Jef Claes

On software and life

01 Feb 2011

Why I still buy real books

As a technology geek, it should be hard to keep ignoring the latest generation of eReaders (read: the Kindle). With over three million devices sold, the Kindle has proven that it adds value to people’s lives, and that it’s a lot more than just a gadget.

Some of the most obvious benefits… You can carry a whole library in your backpack. The price of an eBook often is substantially less than the hardcover version. I am far from a Green, but I can’t neglect the fact that no trees need to be chopped down to print an eBook. Reading a 1000+ page book in bed or next to the pool is the opposite of convenient.

Sufficient arguments to get a Kindle, but still, I just can’t. Like serial killers collect trophies of their victims, I want to collect every book I have ever read. Unlike serial killers, I want to exhibit every trophy. I catch myself regularly halting for a few minutes when I pass by my bookcase. I love to have a look at the bookspines and associate the title with the time and place I read the book. Part of my love for paper books might also be caused by the global perception that books equal wisdom.