In the business and digital world, we often hear the terms hard copy and soft copy. Both actually have one common purpose and that’s presenting or storing written material and data. Knowing these differences may not change much on your view of these terms, but it will surely clear up some questions you might have. Source:
A soft copy (sometimes spelled "softcopy") is an electronic copy of some type of data, such as a file viewed on a computer's display or transmitted as an e-mail attachment. Such material, when printed, is referred to as a hard copy
Soft copy and hard copy both are good for record preservation. But hard copy is preferred as it cannot be edited. The reason for using soft copy at some places is as keeping backup is very easy.

Hard copy
In information handling, the U.S. Federal Standard 1037C (Glossary of Telecommunication Terms) defines a hard copy is a permanent reproduction, or copy, in the form of a physical object, of any media suitable for direct use by a person (in particular paper), of displayed or transmitted data. Examples of hard copy include teleprinter pages, continuous printed tapes, computer printouts, and radio photo prints. On the other hand, physical objects such as magnetic tapes diskettes, or non-printed punched paper tapes are not defined as hard copy by 1037C.

A file which can be viewed on a screen without printing it out is sometimes called a soft copy. The U.S. Federal Standard 1037C defines "soft copy" as "a non permanent display image, for example, a cathode ray tube display."

The term "hard copy" predates the age of the digital computer. In the process of producing printed books and newspapers, hard copy refers to a manuscript or typewritten document that has been edited and proofread, and is ready for typesetting, or being read on-air in a radio or television broadcast. This traditional meaning has been all but forgotten in the wake of the information revolution.
Is it dangerous to read from a screen?
In the early years of the railway, people were seriously concerned about how the speed (18 mph or 30 kmph) would affect the human body. The Lancet published a landmark series of articles about the dangers of railway travel to public health in 1862, and at the same time ‘railway spine’ became a common diagnosis.
New inventions do make our lives easier in many ways, but they can also cause worries and troubles – both actual and imaginary. The trains did most certainly cause distress when they first came along and so does new technology today.
These days, no one is diagnosed with ‘railway spine’, but we do get ‘iPad neck’, ‘computer vision syndrome’ and screen-related sleeplessness.
Computer vision syndrome, a temporary condition with symptoms like headaches, fatigue and strained and dry eyes, can be prevented by closing your eyes or looking away from the screen every now and then. Reading on newer tablets with higher pixel densities spares the eyes, too. As with any sedentary work, it is always good to take regular breaks to prevent strain injuries like iPad neck.
It can be advisable to shut off your screen a couple of hours before bedtime, even when you are ‘only reading’, because the blue light of the screen may suppress the body’s production of melatonin, and this can disturb your sleep. Other ways to reduce blue light could be switching to ‘night mode’ in your reading app or installing a programme on your device that makes the colour of the display warmer at night.


Is it more difficult to read from a screen?
Kretzschmar et al. did a study in 2013 that compared reading effort on three different media: a paper page, an e-reader (e-ink) and a tablet computer. They studied eye movement, brain activity and reading speed. The participants also answered a few questions to determine reading comprehension. The interesting thing was that all participants said that they preferred reading on paper, even though the study found no support for it being more effortful to read on digital media. On the contrary, the older participants read both faster and with less effort on the tablet computer, due to the back lighting giving a better contrast, and because of this being better for older eyes.
But why did all the participants still prefer to read on paper? The authors suggest that it is more about people’s attitude towards the digital media than the actual reading experience: ‘The present findings thereby suggest that the skepticism towards digital reading media … may reflect a general cultural attitude towards reading in this manner rather than measurable cognitive effort during reading.
A study was undertaken in 2013 with tenth-graders in Norway, where the students were divided into two groups. One group read two texts (1,400–2,000 words) in print and the other group read the same texts as PDFs on a computer screen. In the reading comprehension test that was administered, the students who read on paper scored significantly better than those who read the texts digitally. It was easier for those who read on paper to remember what they had read. Mangen et al. say that this is because paper gives spatio-temporal markers while you read. Touching paper and turning pages aids the memory, making it easier to remember where you read something. Having to scroll on the computer screen makes remembering more difficult.

Hard Copy
More expensive
Portability issues
Less chance of being preserved for a very long time
Physical in nature


Soft Copy
Less expensive
No portability issues
Can be preserved for a very long time
Logical in nature

Soft Copies are more exposed to privacy than hard copies

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boffinjay,evajael,jane1234f,fmartin,jagugu88li,michelle55,hormobolanle,gtin,akinwale14,adesina12,lilyjoe567

taniaa,samyfreshsmoothbossy512,mhizdherbee,miqos02,vicoch,samyfreshsmooth,edogistar,chiscodedon,mamindy,skubido

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finalboss,adesina12

talk2saintify:
boffinjay,evajael,jane1234f,fmartin,jagugu88li,michelle55,hormobolanle,gtin,akinwale14,adesina12,lilyjoe567

We would have different perspective to this..

