Do you Kindle?

[Harbourboy]

I am currently reading 'A Dance with Dragons' on my iPad via the Kindle app. I have printed a single piece of paper since I got my iPad.

[fastfritz]

One super feature I forgot is when I'm into a good story and have to drive somewhere I take my kindle and let it read to me ( audio ) while I'm driving. The voices male or female are pretty robotic but at least can keep the story going.

[Rotku]

If I were to buy pdfs off sites like DriveThruRPG, can they be read on eBook readers like Kindle?

[Cap'n CJ]

I bought my mum a Kindle for her birthday, and she really likes it. I've had a quick go with it, and I think I could probably get used to reading on it.. I'd just miss having an actual book.

Maybe when i've read everything I own, i'll get one. I don't really want to leave my Discworld collection half-complete, though.

[Blackthorne TA]

Originally Posted by Rotku

If I were to buy pdfs off sites like DriveThruRPG, can they be read on eBook readers like Kindle?

I don't have a Kindle, but my understanding of it from reading about it is that is reads .pdfs, so I woudl think the answer is "yes".

[Blackthorne TA]

Amazon just announced new Kindles (including a tablet-like device). One with a simpler no-keyboard interface and the rest with touch interfaces.

It's really too bad that the publishers can force the Kindle prices to be no lower than the paperback prices. If the Kindle versions were cheaper that would seal the deal for me on any new book purchases, but now with free shipping for any purchase over $25 it's a wash price-wise.

I'm getting pretty close with the Kindle being only $99 now (or even $79 for that really simple interface).

[The Great Snook]

I agree. We have an iPad and I've used the Nook app from barnes and noble to read some free books and samples, but I can't see actually spending the money on an electronic book when for just a little more I can get a real book.

[Rotku]

Originally Posted by Blackthorne TA

I don't have a Kindle, but my understanding of it from reading about it is that is reads .pdfs, so I woudl think the answer is "yes".

Thanks, BTA. Would be so much easier than hauling piles of books around the place, on a weekly basis.

[Harbourboy]

Originally Posted by The Great Snook

I agree. We have an iPad and I've used the Nook app from barnes and noble to read some free books and samples, but I can't see actually spending the money on an electronic book when for just a little more I can get a real book.

I can. Because an ebook takes up no space. My house is overrun with books. They take up way too much space. With ebooks, I can have more space and less clutter in my house.

[Parlabane]

i own a sony ereader great things. I love the fact that i can have my entire library with me at all times, well almost.

[Proteus_za]

I love my Kindle, but, a lot of books are not available on it, especially the kind of books that members of this forum would want to read (ie sci fi, fantasy). Actually I think its sci fi selection is better than its fantasy selection.

Notably, the books I cant get on the Kindle store are most of the Raymond E Feist Midkemia books, the Horus Heresy, and the Elric of Melnibone stories. The lack of the bulk o Raymond E Feist's novels is particular irritating since the Kindle store has the more recent ones, and even some older ones, but not the good old ones. Ie, nothing from the Riftwar or Serpentwar sagas, and only one out of four books for some other sagas. Why some but not others?

Barring those issues, Kindle is AMAZING. I much prefer it to reading a book. I do like having a physical copy of a book to pick up and read, but I'm actually pretty over that now. I mean it would be pretty easy for me to just find it on my Kindle, instead of pluck it from my bookshelf.

Perhaps the only thing that Kindle will never be able to do, is let you buy used books.

[Harbourboy]

I doubt I will ever buy a physical book ever again, now that I can read them on my iPad.

[Topken]

Figured I would update you all on what I am doing now. Got a Nook Tablet. Got it since the screen on my phone is to small to read anything larger then a simple text message. I am constantly using the nook to read and watch videos. Much better then having a stack of books next to me since I end up finishing them so dang quickly after picking them up for the first time. Currently in the middle of reading the Xanth series by Piers Anthony. Good series so far and he just has me laughing so much sometimes. I can easily add my books from my pc to the cloud using something like min.us or dropbox or even google drive now. I mainly use min.us since I can put the books in different folders based on author and just download the folder as a pack onto my nook. Since books arent that large in space it doesnt take long to download a bunch before heading out to spend a few nights away from home with friends and what not.much better then lugging around several books along with clothes. I love my nook tablet and its specs are perfect for me so I dont think I will get another device any time soon unless something happens to the nook if something does happen I will proapbly pick up the nexus tablet that ASUS is working on to replace my nook.

