iHCPL Books, Readers and Beyond: #53 Finding Books Online Exercise 3

Download an eBook. Spend at least half an hour reading it. Write about your experience on your blog. How did it compare with reading a traditional print copy? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of each format?

From the list of 20+ Places for Public Domain E-Books I went to Planet PDF and browsed the titles. I downloaded a copy of a story I hadn’t read since I was an undergraduate many decades ago, “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka. “This text is a translation from the German by Ian Johnston, Malaspina University-College Nanaimo, BC. It has been prepared for students in the Liberal Studies and English departments. This document is in the public domain, released, January 1999.”


Using the Adobe software scroll bar to navigate the pages was the most difficult adaptation that I had to make in reading an eBook as opposed to reading a codex. Going line to line was no problem, but I often lost my place when I went page to page. It took me about half an hour to get the feel of it. About the same time it takes me to get a feel for the controls of an unfamiliar rental car. After that I was able to immerse myself in the predicament of Gregor Samsa and his family.

eBook
Advantages

• Glows in the dark
• It can find a particular word or phrase quickly with its search feature
• Can compensate and enlarge type size for failing human eyes

Disadvantages

• I have to read it on my computer. It’s difficult to move about with it
• Should not be tossed in the general direction of misbehaving pet
• Dependent on hardware reading device
• Dependent on electric power

Print book in codex format
Advantages

• It’s portable, can read it in bed or on the beach
• Can be tossed in the general direction of misbehaving pet
• Not dependent on hardware
• Not dependent on electric power

Disadvantages

• Search feature is dependent on human eyes and brain and tendency for attention to wander, find particular word or phrase slowly and with much muttering
• Needs an external source of illumination
• One size type -- Old geezers taking advantage of the read in bed mode are forced to get up, get dressed and drive out to Wal-Mart to purchase stronger reading glasses, or go to the public library and get a large type edition