10 Reasons Why eBooks Are Better Than Print Books

When a friend saw me reading on my Kindle, she quipped, “Oh, I can never read an eBook, I love the feel of paper in my hands too much”. It’s not only this friend of mine, but many others who actually curl their lip and look down on people who show allegiance to eBooks. It is as if that their love for the written words is more sincere than those of the eBook readers. I didn’t say anything then but guess, it’s time to show eBook pride and solidarity. So here are 10 reasons why eBooks are better than print books.

For the uninitiated, eBooks are files that you can read on a digital device – an eReader like Amazon’s Kindle, Rakuten’s Kobo, Barnes & Noble’s Nook or a tablet, smartphone, computer, laptop etc.

1. eBooks save space

Book worms tend to have a good collection of books, which can take up too much space. You can see my books here and note that they are packed like sardines! However, even the largest collection of eBooks won’t take up any physical space in your home. It is much easier to manage even a large digital library on an eReader or a laptop than bookshelves filled with hundreds of books, majority of which you will never read again.

2. eBooks are portable

They are much more portable and lightweight than physical books. When I am traveling, my entire digital library consisting of hundreds of eBooks, can fit in my bag. Also the device which houses these eBooks weighs just a few grams.

3. eBooks are searchable

Unlike printed books, eBooks are easily searchable. Instead of thumbing through the pages trying to find a favorite quote or part of the story, you can just search keywords to find the section of your book you were looking for. This is especially helpful when you’re reading long books that would take a long time to find a specific page. They also allow you to search your entire library with a depth and convenience that cannot be matched by printed books.

4. eBooks offer customizable font size and style

If you’re getting older like me and have love-hate relationships with certain fonts, you can adjust the text to the size you desire or switch fonts completely when you are reading eBooks (except PDFs).

Although you can’t change the font size of a PDF eBook, you still can zoom in on your device. Certainly, it isn’t as convenient, but still it is way better than a printed book where you can’t change the font size at all.

5. eBooks offer instant gratification

You can buy Ebooks from virtually anywhere and the same can be downloaded on your device instantly. So no more going to a bookstore or waiting for the books to be delivered in case you have ordered them online

6. eBooks are always available

They are never out of stock because they are digital files.

7. eBooks have free samples

When you are looking for an eBook, generally the seller provides a sample which contains the table of contents and first few chapters. This allows you to read the initial pages of the book without actually buying it. If you like it, you can purchase it.

10 Reasons Why eBooks Are Better Than Print Books

8. eBooks are cost effective

This is a huge plus for avid book readers. Though an eBook reader appears to be expensive but it’s a one-time investment. With no manufacturing or shipping costs, eBooks are cheaper than printed books. Also you can read more books, while spending less by reading eBooks. Yes, eReader and eBooks are cost effective in the long run.

Additionally there are thousands of free eBooks from Project Gutenberg, Amazon Kindle or Kobo and also on the internet for download.

9. eBooks are easily updated

The contents on the eBooks are mostly cloud-based, that means that they can be updated any time. Authors and publishers can always add the new information, providing users with the latest digital content. This saves reprinting costs and the time involved in the process as well.

10. eBooks are more environmentally friendly

Although their production requires resources, electronic books are kinder to the environment than print books. Creating an electronic book takes three times fewer raw materials than a print book and uses seven times less water.

Convinced yet? What do you think? Which format of books do you prefer? eBooks or printed books?