> But now a year later I've never read any paper books, all the books I've read are ebooks.

This is the most mind-blowing thing I've read on HN. It really makes me appreciate generational differences.

I'm around 40 and haven't read a physical book since the Kindle came out. Same goes for most the people around me (including parents and older friends). I think I know one single person who reads physical books, and they're a collector/enthusiast.

I don't think it's generational rather just some people "clicked" with ebooks and some didn't.

I couldn't live without search, saving passages, device handover, hold-click dictionary/wiki (so good for setting the image in your head if the book mentions a city/country you haven't been). I read maybe a few physical books a year before, now I read a novel or 2 a week, almost every week, and carry my kindle absolutely everywhere since they launched (have worn out 3).

I mentioned it in another comment, but it really seems as though the expected outcome (kids have kindles and older people have real books) is exactly the opposite. Every older person I know who reads uses a kinlde or other device, and people that are younger I see either don't read at all or read paper.

It doesn't surprise me, because the younger generation seem to be getting tired of technology. It is something they're expected to be on for fun, social connection, and work, so it's not a stretch to imagine they want some time off.

All of my hobbies were on computers, and it has been a real struggle being in the software industry when my social and leisure time also involves sitting at a computer.

I have taken to grabbing a book, leaving the phone at home and finding somewhere to read.

I agree that's it's probably not entirely generational, but there is something to be said for growing up with 24/7 connectivity being the norm.

I really don't care for all the ebook features you mentioned, I just like the convenience and lack of weight of having hundreds of books in your pocket.

I do like the feel of a real book when actually reading it but don't mind reading books on my phone either.

I don't find there is that much convenience on having "hundreds of books in your pocket". Unlike music or films/series, most people are never reading more than two or perhaps three books at the same time and most books take days or weeks to finish (unless you are reading full time). Carrying a kindle is not that much more convenient than carrying a pocket book...

The question is where to store all your physical books though. I own hundreds of physical books (and that's after pruning the collection of books I have no desire to reread at some point). I prefer ebooks now because there's no issue of storage (plus being able to increase the font size is nice now that I'm approaching 50).

I've always read a book or two a week and I switched to ebooks just because they are so much more accessible and easier to carry. I used to dread being at the end of a book before something tedious like a doctors appt or long car ride. Now I just finish it and flip to another book or grab one off my calibre server.

I also never looked back after discovering Kindle.

Features I cannot live without are adjustable font size, the backlight (can only speak for PaperWhite model) and the builtin book-store.

The ability to get so many books I never knew existed made me switch. I still prefer a book but the advantages of ebooks starts to outweigh the book. Ebooks have less of value/worth, not sure why. They feel more generic because the ereader presents content the same way. Carrying a book could lead to a chance encounter with someone who was reading the same book the way music t-shirts could connect similiar strangers in a large crowd.

I am about your age, and purchased the very first, original e-ink Kindle (with the free Sprint downloading and memory card slot).

However, I consistently buy "used" books via Amazon and other means, especially technical books.

It more blows my mind that there is a generation out there that's never read a paper book....ever

Most the hardcore older readers I know use e-books just because of the sheer number of books they churn through, yet all my mid twenties friends read paper books. For many a book is an escape from technology, having grown up with it 24/7 and working on it for 8 or more hours a day, anything to disconnect is good.

I've been a die-hard paper book reader, but ever since I got a kindle a year ago, I only consume e-books. I have much less book clutter in my apartment now, and I can get any book I want immediately.

I'm 27, I've only read ebooks in the past couple years as well. And over 6 years I've read maybe... 5-6 paper books.

Paper books are more expensive and I can't easily take them in the plane. I always have my kindle with me (even though I use it far less than I'd like). It has weeks of battery and it's always full of stuff I want to read but haven't. I also take great care not to put stuff in it I don't want to read otherwise it starts looking like my Steam games library.

It could also be a national divide.

I pretty much abandoned paper books when I got a Kindle on a vacation. Many years later, after moving to a country where I can find any book I want delivered to my doorstep in 2 days, I abandoned e-books and audiobooks.

