E-Readers - Do you use one and are they still the future of books?

[thefanciestpigeon]

Idk what's wrong with me (lighthearted) but I can't seem to read e-books usually, my reading comprehension plummets the moment I can't read something as a physical book. short form writing (like on the internet) is fine but I struggle a lot even with long-form internet writing such as a long fanfic. I took a class where one of the books was out of print and only available as an ebook and the essay I wrote about it was a lot worse than the essays I wrote for that class with books I could get physically, and I see that as proof of how it affects what I retain from a book.

I love the idea of e-readers, I like having so many books in such a small amount of space, and being able to take them all with me and the accessibility of not needing to physically go to the store/library, but in practice they just take so much more effort for me to use that they aren't worth it unless I have no other way to read a book.

[IndigoGolem]

What ereader do you have, and how do you manage to get books from websites like this.

After looking into a bunch of modern ereaders i decided i just want something simple that works and doesn't have a million extra features (also true of every electronic device i buy (or haven't bought because i can't find a simple one)). So i got a used Sony PRS-505 (discontinued 2009). It's not perfect but it's fine for most books (barring PDFs with tiny text or one really large book that crashes it). Plus it was about the same price as a not-super-old Kobo ereader.

As for putting books on it, it's very simple. I go to Project Gutenberg (https://gutenberg.org), download a book as an .epub file, and then plug my ereader into my laptop with the USB-mini cord it came with. It opens like any storage drive, i make a folder for the author (optional, to keep things organized), and copy the dowloaded .epub over. When i unplug the ereader it scans its internal storage and SD card for new books and adds them to the list.

I've never owned a Kindle so i don't know if it supports just plugging it into a computer and copying a file over.

I don't really like my Kindle and how Amazon runs it but I am against the idea of getting a new one when I have a perfectly good Kindle. I don't like spending unnecessary money. But morally, my soul is crying every time I buy a book from Amazon. :,(

See if there's some way to borrow ebooks from your local public library and download them straight to your Kindle, like Overdrive or Libby.

I also have heard you can use Calibre to convert your ebooks from Amazon's proprietary format to a regular, DRM-free epub in case you ever do get a non-Amazon ereader.

You could try to jailbreak your Kindle if you want to be able to sideload extra apps, mess with fonts and screensevers, etc. But that's not something i know anything about.

[I did first put this in the thread i'm quoting from, but i think it fits here too.]

[rolypolyphonic]

I do not read a lot but I recently acquired an e-reader (one of the ancient Sony ones) and while I still do not read that much, it has really helped a lot in making it more tolerable. Typical phone screens cause too much eye-strain and I honestly hate physical books, as unpopular an opinion that is. I also like the Sony's form factor and physical buttons a lot, and it is a shame they are now discontinued and that new e-readers don't really have the same layout of buttons.

Even if I did like physical books, they are very expensive, and I live in the middle of nowhere where I can't just drop by a library. I think the option to download nearly any book I want is a life-saver because I am a very discriminate reader. I think on top of all the things I need to do, I don't have the time to 'just read' anything and everything so it's really great for me to be able to conveniently load up a curated selection instead of relying on whatever's available/popular/new the way I would have to if I went to a library or bookstore.

[lakes]

i was gonna answer "yes often" on the poll
but then looking through the other answers, i realized you meant a physical e-reader & not just software for e-books 
in which case, no not really
however i do think it brings up an interesting question: do software like calibre and pdf readers count?
i'm curious if other people think they do or not

[norbezjones]

I used to e-read in the Kindle app on my phone, but ever since I started doing book reviews and e-reading more, I've discovered how hard that is on the eyes.  I decided to purchase a Kindle device, specifically this one, and I also picked up a case for it too! #notsponsored
Overall, I like it, mainly for the fact I can read at night without my phone screen screen blinding me and keeping me awake.  It also doesn't have the Kindle app bug that happens when you try to highlight lines at the bottom of the page--on the app, it can move onto the next page and highlight everything there, which is annoying.  Not so much on the device.  As a result, I highlight more and make more notes than I did before, which is very helpful for my book reviews.
I would like to decouple from Amazon though at some point.  Does anyone know if there's an e-reader that tracks your time read per book?  I'm very interested in something like that, and it doesn't really exist on Kindle, especially if you import a lot of epubs like I do.  They have the "Reading Challenges" thing on the app, yes, but it's not very robust or sophisticated (which is quite the understatement).
Also, responding to lakes' question:

however i do think it brings up an interesting question: do software like calibre and pdf readers count?
i'm curious if other people think they do or not

I think they count?  I suppose it brings up the difference between an e-reader, and an e reading device.  What are y'alls thoughts on that?
(Also hi, this is my first post on this forum I think?  I should probably write a proper intro somewhere if I haven't already...

[[static]]

I recently got a MeeBook (used to have a Kindle years ago, then Kobo Clara which has given up on me + I don't like the barely better than Kindle gatekeeping Kobo does and how hard it is for me to jailbreak) and I like that a lot! I've finished some of my favorite fanfic rereads and after I convert pdfs to epubs, I like reading some of them there. When I was in between e-readers, I used KOreader when I switched to Linux and I like Okular (for PDFs) and Readest for on my phone for both pdfs and epubs, and I still use Libby for library ebooks!

