BeckyL
- Wednesday, July 23 2008
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I don't have one and with the exception of the saving on travel space, don't really want one. I don't travel enough for it to be practical for me anyway as I really like to have the physical book to go back to. I think if I had an e-book reader, I'd be spending too much money because I would still feel the need to buy the actual printed book! I borrowed a lot of books from my grandmother as I was growing up and I kind of hope that one day someone will do the same with my collection.
I like the weight and heft of a book as you are reading it. I like to physically see my progress in terms of how much I have read and how much I still have left to read.
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Those were all reasons I was resistant to getting one. I did quite a bit of research before I settled on the Kindle since I was going ahead. I travel almost every month so in that way it is great. What I didn't expect was that as you get into it, you tend not to realize you are on a reader. You can still refer back to the book, make notes, create bookmarks and track your progress through the book. There is also a good deal saved on the purchase price of the books.
I don't want to sound like a commercial for the readers either. Like you, I like the turning of pages and a book as I am reading it. I love bookstores and going through books as well. This all seems to make it a mixed bag for me since I also enjoy the reader. I don't want to ever get to the point where I don't go to the bookstore or library, nor do I want to get to the point where I only use a reader rather than enjoy a real book with ink and pages, and as you said the weight and the heft.
I do have a fear that the world is going to where they won't be printing books and everything will be electronic. I think that would be a tragedy for all readers.
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Aurian
- Wednesday, July 23 2008
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Hi Bonny,
I read a lot of ebooks, but on my computer screen. I don't have a reader yet, but I definitely want one. On your kindle, can you download the books you already have, or do you have to buy kindle formats?
I think I have 14.000 of them already, not that I will live long enough to read al of those, but still ... addicted to book collecting as well as reading ...
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You get a dedicated email address with your Kindle where you can email the books you have to yourself there and they will convert them into a file to download to your Kindle. Everything you buy with the Kindle, and everything you send through the email address is kept in a permanent media library on Amazon. You can delete them from your Kindle and re-download them as often or as many times as you choose.
These were some of the factors that convinced me to go with a Kindle over another reader.
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Hey Bonny,
Great topic. I think ebooks are the new wave. Everything I've been reading says ebook usage is on the up and I'm totally up for it. Interesting that Amazon's homepage for a while was just an announcement to say they had new stock of Kindles in because they hadn't been able to keep up wirh demand for it.
I've been interested in getting an ebook reader for a while now and umming and aahing between the Kindle and the SONY reader. I'm curious to know what it was that swung you towards the Kindle. I'd love to see a discusision on Shelfari that wieghs the pros and cons for the Kindle vs the SONY. I've seen the SONY ereader in Borders stores and like the look of it. The Kindle just looks big and bulky in comparison.
I started a similar discussion about ebooks in the Writing Readers group which you can view here if you are interested...
http://www.shelfari.com/groups/10012/discussions/11096/The-ebook-boat-is-leaving-should-we-all-be-on-it-#99144
Stuart
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I too was down to the Sony and the Kindle. The things that swung me to the Kindle was the 'electronic ink screen', storage and backup (more options) and the fact that they allow any format to be sent to a dedicated email address set up for you and they will convert it and you can download it from there. Overall, there were more options and less limitations. It comes with 200GB of space on it, at the time Sony didn't have that much and it also allows you to put a memory card in it and expand your storage.
When I ordered my Kindle I had to wait 2 months for it. Since then I was impressed with customer service. I had a mechanical problem with it, called them and they overnighted me a new one with all of my content pre-downloaded for me and sent a label to ship the other one back. There was truly no fuss to it and in the world of customer service in electronics that is rare.
One of the other reviewers I work with has a Sony and she likes it but tells me she wishes she had mine. The screen is the thing with her. There is truly no glare at all and you tend to forget you are not looking at a page.