You must be living under a rock then, because Amazon has sold millions of kindles. They are not all kids buying them.

Kindle causes me to read far more than I would otherwise. A few reasons:

- Hundreds of books fit in a space smaller than a single physical book

- Can read at night without an overhead light bothering myself or anyone else (and without blue light!)

- Can travel (and/or move houses) without books taking up space

- Can download a new book in five minutes vs going to the store or waiting for a delivery. This makes it much easier to start books

- Can come back to a book I bought three years ago while living in a totally different place

Getting a kindle was the best decision I ever made in terms of encouraging myself to read.

I read everything on my phone, because I don't want to carry another device. I sync things with my calibre server.

I use both (and Kindle books sync your position between devices). It's nice to read on your phone because it is always there. But it is just more comfortable to read on a e-ink screen both because of the size and the fact that things like sunlight don't wash out the screen.

With a black background and Yellow or off-white text I have less problems. I also have a night text that is orange-ish or brownish if it's really dark where I'm reading.

If you haven't already, why not get (or ask for) an e-reader with an e-ink display? Reading from paper or e-ink is a lot less detrimental to your eyesight. When reading in the evenings that has the benefit of not affecting your circadian rhythm as much (which normal screens tend to do).

I'm a bit skeptical of many of the claims that paper or e-ink in the evening has less effect on circadian rhythms than a normal screen does. What would be the mechanism for this?

One claim I've seen is that it is because they are frontlit rather than backlit. But to the photosensor cells that sense the light and report to the parts of the brain that control circadian rhythms, it should just be frequency and intensity that matters. Light of a given frequency and intensity should have the same effect regardless of whether it came from a frontlit or a backlit display.

I have noticed that the brightness I need to comfortably read a normal screen seems to be higher than the brightness I need to comfortably read paper. Perhaps that is the difference--we simply use less light with paper?

Or perhaps with paper, where we get to choose what light to use for our nighttime reading, and it is often done with a light dedicated specifically to that task, we tend to choose low blue lights?

> Or perhaps with paper, where we get to choose what light to use for our nighttime reading, and it is often done with a light dedicated specifically to that task, we tend to choose low blue lights?

An e-ink screen with light turned off should be similar to paper (a little less contrast than a book, perhaps, but higher than a "grey" newspaper).

And while we have a lot of terrible modern light sources, a regular glow lamp would be much warmer than a typical "white" led.

All I can say is if I read from my iPad or iPhone in bed, it can keep me up nearly indefinitely. If I read in my e-ink Kindle with a front light, I will get so sleepy so fast I can only get through a few pages each night.

I always switch my ereader to black background and yellow font during the day. At night I have an orange font if it's really dark, but usually I just dim the yellow font.

I hate reading black font on a white background, too bright.

Thank you for the advice. I am using app that blocks blue light(1) ( I am sure many people use it and it is famous already). Also great thing about using a phone is that of great apps that allow to listen to your books where you left off (2), also it has in-built dictionary for faster reading. And the speed reading apps (3). I don't think reading is any different from researching where you use a laptop to read research papaers.

1. Twilight, f.lux you name it. 2. (android only) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.prestigio.... - very great app, you can use widget to see your library also. You can use any TTS ( I use Google) to listen to the book.

3. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=azagroup.reedy

You can set speed, pause easily. A great app that is used for deliberate practicing speed reading skill. Increasing the WPM to an uncomfortable level. Also you can read before bed without having to turn next page.

Then again, you can probably afford to buy an e-ink reader by then.

Are you going to try to tell us you're worried about GP's sight and this comment isn't just here to feel superior in some way?

The average HN user probably spends 10-100x more times / day on avg than an average Kindle user who doesn't program/develop.

when does that happen? I'm 44 and I read ebooks almost exclusively.

Eye health requires active management, whether you are using screens or paper, with or without corrective lenses. It's not a foregone conclusion.

Also eInk displays are functionally no different to reading on paper and the phenomenon of eye trouble from people who engage in a lot of close focus work pre-dates the computer age by a lot.