Kindle -v- Books

[Tizzi24]

Would you buy a Kindle? My daughter desperately wants one, but I think nothing beats an actual book. I love the feel and smell of a book and think there is nothing better than curling up with the real thing. I just can't imagine reading a book from a Kindle! To be honest, I hope it never catches on in a big way as I would hate books to be extinct!!

What do others think?

[sara3]

I considered a Kindle, but really.. you can't beat a real book! books become part of your room :o)

[alexanderd]

prefer the real thing every time

[treetops1]

Prefer a book , would hate to own a Kindle.

[shaneystar2]

I think they have their place and it's a brilliant innovation . For people who travel a lot they save a whole lot of lugging of books and because it's techy it may encourage young people to read more .It has it good points .
But I prefer the real thing .
I very much doubt that books will ever become extinct .

[ubasses]

I'm with you all, love books but a friend asked me how many I take on holiday, made me think about getting just to take away with me. Heard on the radio the other day that books are VAT free but you have to pay the tax if you download them.

[woofgang]

the i book app has loads of free books available, also go take a look at project Gutenberg for loads of free books. I like real books but keep books on my ipad as well.

[saxy_jag]

I'm loving my Kindle and I reckon it's worth every penny, not the least because if I'm stuck for a read then there's always something free or cheap that I can download. It means, too, that I can carry all my books around with me if I fancy a change of reading matter half-way through.

But I do love real books too. I'm a book sniffer and I love the touch and feel of new books and of course, children's picture books just don't hack it on a kindle. I'm with Shaney - I can't see real books disappearing completely. They're too much a part of our culture for that.

I find it best to look upon the Kindle as something that enhances and complements the reading experience rather than replacing it.

[bednobs]

my vote is for the kindle.

[society]

What Saxyjag said ^^^.

[bednobs]

but not for cookbooks

[Canary42]

My house is overflowing with books, some of which I abandoned after a chapter or two. Now I've got a Kindle I can download the first part of any book totally free as a "sample" and then decide whether to invest in it or not, and whether to get it on my Kindle or buy the "real thing".

So Kindle has its uses/place.

[andy-hughes]

This again tends to be a 'generation' choice.

I have grown up with albums on vinyl, the news in a paper, and books in book-form, and apart from the switch to CD's, have remained true to my formats.

I appreciate that for young people growing up, kindles and MP3's are as current to them, as the former formats were to us - so they feel comfortable with them.

I still prefer a real book, but then again, I prefer to sit and listen to my music, not simply have it on as background while i do something else.

As my fifteen-year-old grand-daughter loftily informed me - I am "so last century!"

[joggerjayne]

I think we should build a big bonfire, and burn all the Kindles.

[heathfield]

I heard someone in a radio interview today describe tests showing that people who read from an ''electronic source'' take in around 11% less information than those who read from a printed source.

[tiggerblue10]

I love books and I've got boxes full which I had to put up in the loft when baby came along. Lack of space etc. I would love a Kindle though.

[SlackAlice]

I agree with saxy_jag
I've got a Sony ebook reader rather than a Kindle.
I've just come back from 2 weeks in Thailand travelling around light. It really came into its own bearing in mind I would take around 3-4 books.
I love books but an ebook reader is complimentary to rather than a replacement for books.

[Canary42]

"I love books but an ebook reader is complimentary to rather than a replacement for books."

Exactly SlackAlice - there's room for both in my life. Nothing to do with generations either, I'm 68 and definitely last century ! ! ! ! !

[dotty.]

I think they are a godsend to people with a limited life style, like the troops on the frontline or serving in a submarine or a ship, or for people in care homes or hospotals, or for people with restricted motor skills or impaired vision.
For most other people they are simply a choice

[B00]

Adore my Kindle, it has replaced books as far as im concerned.

[MrIncredible]

Books., Nothing like waking up and finding you have used your face as a bookmark and you have print on your face and saliva has dampend the pages!