I know it’s April Fool’s Day.  This post is not a joke, but I thought it was fitting for today, since I’ve previously posted about why I’m not interested in a Kindle.

For the most part, my reasons in that post are still valid & accurate.  I don’t think it’s as good for the eyes.  I do prefer holding a real book in my hand and feeling the paper. And so on.  (A friend recently mentioned that research has shown that learning occurs in the brain very differently with an e-reader than with a paper book, too.  I don’t have any references for that, so I can’t verify it, but if you see something about it, I’d love to have a link!)

However.

As time goes by, I’m beginning to realize some benefits of an e-reader.  Not as a complete replacement for traditional books, but as a supplement to traditional book.

1) An e-reader, while harder on the eyes than paper and ink, is easier on the eyes than a regular computer screen.  So if you do have digital reading to do, an e-reader is a healthier way to do it.  (Especially with something “e-ink” like the Paperwhite.)

2) I write ebooks.  I know; it’s kind of crazy to write ebooks when I’m not a big ebook reader.  But many of my customers do like them, so I write them.  And it would probably be kind of nice to see what they actually look like on a real Kindle screen!

3) It’s considerably more portable than a computer.  Did you know you can send PDF’s and similar documents to your Kindle?  If, like me, you have lots of non-ebook documents to look over, it might be easier to do this with an e-reader.  (Also see #1.)

4) Free books.  Really, can you beat this reason?  Most of the classics are readily available for free download.  Plus there are the free promo books (the Kindle bestseller list is handy for finding good ones).

You can get a free Kindle reader app for your Mac, PC, iPad, smartphone, etc., but let’s face it, are you going to curl up on the couch with your kids to read The Prince and the Pauper on your PC?

5) It stores a lot of books in a very small space.  This makes it handy for keeping dozens (hundreds?) of those classics, without taking up half of your house.  It also makes it extremely useful for travel, enabling you to bring along an assortment of reading materials, without filling up your luggage or weighing you down.

6) The Kindle Owner’s Lending Library is only available to Prime members who own an actual Kindle device. (You can’t borrow a book via an app.)  This is definitely not the most important reason, but it could be that one last thing that tips the scales.

So…while an e-reader will never be taking the place of the paper-and-ink books in my life, there are some compelling reasons for investing in a Kindle as a supplement to our regular library.

What do you think?  Do you prefer paper, e-reader, or does it depend on the circumstance?

 

This post is being shared at Works for Me Wednesday.