Swipe or Flip?

There are people who are hardcore lovers of the actual book. They love the smell of books and they live for the smoothness they feel when their thumbs feel the pages of the book. They've vowed not to use an e-reader because it's an "abomination" to reading. There are also people who prefer the handiness of an e-reader. They carry them around and conveniently whip them out whenever they have spare time to read. They think it's better to have all of their books in one gadget.

I'm a bit of both. Personally, I find e-readers more convenient and accessible. You can just purchase a book online and read it on the e-reader. It's easier than going to town to buy an actual book. It saves time (and even money, since some eBooks are cheaper) and it's quite nice to have all of your books in one object. You don't have to build bookshelves anymore. 

But e-books have a downside, too. One: you need to charge them, thus cutting away your reading time. Two: your eyes will suffer from the brightness. Unless you have low light (which isn't recommended. I mean, you do need light to read.) your eyes will quickly strain from reading. Three: getting into comfortable positions with e-readers is tough. You can't roll on your back because it might fall on your face. Ouch. Four: you can't smell the book, which is the worst.

I love actual books, as well. It makes the reading experience complete. Actual books are lovely because you can feel the story - literally, and I think that's something that can't be easily replaced. They are also better if you're the type of person to scribble stuff down on your books. And unlike e-readers, actual books won't need charging. But like e-readers, they have cons. Actual books will "age" if not taken care of, and they are quite bulky if you want to carry them around. 

I guess you can't really choose between swiping and flipping, since they're both wonderful in their own ways. I actually use both of them and I always end up feeling the same. I always feel satisfied with what I read and I don't mind which one I use. It's really all in the story and immersing yourself in it.

What about you? Do you use an e-reader or the actual book?