TRADITIONAL BOOKS OR E-BOOKS?

TRADITIONAL BOOKS OR E-BOOKS?

By Ms.Shikha Mishra

Department of Information Technology

(2018-20)

                             

We currently live in a world where people prefer online newspapers, books and magazines than ever before. We no longer need to sit in crowds, in trains and buses getting inky fingers trying to continuously turn the pages over of a newspaper or carry around heavy bulk of books everywhere. Instead with a quick flick of a switch on our tablets and other reading gadgets we can easily gain access to a large variety of books, magazines and newspapers in one go. As a result, e-books are gaining widespread popularity recently and one question that always remains the most debatable is- Which is better? A traditional book or an E-book? Well, just like everything, both of these have their own pros and cons. But one thing is sure- you will not go wrong with either one.

Even though e-book readers have become a common sight around the globe, but traditional books still have their enthusiasts. According to reports by publishers, sales of e-books are doubling each year but still the total amount of traditional books sold at present is still greater than the total amount of e-books sold. But the recent trends depict that in years to come, e-books will gain more and more customers and will completely take over the market. This is because of the feasibility and easy access of e-books.

One of the most vibrant features of e-books is that it is very portable. E-books can be carried anywhere and everywhere as they weigh zero and require no space. Just a sort of device is needed to read it- either PDF-Reader on a personal computer, laptop, tablets or mobile phones or specialized e-book reading devices such as an Amazon Kindle. So if one travels a lot, e-books allow them to bring a whole library with themselves wherever they go. Also, e-books are way cheaper than traditional books. Some e-books are even available free of cost on internet. Even in the long run, e-books are cheaper because there are no printing charges and paper costs associated with them. Another advantage that an e-book provides is that it removes the problem of light adjustments. Even if you are in a dark room with no light source coming in, you can easily read on your device. The font size can also be altered as per the need which cannot possibly be done in case of traditional books. Also, the e-books at some point prove to be environment-friendly as well, as there no involvement of paper in it.

But still the enthusiasts of traditional books proclaim their love for the printed words of a book, the feel of the paper, the experience of holding, owning and reading a traditional paper book. There is still some appal to holding a book in your hands to have full experience of reading, some people say. Also, the books kept in the book shelves add a touch of elegance and luxury to the room. Shelves full of books are a beautiful sight to see. Some other advantages of paper books can be that they can be resold to other customers, which is not possible in case of e-books. There is no need of electricity or batteries to keep the reading devices charged.

And let’s face it; we’re never going to get that comforting smell of paper or the weight of a good book in our hands when we read an e-book. Paper books bring back memories. Atleast to people of our generation and the generations before, who grew up with paper books. Every time you open a book after a very long time or a really old book as such and see the tan spots or the smell, you feel a bit nostalgic.

So, I personally believe that even if the technology goes on getting advanced and the market gets flooded with e-books, there will always be people like me who would buy the traditional paper books.