Paper-back or Pdf material

Its been said and is probably not true that Pdf's are not the ideal way to learn. A book is a book and gives satisfaction of having read them having them in your hand. For that matter a book can never be replaced by a pdf version for traditional learners. But in this hyper-modern internet age, people are forced into computer operated programs, soft-copies of books(E-books such as Pdf and tiff) , CD roms, flash presentations etc...

Do you guys get pleasure out of reading them that way?

 

I personally can't read more than 10 or so pages from a PDF on a computer screen in a single sitting.

However, the distribution of a document using PDF has benefits for the author and reader besides display on the computer screen. For the author, the PDF allows for a simple, somewhat secure, and cheap method to distribute material. There is no expense for the author/publisher to print and bind the document. That expense is passed on to the reader. It is the reader's choice to print the document or just part of the document which is a benefit for the reader. Another benefit is the ability to have backup copies of the document on a computer or CD. Have you ever misplaced a reference book? As long as you don't misplace all copies of a PDF file, you can always reprint what you need. That's assuming you made backups.

 

Vinod,

I study electronically using the business school supplied PDF study material because I like to take electronic notes using Microsoft Word as I go. I cut and paste the parts that I think are pertinent into my Word doc and add my own comments. I also add bits of articles I think are relevant. This way I can distill 200 pages of text into around 10% of that, making it much easier to use at assignment and exam time.

All the best,

Dave C.

 

PDF vs Paperback

How many of us can actually sit and read materials out from a computer screen? I agree Pdf versions have got their own advantages but somehow I am not able to concentrate with Pdf articles. 9 out of 10 people would prefer the hard copy I am sure. How does it work in computer saavy America?

 

I prefer using PDF and/or other electronic media for research because it makes things much quicker due to the 'search' function, but if I'm going to read something from cover to cover, I prefer the printed version.

 

Interesting points.

While I read scores of e-newsletters each day, I've only read two ebooks from cover to cover. And they were short.

I prefer print in the traditional sense. But I wonder about today's high school students. Since they have grown up with computer technology, I wonder what they would prefer.

Roscoe

 

I can honestly say that, for the most part, EITHER format is fine with me. As long as I have a comfy chair, I can sit at the computer and read my ebooks. I'm also looking into an MP3 player that allows me to put and read ebooks on it as well, so that's another plus with ebooks. There's supposed to be some sort of technology being worked on right now to allow portable ebooks, but I'd rather have one device do many things.