Hardcopy vs digital media... anybody else like me?

Since I have been maintaining my Logos library I’ve gradually reduced the number of hardcopy books in my library. I must admit I do miss the tactile feel of a good book. I had recently purchased a copy of the NIV Application commentary and was considering purchasing the entire set and NICOT/NT but now both are available through Logos!

What to do what to do… there’s no way I’m going to purchase both a hardcopy set and a digital set but I really do appreciate the feel of a book. Additionally I think I get less exhausted reading and annotating hardcopy than I do with digital media. Yet the purchase price in most cases for digital media is extremely economical.

How have others resolved this internal battle!

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Robert

I love having a book to read, but I have to say I have gotten quite used to reading on my Palm Pilot (though I still don't like extended reading on my desktop). The other advantage of the Palm is that the "pages" light up for reading in less well lit areas (such as in bed if I want to keep reading and not turn the light on) and I can carry the books with me when I am away. That is much better than carrying a book from the NIC and NIVAC and a Bible with me wherever I go..

With Logos going to iPhone and possibly other digital formats, you can take your whole library (or at least most it seems) with you to read on the go.

Give it some time and see if you can't get used to reading on a portable device.

TCBlack

How have others resolved this internal battle!

James I share all of those concerns. As it relates to your question, I've opted to go the digital route because of the rapidity with which technologies are changing. I've read multiple books on my Treo, I'm reading more on my Blackberry and even with the frustrations caused by having small screens, I'm confident that soon the industry will be able to create a device which will satisfactorily act like a book and a computer at the same time.

With Logos' new foray into the Iphone and now apparently MS mobile market (with hints at blackberry hopefully) I'm more and more encouraged that the future will be good for reading away from my mainframe-like desktop.

Summary: I resolve the battle by hoping for better technology.

Mark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/23454#Comment_23454

I went digital because as a missionary, books weigh us down. Transporting books to another country. paying for transport and duty...it just simply weighs us down. I do all my reading now on my laptop with the only exception being the Bible itself. From time to time, I need to pick up a hard copy book. I have made the switch and there is no going back.

However, I do worry that all the investment will disappear one day if the books are not in a universal format. That I always worry about. What if Logos folds one day? What if technology changes and policies at Logos changes etc and my books are no longer available to me? What if Microsoft makes major decisions and Logos is not able to continue to offer books or run their library? What if...what if...

Books that I have on my harddrive that are in pdf format I am pretty much convinced will remain forever with me to read and enjoy. Books in Libronix may only be around for a generation or two. That is what I worry about. But as far as switching to digital, the ease of carrying my library when I travel, the freedom of having less material things, and the speed at which I can access information makes the digital switch a no brainer for me.

Chris Hulshof

I am gradually moving all my commentaries and other Bible study tools to digital media. I like the ability to quickly look up, find, and study something as it relates to where I am in a specific passage. However, I still very much prefer having a book in my hands when it comes to general reading. For instance, I would rather add a commentary like the NICOT on Job to my digital libray rather then a book like Sproul's "Surprised by Suffering." The majority of my Logos purchases are Bible study related rather then books for casual reading.

Bohuslav Wojnar

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/23497#Comment_23497

The majority of my Logos purchases are Bible study related rather then books for casual reading.

Yes, I agree with that. It might change however with getting Logos to the portable ebook readers like iPhone, iTablet etc. We just have to learn to get "the feel" (I.P.Pavlov reflex) towards these electronic devices, as we have it towards the regular books. [:)]

Alan Charles Gielczyk

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/23580#Comment_23580

I just want to say that I have had Logos since 2005 and Palm devices since 2006 and I also used to say I could not read on the computer. With the ability in Logos to scroll and to hilight algorithmically a percentage of text I have gotten quite used to ready my assigned seminary reading on the computer. I am sure once I have time to read for pleasure I will enjoy that as well.

Philana Crouch

I started going digital...and am so glad I did. I could not imagine having all my books as hard copy. Since I got an iPad I usually read on that, only time I get a physical book is for someone else. I even check out library books on my Kindle app. I usually buy books in Logos, Vyrso or Kindle. It's cheaper, easy to share quotes on Facebook with family and friends, and I can have a large selection.

