Even though I learned most of what I know from the Internet, I personally still enjoy using a real book as guide. We got lazy, I think, because it’s a lot easier to keep sitting behind the keyboard and to read something.

I use ebooks to see if the hard copy will be worth buying. I have to admit that I download some ripped ebooks, just to see what it holds. But if I find valuable information in this ebook, I buy the hard copy.

Somewhere on my computer I have a copy of Bulletproof Web Design, by Dan Cederholm (aff). That was one of the books that helped me a lot with creating XHTML/CSS website that look the same in any browser, even in IE6. I bought the hard copy. I keep it close by for situations when I need to look up something , because it takes more effort and time to look for the book on my hard drive, open it in Acrobat Reader, then scroll through it to find what I’m looking for. Once I’ve read the hard copy I know exactly where the information, that I’m looking for, is. So it’s easier to just pick up the book and find the right section.

The question of whether to use an ebook or a hard copy is a personal one. It’s up to you to decide which one is better for you. But it’s very important for a web designer to have reference somewhere close by.