Let me know what you decide, I've become really interested in this topic. I do think I'm going to do a full article on this in the magazine since it has become a very hot topic. I don't even know where I fully stand on it, I truly am on both sides of the issue. There is nothing better than curling up in a chair with a good book. The "green" issue is becoming a big one with killing the trees and such, space, disposal and all of that.
I will be looking at your other discussion and will join that group, thanks for letting me know to look.
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I know SONY have come out with their second version of the reader - the PRS505 - an upgrade from the PRS500. I believe this has e-ink, a true page look, and less glare. I'm still undecided. I like the portability of the SONY and I truly would just use it for ebooks. The Kindle, whilst it seems to have a lot of additional functionality (subscribing to and downloading periodicals etc, and the whole wireless connectivity) still looks like a bit of a beast to me.
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I am really happy with the Kindle. If you do get the Sony besure and let me know what you think of it. It might be fun to compare features as well.
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Michelle Gagnon did a fun little blurb about this subject.
You might want to bug her about the link to the article.
(She's a member here under the name of Michelle.)
After "talking" to a bunch of people, I still think it's easier to just get a laptop.
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I will find her and ask her. Thank you.
I have a laptop, with my heavy level of travel the Kindle is much easier to handle. You can also carry it anywhere with no more size and less weight than a paperback. The electronic ink screen with no glare is helpful on the eyes. You still need room lighting since it's not backlit like a laptop but you don't get the glare problems and having to take a break any more than you would if you were reading paper.
What are everyone's thoughts about this from the "Green" angle in which we are talking about cutting trees, pollution associated with producing paper (substantial), and disposal issues? I for one do not seem to have the personal capability to throw a book away. I keep them, donate them, loan them, sell them at a half price store from time to time, pretty much anything except throw them away. There is no dispute that there are a lot disposed of and land fill issues do come into play.
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Aurian
- Saturday, July 26 2008
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I can only throw a book away if it is too much damanged to read anymore, like if the pages let loose, or if I dropped it in the tub accidentally. Then I just buy a new copy. I lend my books to some people, not everyone.
The books I really don't read anymore, I donate to someone who is happy with them.
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I've been avoiding e-books for the most part, although I have read one or two on my computer. Right now the ebook readers are too expensive for me, but I am finding a large number of independent e-stories that look so good that it is making me re-think not reading them. Can you download ebooks from websites other than amazon to the kindle?
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Yes, you do have to email them to an email address they give you and they convert them to the Kindle format for you and set them in your download file and your media library.
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Funny, I have two now (Kindle and Sony Reader) and blogged about the pros and cons for the Bookbitch a few weeks ago. But I love mine, and I was an old-school book fanatic. There's no beating it for travel and sheer convenience, in my opinion, and as an author I think it makes my books more accessible since the price is lower than for the actual book. If you're curious the link is here:
http://bookbitch.blogspot.com/2008/06/guest-blogger-michelle-gagnon.html
Michelle
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I did go and look at your post, it had a lot of information I didn't have, specifically the customer service of Sony. In a strange way it might be good that my first Kindle messed up since it gave me a pure customer experience with thier customer service department. Amazon gave me no trouble at all and didn't put me through anything besides some questions and a reboot of the Kindle.
I too am an old school book fanatic and am amazed at how often I use the Kindle and will continue to. I think the benefit and sometimes the drawback is the space and cost issue. The books are so much cheaper, you can buy more and they don't take up space.
Btw, I have Boneyard on the Kindle and plan to read it on the plane to RWA next week. :)
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Fantastic! I really hope you enjoy Boneyard. I actually just got a Kindle for my birthday (my Sony reader took an unfortunate fall- still works, surprisingly, but is pretty banged up) and am powering it up right now!
See you at RWA, I'll be signing on Friday- if you get a chance stop by and I'll virtually sign your copy ;)
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I just sent you information on how to get ahold of me on your MySpace message. I will be in San Francisco for a week and would love to meet you! We have all kinds of things for authors to get involved in with the magazine.
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