Reading on iPad vs a physical book

[jcairns82]

What are people's thoughts on reading on an iPad versus a physical book?

When I first got the iPad, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading books on it. Now, I use it so much for browsing and games that I prefer to read an actual physical book.

How about you?

 

[Joe the meek]

Use iPad mainly for work or for flight simulation games. When it comes to reading books, other than technical manuals, I'll take the hardcover.

 

[add77]

Well, I still prefer to read novels in physical shape. It has to do something with the feeling of turning pages and the satisfaction of reading a monster book from cover to cover (e.g. War and Peace by Tolstoy). But as for technical literature I prefer my Nexus 7, because I have a lot of programming books, and it would just be a pain to carry them all. That way I can access them all without much trouble.

 

[xlzqwerty1]

The light emitted from an iPad is bad for your eyes when concentrating on it too much for a significant period of time without rest. Get a Kindle or any other e-reader instead, they mimic the lighting of physical paper copies and are still much better than books. E-reader > Books > iPad in this case. E-readers have the capability of storing many e-books, just as much as iPads are able to hold, but it's better for your eyes overall.

 

[SS42A]

I still prefer to read a physical book over an iPad. The strain on my eyes is too great such that I cannot last more than 30 minutes reading from an iPad.

 

[Loyal]

I don't have an ipad so I'll go with a physical book. Something about folding pages that is better than swiping fingers.

 

[EG mime]

Every now and then I enjoy holding a physical copy of a book and reading it. Most of the time, though, I prefer reading from my tablet over reading from a book anymore. I can adjust the lighting on my tablet, so I don't have to have a lamp shining on the pages in order to read. Also, I can look up words and things that I don't understand from my tablet, which is awesome because I want to increase my vocabulary.

I'm hopeful for the book to stick around in society, but, to me, tablets are just so much more convenient.

 

[BWOF]

I find reading a book to be much more fun and enjoyable than reading an iPad. The fact is that I find reading (and typing) on an iPad to be quite uncomfortable for long periods of time. It's definitely old-school books for me!

 

[deansaliba]

I still prefer reading physical books, there is no danger of my book running out of power! Plus I live in a part of London where people like to play a game where they whip the ipads and kindles out of your hands and run off and see if you can catch them.

 

[BelgianRockfan2]

I actually like reading on a tablet (nexus 7, can't say anything about iPads). I find a tablet easier to hold than physical books, especially when reading in bed. It's also so much easier when going on vacation. That being said, I still like to read physical books every now and then, and having a filled bookshelf is also nice to look at.

 

[polgara]

I don't have an iPad, but I do have a regular Kindle. I thought I wouldn't like it, as I'm a die-hard bibliophile, but I love my Kindle. How else would I be able to have such an extensive library without having to have tons of room to store it? Plus, my Kindle is lighter than the typical paperback and so small that it fits in my purse.

 

[pandandesign]

It depends on the time of the day. For days, I would like to read physical books. For nights, I would like to read E-books on my Android tablet because my room isn't too bright, which the tablet helps me a lot. I prefer physical books because I like the smell. Plus, I can be able to turn the pages by hands.

 

[Dave]

Id much rather read books then reading off a Ipad. I like having the physical book actually infront of me, instead of reading pages on a computer screen. I know its the same content but its just what im used to I guess.

 

[Catavenger]

There is nothing like seeing a shelf full of books and being able to pick out what you want to read.

 

[CoachV]

I read books on my iPad using Kobo or Nook, sometimes. I still prefer the feel of a book in my hands and the smell of pages in my nose. I love the smell of a book and love the feeling of flipping through a good book even more. Reading on my iPad just means there are too many distractions easily available.

 

[Joker99352]

I prefer a physical book, but I have a Nook myself and don't really mind reading eBooks. What I don't like, however, is paying full-price (or close to it) for an eBook, which doesn't need to be printed and distributed. I can get a bunch of books at yard sales or library sales for way cheaper than even some of the least expensive eBooks. I've really warmed up to the idea of eBooks lately, though. But I play more games on my Nook than I read books, to be honest.