Best Way to Read on a Flight - e-Reader or Hard Copy Print?

The emergence of e-readers such as the Kindle, iBook and the iPad offers alternative ways for reading books on planes, but do these devices replace print, and what alternatives are available for printed books?

Large format newspapers and larger magazines can be very awkward to read in a confined plane seat.

E-readers are great and are increasingly popular, but you will have to switch them off for take-off and landing and of course the battery may run out. So what are the best alternatives for reading on planes.

Electronic devices ( iPad, laptop or e-reader) are becoming increasingly popular with about 50% of people using them on planes including many children.

Most of the others were doing some old-fashioned talking, reading books, reading magazines newspapers or the in-flight magazines.

There has been a new twist on the classic book the 'Flipback' format for books which allows you to turn the pages vertically, which is easier in confined spaces.

Many people find the e-book much more convenient. It avoids having to stuff seven or more books into an overfull backpack.

You can fit 1000 books onto an e-book device which may weigh the equivalent of a single paperback.

Battery life can be a real issue, especially for the iPad on a long flight.

The screen size of iPods and iPhones can be a pain after a while and may cause eyestrain.

Many people are purist and still love books.

They still like turning the pages and even the dog-eared corners for keeping track of memorable quotes.

You can see the book on our book shelves after you've read them and this jolts the memory.

Hodder, the British book publisher, recently introduced the Flipback format that is pocket-sized and printed on very thin paper to save weight.

The text runs up and down so that you can flip the pages up, instead of left to right.

A special spine holds the book open at the page you are reading.

This book format has been very popular in the Netherlands, where they are known as Dwarsliggers and more one million books have been sold.

The titles are limited but the compromise may suit some people - its like a hard-copy e-book with no battery problems.

E-READER - They are various types and brands of e-readers available, including: Apple's iBooks, Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Nobles' Nook. Amazon recently reported it was selling one million e-readers a week.

IPAD - The iPad has restricted battery life due to the power-hungry LCD display. The display itself is superb and there are all sorts of options for formats and fonts.

LAPTOPS - Books can be read on laptops but they are not as convenient as e-readers.

FLIPBACK - This new book is pocket-sized, vertical book format - a paper back version of the e-book! It is a backflip!

IPHONE AND IPOD - You can easily download e-books onto your iPod, iPhone or Android smartphones, but the small screen is a definite disadvantage.

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