pros and cons of e books essay

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Advantages and disadvantages of reading via e-book

When you’re being held down by the pandemic, you’d be surprised at how many things you can discover both online and when you look around the four corners of your room.

For bookworms and avid readers, we seem to have all the time in the world to go through our ‘to-be-read’ (TBR) pile aside from the readings required for online classes. A good fiction and a cup of coffee is perhaps one of the best ways to explore different worlds while simply sitting down and letting the mind do away with imagination.

However, for readers who could devour a novel within days as well as those who do not have enough hardbound reading materials at home, electronic books (e-books) became a fortunate addition to a technological world where everything can be done with a press of a button. There are a lot of e-book applications which allows users to download various titles to read in the comfort of their smartphones or tablets. The Kindle models by Amazon is one such example of a gadget specifically catering to online reading.

Still, there are advantages and disadvantages which goes with using ebooks. Here are some of its ups and downs:

Advantages of e-books

#1. Most books are readily available

This is easily the first and foremost advantage of using an e-book as your online library: name a book, and it’s most likely available for download.

There are specific websites for downloading the e-book format for novels you are looking for, and most of the time the ebook reader you are using will contain a feature which directs their users to some kind of search area to locate if that title is available for download. Although, there are also plenty of titles that would require users to purchase the e-book version to proceed with the download, there are samples of these books being offered for free so that readers are certain they are worthy purchasing.

Of course, books which require monetary value supports the author and is a fair trade. Otherwise, books are abundant, most especially for those who want to start on classic literature. Who knows? The book that you’ve been searching for in your local bookstore may just be lying here.

#2. There is a wide array of genre to explore

When it comes to literature, you must be open to different genres to find out your preferences, but as well as to become open towards different writing styles.

E-books may not have one specific title you are looking for, but it will surely lead you to a suggestion list of titles with similar genre or plot. More often than not, titles found online are books we’ve never heard of, but contains an interesting and/or curious story that one may pride in saying, ‘I’ve read it in an e-book!’

If you’re a bold and adventurous reader, then the ebook is not lacking with different titles to take you to different places.

#3. You’re literally holding a portable reading device

There are those who prefer bringing a hardbound book with them, but there are those who would prefer to keep all their (online) books on one device.

Whether you are using a smartphone with an e-book reader or a gadget which focuses particularly on ebooks, it’s wonderful to know that technology is making such a huge contribution to allow people an easy access to reading materials wherever they go. Once you’ve downloaded an e-book, you can use it even when you’re offline.

It comes in handy most especially when you will go on a vacation and you don’t want to travel with a heavy, bulky book with you. Then again, it’s a preference. Some would prefer to bring hardbound, but as well as have some titles in their e-book reader just to switch from time to time.

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Disadvantages of e-books

#1. It might affect your visual health

Not that reading from actual books (for hours and with bad lighting, most especially) wouldn’t contribute to poor eyesight, but staring at the screen may cause not only a trouble for the eyes, but as well as prone to headaches.

Again, just like watching television or playing video games, exercise a limit and precautions when using e-books. Your e-book reader may have adjustable settings on how the texts may appear—larger or smaller—as well as font options where it wouldn’t irritate readers’ eyes. There may even be an option, depending on your e-book reader, where you can choose the color of the pages (black or white) depending on which background you prefer to read.

The takeaway on the disadvantage here is the limited screen time. Do not force yourself to continue reading if your eyes and/or head is already aching. This goes even for those who prefer reading hardbound copies. One cannot enjoy a good story without eyes to see and a head with which to take in the plot.

#2. It is prone to disruptions and possible cybercrimes

You’re in the middle of an exhilarating scene in your journey, but suddenly that ‘low battery’ warning pops up. Now, you’ve got to fumble for your charger just to keep your device going, but is the momentum for the scene still there?

Another case is the fact our gadgets are fragile. Sure, you can protect it with casings and tempered glass, but what of system damage? Again, even e-books require readers to be careful when browsing through titles, or when giving information in exchange for a download. These days we can never be too sure if even something as humble and simplistic as the e-book technology are filled with cyber criminals waiting for a user to download a specific e-book to gain access to their device.

Always exercise safety even when you think you’re just ‘here to read’. Be careful when downloading titles from suspicious websites, especially to those who seem to be producing e-book titles illegally.

