OT e-readers

SimonAH

It's the first hit of a target-rich birthday season coming up for me, the good lady strife - and it's present purchasing time.....

Now, it has been intimated that (along with various fripperies) she would like an e-reader as she commutes by train.

What's the verdict? I've been pointed at the standard B&W Kindle as being the puppy of choice. Anyone have an opinion?

dhope

Fookin ace, get it

Pufftmw

I'm a bit sad & I have Kobo on my Playbook, which encouraged me to get it on my Blackberry Bold & I've also got it on a laptop @ home. Free App, buy the books...

Bunch of flowers?

rick_chasey

How much is it like looking at a screen?

I buy that it's not an actual screen like a laptop - and responds rather like paper in that it's read in better light - but it's still a screen...

I find that I spend so much time reading off a screen at work that the move to a proper page is light relief for my eyes.

Having said that, the local library is rubbish, and getting through two odd books a week is getting quite expensive.

prawny

They look ace, I'll get one eventually. Dont do as much reading now as I'd like to or used to though.

fidbod

Kindle is very good. I haven't tried others. I particularly like the preview function where you down load the first 30 odd pages of a book and can try before you buy. Well worthwhile

TheStone

Kindle is brilliant. Get the new smaller one. No need for 3G or keyboard.
It's nothing like reading from a screen. Comparable to reading a slightly old (off-colour) book.

Since I got one, I read a lot more and more varied.

Kieran_Burns

TheStone wrote:

Kindle is brilliant. Get the new smaller one. No need for 3G or keyboard.
It's nothing like reading from a screen. Comparable to reading a slightly old (off-colour) book.

Since I got one, I read a lot more and more varied.

+1

The Kindle is a great idea, there is a HUGE collection of free books available for download and they're very easy on eye when reading.

When I'm asked about mine (at work) I always say "it's just technology that works"

Gussio

The Kindle is great. Bought one for the missus last Christmas, but I use it more than her

Download Danny Bent's book about riding to India (goes for between 0p and 75p on Amazon). Great inspiration....

essex-commuter

So want to get one but...

I'd have to keep making sure it's charged.
Wouldn't be able to leave it on a sunbed by the pool while I'm swimming.
I'd have to 'care' for it more than a paperback which I can just chuck in a bag.

Are they silly reasons, should I get one?

Gussio

essex-commuter wrote:

So want to get one but...

I'd have to keep making sure it's charged.Wouldn't be able to leave it on a sunbed by the pool while I'm swimming.
I'd have to 'care' for it more than a paperback which I can just chuck in a bag.

Are they silly reasons, should I get one?

The Kindle has a very impressive battery life. If you switch the wireless off, you can easily get a month out of one charge.

Underscore

The only problem with the Kindle is that you can't (yet, anyway) use the e-Libraries. I have a Sony eReader (which pre-dates Kindles in this country) and have only read out-of-copyright stuff and books from Herts e-Library. There has been talk of Overdrive (who provide the e-Library service to those councils that offer it) supporting the Amazon DRM in addition to the Adobe DRM (which covers about every other eReader on the planet) but no date yet... If I were replacing mine, I might consider a Kobo, though I've not read any reviews.

_

Kieran_Burns

Underscore wrote:

The only problem with the Kindle is that you can't (yet, anyway) use the e-Libraries. I have a Sony eReader (which pre-dates Kindles in this country) and have only read out-of-copyright stuff and books from Herts e-Library. There has been talk of Overdrive (who provide the e-Library service to those councils that offer it) supporting the Amazon DRM in addition to the Adobe DRM (which covers about every other eReader on the planet) but no date yet... If I were replacing mine, I might consider a Kobo, though I've not read any reviews.

_

http://www.gutenberg.org/

Lots to choose from there....

davis

Kindle 3g = awesome.

I got the 3g one 'cos I travel a bit. Love the thing. The Kindle, my iPod and a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and train/plane travel is almost bearable.

Applespider

I use the Kindle app on an iPad since that offered me more functionality than a plain Kindle did. The new US-only-for now Kindle looks more tempting than the current one available here.

My 'problem' with e-readers is that unlike when we all got iPods and it was relatively easy to rip our music to the new format, you can't really do that with all your old books. And I've got more old books than I had old CDs.

rick_chasey

What happens to your downloaded books when your Kindle packs up?

Underscore

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Underscore wrote:

The only problem with the Kindle is that you can't (yet, anyway) use the e-Libraries. I have a Sony eReader (which pre-dates Kindles in this country) and have only read out-of-copyright stuff and books from Herts e-Library. There has been talk of Overdrive (who provide the e-Library service to those councils that offer it) supporting the Amazon DRM in addition to the Adobe DRM (which covers about every other eReader on the planet) but no date yet... If I were replacing mine, I might consider a Kobo, though I've not read any reviews.

_

http://www.gutenberg.org/

Lots to choose from there....

I totally agree and I also use http://www.epubbooks.com/ a lot too. However, these are for out-of-copyright books. e-Libraries allow you to borrow current books - I've borrowed (amongst many others) Michael McIntyre's auto-biography and "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke - and all included in your council tax...

_

dhope

Rick Chasey wrote:

What happens to your downloaded books when your Kindle packs up?

If from Amazon then just download again for free, if elsewhere then I expect download from there. Kindle is just a storage device so nothing special happens.

Underscore

Just found this review of the Kobo. Certainly sounds like it could be worth a look alongside the Kindle...

_

clarkey cat

I have a Sony eReader. It's a nice reading experience and you can download loads of free books off Gutenberg and places like that for old classics but the choice for more leftfield stuff is pretty bad however if all you read are tube books (Steig Larsson etc.) then you'll be fine.

The real downside for me is that books have to be bought from either WHSmiths or Waterstones website (they look the same so think they are essentially the same thing) and they are AWFUL. Incredibly difficult and frustrating to navigate. You can't really browse like you do with amazon.

I've given my Sony eReader away. If I got another one I'd get a kindle. But I probably won't bother. In terms of design you can't really beat the paperback... and I like browsing old bookstores like Skoob.

cougie

if you have an IPhone (or similar) already then I'd not bother with the kindle.

Just get the kindle app for the phone and you're away. OK so the page is slightly smaller, but you always have the phone with you, and its backlit too. I dont think the kindle is ? So handy for bedtime reading if your partner is sleeping. No need for the light on.