As a science enthusiast and gadget geek, I will generally move towards any new piece of everyday technology that makes life a little closer to the hyper-futuristic 21st century envisaged by the sci-fi writers of a few decades back. (In an ideal world, these bits of technology will also make life a little easier, more convenient and fun to boot.)

Where books are concerned, my low-tech alter ego consistently wins out. Although it seems like a combination of electronics, sleek gadgetry and a well-written book would satisfy both the book fan and the tech fan in me, I'll take a real paperback novel over a digital eBook reader every time.

The two current options for accessing an eBook, however, are: sitting at your computer or laptop, scrolling or mouse-clicking to flip simulated page or using a dedicated reading device like the Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader. Neither of these options are going to match the traditional method of reading books in terms of convenience, price or enjoyment.

I can read a 'real' book anywhere I like, far from a mains power supply and with no concerns about when my laptop battery is going to run out or my digital book reader will need a recharge. I can take a seven quid paperback with me on the train, read it on the bus, even brandish it in the street without much worry about it being nicked - I can't say the same of a digital reading device.

For maximum cliché value, I can read a proper book in the bath. If I drop it, the worst outcome is some soggy pages rather than the watery destruction of a decent gadget (coupled, of course, with potential electrocution had I been fool enough to actually take my laptop into the bathroom).

I can drop a paperback (or a hardback, come to that) from a great height and it remains readable. I can bend it, crease it, fold page corners over and there is no real harm done. If I were to drop Sony's Digital Reader onto a hard surface, I doubt it would fare quite as well.

Finally, when I am finished reading a book I might pass it on to a friend. A finished eBook would only be shareable should digital rights management allow for it and if the friend in question had an appropriate book-reading device.

Alternatively, the book would join the collection on my bookshelves. Although some people might appreciate the space freed up by putting your entire library onto a hard disk, I'd prefer to have my favourite books sitting there, inviting me back for a re-read.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not out to question the worth of archiving and preserving the world's literature in free, accessible digital libraries. Project Guterberg has undertaken valuable work, making 20,000 texts and 100,000 books available online, and I appreciate that. But I remain to be convinced that the day will come when people will mostly opt for the digital book reader over a hard copy of the same novel.