Why Kindle (and the other E-book readers)?

chinaco said:
Do you know which of the readers is best for epub and overdrive?
Click to expand...

I have a Sony Touch PRS-600 reader, and I use Overdrive through my public library to borrow and download epub books to it. The check out and return features are very easy, I was amazed at how simply it worked. It's NICE when things are that simple!! I don't know if the Touch is the "best", but it does work well, and I've been very pleased with it so far.

Charlotte
 
haha said:
I am a little confused to imagine that someone would feel that trying to decide on a reader format would mean that that person would never again read a physical book, or go in a library or bookstore or used book store.

It's a ~$200 purchase, but not a wedding. :)

Ha
Click to expand...

But much like a wedding, the newness wears off, and you go looking for a newer model with better features... :whistle:
 
plex said:
If someone happens to already have a netbook, I can't really think of any practical reason to have an e-reader. Netbooks are similar in weight, price and portability. Netbooks only allow for landscape reading, but they also have a lot more functionality. The biggest plus for netbooks though, is the complete openness of a netbook, what you place on your netbook, and your information, is yours, it will not get erased later or have the data be untransferable, this is the main reason I will likely never buy an e-reader.
Click to expand...


i've used both for reading books (ipad and a netbook) and the ipad was
markedly nicer for reading on the couch etc. I don't think i would get
one *just* for book reading though, unless like others mentioned i was doing
a lot of mobile reading and wanted a more than.. say 4.. books at once

i don't see myself ever putting up with reading books on a netbook
extensively.
 
mh said:
i've used both for reading books (ipad and a netbook) and the ipad was
markedly nicer for reading on the couch etc. I don't think i would get
one *just* for book reading though, unless like others mentioned i was doing
a lot of mobile reading and wanted a more than.. say 4.. books at once

i don't see myself ever putting up with reading books on a netbook
extensively.
Click to expand...
I agree with this -- I just don't read books on my netbook. I don't feel comfortable on a chair or couch reading my netbook for long periods because it is heavy for reading and the screen is further from my face.

And a netbook and a reader definitely don't weigh about the same. In fact, the Kindle 3 is just 8.5 ounces (less than a paperback). This is about 20% of the weight of a netbook (2.5 pounds), and 33% of the weight of an Ipad (1.5 pounds). Plus, pricing on dedicated readers has just plummeted. I just bought a Kindle 3 for $139, including taxes and shipping. And I expect my next one to be much better and to only cost $99 or less.

Kramer
 
  • Like
Reactions: W2R
I'm looking forward to reading from my iPod touch on camping trips. No more headlamp or book light.
 
I've been doing a lot of reading on the iPad lately and have gotten very very used to it. I've read some on the iphone (mostly at the gym on the exercise cycle) but for long reading usually use the ipad.

The other day I came across my neglected Kindle and stuck it in my purse. I was somewhere and didn't have my ipad so pulled out the Kindle to read.

On the one hand, it's lightness was really heavenly. I realized that while I had gotten used to the greater weight of the iPad the lightness of the Kindle is very attractive.

On the other hand, I was somewhere that had light that wasn't all that bright and the Kindle was harder to read than the ipad would have been. The Kindle is readable in non-bright light but just not very pleasant.

Also the Kindle (I have Kindle 2) seemed strangely small compared to the ipad. It seemed closer to reading on the iphone than the ipad in terms of size. Not a deal breaker but something that I did notice.
 
Martha said:
My problem with the Kindle is the ease of buying books. :(
Click to expand...

There are so many excellent free Kindle books, from Amazon itself. Today I got 5 Jane Austen Books. Last week I got "Can You Forgive Her", one of Anthony Trollope's Palliser Series and one of my favorite bedtime stories.

A book may be free one day, then later no longer free, so I am not sure how that works just yet.

Incidentally for those who might be interested in hearing Jeff Bezos talking about the Kindle, Charlie Rose Interviewed him earlier this summer and it is available at Charlie Rose - Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO, Amazon.com

Ha
 
Katsmeow said:
On the one hand, it's lightness was really heavenly. I realized that while I had gotten used to the greater weight of the iPad the lightness of the Kindle is very attractive.
Click to expand...

I began reading a very long and heavy hard bound book the other day, printed in very small type. It was hard for me to hold after being spoiled by the lightness of my Kindle plus the small font of the book was killing my eyes. I ordered the same book for my Kindle for $1.60 or so and now I'm much more comfortable reading the book.
 
