Kindle vs Real Books

Let’s skip a lengthy introduction this time and get right to the point. I have a one-word answer for you: BOTH! This is what I do. I can’t help it, but I love both. It’s like asking: “Beauty or Brains”? Both, of course!

So, let’s review the pluses of both quickly so that you can see why you should have both if you care about reading and who knows, one of the points might be a deciding factor for you for always and forever.

If you’re interested in a clear winner, however, and will not accept the “both have pros and cons and you should be enjoying both” answer, read on for clarification why, but in that case, let me offer you my preference: real books. Read on to find out why.

Kindle

• Kindle is so practical and compact that you can carry it everywhere. It even fits in the back pocket of your jeans. You only need to be careful when sitting down. But who sits down, without something to read anyway?
• You can take thousands of books with you, no matter where you go. If you try to take a trip and you want to bring more than one book along, be prepared to leave a lot of clothes behind. Or just put a Kindle in your pocket.
• As it’s not a “tablet”, but it uses e-ink technology, the battery lasts for like a week. There are just no battery problems, ever. You can charge it wherever there’s a USB port available and a USB cable handy.
• You can read PDFs on it! Simply copy the PDF into the documents folder, and you can read them on Kindle.
• It’s easy on the eyes. Like reading from paper. Again, it’s not a tablet. It’s based on e-ink technology. It doesn’t have this glow that phones and tablets have.
• You can highlight and “take notes” without damaging the books.
• It’s actually EASIER to read on a Kindle than to read a “Real Book”. This one was like a revelation to me and it’s something I would have never guessed before. When you are holding a book, you almost always need to use both hands, as papers tend to “run away” if you’re not holding them. With Kindle, you can only use one hand to hold it and to turn the pages, and you have your other hand free .. for other stuff. Or simply to lean on it. However, you wish.
• Get the book instantly. Click and it’s there. OK, this also might be a minus, as bookstores are really … dare I say … romantic places.
• Books are a lot less expensive in the Kindle edition. There’s a huge, huge amount of free ones, too. All the classics, you can get them all for free basically. This is also a huge point for me. You can buy a lot of good books in the Kindle version for only a few euros.
• Read at night time more easily. No getting up to turn off the light.

Real Books

• First and most importantly: a book is a thing of Beauty. There’s no better word to describe a real book when comparing it to a piece of technology. You hold one of humanity’s greatest inventions in your hand. What can be compared? After you read it, you can put it on your shelf and admire it, until you have the desire to read it again. It’s like a flower that doesn’t fade. I think you get the point.
• There’s a certain charm of holding something real in your hands, progressively going through it, turning the pages … even the smell of a book. It’s real. It’s down to Earth.
• You concentrate better on what you’re reading. OK, this is a bit subjective and it’s also possible it’s a by-product of books being harder to read, you know, holding them with both hands.
• Read in the tub. OK, I’m not a fan of baths, but I can see this as a big plus. Even if the book gets a bit wet, it will dry. Water and electronics, on the other hand … however even this is changing lately as many Kindle models are waterproof.
• Disconnect. We all sit in front of our computers, all the time. Relaxing with a book in this busy world is a moment of tranquillity.
• If you go to a physical store, picking them out is a lot easier, you can simply pick it up off the shelf, browse through it, and get the feeling of it.
• Books are more social. Try ordering or bringing one to your workplace and you’ll see what I mean. Real, physical books inspire people to discuss them.
• The battery never runs out. Ever.
• Finishing a book gives you a real sense of accomplishment. It’s again the whole “physical world” thing.

Conclusion 1: Both are great

So, in conclusion: both are great, love both. I buy both e-books and Real books. In time you develop a feeling about which books would you rather read from a physical medium and which you would rather carry around with you. That’s all there is to it.

I think this is one of the rare, rare contests where one can say, without any hesitation, there are no winners. Or better to say, both are winners. It is a beautiful feeling to read a real book. Reading from Kindle is easy, practical, affordable, in one word, smart. But it is the action of reading itself that is important. The rest are nuances.

My conclusion at this point in life is that real Books are better

However, if you’re looking for a clear winner, here is my opinion and the deciding factors that led me to it.

In my opinion, real books are better and should be preferred because they are physical objects. A tactile connection with a physical object is something special, you are way closer to the essence of the material because the tactile feeling makes it more real. The tactile feeling, the weight, texture and yes, even the smell all increase the reading experience. I guess that is why there have been studies done that indeed show that humans retain more information from real books. See for example: Know what? How digital technologies undermine learning and remembering.

Then there’s the question of copyright. With a physical book, when you buy it, you own it. Well, you own your copy at least. Or to put it differently: nobody is coming to take your books. Well, let’s hope. Not so with the books on Kindle. When you buy a book on Kindle, you’re acquiring a license to access the book. What this means is that theoretically Amazon can take this license back and make your book “disappear”, for example, if they had some issue with the publisher, they can take away the license and you would no longer get access to your books. See Why Amazon is within its rights to remove access to your Kindle books. While it has never happened to me, Amazon can do this – and so can Apple, for example, as well.

Next is the question which may occur to you only as you get older: what happens to your Kindle library after you die – and the only pragmatic answer I was able to find is that you can give your account info before you die and hope Amazon will not close the account. That is aside from violating terms of service and attempting to remove the DRM and migrate your library to someplace else using third-party tools. But if you attempt to do this, you might have your account closed, so I wouldn’t risk it. These are all issues that never arise at all with physical books. I guess that’s part of the reason why buying books on Kindle is more cost-effective.

In the end, it’s really up to you. However, I would stress once more: that reading is beneficial, and increases empathy and there are some indications that it has the potential to keep you sharper as you get older. So, the medium is not as important as that you do it in a way which works the best for you. Why put extra obstacles?