Rosie Perera

As it's a commentary set you are considering, rather than a book that's mostly for sitting and reading straight through, I would say buy the digital copy. Nothing about the tactile feel of a book makes up for being able to search quickly through all your commentaries in Logos. If you really really want to read one particular volume of the commentary cover to cover, and are still not convinced you're going to go the digital route for everything eventually, then maybe buy just that one volume in hardcover as well. The whole set in hardcover would not be a wise buy at this point. You can keep up buying books for reading and underlining in in paper format as long as you're not a complete convert, but my sense is that the more you get used to reading books in digital format, the more you'll decide you're never going back. Yes, there's a loss, but the benefits more than make up for it.

Josh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317121#Comment_317121

I, too, bought an iPad. This made owning Logos 20 times better! I am able to sit on my lazy boy and read most of my digital resources.

Matthew C Jones

I agree that the benefits are concrete and impossible to beat. It's difficult to say the same for the traditional hardcopy.

What is not difficult to say is you look like a sandwich board advertisement answering a 2 year old post with 15 (Count 'Em!) advertisements in your signature.

Welcome to the forums but leave the trash outdoors, please.

=================================================================

Buy Rabbi Epstein's Kosher Dill Pizza (not so cool. is it? [H] )

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

I agree that the benefits are concrete and impossible to beat. It's difficult to say the same for the traditional hardcopy.

___________________________________________________________________________

*** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | *** | ***

Abuse reported. Billboard of advertisements to various *.vg web sites are not in signature, only under a solid line. Also generic comments lack focus on using Logos Bible software.

Keep Smiling [:)]

Mike Childs

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317121#Comment_317121

As it's a commentary set you are considering, rather than a book that's mostly for sitting and reading straight through, I would say buy the digital copy. Nothing about the tactile feel of a book makes up for being able to search quickly through all your commentaries in Logos.

I agree with Rosie. On reference books there is no doubt that digital is better. I struggled a bit with the choice of book or digital for the NIVOT/NIVNT commentaries, and decided on digital, even though they were a tad more expensive than the books. I am glad I did.

Donovan R. Palmer

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317176#Comment_317176

It's not always an easy transition. One of the benefits of paper is that it is so easy to mark up. I mark up all my books... yes, I can do that on Logos, but not as quickly.

Regardless, I am making the transition myself. When the iPad 3 comes out, I plan to get one and go pretty much digital on all fronts for reasons already stated in this forum. In my line of international work, it is the ONLY way I can have access to a library. Logos is precious to me in this regard.

Graham Criddle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317181#Comment_317181

I was thinking about this last night.

While reading a book on early Christology on my iPad I came across a reference to something Ignatius said. I was able to track this down in the Anti-Nicene Father and the Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers. The same book made reference to a couple of Bible passages which I was able to easily reference.

I then switched tack and continued reading a book on Paul's theology from which I went off and consulted a commentary.

All this from a single device - in this case an iPad.

I find it easy to forget how much we have readily available at our fingertips to help us in our study.

Graham

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317113#Comment_317113

Personally not like to write in books. Years ago, highlighted my Bible with many colors, then found my own highlighting distracting when looked at passage again. Thankful for digital highlighting that turned on or off, especially Logos Greek Morphology visual filters.

My dead tree collection of books is shrinking while my Logos digital library is growing. Anticipating wallet [:'(] next week with private sale; looking forward to learning and growing more.

Likewise looking forward to Logos 4 and mobile app improvements. Thankful for awesome Bible Study capabilities.

Keep Smiling [:)]

David Oxtoby

For myself, having now had to move a few times, i resolved to give away all my paper library (as much as possible) and to only have digital. I've found the best solution for reading and note taking is to use a Windows Tablet Laptop, that allows me to swivel the screen into tablet mode, and then use Logos alongside OneNote, so i can write, copy/paste, and read with great ease and little problem, and as the laptop i have has a very good screen, then there is little eye strain. This so far is the best solution i've found.

