I'm looking to get an eBook reader, and I'd like to know which one to get based on the experience of owners.
So, which device is best in terms of ease of use, screen quality, battery life, reading comfort or any other measure of quality you may think relevant?
Quote from: drogulus on May 26, 2010, 02:07:31 PM
I'm looking to get an eBook reader, and I'd like to know which one to get based on the experience of owners.
So, which device is best in terms of ease of use, screen quality, battery life, reading comfort or any other measure of quality you may think relevant?
You forgot the Borders Kobo, which is only $150, with the same size screen as the Kindle and Nook. Maybe this will pull the Kindle and Nook prices down.
http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_koboereader?sc_eid2=bannerkobo-52410
I'm unlikely to get a Kindle, which locks you into Amazon. (Even if you want to load a public domain file, you have to e-mail it to Amazon get it on a Kindle, if I understand correctly). I'm also not likely to buy products that have restrictive digital rights management. I've even read that people who had Kindle I weren't able to transfer their books to their Kindle II. All four (Kindle, Nook, Kobo and Sony) have the same screen, as far as I know. If I were to get one, it would be to read public domain material, and would probably get the Sony.
In any case, unless you need to read in direct sunlight, why not get an iPad?
Quote from: Scarpia on May 26, 2010, 02:15:07 PM
In any case, unless you need to read in direct sunlight, why not get an iPad?
The thread title indicates I include other unnamed options, because I don't know what they are.
If the iPad isn't a better reader it's not for me, I think.
Quote from: Scarpia on May 26, 2010, 02:15:07 PM
I'm unlikely to get a Kindle, which locks you into Amazon. (Even if you want to load a public domain file, you have to e-mail it to Amazon get it on a Kindle, if I understand correctly).
No.You can put .PDFs or whatever on the Kindle via a USB cable, just as you would upload to an .mp3 player. E-mailing is just one option. (So technically you have more ways to put files on it.)
Quote
In any case, unless you need to read in direct sunlight, why not get an iPad?
Because your eyes get tired from looking at the back-lit screen. After three decades of reading from computer, I'm amazed how easy the Kindle is on the eyes, and equally amazed that I never realized how tiring LCDs are.
Honestly don't understand why people are so crazy about these keyboardless laptops.
Quote from: KevinP on May 26, 2010, 03:10:11 PMBecause your eyes get tired from looking at the back-lit screen. After three decades of reading from computer, I'm amazed how easy the Kindle is on the eyes, and equally amazed that I never realized how tiring LCDs are.
Honestly don't understand why people are so crazy about these keyboardless laptops.
Well, the Kindle is very different from a "keyboardless laptop." If you are going to use it almost entirely for consuming content rather than creating content, eliminating the keyboard makes it a lot more compact and convenient. The processor and operating system have been aggressively optimized to conserve battery life and give a fun feel. The feeling of using an iPad is
very different than using a laptop (at least based on playing with it in the Apple store). And compared to the Kindle, it is colorful, has a fantasticly optimized web browser, and can run "Apps" (i.e., games).
I haven't seen a Kindle, but I demo'd a Sony reader, the one with the identical screen. Fun factor zero. Kindle is a one-application gadget which allows you to read a book probably once before you somehow lose your digital rights. I'd be willing to pay $50 for it. I remember reading the Amazon was considering giving you one for free if you register for prime shipping deal. I might go for that.
???
You can read the same book as many time as you want as you want on a Kindle. It's yours as long as you have a Kindle (in any form) to read it on. You can read them on other Kindles if you have more than one. You read a book on your hardware Kindle, continue reading it (automatirally starting at your last page) on your Kindle for PC, and finish reading it on your Kindle iPhone ap.
Please don't put such false information out there. It's perfectly fine if you don't know all the details, but just say so rather than post false assumptions to persaude droguls not to buy something you have never tried.
Quote from: KevinP on May 26, 2010, 11:30:09 PM
???
You can read the same book as many time as you want as you want on a Kindle. It's yours as long as you have a Kindle (in any form) to read it on. You can read them on other Kindles if you have more than one. You read a book on your hardware Kindle, continue reading it (automatirally starting at your last page) on your Kindle for PC, and finish reading it on your Kindle iPhone ap.
Please don't put such false information out there. It's perfectly fine if you don't know all the details, but just say so rather than post false assumptions to persaude droguls not to buy something you have never tried.
Yeah, stop......doing that.
(http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/Smileys/classic/angry.gif) It seems all these devices have the same screen, and it's a good one for reading. I'm impressed by the fact that the B&N and the Borders readers will work with books from each other's sites and handle common file types. This leaves Kindle as the odd man out.
Quote from: KevinP on May 26, 2010, 11:30:09 PM
???
You can read the same book as many time as you want as you want on a Kindle. It's yours as long as you have a Kindle (in any form) to read it on. You can read them on other Kindles if you have more than one. You read a book on your hardware Kindle, continue reading it (automatirally starting at your last page) on your Kindle for PC, and finish reading it on your Kindle iPhone ap.
Please don't put such false information out there. It's perfectly fine if you don't know all the details, but just say so rather than post false assumptions to persaude droguls not to buy something you have never tried.
I'm not suggesting that Kindle won't let me read the book twice. If I read a book a second time, it is usually 10-20 years later, and I'm skeptical that after that time period I will still managed to retrieve a Kindle book. I likely won't be able to read it without a Kindle, since Amazon doesn't use the most common industry standard format, but their own format.
QuoteAmazon doesn't use the most common industry standard format, but their own format.
Here we go again. The Kindle is capable of reading multiple file formats, not just its own. These includes .MOBI, .PRC, .AZW, .TXT and .PDB. (I've not tried them all.) It also reads .PDF but the results are currently not that great because a .PDF is essentially a graphic, so the text can be too small and you can't control it as with other formats; however the next update has a zoom function for PDF files. Other formats such as .doc can be converted using freeware programs.
drogulus, I have a Kindle. I absolutely love it. I know what it can and cannot do. I use it daily, reading for hours, which I absolutely couldn't do with an LCD screen. I don't live in a Western country so I can't compare it to other models. (Had to have mine imported.) I'm sure you would be happy with one, the question is whether you would be happier with one of the others.
Quote from: KevinP on May 27, 2010, 06:26:55 AM
These includes .MOBI, .PRC, .AZW, .TXT and .PDB. (I've not tried them all.)
Mobi was open until Amazon bought out the company. But not epub, the one open source format?
Anyway, I don't have the thing so I can't comment on how nice it is, but I have looked into the matter and these are the reasons I don't have the thing and will never have it.
Consumer Report's E-book shootout:
http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2010/06/amazons-kindle-tops-cr-ebook-reader-ratings.html
I have had the Kindle DX for a little over a year now and am extremely happy with it. It is larger than the regular Kindle, but you get more screen real estate, which means you can actually have a full page of text in a "natural" size on it (the screen's size is as big as a full book page) as opposed to having severe reflowing and a weird proportion between reading surface and font size. Reading PDFs is a breeze, and I usually rotate the device to get the full page width when reading technical books (again, an option I like to have text sized as close to the original as possible).
I have read tons of public domain stuff on it that I would have never read otherwise (I would have amassed too many books if I had gone out and bought a physical copy of each, and reading them on my laptop is a non-starter for the reasons everyone knows). As an example, just check http://manybooks.net, which contains most if not all of Project Gutenberg's library in a myriad of formats.
