Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

AtomicBananaSplit t1_j22508z wrote

Reply to comment by SweetCosmicPope in What Can We Learn from Barnes & Noble's Surprising Turnaround? by koavf

I think it’s hard to judge ebooks based solely on e-reader frequency. The kindle and Libby apps both work great, and let me read anywhere on my phone without having to carry a second device or a physical book around. It’s entirely possible the person next to you on the subway is reading The Count of Monte Christi, to Reddit’s great delight.

Don’t get me wrong. I still enjoy a physical book from time to time, and the act of walking through a library or a brick and mortar store and getting recommendations from people who work there leads me into things I may not otherwise try. There are also things that don’t work well electronically, like House of Leaves or How to Survive in a Science Fiction Universe, or books with a lot of foot notes (eg Pratchett). But I probably read 90% on my phone, from disposable stuff to comics to literature.

33

Hartastic t1_j22fref wrote

> I think it’s hard to judge ebooks based solely on e-reader frequency. The kindle and Libby apps both work great, and let me read anywhere on my phone without having to carry a second device or a physical book around. It’s entirely possible the person next to you on the subway is reading The Count of Monte Christi, to Reddit’s great delight.

Yep. As another anecdote, 90% of my reading is on my phone these days. I have an eReader and I do use it in certain circumstances. I haven't bought a dead tree book since the Bush Administration and I don't know that I ever will again.

My wife, who reads probably 5 books a week on average is phone, tablet, or PC and would never be seen with an ereader as such.

11

PatBev_Clamped_Ja t1_j23lhs1 wrote

Haha I read on my phone, laptop, and ereader too. I have eyesight issues so I do prefer a screen where you can enlarge text. It is an accessibility preference for me, but it’s also because I love reading multiple books at once too. Like your wife I probably go through around 3-5 books a week simply because I always halfway thru one book or the other.

2

ClarielOfTheMask t1_j22k8yu wrote

Yeah, I think the market is balancing out a little. There will always be demand for both mediums because they're not perfect replacements for each other. They fulfill different needs.

There are still issues with both industries but I don't see either one ever totally dying

9