#3. It’s not just the real thing

Here’s the dispute when it comes to e-books: it’s not the real thing! By that, we mean it’s not the usual hardbound or paperback novel where you can smell the aroma of paper, place a bookmark in between pages, nor smile with pride at your mini-library at home.

Despite the e-book becoming a popular means of reading—not just as a past time, but even for research or educational purposes—there are just some of us who feel uncomfortable with reading the ‘traditional way’; that is, through concrete books. Of course, nothing can replace printed copies, but we have to admit that e-books does have their advantages.

May it be reading via e-book or through hardbound, all the stories you discover means a lot to its writer and takes you to excursions even in the comfort of your home.

Be aware of e-book piracy

Having learned some advantages and disadvantages of e-books, you may consider downloading the free readers on your application. However, please be aware of piracy.

Simply put, these are people who are claiming to ‘sell’ e-book titles for certain amounts, or those who freely share illegal copies of e-books—some which are not yet publicly released by the author nor have been licensed to be published online. While it’s enjoyable to be able to find thousands of free titles available for download, one must be aware that even e-books need to be treated with respect and awareness.

Think of it as a movie being aired today in our cinemas only for you to overhear someone saying, ‘I’ll just download/torrent the movie on my computer and watch it from there’. Not only are we refusing to give the producers—for e-book’s case, writers—their due, but we are also spreading illegal trade and encouraging websites or sellers to continue with their ‘business’.

Just like any online activity we discover during the duration of this pandemic; e-books are also a perfect past time to spend whether alone or with the family. It’s all about finding the right story that will fit your mood for the day, or perhaps trying out an e-book title that strikes your curiosity.

E-books may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s not bad to try what it has to offer. Who knows? It may stir your passion into reading again. Remember, though, with technology involved there are always precautions that everyone should be mindful.

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I would prefer reading a book in a traditional way rather than reading it on my kindle.

I prefer reading books in a traditional way, because there is more of an emotional connection when reading a book. I can imagine the story being read and grasped with more detail and clarity.

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The Pros and Cons of eBooks

ebooks have changed the way information is created, disseminated, and viewed. But what are the drawbacks?

As technology develops nothing remains untouched, and paper is no exception. The eBook is now well established, its downloadable files including everything typically found in the printed formats, including numbered pages, tables of contents, pictures, graphics and layout just like any other book. If you own any of the best tablets , you have a wealth of eBooks at your fingertips.

The advantages of eBook downloads are many, but there are disadvantages as well. Below are a few pros and cons to consider if you're still on the fence about jumping into the eBook revolution. And if you'd rather have books read to you, rather than read at all, we have a guide to the best audiobook services too.

The Advantages

One of the biggest advantages of ebooks is the fact that they require no trees to create them. This is obviously an eco-friendly option that both reduces cost and lowers environmental impact.
Information can be obtained without leaving your desk! Need to do some last-minute research on a particular topic? Simply find a great ebook store, search for your keywords or phrases, purchase the book and you’re set!
Unlike paper books and materials, digital books only require one device to carry around with you. This means you can carry a library of various book genres for every mood.
eBooks can lower the cost of enjoying your favorite titles. With no shipping and handling costs, eBooks typically have prices that are 50-60% lower than their print counterparts.
eBooks are more flexible than paper books. For those who have trouble reading the typical book-sized font, ebook readers can enlarge the font size to make reading more pleasurable and easier on the eyes.
eBooks can contain multi-media elements not available with traditional books. Audio and video can be embedded to make reading a fully immersive experience.
Ever wonder where that great passage in your favorite book went to? With ebooks you can mark passages, save pages and search text before, during or after you read.

With all these advantages it is difficult to imagine what the disadvantages are, but there are some that have many folks concerned. If you're already sold, we've listed the cheapest prices for the Amazon Kindle below.

The other huge plus about eBooks is... you can actually create and publish your own. Even if you don't become a famous author, you can at least share eBooks among your friends, family, and any social media followers you may have. Check out our guide to the best eBook creators if you want to know more.