I don't feel locked to Amazon and the Kindle at all. In fact, 99% of the books I have there I have downloaded from the internet (from sites such as the one mentioned above) and the device acts like an external USB drive when it comes to copying files to (and from) it. I've also tried using the experimental web browser it comes with to download some of the books. It is slow, but usable, and it's nice to not have to use a computer to get content into it (it helps that wireless access through Whispernet is totally free in the USA). As others have pointed out, it reads a wide variety of formats, and Amazon's own is just one of them.
Battery life is very very good, at about 3 weeks on a full charge and daily use.
In terms of comfort, one interesting aspect is that you actually forget you are using an electronic device and the text just takes over. That, to me, is a sign that the device is completely unobstrusive and lets you really focus on what you want--the content.
Quote from: petrArch on June 05, 2010, 12:59:25 PM
I have had the Kindle DX for a little over a year now...
Thanks very much for that review. You have managed to answer a lot of the little questions that have been nagging me and which don't ever seem to get addressed. NOW I can think about actually getting one myself, since the answers you gave were positive from my POV. :)
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Quote from: petrArch on June 05, 2010, 12:59:25 PM
I have had the Kindle DX for a little over a year now and am extremely happy with it.
That a very interesting take. It sounds like the dreaded "lock-in" may not be so bad after all.
I've DL'd a few free books to my
Kindle for PC program, just to get an idea of how it works.
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on June 05, 2010, 01:20:35 PM
Thanks very much for that review. You have managed to answer a lot of the little questions that have been nagging me and which don't ever seem to get addressed. NOW I can think about actually getting one myself, since the answers you gave were positive from my POV. :)
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I'll be in Texas next Sat., and gone by Tues. Is that OK?
(http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/Smileys/classic/grin.gif) You can go to a site like
ManyBooks (http://manybooks.net/) and pick up all kinds of free books in both Kindle and non-Kindle formats.
Quote from: drogulus on June 05, 2010, 02:37:53 PM
I'll be in Texas next Sat., and gone by Tues. Is that OK? (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/Smileys/classic/grin.gif)
Actually, OK is just north of here, we are TX. But I can see that I don't need to give you the good advice to not stick around for long; we are expecting near 100°F (38°C for our non-F members) in the next couple days. Only a fool would visit here for any amount of time at this time of year! :o :o
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Quote from: Gurn Blanston on June 05, 2010, 03:01:01 PM
Actually, OK is just north of here, we are TX. But I can see that I don't need to give you the good advice to not stick around for long; we are expecting near 100°F (38°C for our non-F members) in the next couple days. Only a fool would visit here for any amount of time at this time of year! :o :o
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I went in June last year, and it hit 101 degrees. But that was
Ohhhh Kaayyy, because it wasn't terribly humid. The forecast for next Sat. is 96 degrees and dry. I think we just might make it.
(http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/Smileys/classic/smiley.gif)
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on June 05, 2010, 01:20:35 PM
Thanks very much for that review. You have managed to answer a lot of the little questions that have been nagging me and which don't ever seem to get addressed. NOW I can think about actually getting one myself, since the answers you gave were positive from my POV. :)
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Borders is coming out with a reader with same display as the basic Kindle for $150. I suspect the Kindle price point will have to come down from $260.
A (perhaps) helpful article on software availability for each of the major readers.
http://ilmk.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/stables-of-contents/
Still on this topic, I remembered an interesting tidbit. Like everyone else, I read the most I could about the device to get some sense of eventual issues and problems that people were having before deciding to buy. The most interesting report was one that I must say happened to me in exactly the same way, even after I had read about it. When I unpacked the unit, it had the typical transparent adhesive protector covering the screen, with some instructions on how to power and charge the device for the first time. When I removed the adhesive protector, I was taken aback because it was completely transparent, and all the text and diagrams about charging it were a page rendered by the device itself (probably the default page once it comes out of the assembly line). That was a very satisfying and amazing surprise, and it goes to show how seamless e-ink technology really is.
The NYTimes had this (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/technology/personaltech/10TAB.html?partner=rss&emc=rss) yesterday:
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/nytlogo379x64.gif)
Among E-Readers, Competition Heats Up
By JOANNA STERN
WHEN Steven P. Jobs, Apple's chief executive, introduced the iPad, he bluntly took aim at the rapidly emerging e-reader market.
"Amazon has done a great job" with the Kindle, he said. "We're going to stand on their shoulders and go a little bit further."
The iPad's full-color screen and its ability to browse the Web and run thousands of applications certainly make it more versatile than the Kindle, but Apple is not the only company bringing more than just black-on-white text to readers.
AsusTek, Dell and Hewlett-Packard will soon be following Apple's lead, bringing to market large-screen tablets that are ideal for reading books and newly formatted digital magazines and newspapers. And unlike Amazon's and Sony's stand-alone e-readers, which are limited by monochrome E Ink screens, the new multipurpose devices provide access to the Web and other applications.
Does this mean dedicated digital reader devices will be landing in the grave? Not quite. While the price of many basic e-readers has been cut to stimulate sales, companies like Barnes & Noble and Spring Design have melded those E Ink screens with secondary color displays to add some Web functionality to primarily single-function e-readers.
The result includes smarter devices and more choices. Here's a roundup of products to consider in choosing a digital reader now.
http://mashable.com/2010/07/01/kindle-dx-screen-price/
Kindle DX Gets a Better Screen, Lower Price
Kindle DX, Amazon's e-reader designed for reading magazines and newspapers, made some sense before Apple introduced its iPad, but afterwards it was really hard to justify buying one. The iPad is more powerful, has a more attractive screen, and yet the cheapest version costs $499, only ten bucks less than Kindle DX's original price.
Amazon had to take some steps to make the DX more competitive, and now it improved on its two crucial aspects: the price and the screen. Kindle DX now costs significantly less – $379 – and its new screen has a 50 percent better contrast, Amazon claims.
The DX also has a new, graphite-colored case, which should further improve readability. The new Kindle DX will be shipping on July 7th, but you can pre-order one now.
By the way, if you're still interested in the smaller, original Kindle, you can now snatch one for only $149.99 on Woot, the sale-a-day e-commerce site Amazon acquired today.
I've had a Nook since around February, and love it to death (my wife now has one too). I literally do not leave the house without it anymore, and have gotten to the point that I truly do prefer reading a novel on the Nook to a paper copy. I like the fact that I can buy ebooks from pretty much any site out there (except Amazon). The in-store options are nice if you live near a B&N store, and the web-browser, while still pretty crude, will work fine with mobile sites designed for blackberrys etc., or to check your email in a pinch. The software had a few bugs when it first came out, but they've put out four system updates so far and at this point it's very solid.
I also use the free Calibre software a lot -- it will easily convert anything non-DRMed to EPUB, which seems to work best on the Nook (though it will read PDFs and PDBs just fine). It also has a handly feature that will create and download epub versions of many websites, like newspapers, magazine, etc., for later reading on the Nook, quite handy.
I haven't used a Kindle, but if you have any specific questions on the Nook I'd be happy to answer them.
Cheers,
JWinter
What's the capacity on the DX, and can it be cracked to read unsupported formats (if any), like the ipod? The price is still too steep for me but i might consider buying one in the future.
