Sometimes a good old fashioned paperback IS the better idea

[BsshBossh]

As much as I love my Kindle and read far more books now I have one, I realised today that a Kindle and a 3 year old don't always go together: as we ran to catch the bus her beaker of water (which I'd thought I'd screwed tightly shut) burst open in my bag and over my stuff, including the Kindle; then on the return journey home the bus was packed so I had to hastily pop DD onto my lap so others could sit down and yes she sat on my bag that was on my lap that contained my Kindle.

I am amazed the Kindle has survived. I am grateful for its thick leather case. But still....

anything electronic will eventually die

books just won't

the end

So true...

I love my Kindle but I also love my paperbacks and will always buy first edition hardbacks by authors I love and want to keep forever...

So... you abused it, and it survived.

So how it a paperback better?

How is a paperback better? Well, I wouldn't have stressed so much about the paperback :)

I like reading in the bath and I can't do that on my ipod

Is it possible to get a waterproof case for a kindle? I do most of my reading in the bath so I can't picture moving on from the good old fashioned paperback any time soon.

Books do die. I've got a much-loved paperback of "Fear and loathing in las vegas" that's less a book and more a small, sad pile of paper

Yes you can get a waterproof case for your kindle, its called a ziplock bag or you could always lie back and use the text to speech feature.

You can get proper waterproof covers for the kindle. I use kine all the time
mine is made by Trend Digital

Sorry that should be Trendy Digital
here

But surely a paperback wouldn't have coped brilliantly with getting soaked with your DD's drink?

No but it would have dried out and still been fairly readable even if not it would have been more easily replaced compared to a more expensive Kindle. Anyway, it's not a biggie, the Kindle is fine.

I have found another advantage to books, I picked up a pile from the tip today for 50p, I can't foresee a situation where I can get a working kindle for that price.

But that isn't an either/or - owning a kindle doesn't stop you taking advantage of print books bargains. And I wouldn't put a drink in the same part of the same bag as my Kindle, or my books, I usually have several of those and the Kindle with me!

I agree - I think there is a place for both books and e-readers. What concerns me most about the electronic devices is less the longevity of the device itself and more the longevity of the service it connects to. A lot of the features of the Kindle rely on Amazon maintaining their Kindle license servers and synchronisation facilities. The same goes for all the other e-readers.

I've got books that are decades old and are still a) entirely usable and b) have at least some resale value. Given the pace of change in IT, I do wonder if the Kindle books I buy today will still be readable and usable in 20 years time. And there is pretty much zero chance I could ever sell them on if I so wished.

There is a place for both. The poncetastic books that I am happy for people to see on my shelves get bought in "tree-ware", the trashy paper backs I am marginally embarassed about owning are now safely hidden (in large numbers) on the Kindle. Perfect.

I have both-a house full of books and a Kindle.My shelves are full of books I will read again and again.My Kindle has over a hudred 'wallpaper books' for when I want a book away from home or cant carry a lot of books on holday.It also has my favourite classics which I have on shelves as well so I can re read them whenever/wherever I am.