Likewise, i was building up my paper version of NICOT/NICNT, but just took the plunge with the Christmas Credit and went for the whole set digitally, and will happily give away my paper copies.

David

Donovan R. Palmer

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317193#Comment_317193

Personally not like to write in books. Years ago, highlighted my Bible with many colors, then found my own highlighting distracting when looked at passage again. Thankful for digital highlighting that turned on or off, especially Logos Greek Morphology visual filters.

For years I would not touch a pen to a book. However, I have learned that I retain and digest information much faster if I mark up text and make notes to myself. Where i figure this out was when I experimented with some of the Precept Bible study techniques. It was tough though. I love to keep my books in immaculate condition, but I came to the conclusion that they are an instrument of learning and I need to utilize them as best as possible to achieve this end. I know that marking them up does not help with resale value and you are completely correct that on the second pass through, it can distract.

All that being said, I am hoping that using an iPad will allow me to do this more efficiently and turn on/off if need be. Can't wait until the 3 comes out!

George Somsel

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317142#Comment_317142

you look like a sandwich board advertisement

I don't think I've ever seen anyone with an actual sandwich board, and the last I remember seeing a representation of one was in an old Popye cartoon—"Well, dearie, you're much older than I." [:D]

Buy Rabbi Epstein's Kosher Dill Pizza (not so cool. is it? )

[;)]

That depends—did you refrigerate it?

Jim VanSchoonhoven

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317221#Comment_317221

I liked the feel of paper books and reading from books, I grew up knowing only this,but after many years I now read on my netbook or tablet and I love it!

And there are so many advantages to having my books this way that I no longer miss the paper books!

A few advantages are... I can have so many books with me. I can find information in them so quickly. I can get new books quickly. I can take better notes and mark my books better. I live in the country, with electronic books I have access to so many more books than in my local store, every day is like Christmas.

Either can be taken away, so I just look at which allows me the most use of my books now and electronic books wins.

Rev. Dr. Aaron Kesson

When it comes to working this out in my own mind, I look at the individual resource I am looking at purchasing. I have found that I do not like reading straight through electronically (although I am making some strides there!), but that for other resources like lexicons, dictionaries, and commentaries, and even more robust reference works, the electronic version cannot be beat insofar as relative cost and ease of use for searching, marking, etc.

The biggest issue for me is the inability to sell any electronic works (although, once again I have not had the deep desire to do so!)

Kenneth Neighoff

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317230#Comment_317230

For the last ten years I have gone strictly electronic. I only buy hardcopy books, when they are not available in electronic format. Over the past year, I have gone strictly electronic, using the IPad to preach and teach Sunday School from.

Bill Moore

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317181#Comment_317181

It's not always an easy transition. One of the benefits of paper is that it is so easy to mark up. I mark up all my books... yes, I can do that on Logos, but not as quickly.

Regardless, I am making the transition myself. When the iPad 3 comes out, I plan to get one and go pretty much digital on all fronts for reasons already stated in this forum. In my line of international work, it is the ONLY way I can have access to a library. Logos is precious to me in this regard.

Agreed. If the resolution on the iPad 3 is as rumored, it will be great for reading. Since I bought an iPhone 4S, I've enjoyed the capability of accessing most of my Logos library wherever I happen to be.

Paul-C

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317256#Comment_317256

Agreed. If the resolution on the iPad 3 is as rumored, it will be great for reading.

Bill, the resolution of the first gen. iPad and iPad 2 is already more than sufficient for reading Logos resources!

