In the recent past, many people declined to read electronic books because of the eye strain that can result from staring at a computer screen all day. The development of the e-ink display was a big breakthrough, making eReaders as easy to read as actual books. The pages of books and e-ink screens both require a little light to be seen. As CNET notes, they are both easy to read outdoors and pleasing to the eye.
While the precise dimensions of books and eReaders vary, both are designed to be held comfortably. You can leave both of them in a place that allows you to read while working with your hands. For example, you can leave a cookbook open on the kitchen counter while you prepare a recipe. An eReader allows you to do the same. Be careful; just as you need to keep cookbooks away from the stove, you should keep your eReader away from the sink or anywhere else it might get wet.
Discussing a book with a friend can add a lot to your experience of the story. You can lend a paperback or hardcover book to anyone you like, so long as they promise to give it back. Depending on the kind of eReader you have, it can also prove easy to lend electronic books to your friends. As Barnes and Noble points out, the Nook eReader's LendMe feature allows you to share entire books. According to Matthew Miller of zdnet.com, to use the LendMe feature you simply find a book and choose "Lend" from the touchscreen menu. After you input your friend's name and email address, she is notified that she has the option to borrow the eBook for fourteen days.
Even though the design of a real book can't change, both books and eReaders feature pages that employ text and images to communicate meaning. There are some facts, for example, that are hard to communicate in prose. In these cases, a well-designed chart can make the information easier to digest.
It may be challenging to believe that writers from the past such as Sophocles, Shakespeare and Goethe could have conceived of a device like an eReader. On the other hand, these writers had great imaginations and probably shouldn't be underestimated! Both books and eReaders share the written word. This powerful tool allows knowledge to be communicated across the ages. In fact, these two media let you read words that were written hundreds -- or even thousands -- of years in the past.