Spreading the love for the Amazon Kindle.
- Thread starter Viper
- Start date
Cindysphinx
G.O.A.T.
My husband has one and loves it. The screen has broken three times. They sent him a new one each time, no questions asked, even though it is out of warranty.
r2473
G.O.A.T.
Anybody know what "Zero X More" equals?
West Coast Ace
G.O.A.T.
I don't own a Kindle. But have the software on my laptop and netbook and iPhone (a little small). Very cool.
Polaris
Hall of Fame
Almost the same here. I have the Kindle app on the DroidX and use it for essays and smaller books. For Anna Karenina though, I feel that I'd still go with the real paper book.
Why is that? I'm reading Middlemarch at the moment, a not short book, and I sometimes wish I was using a kindle instead of this fatass 800 page paperback edition I have.
You paid money for the unabridged version of Count of Monte Cristo?
FYI, it is legally available for free. You can also get the French original for free.
In fact, one of the great joys of reading books on Kindle (or Nook) is that most of the classic novels are free.
Polaris
Hall of Fame
Middlemarch is awesome!!
I can't really say why, but I feel that in long leisurely reads, I want to sometimes go back and read those paragraphs that I liked or those passages whose significance I may have missed. With Kindle, or iBooks, I can still go back, but navigating to contents, then to the appropriate chapter is just not the same as the intangible pleasure of leafing back through the book at hand.
It is weird, but the scent, design and texture of the book is very much a part of my reading experience. Kindle is not there yet, though in the future, it will get closer.
There are certainly some advantages to books, and some nice aesthetic qualities, but kindles have their own distinct advantages too. You can underline, they have a built-in dictionary -- love that! -- and you can hold them with one hand, change the font size, etc.
It's really just a question of adding up the pros and cons of each and seeing which works better for you, or works better in a given situation. (Admittedly, this is coming from a guy who has only spent 6 hours or so reading on a kindle, but did enjoy it to the extend that I plan to get one -- IF i can figure out how to do so without my librarian girlfriend killing me over it. Seriously.)
I do too, but the kindle technology is different from computer screens, and more pleasant, and designed to more closely resemble the book experience. In fact, I kept forgetting that the kindle does not provide it's own light source like computers do, so I would absently turn away from the reading lamp and be like "hey, why can't I see the words anymore? Why ain't this thang lighting up?!"
The Kindle and Nook are both great but the iPad is the best ereader in the universe. The iPad has a color screen and is backlit which makes it easier to read in the dark, plus when your reading you can include hd quality pictures and videos. Also the ipad has the largest selection of books because you can download the Nook and Kindle book apps right on the Ipad. The iPad is bar none the best ereader in the universe.
The very features you brag about make me not want to go near that thing. My computer screen has lighting and color, and I sure don't want to read a book on it.
I think Kindle is king among real readers because it eschews such gimics as color and lights and bells and whistles, and strives in its techology to simulate reading an actual book as much as possible.
Polaris
Hall of Fame
Disagree. The ipad is a beautiful product and is a better buy only because it can do many other things (images, videos, apps, games, etc.). It is not a better e-reader.
Even though backlit displays allow you to read at night, they are not as easy on the eyes as e-ink, which is used on dedicated e-readers. Further, the texture of e-ink closely mimics that of paper. Backlit displays also consume vastly more power than e-ink displays which only consume power when you change the page.
The ipad is a versatile device, but for people used to the texture of books, it is not a better e-reader if you count one of the most important factors in reading - eye strain.
Last edited:
Dilettante
Hall of Fame
Don't know to say if that's good news or if that's shameful.
LameTennisPlayer
Professional
FuriousYellow
Professional
I have a Sony eReader. I loved using it, but found it even more enjoyable reading books on my iPhone with the Kindle and iBooks apps because I always have it with me.
max
Legend
Not so ironic. It's a ton easier to read burps of information.
But I feel tense and hear the clocking ticking when I have electronics on for a long period of time. I feel I'm wasting energy the next generation needs. And there's a hyper buzz to it all.
I was researching eBook readers a few months ago when I was considering one. I thought the Kindle 2 was great (the Kindle 3 not so much), however the major downside for me was the lack of an external memory slot. So, I focused my attention on the nook.
I then tried one out at my campus bookstore and quickly learned the screen is too small for technical books.
As a result, I've decided to get an iPad. I didn't feel like waiting in the madness when it was first released and just haven't had the desire to run out and get one right now. Hopefully by December, however.
In other words, eBook readers can be great, but for technical books not only do they sometimes not render properly, it is a very likely scenario that the images in technical books will take up the entire screen space, making learning more difficult.
I then tried one out at my campus bookstore and quickly learned the screen is too small for technical books.
As a result, I've decided to get an iPad. I didn't feel like waiting in the madness when it was first released and just haven't had the desire to run out and get one right now. Hopefully by December, however.
In other words, eBook readers can be great, but for technical books not only do they sometimes not render properly, it is a very likely scenario that the images in technical books will take up the entire screen space, making learning more difficult.
Do the larger DX or whatever Kindles help that problem?
I thought the Kindle 3 -- if that's what they call the new one for that just came out for 140 bucks -- was supposed to be an improvement in several areas over the previous model with a better screen, lighter weight, quieter clicks when you turn the page, more battery time, etc. You feel differently?
FuriousYellow
Professional
For technical books, I would definitely go with the iPad. One of the great things about the iPad is you can run the Kindle app on it and have access to both Amazon's and Apple's libraries.
You can also use pinch-zoom in both apps now for easily zooming in on diagrams.
I keep reading rumors of a lighter, 7-inch iPad (Nano?) coming out early next year.
You can also use pinch-zoom in both apps now for easily zooming in on diagrams.
I keep reading rumors of a lighter, 7-inch iPad (Nano?) coming out early next year.
Steady Eddy
Legend
This concerns me. Has he broken the screen all those time through misuse, or does it just break down alot? If it breaks down alot, I'm not too keen on getting one, even if they'll send out new ones.
Who cares why Cindy's hubby's kindle broke? For a man grounded in statistics and generalities, are you really going to let your decision be influenced by one user's experience?
Yeah, but for $379? I rather get an iPad and have a color screen, full web browser, email, etc.
Check out some of the negative reviews on Amazon re Kindle 3 and you'll see there are some common themes. I just checked for the review I read (along with 40+ comments echoing the sentiments from the reviewer) that used to be on the main page of the Kindle 3, but it seems it is gone.
Steady Eddy
Legend
Yes.......Who cares why Cindy's hubby's kindle broke? For a man grounded in statistics and generalities, are you really going to let your decision be influenced by one user's experience?
Thanks, I'll check. In case it's gone, can you remember any of the common complaints?
But my 77 year old mother has had one for years and never had a problem, so now what are you going to do??
Steady Eddy
Legend
Buy one. What matter's is the most recent piece of evidence.
FuriousYellow
Professional
Yeah. Hopefully, we will actually see one on a production device some day. The Android-based, Adam from Notion Ink was supposed to be the first but keeps getting delayed. With all the momentum the iPads have built and rumors of next-gen ones coming next year, the Adam may end up being the best device you've never heard of.
There's also a competing display technology from Texas Instruments called LiquaVista which looks promising as well.
I've had a Kindle 3 for about three weeks now. I'm pretty darn happy with it. While i wish the screen were brighter (had the same problem with the previous kindle version I've played around on), it's pretty good all around, has several real improvements over the previous version, and I read much longer on it than I did with regular books because it's easier to get comfortable or hold with one hand, etc.
Last edited:
Polaris
Hall of Fame
Eph, that is a valid point.
One gripe I have with reading technical books on e-readers or Ipads is the lack of advanced annotation facilities. Sure, we can make small text notes, but I usually make many little drawings in my textbooks, and trees and charts in the margins to help myself understand and retain things, and there seems to be no way of doing that yet.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I buy used paperback books off amazon. Not only is the selection far better, but they are usually less expensive than E-books.
I look at screens so much (work..smartphone..tv..laptop..etc) ..sometimes my eyes need a break.
I look at screens so much (work..smartphone..tv..laptop..etc) ..sometimes my eyes need a break.
This was my fear too -- that it would be just one more screen to look at it. But the technology is different enough that it's not really a problem.
It's also hard to adjust to the fact that you need external light to read on it just as you do with a real book, because I'm so used to laptops and phones that provide their own light. I keep wanting to "brighten" the screen.
