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Subject:Re: PDF v paper From:David Dubin <David_Dubin -at- BESTSOFTWARE -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 16 Dec 1998 08:21:20 -0500
David Thompson asked why a need exists for a paper doc if one can view a
PDF file onscreen.
There is a real answer to that question, and it deals with the difference
between generations of adult learners. My generation (baby boomers) and
those older than I were trained to from a sheet of paper, with the book as
the ultimate learning device. The "flow" of a book is comfortable for us
and there is an holistic relationship between the words on a page and the
pages in a book. Reading from a screen is disjointed and does not permit
the same flow as a book.
While PDFs emulate the book metaphor, it is not the same. Despite the fact
that I consider myself entirely computer literate (I can even solve
problems), I need to review work and edit on paper. I can scan information
on screen, but not "learn" it or study it in depth.
Younger generations are more accustomed to the monitor and to seeing
information scroll along, so "reading" information and learning from PDFs
on screen is much easier.
I look forward to interesting rebuttal to this postulation.
