Kindle - is it really worth $260?
DC
(Kindle Community is at the Amazon site, so it's not surprising that
many think it's worth the money. Bottom line: the answer depends on
how much you read.)
Janet
No, bottom line is whether you can spare $250.
Plenty of us read 5 books a week on a regular basis. From the library.
SeanC
wi-fi functionality. Even the B&N Nook is, to me, a better choice than
the Kindle.
All the other e-reader manufacturers (including B&N and Sony) have
embraced open-source platform. Only the Kindle is proprietary.
Remember Betamax?
On the other hand, I know some folks who have Kindles and are very happy
with them.
Anyway, I prefer books and will hold out for a little while longer,
while e-reader quality continues to improve and prices continue to drop.
-SeanC
++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.chercover.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++
BarbNJ
"DC" <Use-Author-Supplied-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote in message
news:ca6ca7c70912130654l9c...@mail.gmail.com...
my house. I certainly read enough for it to be worth it to me. Some Kindle
editions are cheaper. To order and receive a whole book in under 60 seconds
without being near a computer is too insanely wonderful for me to describe.
I can't wait to get the thing.
Barb
BarbNJ
"SeanC" <se...@to-email-me-please-go-to-www.chercover.com> wrote in message
news:4b25847e$0$13588$9a6e...@news.newshosting.com...
Books can be read in PDF format. The Kindle does not require wifi, it uses
the same technology as your cell phone. But if books can be ordered by
connecting a USB cable to your computer (which I believe they can), it is or
will be wifi compatible. I researched forever trying to talk myself into
something that was a little or cheaper and I always came back to Kindle for
the features and the functionality.
Barb
Lynn Allen
>> Anyway, I prefer books and will hold out for a little while longer,
>> while e-reader quality continues to improve and prices continue to drop.
>>
>> -SeanC
>> ++++++++++++++++++++++++
>> http://www.chercover.com
>> ++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Any book can be downloaded to the Kindle in a format from another site.
> Books can be read in PDF format. The Kindle does not require wifi, it
> uses the same technology as your cell phone. But if books can be
> ordered by connecting a USB cable to your computer (which I believe
> they can), it is or will be wifi compatible. I researched forever
> trying to talk myself into something that was a little or cheaper and I
> always came back to Kindle for the features and the functionality.
I've had my Kindle since last March, and I love it. The form factor,
how it feels in the hand and how the screen functions is great. Very
readable. On those days when I'm a little bit fuzzy, I can just bump up
the text size and read with ease.
I back up all my books onto my computer, though Amazon is supposed to
keep them too.
And I spend a great deal of time reading free books, classic SF and
mystery, that I find online. Being able to buy or find a book any time
is wonderful. Getting a brand new release, often for $9.99, without
waiting for the paperback is great as well. I don't buy hardbacks, both
because of the cost, and because of storage issues, so if I want a book
in my hands, I either get in line at the library, or wait for the pb.
Now I don't have to wait.
--
--
Lymaree
BarbNJ
"Lynn Allen" <ly...@NOT-semiotics.com> wrote in message
news:4b25...@news.bnb-lp.com...
I figure when I finish my book by the pool and I am ready for the next one,
just download. Almost too cool to be real.
Barb H
> --
> --
> Lymaree
>
ia...@notcox.net
No, the bottom line is how much you spend on what you read, and/or how
much you like physical books.
ia...@notcox.net
Why not wait for Apple to release their tablet next Spring? That looks
like a category-buster.
Mark Alan Miller
"SeanC" <se...@to-email-me-please-go-to-www.chercover.com> wrote in message
news:4b25847e$0$13588$9a6e...@news.newshosting.com...
> wi-fi functionality. Even the B&N Nook is, to me, a better choice than
> the Kindle.
Or don't wait if you don't care about wireless capability, and go ahead and
buy one of the existing Sony models. The wireless features are great if you
want to subscribe to content and have it automatically delivered, but for
just buying and reading books, it's not a big deal unless you need to buy
books away from your computer.
> All the other e-reader manufacturers (including B&N and Sony) have
> embraced open-source platform. Only the Kindle is proprietary.
