I mean, books deteriorate, a file can be copied and backed up. There’s no doubt DRM-Free Ebooks are superior, right? Is there anything I’m missing?
I mean, books deteriorate, a file can be copied and backed up. There’s no doubt DRM-Free Ebooks are superior, right? Is there anything I’m missing?
Depends? You can also copy a book exactly (i.e. word for word, not photocopying), and digital media also deteriorates.
Digital media deteriorates faster in cold storage than a physical book, but is easier to copy.
Properly stored: CDs die anywhere between 10 and 30 years. Some flash drives last 10. Magnetic storage 10-20 years. Books hunders of years.
I’d say physical books are safer against deterioration because it can handle a few generations of “forgetting about it” while a digital copy needs regular backup maintenance.
It’s really easy now to scan an entire book with your phone. There are apps (eg Scanner Pro) that can take pictures of two pages at once and split them into individual pdf pages.
I done this with several books over the years. I place my phone on a tripod, point it down on a well lit book, and start scanning. A 300 page book might take about an hour to scan.