The Disadvantages

Piracy is the number one concern for both publishers and authors. While traditional books can be copied with machines, the time and cost of doing so typically keeps this type of piracy at bay. With ebooks, however, 'sharing' books that have not been purchased with others is as easy as posting a file online or, in some cases, copying and pasting the text from one document to another.
Many people still prefer being able to hold a traditional book in their hands. For those of us who enjoy reading a book in bed before signing off for the night, a cold hard digital device just won’t be the same.
While one advantage of ebook devices is their ability to enlarge fonts for easier reading, the fact is you are still reading off an LCD screen. Some readers have matte e-ink screens, but others give off a glare that can not only make reading inconvenient if the lighting isn’t just right, but may actually cause eye strain and make it more difficult to focus while reading.
With the wide variety of formats and ereader devices on the market, choosing which device is the right one for all situations can be nearly impossible. Though compatible formats have been introduced that should allow most readers to view purchases, many of these still lack proper formatting. Without proper page layouts and spacing reading becomes more of a tedious chore than an enjoyable pastime. With traditional books one simply buys and reads!
When is the last time you had to plug your paper book into the wall outlet? How disappointing would it be to find yourself right in the middle of a steamy romance scene while traveling only to have the batteries in your reading device die, with no way to charge them?
Currently, ebooks have an unreliable life span. Paper books last for decades provided they are well cared for. And besides, what good is a bookshelf if you cannot enjoy the look and smell of all your time-worn books, lovingly thumbed, crimped and read cover to cover, over and over again?

While some may find the transition from paper books to ebooks an impossibility, many have already embraced the technology as the status quo. Young people especially are finding eBook options as appealing and convenient. For those who find the advantages of ebooks more appealing than the 'old way' of reading there are several ebook stores reviewed on this site, such as Amazon Kindle Store and more, that can help users find the best bargains and options.

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Ian has been a journalist for 20 years. He's written for magazines and websites on subjects such as video games, technology, PC hardware, popular (and unpopular) science, gardening and astronomy. In his spare time he has a pet tortoise and grows his own vegetables. He also has a passion for cameras and photography, and has written for TTR on these subjects.

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On Paper or On Screen? The Pros of Reading Books and E-Books

John anderson.

February 18, 2019

In the digital age, it seems like anything that can be put on a computer screen will be put into a computer screen, from food delivery and hotels, to taxis and furniture delivery. Over the years, I’ve tried to embrace as much of this technology as I could (for fear of being called a Luddite!), but there was one thing that I only recently started embracing: e-books.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I still love my hardbound collection (even the paperbacks), but e-books have really opened my eyes to the possibilities of technology. But more importantly, it’s also shown me how this technology can inspire the younger generation to read more.

Reading is a fundamental skill most people should know. Unfortunately, the global literacy rate is 86.3 percent which means that a few hundred million people cannot read regardless of the type of literature they are presented with. And in this age where physical books may still be inaccessible to kids learning to read at a young age and even older adults, e-books may be the solution.

I can hear the purists now though, “ e-books aren’t real books! Nothing beats paper!” And believe me, I would have agreed with you a few years ago, but trust me, there’s a lot of benefits to e-books. Which isn’t to say that traditional books aren’t great too, they are; it’s just that e-books are not the hardcover killers that people make them out to be. In fact, if done right, e-books can help students appreciate traditional books more.

While browsing the bookstore to buy a gift for that special someone (or yourself), you may be faced with a tough decision: e-books or the old-fashioned kind? The pros and cons of ebooks vary, and choosing the best option depends on a number of factors.

Convenience

For a bibliophile like myself, there’s nothing more impressive than seeing a room with floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall bookshelves filled with all manner of books. But the problem with that setup? I can’t bring all of those books in my backpack!

With e-books, you can fit entire libraries into a single electronic reader. If not a NOOK eReader or any tablet that can read e-books, most smartphones nowadays have apps automatically installed to read e-books. And if it doesn’t, there are many free apps you can download. This makes it convenient when you want to take a break from reading Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and want to continue your reading of Hegel’s Dialectics .

Sustainability

I love the smell of books: the ink, the paper, oh that wonderful smell of paper! Unfortunately, because of society’s mass consumerism and unchecked industry, our forests are being destroyed at a rate that is not only alarming, it’s catastrophic. Aside from the fact that mass book production means tapping into virgin forests to make paper, the process of making books consumes 153 billion gallons of water every year. And that’s not even including the chemicals and organic and inorganic matter released into the oceans and the air because of book production.