The Kindle is exclusively proprietary, but they aren't quite alone in
pushing a proprietary format. B&N owns the proprietary eReader format,
though the Nook also works with the standard EPub format.
> Remember Betamax?
I think that eventually Amazon will have to support ePub, but I wouldn't
worry too much about the Kindle becoming obsolete. Amazon won't be
abandoning the existing Kindles any time soon, and all of the current
generation of devices, of whatever manufacturer, are going to be obsolete
within a couple of years. I don't expect to have my Sony for longer than
that, because by then I'll be able to buy a replacement that's much lighter,
sharper, more contrasty, and everything else good for under $100. With the
number of books I buy, I'm saving enough to pay for my Sony Reader Touch
Edition in less than a year, so I'm content.
People who don't buy hundreds of dollars of books per year should probably
wait a few months to see what happens. Enough companies are introducing
models to start pushing prices down, and next-generation displays are coming
out in the pricier models.
> On the other hand, I know some folks who have Kindles and are very happy
> with them.
>
> Anyway, I prefer books and will hold out for a little while longer, while
> e-reader quality continues to improve and prices continue to drop.
Some days I wish I'd held out, but most I don't. I'm happy enough with what
I bought, and it will pay for itself soon enough that I don't feel stuck
with it.
Mark Alan Miller
Suzanne F
My big question is how are these electronic books for reading in bed?
Are you comfortable? Is it heavy? I read several books at a time. Can
you do that on one of these? I assume you can have many books on a
unit. I'm having a hard time imagining myself without my books all
about me.
Suzanne
Andrew Barss
: Kindle Community: http://xrl.us/Kin260
: (Kindle Community is at the Amazon site, so it's not surprising that
: many think it's worth the money. Bottom line: the answer depends on
: how much you read.)
Not to me, but I'm holding out for one that can easily do high-rez PDFs
AND act as a tablet computer.
This is a good article surveying most of the e-readers out there,
and giving relative chances of their survival:
http://gizmodo.com/5445603/the-ultimate-guide-to-ebook-readers-we-care-about
The same site has a number of detailed discussions of particular
readers, both current and upcoming.
-- Andy Barss
Lynn Allen
> My big question is how are these electronic books for reading in bed?
> Are you comfortable? Is it heavy? I read several books at a time. Can
> you do that on one of these? I assume you can have many books on a
> unit. I'm having a hard time imagining myself without my books all
> about me.
In bed they're just fine. I generally read my Kindle in the leather
cover, but for bed reading I take it out and it weighs only a few
ounces. Less than many paperbacks and much less than hardcovers. It
does not backlight, so you still need the lights on or a booklight.
And yes, you can read multiple books at the same time. The Kindle
remembers my place in as many books as I've got started. It can hold
1500 or so. Is that enough books for you?
I still go to the library and switch back & forth from book to Kindle.
But it is lovely to know when I go on a trip I can pack a dozen new
books in those few ounces. No extra bags for books! Or if I'm
someplace inconvenient and I finish one book, the next one is right in
my hand.
--
--
Lymaree
http://www.skepticaljurorblog.blogspot.com/
Bev Vincent
"Suzanne F" <stev...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:19942236-cb3e-4179...@r26g2000vbi.googlegroups.com...
> My big question is how are these electronic books for reading in bed?
> Are you comfortable? Is it heavy? I read several books at a time. Can
> you do that on one of these? I assume you can have many books on a
> unit. I'm having a hard time imagining myself without my books all
> about me.
It's very light. Certainly lighter than a hardcover and probably comparable
to a paperback -- though much easier to hold onto. You don't have to keep
the pages pried open, for one thing.
You can have thousands of books on it at a time, and it always remembers
where you were in each if you jump from one book to the next.
It hasn't done away with new books in our household completely. Not every
book is available in Kindle format, and publishers still send me paperback
galleys for review (though I've made it my mission to raise the possibility
of an eGalley every time I request a review copy). However, for most new
books I buy, I'll probably do so as electronic versions when possible. I'm
hooked. I love being able to click on an unfamiliar word and have the
dictionary come up straight away -- and in extreme cases I can go to Google
or Wikipedia to learn more about something that strikes my fancy without
leaving my spot.