Quote from: Josquin des Prez on July 01, 2010, 08:17:49 AM
What's the capacity on the DX, and can it be cracked to read unsupported formats (if any), like the ipod? The price is still too steep for me but i might consider buying one in the future.
I believe it holds 4 gigs (don't have it handy to check). Not sure if the software was cracked already.
Quote from: jwinter on July 01, 2010, 07:56:47 AMI haven't used a Kindle, but if you have any specific questions on the Nook I'd be happy to answer them.
I've never even seen a Kindle, but have tried out the Sony reader at a Target store. It does this weird thing where the a negative image of the page is briefly displayed during a page flip. I found it distracting. The Nook uses the same screen as the Sony and Nook, does it also do this negative image thing on page turns?
Quote from: Scarpia on July 01, 2010, 09:02:41 AM
I've never even seen a Kindle, but have tried out the Sony reader at a Target store. It does this weird thing where the a negative image of the page is briefly displayed during a page flip. I found it distracting. The Nook uses the same screen as the Sony and Nook, does it also do this negative image thing on page turns?
The Kindle also does it. It is only disconcerting for a little while, until you get used to it. It will also feel slow on page transitions initially, especially if you're used to the responsiveness of a laptop. As soon as I finished exploring the device and started reading a book, all of those "annoyances" went away and were completely forgotten--e-ink
is that good. Can't live or travel without my Kindle.
Quote from: petrArch on July 01, 2010, 09:14:29 AM
The Kindle also does it. It is only disconcerting for a little while, until you get used to it. It will also feel slow on page transitions initially, especially if you're used to the responsiveness of a laptop. As soon as I finished exploring the device and started reading a book, all of those "annoyances" went away and were completely forgotten--e-ink is that good. Can't live or travel without my Kindle.
Do these devices support Cyrillic text, is it possible to get books on Russian on any of these devices?
Quote from: Scarpia on July 01, 2010, 09:25:28 AM
Do these devices support Cyrillic text, is it possible to get books on Russian on any of these devices?
I never tried non-latin character sets, but since it renders pdf files without issues, you could get cyrillic that way (for instance, this (http://books.google.com/books?id=ZbcqAAAAMAAJ&oe=UTF-8) pdf is rendered exactly as on the computer, gothic type and all).
My Kindle displays Korean although it's not as nice-looking as Roman fonts. So Cyrillic would probably work just fine, but you need to take this question to a Kindle board to be sure.
Kindle 3 announced.
Looks really good and the price is really nice.
Quote from: KevinP on July 30, 2010, 06:04:33 PM
Kindle 3 announced.
Looks really good and the price is really nice.
Yeah, I was looking it over today. Lots to be said for it (not available for a couple more weeks though), including faster page turns, 30% lighter in your hands, more contrasty screen. Looks like I'm about ready to take the plunge on it; that is, if they haven't completely cut out the wireless modem version in favor of WiFi, which I don't have or have access to. Not like I live in a damned teeming metropolis or something. Even with these guys to help I don't have a prayer there;
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/Gurn_Blanston/Julydeer02.jpg)
(off the front porch Wednesday evening)
:D
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Quote from: Gurn Blanston on July 30, 2010, 06:16:26 PM
Yeah, I was looking it over today. Lots to be said for it (not available for a couple more weeks though), including faster page turns, 30% lighter in your hands, more contrasty screen. Looks like I'm about ready to take the plunge on it; that is, if they haven't completely cut out the wireless modem version in favor of WiFi, which I don't have or have access to. Not like I live in a damned teeming metropolis or something. Even with these guys to help I don't have a prayer there;
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa159/Gurn_Blanston/Julydeer02.jpg)
(off the front porch Wednesday evening)
:D
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Terrific picture, Gurn!
(where's Thumper?)
Kindle screen vs. iPad, including a newspaper, a book and a magazine, all under the microscope: http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=2722. Enlightening comparison.
Quote from: KevinP on May 26, 2010, 03:10:11 PM
Honestly don't understand why people are so crazy about these keyboardless laptops.
Taken at face value as commentary regarding the popularity of iPADs...right?
Interesting thread, thanks. My wife's been interested ever since they were introduced and when the latest price drop was announced decided she'd waited long enough. I'm still holding out for a folding tablet PC the size of a trade paperback with the readability of a Kindle, the ability to use a virtual keyboard on one half of a hinged, open screen (can you say netbook?), and with a 250 GB SS drive and a DAC at least as good as an iPod...and phone connectivity.
Two years? Three and a half before the price drops to $500?
No doubt if I've thought of it then someone already has it under development. ;)
Quote from: DavidRoss on August 15, 2010, 04:46:58 AM
Interesting thread, thanks. My wife's been interested ever since they were introduced and when the latest price drop was announced decided she'd waited long enough. I'm still holding out for a folding tablet PC the size of a trade paperback with the readability of a Kindle, the ability to use a virtual keyboard on one half of a hinged, open screen (can you say netbook?), and with a 250 GB SS drive and a DAC at least as good as an iPod...and phone connectivity.
Two years? Three and a half before the price drops to $500?
No doubt if I've thought of it then someone already has it under development. ;)
I like the idea of dedicated purpose devices such as the Kindle. My problem with it is that I have no faith in digital rights management systems as they are implemented today. I have books on my shelf that I bought when I was 18 or younger. Sometimes I read them again, but even if I don't they serve as a tangible record of the books that have made an impression on me. Will I still have access to a book I buy for Kindle decades from now?
If I were to get one it would be for reading public domain ebooks such as are available from Project Gutenberg or similar sources, or for the most ephemeral of books. A good piece of contemporary literary fiction or an interesting non-fiction book I'd want in a tangible, durable form.
Back to DRM, the fact that you are at the mercy of the person you bought the media from is a problem. The one audio track I ever bought is unplayable because I had to reinstall my OS and the vendor that sold me the track is defunct. I don't know what the solution is. Maybe if there were a central server (maybe run by the Library of Congress or something) where your digital rights certificate were stored I would feel more comfortable.
Quote from: Scarpia on August 15, 2010, 06:32:39 AM
Back to DRM, the fact that you are at the mercy of the person you bought the media from is a problem. The one audio track I ever bought is unplayable because I had to reinstall my OS and the vendor that sold me the track is defunct. I don't know what the solution is. Maybe if there were a central server (maybe run by the Library of Congress or something) where your digital rights certificate were stored I would feel more comfortable.
Stick with open source, rip your own tracks, and stay away from the slimeballs who push proprietary crap like Apple!
I saw where a new book by Pete Hamill is going straight to eBook and will not appear in print. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/books/12hamill.html?ref=media)
And here's another article about the trend in the publishing industry toward eBooks. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/business/media/12bookstore.html?_r=1&ref=books)
Quote from: Scarpia on August 15, 2010, 06:32:39 AM
I like the idea of dedicated purpose devices such as the Kindle. My problem with it is that I have no faith in digital rights management systems as they are implemented today. I have books on my shelf that I bought when I was 18 or younger. Sometimes I read them again, but even if I don't they serve as a tangible record of the books that have made an impression on me. Will I still have access to a book I buy for Kindle decades from now?
If I were to get one it would be for reading public domain ebooks such as are available from Project Gutenberg or similar sources, or for the most ephemeral of books. A good piece of contemporary literary fiction or an interesting non-fiction book I'd want in a tangible, durable form.
