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

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

Ha
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You can select a passage and highlight it.
 
george76 said:
Does anyone know what might be better for the eyes, whether it is kindle, iPad or an old-fashioned book?
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As I have posted before my husband and I bought our kindles because we were having difficulty in reading printed text.

The e-book allows us to adjust the font to a size we are both comfortable with. That has eliminated the need to purchase magnifiers in order to read. Therefor for us "old fashioned" books are out. As far as the Ipad is concerned we just want to read books, nothing more, so a dedicated reader is all we need. I tend to read for long periods of time at a clip and a back lit screen is very uncomfortable.
We are still using the K1 and are fine with that. We see no need to purchase the later generation devices.

I am looking into getting a Sony reader so that I can access library books but I plan to do more research since I have some concern about the availability of books this way.
 
We love our Kindles

My wife and I both have Kindles. They have been very useful overseas. We can carry them with multiple titles anywhere we go, the beach, China, Bhutan, India, Egypt, Oman, etc. We have a little netbook too that we can keep up with banking online, news, etc. Kindle for PC lets you have all the same books on your PC. I like to have financial planning books on my PC, so I can capture good advice in a spreadsheet. But for pleasure reading the Kindle is by my bedside. For the future, I want to get rid of most of our paperbacks and hardcover books. I know from experience that there is nothing heavier than boxes of books. Even in the smallest container, they pile in there so easily, but when you have to pick up the boxes, it gets old very quickly if you have more than 5 boxes or so. In the spirit of a travelling lifestyle, we know we will have to get rid of most of them. So for us, the cost is ok, since we don't know of any libraries in most of the places we travel, and even if, they may not have books in English. The only drag so far, when you nod off, the kindle will hit you in the nose, its top heavy.
 
I don't know that I'll ever buy an ebook reader, but I love the song in the commercial for the Kindle.
 
I don't use a kindle to read ebooks. In the past I have used an ebook reader called a hiebook (came out in 2000, don't think it is sold anymore) was great until it took a 1 foot drop and the screen broke very disappointing. I have also used a palm pilot(didn't care for the software at the time). I have used multiple versions of pocket pc's and had no real issue except for battery life(which was getting alot better). Lately I have start using my ipod touch which is handy like the pocket pc's, you can download apps to directly access you B&N library, kindle and a few other ebook providers among other applications. I have also used a netbook, laptop and desktop computer which are all fine too.
In the end it really matters for battery life, weight and readability. I have found that most devices don't seem to have a long enough battery life for me(I will often find myself reading for 12-14 hours straight on my weekends if the book is good). The weight can be an issue since in certain position you will get tired more easily from holding the reader. Oh and sunlight readability is another issue, if the sun hits the screen on whether you can read it or not.

I even use alot of audiobooks.
 
My son pre-ordered the new Kindle and it arrived today. He got the one with WiFi and he loves it. I got a chance to handle it and I'm impressed.
 
Price for ebooks.

My understanding is that Amazon has tried very hard to establish $9.99 as the top price to pay for an ebook. This intuitively feels like the right price to me, the author gets a buck or two, as does the publish/editor and Amazon gets probably $3. I suspect that on per book basis everybody makes more than they do in the dead tree model.

At $10 I figure I am saving a $4-$5 over a typical hard book price (helps me rationalize the purchase). It kinda of bothers me that I can often get a paperback from Amazon for $7 or $8 vs $9.99 for an Ebook (and even a rare hardbook Sh*t my dad says) but the convenience is worth something.

However, I noticed that on the NY Time best seller list that perhaps half of the books were priced at $12.99 and even a few of my favorite sci fi books had Kindle prices at $15, which is only a buck or two below the hardcover version.

I decided that for me I am drawing the line at $9.99 for an ebook. I've written to Random House and told them I'll buy lots of ebooks at $9.99 and none at $10.

Anybody else feel similarly?
 
clifp said:
I decided that for me I am drawing the line at $9.99 for an ebook. I've written to Random House and told them I'll buy lots of ebooks at $9.99 and none at $10.