While there are few things in life that make me as happy as that new book smell, I need to be practical. E-books are digital, which means there’s no environmental impact in their creation. Yes, the digital readers require resources like rare earth materials and alloys and such, but they are, in the long, more sustainable than buying paper books day in and day out. While the written word on paper is magical, we also need to be practical. Besides, a real reader will find that magic anywhere, whether it’s on a standard 6”x9” sheet or on an electronic screen.

The Kids Are Already On It

In 2014, the Library & Information Science Research , a journal dedicated to all things books, conducted a study that focused on more than a hundred 10 th graders and their reading habits. They found that an overwhelming majority of these kids preferred e-books over traditional books.

This is an example of technology helping kids to read: newer generations of students are more comfortable with electronic devices, so reading an e-book is more than just preferable, it’s actually interesting for them.

It also helps that most e-book readers also have options to adjust the font size, offer on-screen explanation of difficult words, increasing the brightness, etc. all of which make them more accessible to kids.

So the next time you feel the urge to scold a child for spending too much time on their computer or tablet, bear in mind that they’re probably just reading a book!

E-books help the visually impaired

Children with dyslexia are often turned off by the idea of reading. Unfortunately, because of their condition, dyslexic children are lacking in terms of reading skills and thus have a harder time progressing with their education. However, scientists are discovering that e-book readers might just be a solution to that problem.

A component of dyslexia is its inefficiency of processing visual information. Because traditional books are static, dyslexics have to struggle with understanding every sentence. However, e-book readers give them an option to increase the text size. This might not seem like much, but for dyslexics, it’s a godsend: studies show that it helps them read more efficiently, and has in fact made it easier for some. This is because larger text sizes mean shorter lines of text, which helps them process information more effectively, and ultimately, making book reading an accessible and enjoyable activity.

E-books Can Provide a More Immersive Experience

I’m not talking about the immersive experience you get when you get so enthralled by a book that you forget you’re sitting in a coffee shop and are suddenly a person inside your book’s universe. I’m talking about the immersive experience of actually hearing and seeing the book come to life.

E-books and audiobooks are on the same wave and can be used for a better reading experience. I’m the type of person who wants to see things or else I get distracted, so I’ve never really been a fan of listening to audiobooks on their own. But I’ve also heard a few audiobooks and how some books hire voice actors to really make the story believable.

Some e-books come with audio files to help improve your reading experience. Unfortunately, not all e-book formats provide this. But if you want this experience, your best bet is to get a Kindle, Nook, or Google Nexus 9. It can make all the difference if you want to hear what the dialogue sounds like (and maybe a guide on how to pronounce those alien names like a true book fan).

But before you start thinking I’m some kind of e-book zealot, let me remind you why I still love traditional books…

People Retain More Information from Paper

Scientists from around the world are finding evidence that reading on paper might actually be much better for retaining data as well as remaining focused. Researchers from Norway’s Stavanger University conducted small-scale studies that tested people’s ability to remember key plot points of stories when read from either a traditional book or an e-book. They found that readers who were using a Kindle scored higher in memory tests as opposed to those reading from paper.

They believe that the tactile sense of paper is what gives it an edge in terms of retaining information: because the book’s weight shifts from right to left as you progress, the brain is more engaged and focused on processing all this data at once, helping it retain as much information as possible. Feeling the weight of the book shift dynamically while you’re reading the story makes it easier for your brain to visualize plot points and other story details.

I told you books were magic!

Traditional Books Help with Eye Strain

One of the biggest drawbacks of e-books is its screen luminance. Even e-book readers that have low-light screens are still emitting artificial light, which interferes with a person’s ability to sleep and putting strain on their eyes. Reading from an e-book reader at night can also impair your body’s production of melatonin.

Traditional books don’t have that problem. When reading from a traditional book under good lighting, your eyes relax over time and do not interfere with your body’s sleep cycle. Any reader who’s ever fallen asleep reading a book will attest to this!

In my opinion, one type of book isn’t better than the other: they both have their pros and cons, and at the end of the day, it’s all about preference. If you prefer the smell of books and the thrill of manually turning every page as you make progress with a book, there’s no reason to go digital if you don’t want to. And if you prefer the convenience, ease, and unlimited options you have while using your Kindle, then you can save up on a ton of shelf space and never have to buy another book again. You’ll actually be doing the environment a favor, too!

As for me, well, I like my Kindle; I take it everywhere I go, but that doesn’t mean I’m getting rid of my physical library any time soon!