I don't buy hard copy books at all any more, with one exception. I am a writer, and there are times that I have to buy hard copy books for research. Old books, which are not available in electronic format yet.

Wayne

I like reading on my iPad using the Nook, Kindle and Stanza apps. It's convenient to have several books available, especially when I'm away from home. But I also get the urge to hold an actual book occasionally. A lot of my favorite books are older or obscure titles and are not available in digital format.

my passion i victorian beadwork an d textiles,is it possible to find e books on that subject?

For those who are still holding onto "paper" books, I suggest you read this article:

~ edited by Moderator SP. No links to blogs/websites. Read the rules please.

Yes, I wrote it. Professional writer, futurist, troublemaker, that's me. I'm also right often enough to have a lot of people paying attention to what I'm saying. I also have been talking to a lot of other writers about the contracts they are signing, and I'm convinced that the major publishers are a bunch of leaches sucking the life out of the writers they are signing.

If you don't believe me ask yourself why J.K. Rowling didn't bring her EBooks to market through her publisher? Simple. Money. J.K. has more negotiating muscle than most of us, but even she has her limits. By doing this herself she can keep 70% of the royalties. So could any average writer. I don't know how much J.K. could make through her publisher but average writers only make 14.5%!

Edited ~

And that is why publishers refuse to let writers retain EBook rights. It is easy money for the publishers, and so what if they rip off the writers, why should they care? It is profit for them, and they are responsible to their shareholders, not to the writers. If you don't believe me, read their SEC filings at:

Http://www.sec.gov

Wayne

I read real books at home and ebooks when travelling

Originally Posted by poisonivy

my passion i victorian beadwork an d textiles,is it possible to find e books on that subject?

I would not recommend getting any books with illustrations as an ebook. So, my guess would be no.

Sorry!

Originally Posted by antonio107

I would not recommend getting any books with illustrations as an ebook. So, my guess would be no.

Sorry!

Any particular reason???

Well, in my experience with a Kobo, and ibooks on my iPad, they both handle relatively well with novels, or other books that you want to read from beginning to end in a straight line. However, most publishers make electronic copies by taking a printed manuscript, and just running it through a large scanning machine. It does text well, but does pictures poorly, as well as charts, and any book that is an "irregular size," shall we say. If you're getting a book that's 15x15 glossy photos, and have it reduced to fit on the iPad, even if they fit on the screen that's going to be a sucky way to look at them, imo...

Also, because of the way that they work by clicking or flicking from one page to the next, they're not good for instructional or academic books either. I.e., anything where you want to flip back and forth between a middle page and the footnotes or endnotes.

It's been years since I've read a paper book. First I had a Kindle (loved it), and now I use my iPad.

I was always skeptical of the Kindle as I enjoy reading '"real" books. Then I acquired my iPad and tried the kindle app . I look back and laugh at myself as I now read from the iPad and sync to the iPod touch as well. Alway having a book with me is great. I used to pack four or five books with me when traveling now must carry the iPad. I use the kindle, nook and iBook apps, The final conversion was getting the overdrive app and being able to borrow/download books from the library for reading on the iPad.