I kinda forgot where I was going with this but I really like my e-reader because it forces me to focus on reading instead of getting distracted like when I'm on my phone trying to read and it helps a lot because I can adjust to a font and size that's more accessible for me.

I don't know if they're still the future of books because I got to go to a library in person two weeks ago and I came out with more books than I usually get even online, so I thnk it's just another way to read which is always good!

[Cyber_Cyan]

I've got a Kobo Sage 2 and I use it mainly to read manga scans or big novels when my chronic pains flare up and I can't actually hold a book. For mangas I find it very comfortable. I don't read on it as much as I do read physical books, because I love how paper feels and how it smells.

But it is practical, especially when traveling, and I love my e-reader !

[Yaya]

Hey hey all! The time has come to talk of many things! Including that I I’m considering switching to an e-reader.

For the longest time I’ve been firmly in the “physical books only” camp, and honestly, part of me still is. I love supporting my local library, I love the physicality of a book, and I even enjoy how carrying something that reflects my interests can spark random conversations out in the world.

But lately I’ve been seeing the appeal of e-readers more and more:

1. Portability. Carrying a book around can be a bit annoying, especially when I’m out for the day or commuting. I like reading on the subway, and I’m trying to switch to a smaller everyday bag, so an e-reader would make that a lot easier.

2. Privacy. Sometimes I do choose books with a bit of awareness that people might see what I’m reading, whether positively or negatively, though I’m working on caring less about that. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I also like the idea of reading just for me. An e-reader feels kind of like an old mp3 player in that way. It’s your own little world. It sometimes makes me wonder what it would be like if what people were listening to just floated above their heads, though honestly I think I prefer things as they are.

3. Reading in any lighting. The idea of being able to read comfortably on planes or in low light sounds amazing.

That said, I still have some hesitations. I don’t really want to support Amazon, though I know there are non-Kindle options out there, maybe even something more aligned with digital minimalism. I also worry about distraction and overwhelm. I never liked the e-ink “flash” to black as the screen refreshes. I have ADHD, and having access to a bunch of books at once or extra features might make it harder to focus compared to just having one physical book in hand.

So I’m curious, what do you all think?

Do you use an e-reader? How was the switch for you?
Or if you’ve stuck with physical books, what’s kept you there?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

[ffaf]

For a while I had an e-reader, then I switched back to physical books.

It is very convenient but I felt I was more engrossed and learned more when the page was physical.  During the time I had my e-book reader, I tried to read Pride and Prejudice, failing.  Once I picked up a cheap paperback, I felt it was more enjoyable and I had a clearer picture in mind.  But who knows, maybe I was just in a better shape mentally during that time.

One thing I really disliked about my e-reader is that it lacked physical buttons.  Flipping by mistake is annoying, and not being able to flip while wearing leather gloves (I use them in autumn too) even more so. So my suggestion for you is to try the reader live, @Yaya, and check by yourself if it is a nice experience.

Do mind that some readers can only read specific formats, which is a bummer.

[chilblands]

I thought about buying an e-reader, but decided it is not for me (I wanted it to read coloured comics, and the tech isn't there yet). Lurking around r/ereader on Reddit can help, or there's a whole niche YouTube community of e-ink enthusiasts.

There are two big Western e-ink brands: Amazon and Kobo.

China has their own niche e-ink brands and technologies. Some of them broke into the Western market like Boox, Hisense (discontinued) and BigMe (apparently bought Hisense). I would recommend you research them; they are called "Android e-inks", which can substitute phones, tablets and monitors. These are marketed for people with sensitive eyes, cool stuff.

Since you mention you don't want extra apps but not a Kindle, Kobo is a great choice. I impulsively bought a Kobo reader, which is pretty lightweight, and you can borrow library books to read on the e-reader. I think if you carry multiple books, an e-reader is very portable. However, I would not romanticise an e-reader if you are okay with your physical books. They can be very expensive and do have their flaws like: ghosting, and since it is a piece of tech, will ofc break if you drop it.

If you are on social media, I understand the lure of e-readers because that is the hype or heavily advertised. It is ultimately up to you if you have the disposable income to buy an e-reader. I personally think it is a good piece of technology, but it is a novelty.

[ThunderPerfectWitchcraft]

Got a Tolino (the German version of the Kobo) as a christmas present, as my distance university stopped to deliver me printed versions. Before, I was solid on the "I prefer printed books" side - and while I still do so, I have to admit that it is handy beyond being still able to read my texts for university - it is much lighter (and a heavy book can be heavy, especially if you have to carry it the whole day), and in the last months, the lightning in the public transportation I used was often far from optimal.

[snufkin]

I love my e-readers. When I was living in a country where books in my native language weren't common, they helped me keep my love of reading alive.

I have two: a Kobo Clara and a Boox Note. The Kobo I bought secondhand; since it's A6 size, I can put it in my pocket and take it everywhere. I rooted it and installed KOReader, but I found the native reading app actually does everything I need it to — and I can sync my annotations with Calibre.

My Boox was a gift from someone who didn't need it anymore. It's larger, about A5 size, and I can use a pen to write annotations in addition to typed notes or point-and-drag highlights. That one is great for denser academic texts or journaling RPGs when I don't have pen/paper at hand.

Now that I'm back, I have my library and I am so happy. But I still love my e-readers to read books my e-reader doesn't have at hand, and to quickly cross-reference texts (useful for reading long series).