Why do ebooks often mimic the layout of the printed page?

Question

I was recently editing a novel destined to be published primarily in e-book form, and made a list of pre-press instructions, to be followed when the final text is agreed upon. Some of these instructions were only needed *because* the text mimics the printed page, sometimes to the extent of having columns and fully-justified text. All the e-books I've read use pages. The text is laid out more or less like it would be on a printed page. Why is that? Why not use scrolling text? There are some advantages to laying out text like this: White space at the end of a chapter is a powerful indicator to the effect that *we're done with this bit*. Text looks professional and classy when it's laid out on a page. Why is this done? Is it just because users expect it? Or is there a deeper reason?

Answer 1

Let's look at this from a reader's perspective. If you are reading a series of text and it seams as if the paragraphs are endless, you'd like to see something as a sign of progress. Yes, certain e-books give you the option of reading the pages vertically for those who are speed readers, but the pages are there for breaking points where you can leave off. Without pages, a person can not cite a source for quotes--be it MLA, APA, or Chicago. Does this answer your question?