OT - would you buy a Kindle? if so which one? if not, what?

optimisticbiker

As the title says... need to buy a present for a friend's 'significant' birthday. An 'e-book' reader of some sort has been suggested... obvious choice is a Kindle, but not convinced its the best option.... thoughts/ideas...

Alinshearah

The are bringing out a 3D version of the Kindle. I think they call it a book.

Agent57

Yes I would. In fact, I already did. Mine's the keyboard version from last year. Bought my wife one this Christmas - the non-keyboard version. In the year I've had mine, I've almost never used the keyboard. I think it's great. I don't really like reading lots of text from normal computer monitors, but the Kindle's e-ink is easy on the eyes.

wheezee

As a cyclist, I'd say go for it. Very good bits of kit.

Never used my keyboard, but I think the new ones have less storage?

rolf_f

Depends - if they like books, no. If they like gadgets, yes.

I love reading. Wouldn't touch a Kindle with a barge pole - I'd rather have a bag of cement. Ruins the fun of finding the book you have been looking ages for in a charity shop or second hand bookshop. Books have soul. Kindles are just electro tat.

dhope

Alinshearah wrote:

The are bringing out a 3D version of the Kindle. I think they call it a book.

Cool, how many books can it hold? :roll:

I have the 3G Kindle with keyboard (got before the new ones came out)
I don't use the 3G or the keyboard... I'd likely just get wifi without keys now

Rolf F wrote:

Depends - if they like books, no. If they like gadgets, yes.

I love reading. Wouldn't touch a Kindle with a barge pole - I'd rather have a bag of cement. Ruins the fun of finding the book you have been looking ages for in a charity shop or second hand bookshop. Books have soul. Kindles are just electro tat.

No more than vinyl. I trust you don't have an mp3 player or a digital camera.
Ebooks have their place, not every book is literature or deserves a place on the bookcase.

Underscore

As I've said on a thread here before, the one reason that I wouldn't buy a Kindle is that it doesn't allow you to borrow books from e-libraries. I've had a Sony Reader for about 18 months and have probably averaged borrowing 1 book a month from the e-library over that time (on top of all the out of copyright stuff that I've read) and, given that you already pay for the service through your Council Tax, I rate it highly. Hence, were I buying an e-book reader today, I would probably buy a Kobo, as it would allow me to keep using the e-library.

HTH,

_

wheezee

Rolf F wrote:

Depends - if they like books, no. If they like gadgets, yes.

I love reading. Wouldn't touch a Kindle with a barge pole - I'd rather have a bag of cement. Ruins the fun of finding the book you have been looking ages for in a charity shop or second hand bookshop. Books have soul. Kindles are just electro tat.

The content is more important than the delivery system.

Gussio

Got the 3G version for the missus last Christmas. She loves it! If re-buying, would probably go for wireless rather than 3G, although I do think that it is quite cool that you get a 3G connection with no recuring costs.

TheStone

I absolutely love the Kindle.

Started with the 3G+Keyboard one, but didn't ever use either, so have now got the new smaller one, which is really spot on.

I tend to just buy the books from Amazon. They are getting cheaper, but there's also a whole world of free stuff out there. Have never heard of the e-library? Sounds odd.

There's also a chrome (and probably other browser) add-on, which adds a button that sends a webpage/article to the kindle, so you can read on the train etc.

phy2sll2

I've had mine (the new, no keyboard version) for about three months and love it. Girlfriend was an early adopter and the amount of books she gets through is astonishing. Think there may be a generational divide though as neither of my parents seem particularly taken.

wheezee

I think it probably has more to do with a fear of technology and resistance to change, which are symptoms of old age.

My aged mother loves hers, though. Easier to hold in weaker hands than books, and the type size can be raised and lowered depending on your eyesight.

Greenmam

I have one, you only need the wifi, never use the 3g. also never used the keyboard. get the £89 one. you can get a load of free books and away you go.
i did not thing i whould ever like it but the wife got one and noe she dose not see it as i have it most of the time!

woodford2barbican

Underscore wrote:

As I've said on a thread here before, the one reason that I wouldn't buy a Kindle is that it doesn't allow you to borrow books from e-libraries. I've had a Sony Reader for about 18 months and have probably averaged borrowing 1 book a month from the e-library over that time (on top of all the out of copyright stuff that I've read) and, given that you already pay for the service through your Council Tax, I rate it highly. Hence, were I buying an e-book reader today, I would probably buy a Kobo, as it would allow me to keep using the e-library.

HTH,

_

I think that you can now. 1 book per month for an unlimited period.

rolf_f

wheezee wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Depends - if they like books, no. If they like gadgets, yes.

I love reading. Wouldn't touch a Kindle with a barge pole - I'd rather have a bag of cement. Ruins the fun of finding the book you have been looking ages for in a charity shop or second hand bookshop. Books have soul. Kindles are just electro tat.

The content is more important than the delivery system.

Good point - but what does that then mean if you have a Dan Brown novel on your Kindle?

dhope

Rolf F wrote:

wheezee wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

Depends - if they like books, no. If they like gadgets, yes.

I love reading. Wouldn't touch a Kindle with a barge pole - I'd rather have a bag of cement. Ruins the fun of finding the book you have been looking ages for in a charity shop or second hand bookshop. Books have soul. Kindles are just electro tat.

The content is more important than the delivery system.

Good point - but what does that then mean if you have a Dan Brown novel on your Kindle?

No content and no soul? So you're not holding anything.

jimmcdonnell

Ignore the luddites, Kindle is great - and I speak as a reluctant convert, having previously subscribed to the 'bah, it's not as good as a print book' school. I'm still uneasy about the fact my books can stop working if the batteries run out, but I'm getting used to it...

Biggest plus for me is as a fast reader (1-3 books a week), travelling (eg camping with the bike) usually meant packing all the lightweight titanium camping gear, then doubling the pack weight with books. Kindle means I have more than enough to read, and unless it's weeks in the wilderness then the battery life is plenty - I've had up to 2 heavy reading weeks without a charge.

Some things don't work though - graphic novels, anything where you'd really want high quality images or colour.

I have the 'keyboard', just bought the GF the new smaller version - yes, that has less storage (2Gb instead of 4), but since that's many hundreds of books anyway, not a real issue.

Got mine over a year ago, in that time I've only read one print book.

Sure, if you think anything invented since about 1976 is 'dangerously modern' then it's probably not for you. But as a previous post said, it's the content not the media.

clarkey cat

I had a Sony eReader and it was fine. However, the websites from which you can buy books for it (WH Smiths and Waterstones) are really bad. Incredibly frustrating. Nothing like Amazon which is a dream to use.
I've given mine away to my sister (had it for about 18 months and read about 20 books on it) as the books from Smiths and 'Stones are pretty limited and I prefer hunting around in Skoob for my books.

cougie

I just use the kindle app on my iphone.
I've no need for a kindle as well - and it would be sods law it wouldnt be with me when I needed it. My iphone usually is with me, and is small and backlit so i can read anywhere.

If it didnt have that capability then a kindle would be on my list.

Underscore

TheStone wrote:

I tend to just buy the books from Amazon. They are getting cheaper, but there's also a whole world of free stuff out there. Have never heard of the e-library? Sounds odd.

The e-library is just your local library providing a means of borrowing a book (or audio book, in fact) for 1, 2 or 3 weeks. You can have up to 3 books checked out at a time and you can do it at any time so you are not required to work around the library open hours. Ideal for those books that you are unlikely to read a second time.

I live in Herts and you can find the Herts e-library here.

woodford2barbican wrote:

I think that you can now. 1 book per month for an unlimited period.

That is only if you are paying to be a member of Amazon Prime, AFAIK. The county e-libraries are funded out of the council tax so you don't need to pay any extra...

_

wheezee

Rolf F wrote:

Good point - but what does that then mean if you have a Dan Brown novel on your Kindle?

There's another advantage right there... no-one need know what old tosh you're guiltily enjoying.

majormantra

Another yes vote from me. I've had the 3G (keyboard) version for a while and it's been great. I like how you can finish one book and immediately get another without having to cart both around. Also, with the right case you can stand it up which makes eating and reading simultaneously on my break at work easier than it is with most paper books.

It's not the be all and end all but it's a very convenient way to read. I wouldn't recommend it for reading academic texts as jumping around and making notes is a little clunky IMO but for reading novels cover to cover it's perfect.

lost_in_thought

Hmmm, I've been thinking about an e-reader for some time, but I mostly read anthropology books right now... How can I find out what's available on them and what isn't?

I do really like the 'you can stand it up' bit...

wheezee

Look up your choices on Amazon.. if it's available as a kindle book, it'll say so.

lost_in_thought

wheezee wrote:

Look up your choices on Amazon.. if it's available as a kindle book, it'll say so.

Ah. None have been so far. I have the kindle app on my phone, you see, and I've been looking at them for that, even though that app is pretty rubbish.

I wonder if there are academic e-book sites out there...?

squeeler

IMO reference/academic books etc are crap digitally, it's just too hard to navigate around and compare pages etc on the kindle. The Kindle is awesome for novels, I'm completely converted and i love having books on my shelves.

discurio

bought the girlfriend a kidle for xmas and under the guise of "its nice to load a few books on for her before she gets it" i have been reading an old favourite novel of mine which she wanted to read.
having enjoyed it so much i have bought one for myself also. went with a pair of the wifi non keyboard ones. very happy with the purchase. im going to hide it inside a crappy old hardback book to fool her on xmas day, hope she doesnt lob it at me. :roll:

david eddings - pawn of prophecy if anyones curious

tailwindhome

Not sure about this one.

The idea of an electronic screen to read a book seems awful. I spend enough time looking at a computer screen as it is. Also reading a book is a tactile experience, much like downloading digital music isn't quite the same as going to a record shop (ask your big brother/ dad), buying a digital book isn't going to be the same as going to a library or into a proper bookshop. Even purchases from Amazon still have the advantage of having a book in your hand and turning the pages.

The one big advantage I can see is that you will no longer be accumulating vast quantities of paperback books which will probably never be read again.



The thought of a cookery book on a Kindle is just horrific!

rjsterry

A confirmed secondhandbookshopophile here, but got my dad one for Christmas as he spends a lot of time travelling on trains for work. He likes the lack of bulk - more of an issue with the latest 600-page hardback rather than a slim paperback admittedly - and this seems to be why you see a lot of them on the tube.

Ouija

TailWindHome wrote:

Not sure about this one.

The idea of an electronic screen to read a book seems awful.

The Kindle has an E-Ink display (uses actual ink, not backlit glowing LCD's). Looks just like paper (higher quality print than the average paperback, lower quality than a glossy magazine).


Got the 3G keyboard version earlier this year. The 3G is useful if your out and about (never come across a free WiFi signal yet). It also means you can buy books from the Kindle store WITHOUT owning a computer or having to have a WIFI equipped router in your house, so is the better choice if buying one for an older person who is technophobic. Just turn on and go.

Also. Doesn't mention it in the literature but the Kindle as an inbuilt picture viewer (pictures placed in a subfolder of a folder called "Pictures" are treated as the pages of a single book which can be assigned to collections). I have some very large detailed maps of the East coast of Yorkshire (created with Marble) stored as graphic books like this, which come in handy when cycling about if you don't have a map or carry a bike GPS/Sat Nav.

rolf_f

TailWindHome wrote:

The thought of a cookery book on a Kindle is just horrific!

I dunno - the Kindle would make a great chopping board!