There has always been this intricate debate among readers about what is a better option – A Physical book or a Kindle. The retail shopping company, Amazon, introduced the first e-reader device into the market on November 19, 2007. This device had an escalating demand within five hours of it’s launch. It remained out of stock for a very long while due to tremendous amount of sales. This blog will attempt to illustrate whether this craze for purchase of Kindles was justified or whether physical books rule the hearts of readers till date.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

• Charging – Physical books do not require any charging. They can be read as long as a reader wishes to read it. They do not have an internal battery which may drain out. Innumerable people can use it until it gets worn off.
• No Network Requirement – Physical books can be read without a network connection. There is absolutely no requirement of a wifi connection or mobile data for the same. Content can be read during power cut-offs as well. During prolonged electricity cutoffs people turn to newspapers and books for recreation. Simply opening a book and reading it is what an individual needs to do.
• Reuse – There are numerous shops in the market which offer second-hand copies. These copies can be bought by individuals at a very cheap rate. Thus, a large amount of paperback books can be read by a person, without having to pay a huge price, by purchasing used copies readily available in shops.
• Feel and Smell – This might sound very vague to people who are not fond of reading books. Bibliophiles definitely know how heavenly is the texture and smell of a fresh book. Avid readers are really fond of holding a physical copy and reading it in a metro, at the park or while lazing on the couch. It is a different experience all together.
• Less Safety Concern – Since, a book is less expensive than an electronic device, the chances of it being stolen are few. One need not feel anxious about forgetting a book somewhere. They will find it in the same place where they had left it as thieves generally avoid casting their eye on such commodities.

KINDLE

• Portability – The Kindle is extremely portable in nature. This one device helps one to carry over a thousand e-books in his/her bag which is otherwise not possible. It is light weight, hence very easy to carry around.
• Interpret Meanings – The Kindle has a very user friendly feature in it through which we can browse Wikipedia, Translator and Dictionaries. By simple long pressing on a word, the meaning and usage in a sentence for the word appears on the screen. There is also a Vocabulary Builder feature available, through which one can store the list of words that he has browsed for, while reading a particular content. Hence, while reading any story or novel on the Kindle one need not keep a separate dictionary alongside.
• Light Modification – This reading device has a paper display technology. This means, it gives an experience that is very similar to reading printed ink on a paper. Through the light adjustment feature, it is feasible for anyone to read content in the dark as well. Another bonus element of this device is that, it does not put any strain on the eyes as it is glare free unlike other screen gadgets.
• Environment Friendly – It is said that, 24 trees need to be chopped down to produce 1 tonne of paper. By using such electronic reading devices, one can contribute in lessening the amount of trees that need to be deforested to make books.
• Easy to Decipher – In the Kindle, one can easily increase or decrease the Font size according to their convenience. Also, by adjusting the level of brightness, a reader can find it easier to read content.
• Easy Downloads – It is quite simple to download a book from the Kindle. One need not physically visit a library or bookstore and hunt for the book or wait for it to arrive at home after placing an order. Many cost free books are available in the device if one does not wish to pay an amount to read. While, paid books are at a rate lower than that of physical books.

The debate regarding which one is a better option is a never ending one. Just as every coin has two sides, both the options i.e Books and Kindle have their own merits and demerits. This blog aimed at illustrating the pros of both the options available. A reader can choose a better option for himself/herself by weighing the pros and cons for it according to his/her practicality and convenience.