Kindle doesn't force DRM on you, it depends on the vendors of the ebooks. I can tell you because of the Kindlee I have read a lot of books I wouldn't think I would otherwise have read (not interesting enough to get the print version and take up space on my shelves). Most if not all Project Gutenberg books are available for free through manybooks.net, who provide ebooks in a myriad of formats. And obviously I still buy books in print form, typically those I want to flip through countless times or enjoy good quality printing.
There's nothing like reading from a real book.
Quote from: petrArch on August 14, 2010, 11:04:20 PM
Kindle screen vs. iPad, including a newspaper, a book and a magazine, all under the microscope: http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?p=2722. Enlightening comparison.
I would think the iPad would be hard to read outdoors, since it uses a backlit LCD monitor.
I'm getting a Kindle in the mail this week and am very excited. :)
Quote from: Ataraxia on November 21, 2011, 06:01:44 AM
I'm getting a Kindle in the mail this week and am very excited. :)
Which model did you get, Dave? I've been pondering this for quite a while. Actually, I am nearly sold on a Nook.... :-\
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I went for the $79 version. All I want to do is read e-books and perhaps PDF files if that's possible.
Quote from: Ataraxia on November 21, 2011, 06:08:50 AM
I went for the $79 version. All I want to do is read e-books and perhaps PDF files if that's possible.
If I had access to WiFi that's the way I'd go too. Their older model with a cellmodem would be what I need. I note
that price hasn't come down, and in fact they are abandoning it. So it goes. :) It does read PDF's, according to the blurb.
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Quote from: Gurnatron5500 on November 21, 2011, 06:14:30 AM
If I had access to WiFi that's the way I'd go too. Their older model with a cellmodem would be what I need. I note that price hasn't come down, and in fact they are abandoning it. So it goes. :) It does read PDF's, according to the blurb.
AT&T has set up locations where you can download using WiFi for free. Otherwise, you just use USB.
Yeah, it reads PDF's but how are they formatted? I've tried reading files on my iPhone using various different apps and did not like it.
Quote from: Ataraxia on November 21, 2011, 06:17:09 AM
Yeah, it reads PDF's but how are they formatted?
On the Kindle DX, they are rendered exactly like they are on a computer, except that the zoom in/out capability is coarse and gives you only a couple of magnification values. The pages are resized to fit the screen, which in some cases means the text is quite small. In those cases I put the device in landscape mode, which will fit the width of the page to the height of the device, resulting in bigger text. In landscape mode you can move up and down in the same page using the page up/down keys.
Quote from: petrarch on November 21, 2011, 04:08:44 PM
On the Kindle DX, they are rendered exactly like they are on a computer, except that the zoom in/out capability is coarse and gives you only a couple of magnification values. The pages are resized to fit the screen, which in some cases means the text is quite small. In those cases I put the device in landscape mode, which will fit the width of the page to the height of the device, resulting in bigger text. In landscape mode you can move up and down in the same page using the page up/down keys.
Hey, thanks!
My wife is considering the Fire, an upgrade from her other Kindle. She likes the color for the magazines. My basic Kindle is still all I need. I do not care for the back lit screen. I get enough of that typing here. ;D
Yeah, why buy a Kindle with a backlit screen?
Quote from: Ataraxia on November 22, 2011, 12:34:04 PM
Yeah, why buy a Kindle with a backlit screen?
For reading in the dark?
I'd also like to have something that was good for reading PDFs, particularly ones dense with mathematics. I often seem complaints about the rendering of mathematics in the Kindle edition of books. Whether that's a limitation of the file format or of the hardware, I don't know.
Quote from: Daverz on November 22, 2011, 03:02:02 PM
For reading in the dark?
Yeah, but then it's not really a "Kindle," to me...
Quote from: Daverz on November 22, 2011, 03:02:02 PM
I'd also like to have something that was good for reading PDFs, particularly ones dense with mathematics. I often seem complaints about the rendering of mathematics in the Kindle edition of books. Whether that's a limitation of the file format or of the hardware, I don't know.
Yeah, there just doesn't seem to be a good way to read PDF's unless it's on your computer screen.
Quote from: Ataraxia on November 22, 2011, 05:25:11 PM
Yeah, there just doesn't seem to be a good way to read PDF's unless it's on your computer screen.
I think an iPad would work well for PDFs, but I don't like the form factor.
Here's a Kindle Fire review where the author suggests that some people will be happier with a "Honeycomb Android" tablet:
http://www.itworld.com/personal-tech/226153/kindle-fire-my-turn-weigh-opinion (http://www.itworld.com/personal-tech/226153/kindle-fire-my-turn-weigh-opinion)
Maybe I can find one with a paperback-like form factor.
Another interesting comparison between the Fire and a Samsung tablet:
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Kindle-Fire-Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-70-Plus-7inch-Android-Tablets-Face-Off-235898/ (http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Kindle-Fire-Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-70-Plus-7inch-Android-Tablets-Face-Off-235898/)
Quote from: Ataraxia on November 22, 2011, 05:18:15 PM
Yeah, but then it's not really a "Kindle," to me...
Agreed. However, any photos are pretty cruddy on the basic models. I tend to try to stay with novels on mine. Any books with decent photos I still buy a hard copy.
As far as reading in the dark, our covers have a booklight built in. I still prefer it to the shiny screen, but just my preference.
Quote from: Bogey on November 23, 2011, 05:04:49 AM
I still prefer it to the shiny screen, but just my preference.
Same here; e-ink is so much more 'natural' and like a printed page.
Quote from: petrarch on November 23, 2011, 05:47:22 AM
Same here; e-ink is so much more 'natural' and like a printed page.
Which is why you buy a Kindle.
Quote from: Ataraxia on November 23, 2011, 11:32:33 AM
Which is why you buy a Kindle.
BINGO!
Unless you do not want to drop big bucks on a PAD....then with the FIRE you get a bit of the PAD stuff and your reader. That is the way my wife sees it. Also, she likes her professionalism teacher books in color....sooooooo.
Quote from: Bogey on November 23, 2011, 06:16:03 PM
BINGO!
Unless you do not want to drop big bucks on a PAD....then with the FIRE you get a bit of the PAD stuff and your reader. That is the way my wife sees it. Also, she likes her professionalism teacher books in color....sooooooo.
I admit, I know nothing about the Fire. :)
Gosh, should I get a Kindle?
I saw an interesting news item yesterday. The government has given notice to Apple and 5 major publishers that they are going to sue them for price fixing over the deal that made Amazon have to raise their prices in 2010. Which, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, is my reason for not having a Kindle even now. It will be interesting to see if Apple just buys their way out of this one too. >:(
8)
That item was sort of in my ear, as well, Gurn.
I'm incliined to think that this will sort out. Also, I understand that I can borrow library books on the Kindle. I could see myself freeing up shelf space, which would make the missus glow . . . .
I have the Fire now for some months, and I am very happy with it. Its fast, good screen visibility, and easy to handle at that! Downloading books is a matter of seconds. Nicholas Nickleby by Dickens was downloaded in 8 seconds.
Quote from: Gurnatron5500 on March 09, 2012, 06:18:04 AM
I saw an interesting news item yesterday. The government has given notice to Apple and 5 major publishers that they are going to sue them for price fixing over the deal that made Amazon have to raise their prices in 2010. Which, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, is my reason for not having a Kindle even now. It will be interesting to see if Apple just buys their way out of this one too. >:(
8)
I saw that too. It's interesting because I think that the anti-competitive practices of these publishers are in reaction to the anti-competitive tactics of amazon. The difference is that the DOJ is invested in busting up unfair practices that harm the consumer, but not unfair practices that harm corporations.
