Quote Originally Posted by Scott
I much prefer a bound copy - and I do make notes in books. If I buy it, then it is something that I plan on keeping; if I do end up passing it on, then maybe the notes will come in handy for the new owner (especially if it relates to footnotes on similar topics elsewhere that were never an original part of the book).

PDF versions tend to burn my eyes out quick and Howard is definitely correct about finding points of interest and skipping the 'in between'; I find myself doing that alot with electronic copy and not something I do with bound media.

S
Reading most anything at a terminal is bad for the eyes and other body parts.

Once one knows a topic to some degree, then looking up bits and pieves online can be cost effective.

Alas, many delude themselves into not buying books because they believe it is less expension to find things online.

As far as writing in books is concerned, I had a very bad incident in my youth.

I loaned a textbook for a course to a very good friend. Tho he said that he would not write in the book, he wrote all over the thing.

Because of that single incident, I will NOT write in a book nor will I loan a book to anybody!

As far as I know my old friend is still alive, he is a well known professor at a large university.