Why paperback? It has a paperfront too. Anyway, I choose ebook. Back in the old days there was never much of a choice; books were either hardcover or paperback but usually not both and I bought whatever was available.

I love mine as well (used Kindle Keyboard, but the previous owner had read like one book on it).

I haven't read so much in a decade as I have since I got that thing.

I know it's not THAT edition of the Necronomicon, but they have both the Simonomicon and the other one on the Chapters.ca website (I think that's the link) for relatively cheap if you want a hardcover edition. I want to get them to add to my occult text collection, I love books of all sorts. :D
That's how I am with my Kobo when I'm on trips, I usually keep doubles with an epub/pdf reader on my laptop so I can switch back and forth between the two.

Occult text collection - wow. I just like reading important works that left a mark in the history of literature.

LOL It's really nothing THAT spectacular, it's mostly just a shelf of everything from the Necronomicon (paperback), the Lost Books of Merlin, a bunch of Alchemy texts and books written on ancient practices of Pagan belief systems. I have a rather peculiar interest in Occult and Pagan mythology, actually I love most mythologies, to be honest.

I grew up reading a lot of that stuff. I always wanted to write really awesome fantasy and horror when I was younger (I idolized Lovecraftian horror and Lovecraft's Fantasy/Sci-Fi); shame I never really continued writing; I miss it sometimes.

Lol, yeah. When I was younger I also dreamed of a writer's career. Wrote about 350 pages of a fantasy novel and then came to the conclusion that it's crap. Although I still think that the part where a paladin decapitates another guy during a rape is pure gold. :B

For authors whose books I intend to keep in my collection until they plant me in the ground: hardcover. Otherwise it's paperback, which I'm rapidly moving to e-book format.

Paperback for the cheaper price and greater ease of storage unless I anticipate book to be like a bible to me (ex: my C++ standard library book).

However, I'm just bidding my time until a 10 to 15 inches screen e-reader enters the market at a decent price and then it will be digital books only whenever possible (read: whenever they are available in DRM-free format).

I know my needs are outside the norm (most people read only novels and want their e-readers to be palm sized) and I'll be waiting a while, but I'm very patient.

Almost always ebooks, either DRM free or liberated. I read on my iPhone, iPad and my Aluratek Libre Pro. If it has to be a physical copy then I prefer paperback.

I can't get used to using an ebook version of the Bible though. I'll stick to leather-bound for that.

For general reading I prefer paperback simply because of the size and weight. For my favoritest books ever, though, I prefer hardback because they last a lot longer. After I've reread a paperback book a bunch of times, the spine starts to get very weak and in some cases the glue holding the backing to the pages comes off completely, which is really irritating.

I haven't made the jump to ebooks yet, though, primarily because the prices aren't attractive enough yet, and the DRM-free selection is a hell of a lot narrower than I'd like.

Paperback, cheaper and takes up less space.

I say MORE dead tree editions, I want a library filled with the skins of their kindred filling the walls from floor to ceiling! Seriously though, as much I love the betterment of technology for creating a cleaner society to our world, books are one thing I think should never be gotten rid of. If the problem is the use of trees, find alternate means of paper, or even recycle books that are damaged to the point they would be thrown out.

Also, there is the unlikely but still possible scenario that they did this then some technological "hiccup" occurs and all those books would be lost. That's really something I don't think humanity can afford to happen. I know this is an unlikely case but it's always best to plan for the worst, hope for the best.

I do own an e-reader, and I do enjoy the lack of weight provided by loading books ON to said device, but personally to me books are history and something truly special. Now a reasonable compromise I think, would be to offer considerable discounts to eBook version of titles and say offer a printed version made available to those interested at an additional cost to have one fabricated.

To me there are far more other things the world needs to find alternatives to rather than ceasing book productions. Such as, alternative fuels, alternative power sources, getting the climate shift issues under control, etc... But, most of this is just my opinion, and that's my 2 cents... :)

Yes, I agree. Paperbacks are also lighter to carry.

I still either favor paperback or hardback over digital books, though. I like the whole experience of reading: smelling the paper, opening the book, flipping the pages, feeling the texture of the paper. It is not just an information source for me.

I appreciate the convenience of e-books, especially old, digitized out-of-print books that I've needed for research. I would have appreciated an e-reader in college, especially for reference books. My main complaint is that new e-books are only about a dollar less than the printed version. I understand it from a publisher's POV, but that is no incentive for me to buy it (yes, I'm saving trees, I know). I don't expect digital versions to be free, but certainly less than a printed book.

My true preference, really, is whatever copy I can borrow for free from my public library. Sometimes that is a digital copy, but generally not.

ETA: Theta_Sigma expressed many of my thoughts, just before I posted. I agree with the additional points mentioned.

While I generally dont find as many in bookshops, as a general rule I like hardcovers - the creases that paperbacks get just from taking them out with me can really drive me nutty; especially if it's one of my favourites!