Does anyone know what might be better for the eyes, whether it is kindle, iPad or an old-fashioned book?
 
It really depends. Personally I find the iPad better since I can change the display to be brighter or less bright. I can get it just right.

Some people feel the iPad has too much glare and like the lack of backlight in the Kindle. The negatives there are you can't read in the dark without some external light and if the room has dim light reading can be difficult.

Suggest trying out both if you can.

Both are better for me than a regular book.
 
Best Buy carries the Sony reader and in passing I stopped and took a quick look at those today.

It seemed the print was pretty big on a small screen and would require a lot of "page turns" , which happened pretty slowly and with some flicker. Is this the norm for these electronic readers?
 
Snidely Whiplash said:
Best Buy carries the Sony reader and in passing I stopped and took a quick look at those today.

It seemed the print was pretty big on a small screen and would require a lot of "page turns" , which happened pretty slowly and with some flicker. Is this the norm for these electronic readers?
Click to expand...

The Kindle is quick, and I have the old one. My battery seems to be failing though.

Ha
 
Snidely Whiplash said:
Best Buy carries the Sony reader and in passing I stopped and took a quick look at those today.

It seemed the print was pretty big on a small screen and would require a lot of "page turns" , which happened pretty slowly and with some flicker. Is this the norm for these electronic readers?
Click to expand...
Not sure about other e-readers but on DW's Kindle the font size is user selectable. Hers turns pages briskly, with no flicker.
 
Re: which is easiest to read

If I recall, Kindle is about 167 pixels per inch and the Ipad 132. Not sure what a paperback is, 300? Although I have seen some sloppy paperback printing. A paperback would have higher contrast, the Ipad the least.

I think the ease of reading is in this order for default font size:

Paperback, Kindle, Ipad

But for the latter 2, you can adjust font and font size to fit (although Kindle 3 only has 3 fonts). In low lighting, I think Ipad would be better. But print on Paperback and Kindle much clearer, higher pixel density plus black and white (no RGB pixel division which lowers contrast). I have seen close up pictures of a couple pixels comparing Ipad and Kindle, and it is not even close, Kindle is way better.

On page turn speed, the Kindle 3 is 20% faster than Kindle 2. According to the forums, the quick page blanking only bothers beginners. Everyone else is used to it and doesn't think anything of it (in fact, Kindle 2 owners apparently don't really value the page turn speed increase, it is just not an issue). I'll let you know after I get mine! :)

Kramer
 
kramer said:
But print on Paperback and Kindle much clearer, higher pixel density plus black and white (no RGB pixel division which lowers contrast). I have seen close up pictures of a couple pixels comparing Ipad and Kindle, and it is not even close, Kindle is way better.
Click to expand...

Personally I think the print is much clearer on the iPad. Maybe it is just how I have it set up but for me there is no contest that the iPad is clearer and easier to read.

That said, the thing that the Kindle does have that is way better than the iPad is size and weight. There are places where I don't want to use the iPad to read (say I was standing in line somewhere) but where I would use the Kindle quite easily.
 
I am an avid reader but I have a major problem in that I am very allergic to the dust on older books as the paper ages. When I go to the library I have to stay out of the sections that have old books.

I plan to buy a Kindle as soon as I find out when the next generation will come out. I only need an 3 reader for reading books.

Norm
 
Thanks to both Kramer and Katsmeow for your insight. Kindle 3 sounds very interesting.
 
When this thread began I was lukewarm about the Kindle. Then one was given to me and now I am sold. Just came back from sunbathing in the park. The screen is completely clear in bright sun. When I am on my back it is light enough to hold up at arm's length and block the sun from being directly in my eyes. It is small and light, I keep it in a manila envelope in the map pocket of my rucksack. And I love the feature where it automatically bookmarks where I last finished reading.

Best of all, while the Seattle library has a limited selection of Anthony Trollope's books, I can find pretty much all of them free or cheap on the Kindle.

Question- is there a way to bookmark a passage you really like to come back later and fetch a quote?

Ha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

braumeister
Kindle fans?
2 3
Replies
56
Views
2K
tulak
T
sengsational
Dumbest Booking Error
2 3
Replies
60
Views
3K
sengsational
sengsational
T
Literally: Life After Fire
2 3
Replies
62
Views
3K
Koolau
Koolau
sengsational
Medigap Shopping: Closing the Book & Rate Increases
2 3
Replies
71
Views
3K
CRLLS
C
M
I Can't Read Long Books, Part 2
Replies
5
Views
492
braumeister
braumeister

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom