Simple clear advice in plain English

Why bookshelves and photo albums still beat Kindles and iPhones

The smell of a new book is reason enough to approach the Kindle with caution

books

Are we becoming more digital? The odious trend to suggest people can't exist without a slab of glass, plastic and apps bolted to their hand has left me scrabbling for the analogue.

That's why I use a notepad and pen, why I send off pictures to be printed so I can put them in albums. For all that technology has given us, it doesn't half take away.

One of my favourite things about my childhood, much as I'd never admit it to him, was my father's tendency to walk around with a Pentax camera swinging from his neck.

Over the years we accumulated a vast library of pictures, all arranged into albums. Every so often I feel compelled to rummage through these albums. For all the pictures taken on Instagram using an iPhone, how many end up being printed and put into albums?

On my bookcase is an old, dog-eared copy of the complete works of Shakespeare given to me by my grandfather. I used it when I was at university and it still takes pride of place in my lounge today.

I can't imagine a point in the future where I give my grandson a Kindle filled with my favourite books. Nor can I imagine handing over an external hard-disk loaded with photos. While I do own a Kindle I still believe that there is little point in commiting everything to digital.

For me, analogue still wins out. Even if I have used a computer to write this on the internet. Bugger.

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