Advantages and Disadvantages of Using eBooks
Posted by Louie Drake on Friday, June 8, 2012 Under: Lifestyle
Tablets and eBook readers are one of the hottest selling products nowadays. Also, mobile phones with the capability of viewing eBooks are coming out and becoming a top choice for the modern consumer. How is this trend changing the reading habits of students? Are eTextbooks really better or worse than printed books?
First of all, on the advantages, digital books are found by users to be easier to read, as there is the option of resizing the text or zooming in the book. For those with poorer eyesight, this is a great plus.
Also, digital books are lighter and less bulky to carry around. If you have 3 different classes today, you do not need to be bringing 3 huge textbooks along with you. In one eBook reader or device, you can already store as many books as you want.
No trees were also harmed in the digital book, a popular selling point for students advocating green living.
eBook reader applications that you can download make it easy for students to make notes or highlight important parts, which are very helpful when you are reviewing for exams.
Searching is easier in a digital book, you do not have to scan every page of your book, simply press search and type in keywords and you can already easily be directed to the part of the book you need.
eTextbooks are cheaper, especially because they are not anymore printed on paper and bound. On average, they are about half the price of a new book.
On the other hand, there are also disadvantages to eTextbooks. First of them is the eye strain that readers might feel, especially after reading for a long time.
Although no trees were cut to print your book, you are still consuming electricity to charge your device.
Next is the eBook reader required to view your book – not only do you need to spend money on the device, but it is also not as sturdy as a printed book. Damaging one book means only a loss of materials for one subject, but damage to your eBook reader might make you lose all books for the semester.
You also can't resell digital books, unlike in printed books where you can still recover most of your expense for them. So considering all costs, including the cost of the reader, the savings might not be as great.
In short, in terms of cost, the differences are not that great. In the end, the choice to buy printed or eTextbooks is dependent on you, the user. The advantages of digital books are greater if you prefer lighter books and are comfortable reading onscreen. Otherwise, you might still be better off buying printed books.
First of all, on the advantages, digital books are found by users to be easier to read, as there is the option of resizing the text or zooming in the book. For those with poorer eyesight, this is a great plus.
Also, digital books are lighter and less bulky to carry around. If you have 3 different classes today, you do not need to be bringing 3 huge textbooks along with you. In one eBook reader or device, you can already store as many books as you want.
No trees were also harmed in the digital book, a popular selling point for students advocating green living.
eBook reader applications that you can download make it easy for students to make notes or highlight important parts, which are very helpful when you are reviewing for exams.
Searching is easier in a digital book, you do not have to scan every page of your book, simply press search and type in keywords and you can already easily be directed to the part of the book you need.
eTextbooks are cheaper, especially because they are not anymore printed on paper and bound. On average, they are about half the price of a new book.
On the other hand, there are also disadvantages to eTextbooks. First of them is the eye strain that readers might feel, especially after reading for a long time.
Although no trees were cut to print your book, you are still consuming electricity to charge your device.
Next is the eBook reader required to view your book – not only do you need to spend money on the device, but it is also not as sturdy as a printed book. Damaging one book means only a loss of materials for one subject, but damage to your eBook reader might make you lose all books for the semester.
You also can't resell digital books, unlike in printed books where you can still recover most of your expense for them. So considering all costs, including the cost of the reader, the savings might not be as great.
In short, in terms of cost, the differences are not that great. In the end, the choice to buy printed or eTextbooks is dependent on you, the user. The advantages of digital books are greater if you prefer lighter books and are comfortable reading onscreen. Otherwise, you might still be better off buying printed books.
In : Lifestyle
Tags: ebooks reading ebook readers