David Kirk Davis

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317222#Comment_317222

I had Logos ten years ago on my desktop ten years ago but quickly disliked reading at the desk. I gave up for ten years and stumbled across Logos this Thanksgiving again. I quickly learned it was iPad compatible and took the plunge for Portfolio. When I found an old CD with a serial number I called customer service and activated not only that disk but all the others I activated ten years ago including 53 volumes of the Word Biblical commentary. I am completely sold on digital. I just purchased the Christmas Master collection and got a 500 refund for other books I bought this month. Happy to be at the 50 percent credit level and I am going to have a fun shopping spree in January for free! Logos is really awesome.

nicky crane

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317262#Comment_317262

I actually prefer straight reading on iPad or Kindle, rather than books. I recently spent a month in Germany and returned with only 5 new books, unheard of for me. 3 of them were written or partly written by friends, one was about a friend, and one was a calendar of jokes. None of them available electronically! Thios also saved me having to pay excess baggage ( helped by the fact that the girl weighing me in didn't look TOO closely at the scales,and that the airline generously doesn't have a weight limit on cabin baggage!. OK, I had laptop, iPad and Kindle, all in cabin baggage, and room for my books as well. Otherwise I just had Greek Testament. I leave my Hebrew-English parallel text Bible at home when travelling and read that from Logos.

At home I read my Bible in book form, but use iPad for checking out cross references from Greek Testament.. I read Logos books on vyrso, commentaries on Logos app, unless I want to flick through from one commentary to another to try to shed light on a verse I find difficult. Then I sit up to the laptop.

I much look forward to the time I shall have prayer lists synced to iPad.

Today when I was reading NT I tried to flick to the next page as you do on the iPad!

Happy Christmas everybody, and enjoy those nice Christmas presents from Logos and vyrso!

Armin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/23493#Comment_23493

...

However, I do worry that all the investment will disappear one day if the books are not in a universal format. That I always worry about. What if Logos folds one day? What if technology changes and policies at Logos changes etc and my books are no longer available to me? What if Microsoft makes major decisions and Logos is not able to continue to offer books or run their library? What if...what if...

...

I completely agree. This is also one of my concerns. I am spending lots of money on my Logos library and don't know if I can still use it in 10 years. Having a "real" book means that my great-grandchildren can still use them. But I am pretty sure that they won't be using Logos any more.

Armin

Josh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317288#Comment_317288

I completely agree. This is also one of my concerns. I am spending lots of money on my Logos library and don't know if I can still use it in 10 years. Having a "real" book means that my great-grandchildren can still use them. But I am pretty sure that they won't be using Logos any more.

Armin

I've been thinking about this lately and have come to a few conclusions about my digital library.

1. It can never be stolen or damaged. If my house went up in flames tomorrow, I would still have my library.

2. Paper books get old and start to fall apart. You mentioned being able to pass on your paper books to your great-grandchildren, but would they even want your old and shelf-worn books by that time? A digital library stays technically brand-new forever. How many of your great grandfathers books do you own and use regularly?

3. Logos is the leading Bible software company - by a long shot! They are not going anywhere. Every year they have tremendous growth, even in our poor economy. Not many companies can say that!

4. My digital library is ridiculously portable. I can be sitting at Starbucks and have 1,000's of my books at my fingertips (on my iPad). Try doing that at Starbucks with your paper books.

5. My digital library (with Logos 4) saves me a ridiculous amount of time. Within less than two minuets I can have ALL of my commentaries opened to a single passage. Try doing that with paper books.

Philana Crouch

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317400#Comment_317400

2. Paper books get old and start to fall apart. You mentioned being able to pass on your paper books to your great-grandchildren, but would they even want your old and shelf-worn books by that time? A digital library stays technically brand-new forever. How many of your great grandfathers books do you own and use regularly?

I would point out that new books can do the same...so digital is even better. My Begining Greek textbook from college was so poorly bound that everyone in my class had their book split apart (it was glued to the binding). It's now available in Logos, I wish it had been when I took the class. Also since the liscence can be transfered your great-grandchildren can use them.

Blessings!

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/317404#Comment_317404

My Begining Greek textbook from college was so poorly bound that everyone in my class had their book split apart (it was glued to the binding). It's now available in Logos, I wish it had been when I took the class.

Thankful for Logos Greek Morphology visual filter highlighting that can highlight verbal moods and tenses in a passage.

From a technology perspective, Thankful for virtualization so can use Logos 4 offline and not need to upgrade operating system.

Keep Smiling [:)]