The agency model sucks for us because we pay more, but if it weren't for that amazon would monopolize the distribution of ebooks because they can aggressively cut prices until they bankrupt the competition. Apple can go toe to toe with them, but apple's model is to sell hardware, stuff like ebooks is secondary. Barnes and Noble is only still kicking because of the agency model. Their worth is less than a hundredth of amazon. They do not have deep pockets.
I do think that the pricing under the agency model is terrible, and it does look like a case of unfair business practice... but if the DOJ successfully busts the big publishers for it, the ebook market will be in a steep decline for authors, publishers, and companies competing with amazon (apple, bn, kobo, sony, google etc)
So I have mixed feelings.
Quote from: karlhenning on March 09, 2012, 06:24:41 AM
I'm incliined to think that this will sort out. Also, I understand that I can borrow library books on the Kindle. I could see myself freeing up shelf space, which would make the missus glow . . . .
Yes... but the big publishers are starting to refuse to use overdrive citing security issues. Overdrive is what is used with the kindle. Adobe's system which the epub readers use is not under attack.
Also the waits on library ebook checkouts is long... that extremely loud book that I read I waited on since November to checkout.
I'll have to agree w/ David about OverDrive - the app is on my iPad 2 but I've not used it in months for the reasons mentioned: 1) Limited variety and number of ebooks available from my local library; 2) Newer books are often not available; 3) Long, long waits if the waiting list has more than one or two names; and 4) Only 2 weeks to read the book(s) - very annoying, especially if one has waited weeks if not a month or two and say 3 books are available all @ the same time! >:(
Hmm. I wonder if libraries here in tech-savvy Boston are any better equipped for the traffic, Dave? . . .
Quote from: karlhenning on March 09, 2012, 08:42:20 AM
Hmm. I wonder if libraries here in tech-savvy Boston are any better equipped for the traffic, Dave? . . .
Nope. Even the largest ebook library in the country has less than 20,000 while the small libraries in my area have five times that in paper books. For reference I am using the Oklahoma network which is one of the top twenty in North America.
The library effort is not that mature yet, and some of the publishers won't allow the library to buy ebooks from them, others have very short checkout limits, and Random House very recently tripled the cost of a library ebook. They are trying to make it prohibitively expensive for libraries to offer ebooks. These publishers don't like anything that cuts into their profit.
Oof.
Quote from: karlhenning on March 09, 2012, 06:09:15 AM
Gosh, should I get a Kindle?
If you like reading for hours and hours at a time, then yes. I am still using my first gen DX (for almost 3 years now) and still loving it. One thing I did last year was to cram it with music scores in PDF format (e.g. the whole of Bach's WTC, Art of Fugue, a lot of Byrd and big chunk of renaissance composers) so that I could do some analysis on vacation and read them while listening to the music on the iPhone.
My earlier comments still apply: http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,16363.msg417523.html#msg417523
If/when you decide to have that tea, I can show you the device ;)
Quote from: petrarch on March 10, 2012, 05:50:52 AM
If/when you decide to have that tea, I can show you the device ;)
Hey, early this week would work.
Boy I would like a DX, it's so huge! I just can't convince myself it's worth the large price tag.
Just got the Nook Simple Touch, $80.
And I've already got 46 items in My Library, most of them free . . . this is going to be fun.
On December 1, 2011 Barnes & Noble stated that NOOK and NOOK related sales for Q2 of 2011 were $920 million. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nook)
Clearly a wise business move!
All right, it is not New York Post front-page headlines stuff . . . but I spent some time just now on a park bench reading Shakespeare. I don't have a paperback edition of Much Ado About Nothing; nor would it be at all practical for me to traipse The Riverside Shakespeare along with me on the commute. So, sure . . . life's simple pleasures, and all.
That is the key, Karl. I got my Kindle for a reason, not just to have. Those Howard books in hard copy would have cost me hundreds.
I'm having the greatest time with this, Bill. It's like Library DJ . . . .
Quote from: karlhenning on March 20, 2012, 10:24:21 AM
I'm having the greatest time with this, Bill. It's like Library DJ . . . .
Wait until you go on vacation, when you can basically carry a lot of books
just in case and no longer have to carefully think what you might be in the mood for while away. It's
exhilarating.
How's the rendering of PDFs on that device? Have you tried music scores?
I went to the store to see how they handled such a PDF (I tried the Elgar Cello Concerto). Not at all satisfactory for that purpose, really; so I went full speed ahead with the Simple Touch just for reading text.
Quote from: karlhenning on March 20, 2012, 11:27:50 AM
I went to the store to see how they handled such a PDF (I tried the Elgar Cello Concerto). Not at all satisfactory for that purpose, really; so I went full speed ahead with the Simple Touch just for reading text.
Pity. Am I correct in assuming screen size is the issue? I take it the rendering engine has no trouble in displaying a PDF file, but navigation in the page is probably awkward (even in the DX it is slightly so, despite the bigger screen).
Well, I actually tried this on the Nook Tablet in the store; it does the touchscreen zoom in or out very well. Might be partly a fault of the scanned score which I was reading, but the view was grainier than I should like. Given that, and the fact that I prefer to read the e-ink (and not needing the bells and whistles on such a model, myself — my Droid does fine with e-mail, and I prefer to watch movies on a larger screen than a tablet) I elected to go just with the Simple Touch.
For fun, I'll try to read a score of mine on it later, just to see what happens . . . .
I was puttering around with my FreeBooks app on iPhone and discovered this:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/doctor-who-and-the-empire-of-glass-andy-lane/1028739627
Naturally, I started in right away. ;D
Alright Karl, now that you've had your nook for awhile... do you still like and use the touch or do you just use the buttons? And do you use the Georgia font? ;D ;D
I do prefer the touch, I seldom use the buttons. And Georgia is not a font option : (
I still like it very well : )
Quote from: karlhenning on March 30, 2012, 04:19:50 PM
I do prefer the touch, I seldom use the buttons. And Georgia is not a font option : (
I still like it very well : )
Oh woops I confused it with the kindle fire! :D I have too many readers. I use malabar on the nook. Georgia on the fire, and there are no choices on the plain jane kindle.
I'm really excited about this new nook with the builtin light. I've preordered it. It's a bandaid on the overall problem of contrast but should really help. :)
When's it come in, Davey?
Barnes & Noble shares surge on Microsoft deal (http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/barnes-and-noble-shares-surge-on-microsoft-deal/2012/04/30/gIQA161UrT_story.html?hpid=z3)Quote from: Hayley Tsukayama"The promise we're making to consumers is that you're going to be able to read your Nook books" across a number of devices," Lynch said, adding that Microsoft and Barnes & Noble will combine their research and development efforts.
Quote from: karlhenning on April 30, 2012, 07:27:20 AM
When's it come in, Davey?
Wednesday, it shipped on Friday night by 3 day express UPS. I'm really excited!!! :)
Yes that Microsoft deal is big news, and secures the future for nook. I believe BN is also separating Nook from the brick and mortar side which is good because the latter side will eventually fail (and soon) while the nook will live on. They get $300 million from MS and MS gets 18% of the stock. Also the integration with Windows 8 (which is going onto phones and tablets as well as pcs) will really help them increase their users.
