Not sure what are the pros and cons of E-Readers?

Trying to decide whether or not an eReader is right for you?

Here is an in-depth list of pros and cons that might help you.

Pros

The pros of eBooks include:-

1. Can be downloaded from almost anywhere or anytime, making them more convenient.
2. Can be downloaded almost instantly, just a few minutes and you have a new book to read.
3. Save space, no need to have bookshelves to store all your books.
4. Research indicates that eBooks promote reading.
5. Are much lighter and slimmer to carry around than traditional books.
6. Some have the ability to turn from text to speech so you can have your book read to you when you are doing other things such as driving the car.
7. You are able to find out-of-print books more easily.
8. E-Readers are eco-friendly as they require neither paper nor shipping, reducing the carbon footprint.
9. eBooks are more often than not cheaper than traditional books as publishers don’t have the costs of printing, storing, and shipping the books.
10. They are easier to travel with being lighter and smaller thus better for reading on-the-go.
11. eBooks are much easier for independent publishers and authors to publish and distribute.
12. You are able to search text and look up words.
13. Allow you to change the font size which is less than 20/20 vision.

Cons

The cons of eBooks include the following:-

1. To have an eBook, you need to purchase an E-Reader – and they are not necessarily cheap. The cheapest is around $100 and that is without a cover.
2. eBooks can break or fail.
3. Some books such as children’s books or medical textbooks with illustrations and diagrams do not lend themselves to electronic format.
4. You lose out on the textile and kinesthetic properties of a traditional book such as the smell of ink, the turn-the-page feel and the excitement of getting towards the end of the book.
5. Electronic books need regular charging and occasional updating.
6. Are limited in terms of the ability to be lent to others.
7. You no longer have the physical presence of a traditional book so your house is no longer decorated with books.
8. eBooks cannot be given as a gift.
9. Cannot be autographed by the author – there will never be a “first edition eBook” that will become a collector’s item.
10. Represent a potential threat to author royalties.
11. Not all titles/books are available in E-Readers.
12. You can’t flip through an eBook the way you can with a traditional paperback.
13. The growth of E-Readers represents a threat to bookshops and libraries.

Summary

It’s up to you to decide whether the pros outweigh the cons – personally I am hooked on my Kindle, it is full of books and goes with me wherever I go – including on car trips to collect and return computers!

Author Karen Thorogood, Co-Owner Affordable Computer Repairs and Service.