--
Bev Vincent
www.BevVincent.com
Mark Alan Miller
"Suzanne F" <stev...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:19942236-cb3e-4179...@r26g2000vbi.googlegroups.com...
> My big question is how are these electronic books for reading in bed?
> Are you comfortable? Is it heavy? I read several books at a time. Can
> you do that on one of these? I assume you can have many books on a
> unit. I'm having a hard time imagining myself without my books all
> about me.
It's fine for reading in bed. Mine is about the same size as a trade
paperback, and close in weight. The contrast isn't great, especially on the
touch-screen Sony models, but with adequate lighting, I don't really notice
that defect at all. The size of the type can be changed, so if I'm
somewhere dimmer, I increase the size. Models without a touch screen, such
as the Kindles, Sony Pocket Edition, and Barnes and Noble Nook (and several
others, by less-famous makers), have more contrast, though none of them are
really anywhere near as sharp or contrasty as printing on paper. More like
charcoal gray on lighter gray than black on white, but when you're reading,
it doesn't matter much. Not great for pictures, but I read mostly fiction.
Except for some models just announced, and very expensive, they all use
screens made by the same company.
One thing I especially like about the Sony models is that they have little
sockets for attaching covers. The cheaper models don't come with them, but
instead with neoprene sleeves that are perfectly all right, but I know I'm
clumsy and hard on my stuff, and would probably not be using the sleeve, so
got a leather cover from Sony. At $30, it was a bit overpriced, but it is
well made and is holding up just great so far, better than I thought it
might. I've tried reading it without a cover and my hands get tired. I
haven't found a position that I find really comfortable. With a hinged
cover, I can hold it like a book, resting between my thumb and fingers. In
that position, the page advance button falls right under my thumb. I can
also advance with a swipe on the screen, but I find myself using the button
mainly, and when I'm using the touch screen I'm almost always using the
stylus, such as tapping on a word to bring up the dictionary. Hope this
helps.
Mark Alan Miller
Mark Alan Miller
"Bev Vincent" <MaxD...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:hj7t1t$l24$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> "Suzanne F" <stev...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:19942236-cb3e-4179...@r26g2000vbi.googlegroups.com...
>
>> My big question is how are these electronic books for reading in bed?
>> Are you comfortable? Is it heavy? I read several books at a time. Can
>> you do that on one of these? I assume you can have many books on a
>> unit. I'm having a hard time imagining myself without my books all
>> about me.
>
> It's very light. Certainly lighter than a hardcover and probably
> comparable to a paperback -- though much easier to hold onto. You don't
> have to keep the pages pried open, for one thing.
I wish mine were lighter. It's not heavy, very comparable to a trade
paperback, but I read flat on my back and having a really light device would
be super. The current displays are glass and somewhat fragile. That means
they are heavy (relatively), and the case has to be strong and stiff enough
to protect the display. The Sony models are all extruded aluminum. I
suspect something similar is under the Kindle's skin. The next generation
of displays, just being introduced, are made on either plastic or thin
stainless steel, so are much lighter, thinner, and much less fragile. So
far, those are only available in a couple of high-end models that have just
been introduced, but if you're willing to wait a year, they'll likely be
available broadly. I haven't even read any hands-on reviews of these new
displays yet, so don't know whether they are any better in other ways, or
just thinner, etc.
> You can have thousands of books on it at a time, and it always remembers
> where you were in each if you jump from one book to the next.
Or at least hundreds. It depends on the model. Some of them have slots for
memory cards, but the built-in memory can still hold quite a lot of books,
if not your entire library.
> It hasn't done away with new books in our household completely. Not every
> book is available in Kindle format, and publishers still send me paperback
> galleys for review (though I've made it my mission to raise the
> possibility of an eGalley every time I request a review copy). However,
> for most new books I buy, I'll probably do so as electronic versions when
> possible. I'm hooked. I love being able to click on an unfamiliar word and
> have the dictionary come up straight away -- and in extreme cases I can go
> to Google or Wikipedia to learn more about something that strikes my fancy
> without leaving my spot.