Yes, I am a party interested in the sustainability of Nook : ) Hard not to agree with your point that the br-&-mortar ops will sink at last, at some point.
I'm hopeful that the Microsoft news means that the Nook will be around for a long time. I've had the Nook Simple Touch and the Nook Color for a long while now, and love them both. The Nook Color is pretty good for comics and magazines (though ideally I'd like a bigger screen), and I really enjoy doing the NY Times daily crosswords on it (not to mention Angry Birds). If I'm going to read a novel, though, the Simple Touch is my clear first choice. There's oodles of great free stuff at manybooks.net, Project Gutenberg, etc., if you have a taste for the classics. I also find it very convenient to read the morning paper on the nooks -- very easy to pull it out and read an article when I have 5 minutes to spare, much simpler than carrying a newspaper around, and saves trees.
Oh, and you may want to download a copy of Calibre -- it's great for converting from one ebook format to another, and for editing the tags on non-DRM'd ebooks to make them sort the way you want, change the cover, etc. There are also easy-to-find calibre plug-ins that will quickly strip the DRM off your books, so that you can do with them as you please.
It's same here Jwinter, I like games, comics and web browsing on a tablet, but serious reading on an eink ereader.
I use Calibre and those plugins too, it is what keeps me from vendor lockin. I also keep my own ebook archive on dropbox as a backup (along with my external hd).
Interesting, gents. I do enjoy my Simple Touch; may well not trouble to move.
I almost returned the nook glow after reading from gizmodo and the digital reader how fragile the screen is... but I decided to keep it and just push for in warranty repairs/replacement if the screen gets damaged.
Good luck, dude!
MFST NOK BKS
If this works it will be a revolution, and one of the great comeback stories. If it doesn't 2 companies go bankrupt and the other one slowly shrinks into irrelevance.
I think that anyone that refers to companies by their stock tickers has a case of acronym tourettes! :D
I picked up a Kindle Touch a couple of weeks ago intending to use it for doctor's visits and such* and finally gave in and ordered (READ: paid for) a few books I want to read now rather than later. I am loving it. I find that the screen requires a bit more light than a book if I wish to prevent eye strain, but that's not a big issue because when you have it under a good light it looks beautiful. I'm the kind of person who likes to skim the important parts of the instructions and then dive in rather than reading everything up front, so I'm very happy that most of the functions are wonderfully intuitive. I'm also having a lot of fun discovering little shortcuts here and there that I was previously unaware of.
I was initially suspicious about the nature of the ad content and how intrusive it would be (does the Kindle go to screen saver if I take a bit longer than normal to read a particular page?) but went with that version since I'm a cheap bastard frugal fellow and decided that if I really hated the ads that much I could give Amazon their $40 later on and get them removed. (They really should advertise that feature.) I've found that the ads are very non-invasive and some of them are actually pretty interesting. ($35 loose leaf tea coupon for $15? Show me the way!) I've found it very satisfying overall, and I was somewhat skeptical.
*If you're like myself and favor tomes that range on average from 500 to 700 pages an e-reader is a godsend since you don't have to worry about lugging those things around. It also helps me convince myself to leave the rare books at home. :)
Cool Geo Dude! :) I think buying and reading on the kindle is an important step to growing to like it. Those that only read free content on their kindle... well many of them become bored and toss the kindle into a drawer.
Quote from: DavidW on May 06, 2012, 09:39:03 AM
I think that anyone that refers to companies by their stock tickers has a case of acronym tourettes! :D
I got in the habit of looking them up. Besides I was making a related point.
(pause....thinks) This is MY thread, and I can twist it in ANY direction I want.....for ANY purpose
Morbius!
(http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/Smileys/classic/angry.gif) (http://library.duke.edu/lilly/film-video/images/forbidden-planet.jpg)
Quote from: DavidW on May 06, 2012, 09:57:46 AM
Cool Geo Dude! :) I think buying and reading on the kindle is an important step to growing to like it. Those that only read free content on their kindle... well many of them become bored and toss the kindle into a drawer.
Agreed. I have some great classics and historical texts on there that I got for free (or very cheap), but they're simply not what I'm interested in reading at this time. So, I decided to grab some stuff that fits my current reading needs. One thing I forgot to mention that I love about the Kindle is the built in dictionary feature. Very useful. I particularly like that you don't have to be connected to wi-fi to use it.
I checked out the glowy Nook at the Harvard Coop tonight on my way to work. They only had one for display, none for sale. I liked the look of it, and it's smallness is a plus. I'll go back and look at it again soon.
I'm returning mine, I've finally decided that I can't live with such a delicate screen. The final push was that there was a problem with an ebook I purchased and customer service completely blew me off. They couldn't even be bothered to say that they weren't going to do anything. I needed a return authorization number and the secret address for nook returns... and do you know how easy that was!? It took 40 minutes on the phone. I have never had such terrible customer service! Bite me Barnes and Noble you just lost a customer. I will now with all due haste sell my Nook STR as well and never come back.
Oh, that is a shame; B&N need to do all they can to keep the brand bright and viable. This sort of brusque customer relations is the last thing they need . . . .
One thing I've found to be true is that AMZN (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/Smileys/classic/tongue.gif) has superb customer service. No matter what kind of problem I've had (shipments, VOD issues, downloads) they have always been helpful and the help has always solved the problem. That should be a factor in the decision about which reader to get.
Yes Amazon's customer service is one of the best I've ever encountered.
B&N really need to get their merde together on that, if they're serious about survival.
In today's news, Amazon states that they've bought an exclusive license to get all of the Harry Potter books in electronic format. I don't care too much, personally, but I'm sure this news will make a lot of people happy. And will make their opponents sad. :P
I bought my ebooks directly from Pottermore to get them DRM FREE!!!!!!!! You can also link them with bn, amazon and google.
I'm surprised that amazon managed to get their hooks into Potter after this. Did you know that was initially going to be a sony exclusive?
Anyway for those that didn't know amazon also has the rights to Ian Fleming's novels.
Most apropos:Quote from: Wanderer on June 01, 2012, 10:13:18 AM
War and Nookd (http://futureoftheinternet.org/war-and-nookd)
Quote from: Geo Dude on May 10, 2012, 08:00:30 AM
In today's news, Amazon states that they've bought an exclusive license to get all of the Harry Potter books in electronic format. I don't care too much, personally, but I'm sure this news will make a lot of people happy. And will make their opponents sad. :P
btw this was mistated. Amazon bought rights to have the HP novels in their lending library, they did NOT get exclusive rights to sell the ebooks.
Quote from: DavidW on June 01, 2012, 10:30:56 AM
btw this was mistated. Amazon bought rights to have the HP novels in their lending library, they did NOT get exclusive rights to sell the ebooks.
Thanks for correcting me.
Anyone have new e-reader stories to share?
Quote from: Geo Dude on June 01, 2012, 01:51:03 PM
Thanks for correcting me.
Anyone have new e-reader stories to share?
Yup as the other DavidW shared on facebook, Stephen King's next novel will not be available in ebook format.
On a more encouraging note, the new kindle is due out in July and will have the flex lighting feature that they had been working on for 2 years (they were really the first, BN just slapped something together within a few months). The rumors about the color eink are sadly false though, the new kindle will be black and white only. The technology has not matured enough.