[Vorona]

I got a Kindle as a present one Christmas, and I was definitely in the mindset of "I prefer books, but will use one for travel or similar things," but since then, I read way more books on my Kindle than I do in paperback. So, I switched to "either". There are times when I prefer my Kindle -- primarily when I'm reading series, because it's so easy to get the next book, and also when I'm traveling. There are other times when I clearly prefer books. I still like the way books smell and feel, and I can't get that with my Kindle. I also do NOT like the Kindle for any of the following:

-Instructional/How-To books, including writing books, cooking books, teaching books. I like to be able to touch the pages, make marks (NOT the same as adding a note) and move back and forth from pages that are not right next to each other easily and simply (without having to go through the bookmark/note interface). It's *possible* to do all these things on the Kindle, but it's much easier with an actual book.

-Anything where pictures (including maps in fantasy books) matter.

I have a greyscale e-ink Kindle. I don't like backlit devices for reading at all. I also don't like touchscreens because I don't want to have to worry about/deal with fingerprints. Those two qualities (e-ink and not touchscreen) were only available on the Kindle, when I got it, which made my decision (I had been planning to buy one) a lot easier. That said, I can see the advantage of color and possibly larger size for dealing with graphical content. Personally, I'd rather just get the actual book than have a whole e-reader that I don't like otherwise, just because it can do graphics okay.

[Topken]

Update Since I started to ride my bike more I cant really read and ride so I have taken to listening to the discworld series by Terry Pratchett when I head out. Using my phone to listen since I have it with me when I away from home.

[Merlanni]

I choose e-pub. Got over 50 books since January.

[Spellbound]

I'm thinking about getting one. But I think I'd miss the feel of the pages of a well worn book.

[Gaear]

One thing I wanted to ask about this ... does anyone think the delivery technology is going to change fundamentally in the foreseeable future? Frankly, I like the idea of switching to an electronic device like this wholesale, but not so much if I'm going to have to do it again in 5 - 10 years.

[Blackthorne TA]

I'm not sure if I understand what the concern is. But as with most consumer devices the new generation is backward compatible so that they don't piss off their customer base with unusable devices.

The original Kindle is ~5 years old now, so you can see that track record at least.

It's more likely you'd want the newer more fancy device before your old device couldn't be used.

As far as delivery technology it's the same as every other wireless delivery: The Internet via Cell and/or WiFi. I think you can even use your computer and USB. I don't see that changing fundamentally in 5-10 years...

[Topken]

Basically what BTA said and yeah you can use your pc and either usb or a media reader or via WIFI to transfer things to the device. I mention that last one becuase it can be done on the android devices aka the nook color/tablet, kindle fire.

[Arctic Daishi]

I like reading with real books and my Kindle. Though to be honest, I usually prefer my Kindle, since I can easily take that with me anywhere.

[Montresor]

I don't have a Kindle and might have trouble getting used to one. But I can see the point of having it - for example, books need never go out of print.

[Harbourboy]

I have gone back to more physical books. Not because I think they're better than digital ones, but more because a library system for digital books hasn't really matured yet. It's still more convenient for me to get all the library books I could ever want in physical form. Once the local libraries sort out a sensible digital borrowing system, then I will be back into "kindling".

[dogsoldier]

I'm old-school--I like books. Have 500 in my office where I'm typing this, with hundreds more boxed up in the garage.

However, I have a Kindle and have found that I can get some books at a less expensive price on Kindle (that is, some scholarly works, and some older works, especially stuff that may have been only 1 or 2 editions, are quite expensive, running hundreds of dollars for a hard-copy edition, whereas, occasionally, I can get one of those books for $10 on my Kindle). For the most part, however, I read popular fiction which I believe I would not have to refer to again (for research re: work, education, or arguments) on my Kindle.

I would be a huge fan of the Kindle if I could get more scholarly, or single-edition, works on the Kindle. The market for the Kindle is aimed more towards popular fiction, mass media, etc.

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Originally Posted by Harbourboy

I have gone back to more physical books. Not because I think they're better than digital ones, but more because a library system for digital books hasn't really matured yet. It's still more convenient for me to get all the library books I could ever want in physical form. Once the local libraries sort out a sensible digital borrowing system, then I will be back into "kindling".

Agreed, re: physical books and library systems. Also, I don't think--at least, I haven't figured out how to do it--one can annotate and highlight Kindle works. So if one needs to refer to them in the future for specific data, it seems to me that the Kindle books are less useful in that respect than hard-copies.