Several intellectual friends have emphasized they don't want ebooks as gifts. One stated he will kill me if I send him another ebook. I sent him one by accident but he hasn't killed me, yet.
Some people have mentioned scent. They like the smell of a paper book, especially a new one. Others have mentioned heft - they like the feel of the book's weight in their hand while reading.
I like ebooks more and more. As I am aging, I sometimes find the type size too small in a printed book but in an ebook, I can adjust the type size quickly and easily. Lynn found the same thing the other day and I quickly added the library book she was reading to our Kindle archive.
I just looked up "ebook" in Google. I don't think the results are all that good. Software to accept and read an ebook can be found in a number of places. In my experience, Amazon was the first to send ebooks over the internet. The action was much like receiving an email except that unless special effort was used, what was received could not be edited or changed. After all, like any other art, writing is done by the artist or author and is not for others to change.
Since I am an ants-in-the pants person and like things to be quick, I was impressed when I read about 15 years ago, that Amazon would send me a book I ordered by what seemed like a cellphone call. My Kindle reader needed to have a charge and it needed to be on, much like a cellphone. No connections needed. Since then, things have branched out quite a bit. I can read Kindle books on my laptop, either of my cellphones, any of my tablets. I can easily access the same book on any connected device and easily go to the place I left off.
I have been using the Libby app (https://libbyapp.com) to borrow ebooks from my local public library. One thing I like about such borrowing is the convenience. I can place a hold on an ebook and a popular one may not be available for weeks or months but when it is, zap! Got it. When I borrow a book, I usually have two weeks before it gets "returned". When that happens, it disappears, like magic! No coat, no car, no driving, no dropping in the slot at the library.
I just found out that I can also borrow ebooks from the University of Wisconsin ebook collection using the Libby app as well.
It is true that books of a certain age and popularity level may not be available in the e-format. However, that situation is changing all the time. If a book has been important in the history of literature, it is probably already available in e-format.
Production of an ebook can be faster and cheaper that a paper book so the cost is generally lower. So, the price of an ebook can be lower than in paper. I usually buy at a price of $9.99 or lower.