Ever before I have access to electronics my hands used to glue to novels

Since I started reading online I found it more convenient..on iPad, phone computer ooohhh gush

I am writing a report at the same time attending to your question at moment

So online is my preference....but it damages vision...that is the disadvantage

Adesina12:


We would have different perspective to this..

Ever before I have access to electronics my hands used to glue to novels

Since I started reading online I found it more convenient..on iPad, phone computer ooohhh gush

I am writing a report at the same time attending to your question at moment

So online is my preference....but it damages vision...that is the disadvantage

I concur

I prefer reading hard copies

My dear.....I am very old fashioned okay. You wouldn't believe it if I told you my cousin think I dont that they call me "Ancient". I guess it started after they failed to convience me to open twitter, instagram and facebook. No watsapp.....only bbm because my number can be used only for important things......atleast I think so infact.

Back to the question........As much as I have access to the internet, I have hard copies in my house, starting from CD's, books, photo albums and all. See my decor. I recycle everything.

jagugu88li:
My dear.....I am very old fashioned okay. You wouldn't believe it I told you my cousin think I dont that they call me "Ancient". I guess it started after they failed to convience me to ooen twitter, instagram and facebook. No watsapp.....only bbm because my number can be ised only for imoortant things......atleast I think so infact.

Back to the question........As much as I have access to the internet, I have hard copies in my house, starting from CD's, books, photo albums and all. See my decor. I recycle everything.

lol

talk2saintify:
boffinjay,evajael,jane1234f,fmartin,jagugu88li,michelle55,hormobolanle,gtin,akinwale14,adesina12,lilyjoe567

I go with Adeshina12,I love novels a lot,so I have been reading hard copies before I joined Nairaland,hard copies are the best because all the episodes are there waiting for you,so you will read at once, but with phone you will wait for episodes and the light from phone damages eyes too,my eyes has been paining me since,but one thing with phone is that it is fun and it is always like interactive class because of the comments but hard copy is the best

talk2saintify:
biafran,bushboy,,,queen,itee,surestg,theblesse,dman,hadam.pson

I prefer online. I dont know of the others.

BiafranBushBoy:

I prefer online. I dont know of the others.

Seconded

talk2saintify:
boffinjay,evajael,jane1234f,fmartin,jagugu88li,michelle55,hormobolanle,gtin,akinwale14,adesina12,lilyjoe567

hmmm.. #Team Soft copy. Thanks fr the mention

Omo Na all join oo
both soft copy n hard copy n weak copy EVERYTHING GOES sofa d Tori sweet LOBATAN

miz ancient wehdon MA

Whocarex coman talk ya own

soft copy.... I have my reasons

talk2saintify:
boffinjay,evajael,jane1234f,fmartin,jagugu88li,michelle55,hormobolanle,gtin,akinwale14,adesina12,lilyjoe567

Although I love hard copies, online reading gives me the thrill

talk2saintify:
biafranbushboy,theblessedman,queenitee,surestg,theblessedman,hadampson

Hard copy because you have all the chapters completed already but online reading gives you this kinda suspense and excitement and also its interactive with all these gists. So lemme say both

hormobolanle:
Omo Na all join oo
both soft copy n hard copy n weak copy EVERYTHING GOES sofa d Tori sweet LOBATAN

miz ancient wehdon MA

Whocarex coman talk ya own

Na so jare. Whether na watery copy, all join.

queenitee:

Hard copy because you have all the chapters completed already but online reading gives you this kinda suspense and excitement and also its interactive with all these gists. So lemme say both

lol

okay

talk2saintify:
taniaa,samyfreshsmoothbossy512,mhizdherbee,miqos02,vicoch,samyfreshsmooth,edogistar,chiscodedon,mamindy,skubido

Hard copy because you have all the chapters
completed already but online reading gives you this
kinda suspense and excitement and also its
interactive with all these gists.
quinnitte said it all

finalboss:
soft copy.... I have my reasons

Please check your pm. I sent one

talk2saintify:
tani.aa,samyfreshs.moothbos.sy512,mhi.zdherbee,mi.qos02,vico.ch.,samyfre.shsmooth,e.dogistar,chiscoded.on,m.amindy,sk.ubido

soft copy rocks bruv............

It brings this satifying thrill, suspense and excitment

sometimes them writers tend to tak it way over the top sha

Definitely hard copies.

A true lover of books and reading will always prefer hard copies.

Hardcopy

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Ecodes accepted too

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270/1$ negotiable price.

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Different strokes for different people but my hard copy holds sway, i tend to get bored with e copies so i hardly complete them, then also the strain on the eye.

I am old school ooooo, hard copies work better for me. even when I write poetry I prefer to use pen and paper. just me though

Tbh you have more motivation to read when it's a physical copy

Reading on your phone or computer is convenient but you can get distracted easily, I have a set of 17 books I'm reading (that I should've finished a long time ago) but I get distracted easily by notifications, or even just a random 'itch' to do something else on my phone.