Difference between Printed Book and eBook | We are all quite familiar with printed books as they provide an authentic look and feel of ‘book‘ traditional, like you can touch the paper, turn the page, smell the aroma, etc. However, ebook is a relatively new concept. eBooks are nothing but electronic versions of printed books.
Books play an important role in human life by laying the foundation for learning at a young age. Printed books aim to convey authentic information to readers.
In recent decades, not only has the appearance of books changed, but the way of reading books has also changed, which is mainly due to the digitalization process. eBooks and audiobooks have become fashionable in recent years. In this review, we will discuss the differences between printed books and ebooks.
A printed book is the physical form of a book, consisting of pages or sheets of paper bound together within a cover (often cardboard). Is a literary work of fiction and non-fiction, which contains information, stories, poems, or the like. In other words, a printed book is an extended published literary composition.
Printed books are arranged in a particular format called ‘book layout‘. The basic layout has a front cover, back cover and body copy or content page.
The front cover has a title, subtitle, author’s name, and publisher’s name. The inside of the front cover is usually left blank. On the other hand, the back cover contains the ISBN of the book, the author’s picture, and the introduction. It may also include, barcodes, prices and reviews quoted.
Printed books are available online and offline. You can get it from the nearest bookstore, market, or library as well. Apart from that, you can also order books online through various e-commerce sites, like Amazon, Flipkart, etc. After use, consumers can also resell the book at an affordable price.
When a book is available in digital format, it is referred to as an eBook. What do we mean by the term ‘available‘ is a book that is offered, stored, distributed and read in electronic form.
eBooks consist of text, graphics, tables, etc. Which can be read on a flat panel or touch screen device, such as a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, cell phone, or eBook reader.
In finer terms, an eBook can be defined as a non-editable book, with a re-streamable layout, which can be read on any electronic device, having a controllable display. One can easily access ebooks just by downloading them from the internet.
The ebook contains a hyperlinked table of contents, which allows the user to click and go to the desired page.
The e-reader provides a touch screen display and contains a number of features to facilitate the reading process. Along with that, it has a paper-like appearance, making it convenient for reading text in brightly lit places. In addition, the brightness level automatically adjusts to the light.
eBook readers can be applications and software for use on a PC or laptop. For example: Reader application offered by Microsoft Corporation. It can also be an electronic reading device, also called an eReader. ‘Kindle’ is one of the eReaders currently sold by Amazon. A similar product was offered for sale by Barnes and Noble as the ‘Nook’ and by Nuvomedia as the ‘eBook Rocket’.
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Printed book is a book in material form that contains text, images, graphics, etc. printed or typed on paper. On the other hand, ebook
defined as an electronic form of conventional printed paperback, formatted as a file, which can be read with the help of an eReader device or on an application. -
Printed book has a back cover, which is primarily used for protection as well as for attracting the reader. The cover can be hardcover or softcover (paperback). Otherwise, ebook have a front cover, which is displayed on online shopping sites, to attract visitors.
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Book which is printed has a fixed layout that cannot be changed after printing, whereas ebook has a restreamable layout. Reflowable means the ability of text to wrap around words according to device, user settings, and application. Hence, eBooks allow readers to enjoy books according to their needs and preferences.
- ebook cheaper than printed ones, however, the initial price of eReaders is higher than print ones. A study also revealed that e-readers are more expensive, i.e. they have a premium price that must be borne by consumers. In addition, it also has a kind of annual levy.
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Footnotes are used in printed book to provide additional information regarding the highlighted text. However, in the case of ebookhyperlinks are used that direct consumers to the endnote, where they can read the information, and jump back.
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Speaking of storage, because printed book is a physical form of a book, it obviously requires a certain storage place. On the other hand, in the case of ebookebooks are stored on the device or the app itself, so physical storage of books is not required.
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About speed, once you buy book that, you can start reading it right away. But ebook may take some time to load.
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Printed book can be easily shared with friends, acquaintances and relatives. And can also be resold after use. On the other hand, for ebook paid, only one account can be used to access the ebook which automatically limits the sharing, whereas for sharing you have to share your login credentials with that person.
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Printed book can be light or heavy, depending on the volume. In terms of weight, ebook lighter than printed paperback, so people can hold it for hours on end.
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When it comes to looking for a specific problem in printed book, it is quite difficult, because one can search the topic in the table of contents or in the glossary at the end. On the other hand, searching for multiple topics is very easy on ebookbecause all you need to do is just type the name on your device and it will show a list of all mentions.
Red Thread | Reading books always helps in acquiring or learning something new, regardless of the purpose, i.e. personal, professional or educational. There are subtle differences between printed books and ebooks, in terms of cost, availability, and features. Consumers have to consider the options to arrive at a decision, regarding the type of format they prefer.
