that sell eBooks. The argument has continued to grow and is unlikely to end any time soon. So is there a definitive answer to it?
The Experience of Reading
When you approach the issue of eBooks versus printed books, how do you compare each method? Do you look for definitive advantages and disadvantages? Or do you think about the entire experience of reading?
Many people approach the argument from one side or the other with a very narrow mindset about both methods and what is “best” about one or the other. They discuss storage and convenience, accessibility and updating formats, etc. But that is the wrong way to go about the print versus digital argument. Truthfully, eBooks do have myriad advantages over printed books, but those advantages don’t mean anything to a reader that doesn’t care about storage and accessibility and price and so on. For many people, reading is an experience; from opening a book and smelling the pages before beginning a new story, to finishing the final paragraph and closing the book after learning the conclusion, the entire time reading the book is a unique experience that many people live for.
If you think about that reading experience, it’s likely that the usual arguments about why eBooks are better begin to sound somewhat hollow. However, don’t think that the experience of reading a book is a definitive reason to discard eBooks as an inferior medium, they are just different. And as Mashable states, eBooks aren’t like MP3s replacing CDs. eBooks aren’t a new format designed to completely replace an old one, they are just a new format that can offer a completely different reading experience.
If you’re someone who is very practical and logical and doesn’t care for the “experience” of reading, then eBooks are definitely the right reading medium for you. As Top 10 Reviews discusses, massive storage space, cheaper prices, and travel accessibility are just some of many different practical benefits eBooks can give.
Why Print Will Never Die
No matter how popular eBooks get, the chances of printed texts disappearing are incredibly slim to nonexistent. While print may die sometime in the far future, there are multiple reasons why it’s not going anywhere soon. Read Write discusses five particular reasons why print won’t be dying anytime soon.
Feel – No matter how amazing eBook readers get the sensations of holding a printed book, smelling it, brushing the pages beneath your fingers, will never be replicated.
Packaging – An eBook doesn’t have any sort of packaging, so beautiful boxed sets, wonderful illustrations and cover art, and other packaging benefits are lost when you buy digital.
Sharing – There are some methods of sharing eBooks, but the process can be complicated depending on DRM issues and the company your book is from. There isn’t anything stopping you from handing over a printed book for a friend to borrow.
Keeping – DRM and issues with eBook formatting may cause trouble in the future when you try to access an old eBook purchased from a closed company and so on. Plus, an eBook collection won’t beat a printed book collection in bragging rights or visual effect.
Second-hand Books – Not much can beat the fact that you can visit a second-hand book store and pick up a new story for a few dollars or even cents.
The fact is that both digital and printed books have their places and uses. Some prefer digital while others prefer print. Don’t pick one or the other based on the argument, pick based on your preferences and needs.