E-Book Readers or Good Ol' Paperback?

One of the questions asked during an interview at the first eLearning company I worked for was "Do you think eBook readers are better than paperback novels?" That was eight years ago when eBook readers had probably just arrived on the scene and were gathering consumer interest. Now, with the Kindle and the iPad, the concept of ebook readers has evolved into a whole new ball game. But the question still remains: are these devices really better than paperback novels?

Eight years ago my instant response to this question would have been a resounding "No!" After all, eBook readers at the time didn't have the features that are available now. Screen size was a big issue, as was the discomfort from reading for long hours off an LCD screen. Furthermore, what can be more comfortable than lying back in bed on a lazy Sunday morning with a good paperback novel? You can fall asleep while reading without having to worry about, "What if my book slides off the covers and falls to the floor?"

The new eBook readers have dealt with a lot of the issues that plagued the earlier models. Screen size is no longer a problem and reading off the screen is a lot easier. Kindle's E Ink technology means you can read comfortably on it for hours on end, and while the iPad still poses some issues in this regards because it is backlit, it lets you do a whole lot more than read. Besides, how on earth can you resist the mind blowing user experience of the iPad!

So, eBook readers have some obvious benefits: there's ample storage space so that you can carry a whole library with you; books are a lot more easily accessible because you don't have to step out to the neighbourhood library to get your book changed, or order online and wait for delivery; you've also got some amazing user experience design features, like on the iPad! Kindle and iPad users also have access to a huge collection of books and applications for their devices. With text to speech features, like in the Kindle, visually impaired readers can benefit from having books read out to them. Service providers could also go a step further and offer audio podcasts of short stories--readings of stories by authors--that could really bring a story alive!

I love my gadgets and so I would love to own a Kindle some day! I'm a wee bit skeptical of the iPad because it does look like the iPhone on steroids but also because it's a lot more expensive. That being said, I still think that the experience of shopping for a book at a local book store, like Strand's Book Stall in Nariman Point, cannot be beaten by downloading books online! Apple has promised it's iPad users an iBook store, wherein users can choose from a list of books as though they were browsing through a book shelf. What they're trying to do is replicate the experience of book shopping in real life within an online medium. Now if only they could replicate the joy you feel at walking into a book store with its book-lined walls, multi-colored stacks of paperbacks with their titles jumping out at you, and the very smell of paper that we so love!