thoughts on the kindle...i read a lot and wonder

Deals_2

whether this would be more useful than getting the hard copies of books. anyone uses this and experience of it? thanks in advance.

marshyrob

I know its not the same hardware but i read Ebooks on my Ipad (reading Lee Child 61 hours at the mo) and i must say its not too bad.

I thought i would get eye ache or be annoyed with the way it felt in my hands. But once i start to get into the text there is no difference in my opinion, i get immersed in the book just as i would if it was a paperback! I also heard good things about Kindle too.

Maybe see if you can borrow one to try before you go buy it as its not the cheapest paperweight if you dont like it!

Good Luck with it.

lee636

I have a Sony version - prs 505. I used to read lightly before and received this from my gf xmas 2008. Since then i have read probably 50 odd books on it (not massive i know but i probably hadnt read 50 in my life before hand!), i probably wouldnt have read any if i had to carry a traditional book. I have loaded it up with about 60 books, leave it in my bag and am ready to read where ever i go.

You can load it with music too if that is your thing.

amcluesent

Likewise, I've only used Kindle app on an Ipad. Certainly the process of buying books and syncing to the device is simple. I look at a lot of PDFs, so went for iPad over Kindle.

Hippychick

I have just ordered a kindle after doing a lot of research/reading about them they seem to be very good and you can read pdf's as well either in pdf format or amazon will convert them to kindle format for you for free and e-mail them to your device. I like that you can play mp3's as well and also the e-ink appeals over a backlit ipad, seems a lot easier on the eyes.

The cost of the kindle books are cheaper than the paper/hardback copies. Plus you can also get 1000's of free books from amazon thanks to project gutenberg.

just have to wait a few weeks for it to arrive now.

S0litaire

I got a Wi-Fi only Kindle3 on Saturday (It was a gift from a client!) and I'm loving it!

The E-Paper screen is great on the eyes when reading (it does look like printed paper!)
Battery life is amazing!! been using it constantly for the past 4 days and from a full charge it's hardly moved!

I've been listening to Audio Books as well as music, The internet browser is not bad for a grayscale browser.

The only fault is in a problem with the software (the kindle freezes / resets sometimes but Amazon's got a fix in the works which should be out in a few weeks)

Also delivery of books is fast!! 10 seconds from clicking "one click buy" button for it to be delivered to my kindle ^_^

fiddiwebb

How heavy is the Kindle?

Can you read comfortably in bed with it?

Is it waterproof so you can read in the bath?

S0litaire

It's not water proof but you can get a waterproof case for it to read in/by the pool.
The kindle is rather light at 250 grammes, you need to have a light by the bed for bed time reading.

I've found myself setting it to landscape mode to read at times The screen on landscape is roughly the same width as a good hardback book so it's easy to read..

1jim

am getting mine tomorrow (fingers crossed). I read a lot and always end up with a mountain of books to dispose of. I know this will end up costing me more money as in the last 6months I had taken to only getting books from the library and Amazon do seem to make it soooo easy to buy books on the kindle

Steve-o

Plus points for e-ink readers (Sony, Kindle, etc):

• The e-ink screens are as readable as text on paper, and are better than LCD screens at the job.
• The screens can be read in direct sunlight, unlike most LCD screens.
• The screens are not back-lit, which helps to reduce eye strain.
• The e-ink uses very little power, and so the battery life can be a couple of weeks.
• You can potentially fit thousands of ebooks on to an e-reader.
• The e-readers are small enough, and light enough to carry anywhere. Some, like the Sony Readers, are also stylish.
• There are thousands of free legal ebooks to download.
• You can safely read in the bath/pool/etc, by putting the e-reader in one of those resealable food bags.
• The font size is variable, which is useful if you need larger text.
• Some UK libraries are currently lending ebooks.
• Some e-readers can also play music files (the Sony being one), although this drains the battery faster.
• 1000 ebooks on an e-reader take up less space than 1 paper book.

Cons for e-readers:

• Initially expensive.
• Unlike a book, it is breakable.
• Although there are thousands of books to download (either paid for, or for free), not every book is available. Well, not legally.
• You can't lend an ebook to a friend.
• E-readers are currently not the best way to read PDF files, due to their small screen size and lack of colour. The iPad is more suitable for PDF files, due to it's larger size and colour LCD screen, but being LCD brings its own problems (higher battery drain, back-lit potentially increasing eye strain if reading for long periods, not readable in direct sunlight, screen reflection).
• The current line of e-readers do not show colour, so aren't much good for viewing colour images.
• There is a slight delay when turning a page, due to the way e-ink updates the screen. It's actually less time than it takes to turn a page of a paper book, but you tend to notice it more because you are waiting for it to happen.

Many people say that reading on an e-reader is not the same experience as reading a 'real' book, but that's down to personal taste. I myself have both paper books, and an e-reader. I'll be keeping a number of books (favourite hardbacks), but plan to replace most of my collection with the ebook equivalent.

A little note on the page turn delay: although it's initially annoying, you'll probably get to the point that you don't even notice it. I've found that I automatically press the page turn key while I'm reading the last few words on a page, so I don't notice the delay at all.

Deals_2

and ipad if i had one? i am particularly into psychology/self help books. are these all available for kindle use? i am read all the time so thinking too need something easier than what i currently have.

marshyrob wrote: »

I know its not the same hardware but i read Ebooks on my Ipad (reading Lee Child 61 hours at the mo) and i must say its not too bad.

I thought i would get eye ache or be annoyed with the way it felt in my hands. But once i start to get into the text there is no difference in my opinion, i get immersed in the book just as i would if it was a paperback! I also heard good things about Kindle too.

Maybe see if you can borrow one to try before you go buy it as its not the cheapest paperweight if you dont like it!

Good Luck with it.