What do you prefer?

[greenfinger]

After visiting Patrick Breen's Oregon State University Landscape Plants I wrote: "I think this website is a good example how this medium can replace textbooks. Speaking as a bibliophile I like books (=material I can hold in my hands and handle immediately), but I take my hat off for this project. Chapeau! Very instructive. I'm sure I will use it frequently."
Can the internet banish the botanical handbooks? Do we still need books now or in the near future if we have such extensive information on our screen? Or do you like the scent, flavour of the old and new books?

[ideasguy]

Even with the internet, books are still the primary source of information in our schools. I think there will always be a place for our beloved books.

The internet gives a very different interface to information. Every designer has his/her own ideas and will come up with different presentations.
However, no matter how slick it is, no matter how "user friendly" it is, no matter how fast it delivers the pages, I dont think it will ever replace a good old collection of hand picked books.

You can pick up a book, and fan the pages to get a view of every page in the book in about 1 second! Try that on a web site!

Advantage of the internet over books?
Search engines
Hyperlinks
Updates
An unbelievable wealth of information on just about ANYTHING
Free

Advantage of books
Much more relaxing, not in ANY way stressful.
No viruses, snooping adware or disc crashes. A cosy way to end the day

"A book at bedtime" is here to stay.
The internet is very much here to stay, until it is replaced with something else even more awesome and mind blowing.

I love them both.
If pushed? I'd say I prefer the internet. It just keeps on getting better.

[greenfinger]

You've made a good synthesis of the two media, George. I know the internet can give me other and in a lot of ways more info than my library can, but I'll be always addicted to my books and their smell. I don't wait for the evening to take them in my hand and actually read them. But be aware: like Montaigne wrote in his Essays: to much reading can make a man melancholic. I think this is true. From time to time one has to let the book behind oneself and go in the garden for a fresh nose.

[Kew]

GF has my wholehearted support on this one. The smell of a new book; Mmmm...gosh, as a printer of by-gone-days I really miss that smell. B-b-but...the smell of books today is not the same....there is no...how can I say it...there is no body in the smell, and I actually sneeze when I smell the pages of a new book today. (another 'but' coming up.....) But, I still love the feel of something solid in my hands and I would never, never part with some of the friends that have taught me so much over so many years...No, I like the internet but I love my books.

[NightHawk]

Well, from a personal viewpoint I much prefer to have a good solid book in my hand.

The Internet is great, and can pretty much answer any question you may have.  I use the Internet a lot to research certain subjects, but when it comes to something I am passionately involved in then I like to be able to just sit down quietly and read through a book.

I spend a lot of my time at the computer, and would not be without it, but there comes a point when I say enough is enough, and it takes second place to the 'book' version.

Laurie.

[Palustris]

I just lurve books!

[ideasguy]

Nothing better than a nice Gardening book!

I noticed we had replied to one on Kew's postings. I sent him an email, and got a very quick reply.
He had a computer crash, then an illness. You'll be pleased to know he's on the mend and is in the process of looking up a password reminder for the forum.

[NightHawk]

That's good news George.

I'd been looking through some of the older Topics today, and this was one I thought was worth reviving.

At the back of my mind I was thinking that it could kick-start some of the previous contributors to come back in again.

Let's hope that in this case we get Kew back. 

Laurie.