I can have thousands of books on my computer and I won't know it because they're invisible, so I read zero of them.

I have this same problem. I've bought a huge pile of eBooks -- sometimes because I get inspired to "get into" eBooks, and sometimes because I just crave the instant gratification -- but I always, always forget about them.

I wonder what it is about the folks who are able to "get into" eBooks. Logically, I know all the value props -- great for travel and general minimalism, easy to highlight and search highlights, better for the environment, etc, etc -- but, for whatever reason, I just can't get my brain to do the thing.

On balance, I think I'm okay with it. I spend an enormous portion of my real-estate budget on books, and, frankly... what else would I spend it on? That's one of the key things that it's for, if you ask me.

> "I wonder what it is about the folks who are able to "get into" eBooks."

I primarily use e-readers for reading pop fiction. I'm not bothered by their lack of physicality or impermanence for the same reason I don't have a problem with the impermanence of broadcast television; it's mass-market content meant to be enjoyed and forgotten.

Oh, that makes sense. I've never viewed books in this way -- or consumed that kind of book, really -- so I guess it was just a blind spot for me.

Thanks! One small part of the great mystery of the human condition, resolved. ;)

> I wonder what it is about the folks who are able to "get into" eBooks.

If you view a book as a one time use, disposable good, it's not hard. That sounds far more disrespectful than I mean it, but if you're the type of reader that's reading many things for pleasure (possibly multiple books a week) and will likely only read them once, they become more like I might view a TV show: something I want to consume conveniently and not necessarily catalog permanently. In that case, eBooks are great.

I find that online bookmarks and highlighting, even for web pages, often may as well be trashed. My memory is far too visual: out of sight = out of mind. A cabinet with a closed door that contains rarely-used goods? I may as well have thrown them out.

Beyond the presence and the permanence, there's also an interactivity that I love -- and that no eReader can even come close to.

I usually take a highlighter and a pen to most books these days. Interesting passages get marked up; the margins are perfect for capturing the related thought, realization of a tie-in to another book, and whatever else; and the growing forest of dog-ears helps me find my way back to harvest all the notes later.

(I'm actually really bad at going back and harvesting the notes into a useful digital format -- but I guess the presence of all of them on my bookshelf gives a nice safety blanket, you know? They're there, waiting for me.)

In my line of work I get asked about the future of books with some regularity. I've got a canned, slightly jokey response by this point, but one thing I point out is that the UI of a book is really very good. Part of it is that we've got a lifetime of experience interacting with it from a very young age, but books can be browsed easily, annotated, and scanned quickly. They have an excellent screen and are easy on the eyes and are quite responsive (generally slow load times in regular use). The search is lacking, but there are generally adequate workarounds for that.

This is the thing I miss most with a kindle. The flipping of pages, random seek to a approximate page etc. It is very useful to look back at headings, sections and figures.

True too. I have probably 20 books queued on my e-reader but I still would rather grab books off the shelf at the end of the night ...and then find myself back in them for days

And this seems true for many people. No one I know has sticked with their e-reader and Google searches for 'Kindle' have also only been decreasing the past years.

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=kindle

I thought maybe ‘ereader’ could show increased usage as the market has expanded, but It has even flatter trend line.

https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=kindle,e...

After I got my Gen 11 PWSE on release last year I've been using it nearly daily.

The warm, larger display is a game changer for me.

> Gen 11 PWSE

What does this mean?

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

I actually dislike the space-filling aspect, but greatly prefer a physical book. Any chance there's an alternative to a screen that delivers what you want, I say take it.

If you prefer physical books, join the library. Around here, it's really cheap (or even free, I forgot) for kids. Which is great!... till you turn 18. The adult fare is less government-sponsored and would need a regular reading habit to make it worthwhile. I like reading, but don't have any regularity.

I do intend to get my membership again. With current goings on I'm so busy that I just buy used books to read at my own pace, then sell back. Mind you that could remain the same indefinitely. You also need updated proof of residence to get your card.