Anybody else feel similarly?
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I feel that way . The only books that I buy that cost more are Best sellers that have the "Lend Me "feature . That way I feel it brings my cost down to a reasonable amount . What I do not like is that unlike a regular book that after you buy a book you own and can lend it or sell it as I used to do . So the Publishers have to be rolling in money with the ebooks and I truly hope an e book war starts to drive down prices .
 
avengerki said:
I don't use a kindle to read ebooks. In the past I have used an ebook reader called a hiebook (came out in 2000, don't think it is sold anymore) was great until it took a 1 foot drop and the screen broke very disappointing. I have also used a palm pilot(didn't care for the software at the time). I have used multiple versions of pocket pc's and had no real issue except for battery life(which was getting alot better). Lately I have start using my ipod touch which is handy like the pocket pc's, you can download apps to directly access you B&N library, kindle and a few other ebook providers among other applications. I have also used a netbook, laptop and desktop computer which are all fine too.
In the end it really matters for battery life, weight and readability. I have found that most devices don't seem to have a long enough battery life for me(I will often find myself reading for 12-14 hours straight on my weekends if the book is good). The weight can be an issue since in certain position you will get tired more easily from holding the reader. Oh and sunlight readability is another issue, if the sun hits the screen on whether you can read it or not.

I even use alot of audiobooks.
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Then the Kindle should fit your needs. The new Kindle 3 (only $139.00) has a 30 hour battery life or up to a month with wireless turned off. It is the lightest of all readers, has the best screen, fantastic customer service, and the largest available library on Amazon. I have had my new Kindle since the 27th of August, and read about 3 hours a day, and have not had to recharge it once. My cost bases for each book is very low, as I get many free books, some for .99 up to $2.99, and only a few in the $7.99 to $9.00 for new releases that I just have to have. Go over to Kindle Community forum, and just take a look at what others say, and all the free or low cost books.
 
I have the Barnes & Noble nook so if anyone who has one wants to read "The Big Short " . PM me as I can lend it out once and it's not appealing to my usual borrowers .
 
Moemg said:
I have the Barnes & Noble nook so if anyone who has one wants to read "The Big Short " . PM me as I can lend it out once and it's not appealing to my usual borrowers .
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Interesting that the Big Short was the first book I purchased for my Kindle.
 
One use for my Kindle that I really enjoy is to buy a copy of the New York Times on a Sunday for 99 cents and take it to a coffee shop to laze away the morning. It's not the whole paper, but when I've subscribed to the print version, I've always felt guilty recycling it partially unread the next Saturday.
 
Received my Kindle (Next Generation) yesterday. After I figured out how to convert PDF files to Kindle-readable files, I was in business. I already have a couple of dozen books on my Kindle, most in Spanish that I converted from downloaded (free) PDF files.
 
Charlotte said:
I've been thinking of trying to track down a membership in some other library systems that have a richer collection of e-books. I'd be willing to pay for membership in order to have access to borrow from a larger collection if some other library had options for non-residents. If any one knows of such a library, I'd love to hear about it.

Charlotte
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I have read that the Philadelphia Free Library has a good selection. The annual fee for non-residents is $15.00. I have sent my $$$ and am waiting on my card.
 
ARCHER said:
I have read that the Philadelphia Free Library has a good selection. The annual fee for non-residents is $15.00. I have sent my $$$ and am waiting on my card.
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Thanks for the tip, Archer! Please come back and let us know what you think of their e-book collection once you have your card and have explored it.

I have enjoyed borrowing e-books from my own city's library, but the collection is small at this point. I was impressed with how totally seamless it was to borrow the e-books. The process was incredibly simple, the amount of time left until my book's expiration was obvious on both the computer and on my reader, and "returning" my book was a simple click. Gotta love it!!

Charlotte
 
My local library (Gwinnett County in GA) started offering e-books last month.
Kindle is not on a list of supported readers, but Nook is.
Since I don't have a dedicated reader I use Adobe Digital Editions on my laptop.
For now selection is slim, I counted 700 titles, two copies each. I hope it will get better.
I looked at the Philly library ebooks site and they have 3724 titles available.
 
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