And for those that have not updated their firmware in some time-- the kindle touch supports KF8 with the new firmware. This makes justifications and font choices more diverse, complex and better handled. They have also made it so that the table of contents can be accessed through the pop up menu so you no longer have to navigate to the toc in the book. The Fire also has KF8 support, and no other kindles do.
One last thing, the next Fire will have a 10 inch screen.
Quote from: DavidW on June 02, 2012, 06:54:42 AM
One last thing, the next Fire will have a 10 inch screen.
Oh, my ... could seriously tempt me as a passive consumption device. Would be nice if it could do more. I have a 2nd Gen Kindle, but have resisted tablets until they have decent external drive connectivity. USB3 should be a feature by year end.
Quote from: DavidRoss on June 02, 2012, 10:45:49 AM
Would be nice if it could do more.
I think that encapsulates my entire experience with the fire! :D
I agree with you that we need to be able to connect with an external drive. A tablet is not a phone or mp3 player. We need to be able to access or use everything we have if we want to. The Nook Tablet has an sd card reader which is an improvement, but if I was able to plug in my external hd I would call it problem solved.
I've resisted tablets so far because they fall so far short of netbooks as productivity tools. But with decent high-speed connectivity to external drives via USB3, and with the addition of a decent but thin and light keyboard, they just might get me to switch. See http://allthingsd.com/20120521/one-small-keyboard-for-logitech-one-giant-leap-for-ipad-productivity/
My Kindle has developed an annoyingly loud click when I press the page turn button. It was a much softer sound when I first purchased it. It drives my wife nuts but I still think it's no worse than a paper page turning.
Bummer. That's one reason I like my nook -- no buttons (or I should say, none that you really need to use, other than the power button and the home key).
Quote from: jwinter on August 14, 2012, 09:34:11 AM
Bummer. That's one reason I like my nook -- no buttons (or I should say, none that you really need to use, other than the power button and the home key).
What does it use instead? Touch?
Yes, you just tap or swipe the screen on either side, and it goes forward and backward in the book. The original 1st generation nook, now discontinued, had an issue where the page forward button would tend to crack -- since then, they've pretty much engineered out the use of such a button -- the b&w nooks still have them, albeit redesigned (though I never use them) and the nook colors and tablets have no buttons at all, other than the single home button which brings up an options bar. It's all touchscreen.
I have the new Kindle Paperwhite and it is awesome! High resolution=nicer reading fonts namely baskerville and palatino. Much better than the crappy typewriter-esque font kindles have been using. That was one of the two things I liked on the nook better. The other was page numbers... but amazon finally has the best system. Amazon learns your reading rate and tells you how much time you have left to read in the chapter or the novel. It is awesome! :)
Also the led light can be made to make the background look white without glowing, it is better than the Nook glo. This is all I wanted the light to do, and I'm glad to see that it doesn't give reading an electronic look to it.
Quote from: DavidW on October 05, 2012, 04:50:57 AM
I have the new Kindle Paperwhite and it is awesome! High resolution=nicer reading fonts namely baskerville and palatino. Much better than the crappy typewriter-esque font kindles have been using. That was one of the two things I liked on the nook better. The other was page numbers... but amazon finally has the best system. Amazon learns your reading rate and tells you how much time you have left to read in the chapter or the novel. It is awesome! :)
Also the led light can be made to make the background look white without glowing, it is better than the Nook glo. This is all I wanted the light to do, and I'm glad to see that it doesn't give reading an electronic look to it.
Tempting ... but the frugal buddha in my soul doesn't want to replace a perfectly good and well-functioning Kindle just to get a "new! improved!" one.
Which reminds me of that old saying: "If you meet the buddha on the road, kill him and buy a new Kindle!"
DavidW and anyone else:
It looks like my new job might entail a long (45 minute each way) commute via train. While I'm very happy to be doing this by train rather than car after averaging 50 miles of driving per workday for the past year, 45 minutes is a very long time to be on a train.
Since I wouldn't be driving, I'd be tempted to use this time productively. If I wanted to spend the time writing, and/or listening to good ol' classical music, should I take the Paperwhite off my wishlist and replace it with a tablet of some kind? If I want to type, touchscreen or stylus or both? Should I skip a tablet and go with one of those tiny laptops? Should I decide the hell with ambitions and get back to good old-fashioned book-reading? Are there other useful ways to kill time my technology-bound mind can't dream up right now?
So I guess ultimately my question for the general assembly is, if you had 90 minutes a day on a train, what would you do with it?
I'm not going to be representative, but: I should spend about 40 of those minutes composing : )
Quote from: karlhenning on October 05, 2012, 11:04:52 AM
I'm not going to be representative, but: I should spend about 40 of those minutes composing : )
I would too! Do you carry music paper (forgot the word for it) on your bus though? :)
I do; always have a thin three-ring binder with MS. paper in it, with me.
I recently acquired a Kindle Fire and I'm really enjoying mine. I've been playing Angry Birds on it. Fun stuff!
I would suggest an ultrabook or a macbook air Brian. Anyone that gets an ipad for typing inevitably buys a keyboard to use with it. That setup is inconvenient on your lap (unless you have tables on your train) since they are of two pieces. That is why you should go with a small laptop.
One of these
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/kindle/dp/2012/KC/KC-slate-01-lg._V389678398_.jpg)
one of these
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41c5TqQ9FgL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
and one of these
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41yqlipUq4L._AA300_.jpg)
Or, just get one of these and make do with adequate but less than ideal functionality as reader, music player, and productivity tool!
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JFLyMgCeL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Kindle Paperwhite looks like the winner in the sub-tablet reader competition. I might go for the no ad version ($139).
Yeah Ernie the ads are real annoying. It used to cost $40 to remove the ads, but since they recently dropped to $20 ($15 on the Fire HD) I removed them from my kindles. I think the price went down after the reviewers gave amazon alot of guff for having ads on their new tablet.
I just today saw that an update added freaking ads to the menu on my tv. LG why would I dump the tv that I already have from you to buy another? Why do you think it's cool to thrust that advertising on a tv set that I paid $1200 for!?!! I have paid enough to not be insulted by this total bs!!!
Oh wait it could be worse... Panasonic thrusts ads on their FLAGSHIP PLASMA on the main screen itself everytime you turn on the tv. Just wow!
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57450197-221/how-to-ban-the-banner-ads-from-panasonic-smart-tvs/ (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57450197-221/how-to-ban-the-banner-ads-from-panasonic-smart-tvs/)
Could you imagine paying $3400 for a tv and having ads covering the bottom of your screen everytime you turned it on?
I'm seriously thinking my next TV will be a monitor, for a few reasons. I have a media box/streamer, I want something I can use with a PC (4:4:4, minimal lag), and I don't need a tuner.
Therefore:
(http://www.lg.com/us/commercial/product/images/M3704CCBA/lg-large-screen-monitors-m3704ccba-large01.jpg)
(http://www.lg.com/us/commercial/widescreen-monitors/lg-M3704CCBA)
(clink the plink)
It's IPS, it's 1080P, it will have the same performance as the legendary 450s of previous years, and unlike the current generation 60 Hz LGs it will have a full menu of pro level picture adjustments. The blacks will not be great, but in every other respect this will be a superior unit.