The Web browser is something not available on my Sony, but these aren't
exactly ideal devices for viewing Web pages, so I don't care much. I do
love having a good dictionary available immediately. I sometimes get lost
in it and fail to get back to my book.
Mark Alan Miller
Mark Alan Miller
"Andrew Barss" <ba...@mint.u.arizona.edu> wrote in message
news:hj7sh7$a6b$1...@onion.ccit.arizona.edu...
> In rec.arts.mystery DC <Use-Author-Supplied-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote:
> : Kindle Community: http://xrl.us/Kin260
>
> : (Kindle Community is at the Amazon site, so it's not surprising that
> : many think it's worth the money. Bottom line: the answer depends on
> : how much you read.)
>
> Not to me, but I'm holding out for one that can easily do high-rez PDFs
> AND act as a tablet computer.
Yes, that would be nice, and some day I expect to have an all-in-one device.
Maybe five years, maybe longer. But not soon, because an adequately
powerful tablet computer isn't going to be anywhere near as cheap and small
or have the battery life of a dedicated e-book reader for at least a few
years. People who have the money and the need for a tablet computer will
buy them and read books on them, too, because that's one of several things
they'll do well.
I've read lots of articles by analysts who think the Apple tablet will kill
the e-book reader, but they're not people who read hundreds of books a year.
They don't understand that some of us need a device that does one thing
perfectly more than we need a device that does lots of things well.
I'm not sure how the convergence of e-book readers and tablet computers will
eventually happen. We already have e-book readers with Web access, and they
mostly run Linux, so are computers of a sort, if low-powered ones. I
suspect what we'll see is a gradual filling in of the space between the two
categories, with e-book readers gaining power and Web capabilities and
tablets getting thinner and lighter and appealing more to readers. Will the
resulting device be a Kindle a Dell? Can't say.
> This is a good article surveying most of the e-readers out there,
> and giving relative chances of their survival:
>
> http://gizmodo.com/5445603/the-ultimate-guide-to-ebook-readers-we-care-about
I didn't much like this article. It's written by someone who is much more
interested in tablet computers than reading books. The devices he likes,
like the Alex, are needlessly bulky. A second screen is NOT an essential
feature for reading. It takes up space, adds weight, and reduces battery
life. One grayscale screen is perfectly adequate for buying books and will
even do for limited Web use, with a touchscreen.
Wireless features are nice, but also not essential. They add little to the
reading experience, but do add some convenience. Most devices will end up
so endowed because it doesn't cost much or add much weight, and helps lock
book buyers into bookstores (at present). Sony has been slow to go wireless
because they wanted to sell their products around the world and didn't have
any way of providing wireless service everywhere. Wi-fi I'd value a lot
more than the Whispernet (or similar) services the Kindle and Nook provide.
Those are too slow, though very good at encouraging buyers to patronize the
sellers' bookstores. If they could provide the same service to multiple
bookstores, I'd be more interested.
> The same site has a number of detailed discussions of particular
> readers, both current and upcoming.
The pictures are nice. I'd read about all of these devices, but not seen
pictures of some. I do use Gizmodo some, but find their constant craving
for novelty fatiguing.
Mark Alan Miller
weary flake
> However, for most new
> books I buy, I'll probably do so as electronic versions when possible. I'm
> hooked. I love being able to click on an unfamiliar word and have the
> dictionary come up straight away -- and in extreme cases I can go to Google
> or Wikipedia to learn more about something that strikes my fancy without
> leaving my spot.
You like to be distracted. Hears ya, and glad I have no ebooks.
Do you like the way wikipedia is set up, with hotlinks everywhere,
or do you like to actually read complete articles and books?
Modern fiction does tend to be extremely wordy, so maybe
distractions would be welcome there. I listen to music and read.
Every time
get a Kindle. I find it outrageous that they charge anywhere from $10
to $100 for their books (textbooks/scientific tomes still have
ridiculous price tags). I appreciate that the author will appreciate
getting more royalties that way, but still it's outrageous!
So I've stocked up on all the free books they have their - Lord
Dunsany, mystery anthologies....everything out of print and probably
available on Gutenberg, but easier to read on the Kindle.
I much prefer the printed word, but for reading free books, it has its
place!