Hard Copies vs. Digital Copies. Which do you choose?
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Nowadays I only get physical with stuff I really like. Most of my newer purchases are digital.
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I really like collecting physical books, but I have... problems:
Not in this picture, everything I haven’t read on another bookshelf ><. Also, all my non-LN books. A studio apartment is not a good place for a library, I can tell you that much!
I’ll say it every time though, I like reading digital, and wish publishers would give you a digital copy with the physical copy like most modern Blu-ray’s do.
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Personally I like Hard Copies, And recently I build a room just for my books, it should be able to hold quite some. but hard copies its quite expensive here.
so my policies is only buy hard copies that I really like and when it has bonus that the digital copies don't.
the rest would be digital.There is also the collectible value, Digital Copies does not have any or much collectible value so they just there to be read while Hard Copies can become some kind of trophies which is nice to the eye.
So for me, I read my e-book and collect the dead tree version if I like them.
its not choose which is better its just both has different purpose for me. -
@shyevsa said in Hard Copies vs. Digital Copies. Which do you choose?:
I read my e-book and collect the dead tree version
I agree
I wonder if we'll see more hard cover omnibus editions like FMP?? I think that'd be what gets my dead tree spend -
Hard copies. Though thanks to JNC premium editions, I've gotten a bit more tolerant to digital copies, but I don't like being reliant on an unreliable Internet connection for access.
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@endoftheline what do you mean internet connection to access? or do you mean the other publisher (not JNC Premium edition) that put DRM on their book?
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@shyevsa DRM can be part of it, but if it's a DRM designed to support temporary offline support then it'd still possible to read previously downloaded copies and I can live with it. Though that won't stop me from griping about DRM.
My primary concern is that even if something is legally available on the Internet today (light novels, manga, anime), there's no guarantee that it'll be available tomorrow. Licenses expire and companies fold. I was introduced to the transient nature of content on the Internet pretty early on, ca. 2014 when I first started watching anime, I watched Haruhi Suzumiya on Crunchyroll. When I was wanting to rewatch the series three weeks later, it was gone.
So my policy is basically, if there's something on the Internet I'm may have a hint of interest in rereading, rewatching, or replaying a game, I'd like to have a copy available to me offline. Since I don't carry a phone with me everywhere, I really only have access to the Internet while at home. Thus having a copy available offline has a bonus that I can bring it with me and enjoy it outside of home, I also don't have to concern myself with bandwidth limitations my phone carrier imposes which make streaming video rather annoying.
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I live in an apartment so I have major space issues. Other than trying to complete the series I had started years ago, I only buy physical copies of my favorite series these days. Mostly digital for me.
So far the light novels I've purchased from amazon, I've been able to download them to my PC for safe keeping. Though I worry that I'll come across a series that can't be downloaded like that.
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I buy digital when I can get DRM-free epubs. Which, to this point, means stuff from J-Novel Club and one Humble Bundle of NISIOSIN books.
Everything else is physical books, and I really need to figure out where the hell I'm going to put them all. Wonder if any of the local libraries would like a whole bunch of manga and light novels...
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I have gone completely paperless for bills, the newspaper, and all of my book purchases.
It started as wanting to save space since I already had 3 bookcases and a closet full of books in boxes, as well as wanting to use less resources. But I also appreciate being able to carry around 50+ books on my kindle, and being able to get new books in seconds from Amazon over wifi along with JNC Premium editions in a couple of minutes using USB + Calibre.
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I definitely prefer physical copies of my books, but due to my growing storing problem I am more and more inclined towards switching to digital copies. Most of my books I’m reading on my kindle, or ipad nowadays, although I’m still buying physical copies of my manga. So far the only (digital) light novels I own, are the ones published by J-Novel Club (the ebook quality is always awesome in every aspect), but I am now considering buying light novels from other publishing companies for my kindle. Well, regarding that I’m still not sure, so...
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I love books. The feel of paper, the comforting weight, the sound and light breeze from turning the pages...
I have 4 bookshelves but with the release of more and more digital light novels and manga, in particular, I've had to accept that it isn't practical to keep up with my reading habits. So now I mostly do audiobooks for regular novels and digital for LN/Manga. Unless it's a tile that really holds a special place in my heart... I was excited to open the envelope and pull out my copy of the FMP omni and I'm going dark for for a day when my CotS book arrives!
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I like hard copies, but I'll be honest that I'm out of room for more books so all of my LNs are digital purchases right now.
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Digital definitely. For leisure reading where quality of images isn't crucial, getting physical copies is more cost than benefit.
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@xdrfiredogx @Clarabelle I completely agree with you. There is just something so wonderful about actual physical books that cannot be replicated by ebooks. I also love that print books never run out of batteries or require internet access and that print means I'm spending less time wearing my eyes out staring at a screen, since I already spend plenty of time staring at screens. That being said, I am running out of space for books. I have three bookshelves in my bedroom just for regular Western books with more book piles that have colonized parts of the floor next to my dresser and in front of my closet. As the light novel section of my manga bookshelf reaches capacity, I will probably shift to a primarily digital collection for light novels, except for the titles that I really really love.
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If I've reread a series at least once, and can still see myself rereading it again, that's usually my cue to consider ordering the print editions. Additional considerations include whether or not I "trust" the author (in the case of as of yet unfinished series), and feel confident that they won't suddenly change tone or style mid-story, as well as whether or not the illustrations and covers are in any way sexualized or explicit. If I would be embarrassed to have them be spotted lying around by any visitor or guest (including my own mother) then they're a no go.
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Personally, I prefer digital for most of my novels: It saves space and some money, and with a modern e-ink reader with 300dpi reading can be even more pleasant compared with cheaper paperbacks. (@Lily-Garden : You ought to try using an e-ink reader if you haven't yet; in contrast to LCDs it doesn't strain the eye, at least in my experience). Regarding light novel's color illustrations, I'll check those on my computer or tablet.
Manga are different though: While a 8 inch reader can display a single page moderately fine, double page spreads are inconvenient to read. Using a 10 inch tablet works, but I already spend too much time staring on on LCDs, so I certainly prefer paper for manga. The same holds for non-fiction books with color illustrations.
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Hello, as far as I'm concerned, I have gone digital now. It even became my main criteria for purchasing a series. For example while I am French, I buy a series of English ebooks while they are available here (in my mother tongue therefore) but only in paper version. It forces me to do translations, but it's so much more useful than the paper format for my use.
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Digital.
I have my entire collection of over 1000x LNs on my phone.
I save more than 1/2 off the physical price too since digital is much cheaper than physical.
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Physical books are great. I love them. I've got a whole bunch of books in physical form, and I like the way books feel in the hand.
That being said... physical space being a thing I'm not necessarily in possession of in great amounts, and given the easy availability of both data storage space and the lower price (especially for TTRPG volumes, which are often more than half the price), I prefer digital. Buying extra space for digital books is as easy as getting an external hard drive or a new SD card. It's really nice. Really, really nice. Even if I do need to swap to a bigger SD card on my phone to keep growing my library, because I have so many digital books that I've had to remove other apps to keep all my stuff on my phone.
