Paper Books vs. eReaders

We are in the digital age. Along with all the other innovative technology of the 21st century, a competitor for the classic paper book has emerged: the eReader. The paper book, which was the monopoly for reading material since its invention, has most likely met its match. With a capacity of hundreds of books in devices that can be pencil thin, the eReaders are slowly dominating the market. Whichever product comes out on top is up to the consumers’ decisions. The decision of paper books versus eReaders depends on a few factors; how convenient the product is, the product’s price, and the age and lifestyle of the consumer. The future of the market is reliant on this proclivity.

Paper books are ubiquitous, and there’s have a good reason for this: they have existed for centuries. Until the very concept of eReaders existed, there was no other option for modern reading material. Everyone knows what a paper book is. Additionally, many know how paper books are suffering because of the introduction of eReaders:. “Meanwhile, printed books declined 34 percent and 16 percent in those respective areas, with gentler, single-digit drops for education and religious titles.” (Engadget). It has been observed that every genre of books is suffering with the addition of electronic books to the market. It is a mystery whether or not paper books will be able to stay afloat.

The very first eReaders were the Rocket eBook and the SoftBook, both released in 1998. The SoftBook had a lithium-ion battery, cost almost $800, and weighed three pounds. It could hold 1,500 pages and had a battery life of five hours. The Kindle Paperwhite, the newest eReader from Amazon, is an incredible upgrade. The Paperwhite’s minimum cost is $119, weighs less than half a pound,...

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...ple tend to cross the line and become rude about someone’s personal taste in how they read. You’ll often hear a “hipster” complaining about how no one reads paper books anymore and how everything is digital. Not surprisingly, it has been observed that older people are the demographic enjoying eReaders the most. (The Telegraph) eReaders aren’t seen as “real books” to many, despite the fact that the books on them hold literally them same exact words as their paper counterparts.

After considering the varying reasons of which type of reading material is better, the choice should be left completely to the consumer. In the future, there may not such a choice. With a quickly decreasing amount of available trees for paper and the immersion in the digital age, paper books may become outdated. Consumers are a driving force in what remains in the market of reading products.