Books v. E-books

Books v. E-books

Flip of a Page v. "Next Page" click

There is something very classic about books. Whether it is how the pages turn a light brown with years, or even the smell of the binding of a brand new book. Books in their current form are not very different from how they originated, and that is probably what makes them authentic. It is just print on a piece of paper, but can create a new world (if it is a decent author). Yet, as the world remains constantly evolving many classic and authentic things have been replaced with advanced technology. Shall we have a moment of silence for records, tapes, and CDs...::head bowed::. It is clear that with the invention of the IPOD these are all outdated forms to hear music. It seems that the next on the list of outdated forms of entertainment are books, the real physical hard/soft cover kind.

Maybe this was just a personal childhood memory that you may not share, but I remember reading a book and feeling accomplished as a child. I remember not really reading for the pleasure in elementary school, mostly because the books were assigned readings usually forcing the teachers personal taste in literature on the students. As I would read, with every flip of the page I felt a little more accomplished. Even till this day there is a side of me that is proud to finish a lengthy book. It also a good feeling to reshelf a novel on your bookshelf for a future good read. This is especially satisfying when you really loved the novel.

Books are great travel companions. Books never run out of battery on a long car ride with the in-laws, or short-circuit with a minor drop in a puddle. Books definitely don’t require the availability of wireless to function. Books are traditional survivors and that is what has kept them in the mainstream for hundreds of years. I personally make sure to take at least one book whenever I travel, especially on a plane or car. They are great for passing time on a plane, and never have to be shut off because of possible interference with the plane's technological support. There is an endless list of benefits of reading books, the real kind. Yet, technology is still attempting to make books part of history by replacing them with e-books.

An e-book is also known as a digital book. It can be read on a personal device that has a laptop-like screen where the text of the novel will appear. You can download the text you desire to read and then may dispose of the text by deleting it. Like all new technology, the device must run on battery, and once the battery is done, so is your novel. Batteries don’t have mercy, it does not matter if you are at the part where the murderer is about to be discovered, or when the lover boy is about to profess his love, or even at the happily ever after of your novel, the batteries will die. Once the batteries have died there is no solution for these devices, except to recharge. The difficulty arises recharging on a plane, on an extended road trip, or even on a beach.

There are just some technologies that cannot efficiently replace the original. E-books may seem like a better and less cumbersome way to read, but it is definitely an ineffective way to read successfully. I do agree that is way more convenient to lug around an ipod than a portable cd player, but I just do not agree that e-books can prevail over real books.

In this case I will definitely have to stick to the low-tech version of real, actual physical books, instead of technology's attempted (yet severly lacking) replacement e-books.