The greatest flat panels ever made, the Pioneer Kuro are technically monitors because they don't have tv tuners. Don't know if that is the whole series, but obviously monitors can rock!
I have an LG led, and despite my griping the color accuracy is phenomenal, and the IPS panel is awesome for uniformity and response! The native contrast of LG lcds are not too hot, mine has local dimming which fixes the problem. Don't know if the one that you want has that feature, but I think that the uniformity is more important than the absolute depth of black.
The way I address that issue, and help my eyes is an led strip. Attach it to the back of your tv and boom! bias lighting makes the colors look more vivid, blacks blacker and less eye strain for you.
I might be wrong that this model has the advanced calibration features, I couldn't find them in the manual. I know they stripped lots of good stuff out of the current 60 Hz models (the 460/560's). But I'm willing to bet that these big monitor's won't need much adjustment.
Quote from: drogulus on October 07, 2012, 10:03:00 AM
I might be wrong that this model has the advanced calibration features, I couldn't find them in the manual. I know they stripped lots of good stuff out of the current 60 Hz models (the 460/560's). But I'm willing to bet that these big monitor's won't need much adjustment.
If you use cinema mode not much will have to be tweaked. Picture wizard told me that color was off by 1 notch, brightness by 2 and contrast by 5. So excepting contrast the default settings are fine. Well I don't know how accurate warm is for color temp. It looks accurate, but my sensor drifted and I tossed it.
RIP Kindle DX.
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/10/13/say-goodnight-gracie-the-kindle-dx-is-out-of-stock-at-amazon/#more-40777 (http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/10/13/say-goodnight-gracie-the-kindle-dx-is-out-of-stock-at-amazon/#more-40777)
It appears to have been discontinued.
I picked up a Kindle Paperwhite and it arrived a few days ago. I've been quite impressed for the most part. One of the few things I didn't love about my Kindle Touch was the need to turn on a bright overhead light any time I wanted to use it. Now I can read in total darkness, a moderate amount of light, or sunlight. They've tuned up the page turning and other functions too; they all work faster than on the Kindle Touch. And I really, really love the time system for locating your place within a chapter or book and a few days of use indicates that it is pretty accurate.
On the other hand, a few of the glitches from the previous generation of Kindles are still present, mainly that there tend to be issues with slow down if you use non-native files in the kindle (txt, etc.). This is a minor concern, though, and I'm quite happy with it.
Latest word is the Barnes and Noble is opening up the Nook HD+ to Google Play, meaning that in addition to the Barnes and Noble specific applications and content it can be used as a vanilla Android Device. It would support Chrome, and you could run the Kindle App.
Anyone have a Nook HD+ and care to comment. The device is on sale for $150 this week (down from $270) making it a lot cheaper than the Kindle HD 8.9", to which it more or less equivalent in hardware.
Quote from: Parsifal on June 11, 2013, 10:04:59 AM
Latest word is the Barnes and Noble is opening up the Nook HD+ to Google Play, meaning that in addition to the Barnes and Noble specific applications and content it can be used as a vanilla Android Device. It would support Chrome, and you could run the Kindle App.
Anyone have a Nook HD+ and care to comment. The device is on sale for $150 this week (down from $270) making it a lot cheaper than the Kindle HD 8.9", to which it more or less equivalent in hardware.
Well depends on your needs and apps needed, i.e. do you want just a 'book reader' or added features? Wife had the
Nook Color and enjoyed for nearly 2 yrs - I bought her an
iPad Mini earlier this year and she has been transformed - only saving the Nook for the books on it - not sure what your needs may be for these tablet devices but just a suggestion to consider the Apple products (might save you buying something more than once?) - Dave :)
Quote from: SonicMan46 on June 11, 2013, 06:01:37 PM
Well depends on your needs and apps needed, i.e. do you want just a 'book reader' or added features? Wife had the Nook Color and enjoyed for nearly 2 yrs - I bought her an iPad Mini earlier this year and she has been transformed - only saving the Nook for the books on it - not sure what your needs may be for these tablet devices but just a suggestion to consider the Apple products (might save you buying something more than once?) - Dave :)
Thanks for your comments.
We have an iPad mini (with cellular data) which we adore. But that's an expensive device. I have one of the previous generations Kindles with black and white display which I also like a lot. What I'm looking for is basically a book reader but with a screen that doesn't require bright overhead light, and which would have the ability to open a browser for the occasional web search. Paperwhite kindle might satisfy me on the display but would be almost entirely useless for accessing the web. Kindle Fire HD would satisfy the display and web needs, but would be locked into Amazon's sandbox. At first, it would seem that the Nook would be worse, since previously it locked you into Barnes and Nobles smaller sandbox. However, now that they've opened it up to Google Play, you can access Chrome and the Kindle App, which would make it a general purpose Android device.
Finally, it's 40% off this week, which means I can get a Nook HD for the price of a Kindle Paperwhite.
Quote from: Parsifal on June 11, 2013, 07:49:00 PM
Thanks for your comments.
We have an iPad mini (with cellular data) which we adore. But that's an expensive device. I have one of the previous generations Kindles with black and white display which I also like a lot. What I'm looking for is basically a book reader but with a screen that doesn't require bright overhead light, and which would have the ability to open a browser for the occasional web search. Paperwhite kindle might satisfy me on the display but would be almost entirely useless for accessing the web. Kindle Fire HD would satisfy the display and web needs, but would be locked into Amazon's sandbox. At first, it would seem that the Nook would be worse, since previously it locked you into Barnes and Nobles smaller sandbox. However, now that they've opened it up to Google Play, you can access Chrome and the Kindle App, which would make it a general purpose Android device.
Finally, it's 40% off this week, which means I can get a Nook HD for the price of a Kindle Paperwhite.
I have a Kindle Fire HD, and it's probably way more capable than what use I get out of it. I downloaded a pisspot-full of PDF musicology essays from my computer that I hadn't time to read previously, and they make great lunchtime reading, and I have a few ebooks, although I rarely buy them as long as they cost more than a hardcover of the same book. Other than that, a couple of minor games for diversion and a bunch of music and that's it. I know that will do so much more, but I just don't need that much more. :)
8)
You can expand PDF files on that 'un, yes, Gurn?
Quote from: karlhenning on June 12, 2013, 05:02:39 AM
You can expand PDF files on that 'un, yes, Gurn?
yes, it isn't native, but the app is pretty seamless. :)
8)
I shall want to do that at some point, very handy for reading PDF scores, I should think.
Quote from: karlhenning on June 12, 2013, 05:39:50 AM
I shall want to do that at some point, very handy for reading PDF scores, I should think.
It was on mine when I bought it. Yes, very handy for that. And the tons of online essays that are available if you have access through jstor. Wish I did again. :-\
8)
Quote from: Parsifal on June 11, 2013, 07:49:00 PM
Thanks for your comments.
We have an iPad mini (with cellular data) which we adore. But that's an expensive device. I have one of the previous generations Kindles with black and white display which I also like a lot. What I'm looking for is basically a book reader but with a screen that doesn't require bright overhead light, and which would have the ability to open a browser for the occasional web search. Paperwhite kindle might satisfy me on the display but would be almost entirely useless for accessing the web. Kindle Fire HD would satisfy the display and web needs, but would be locked into Amazon's sandbox. At first, it would seem that the Nook would be worse, since previously it locked you into Barnes and Nobles smaller sandbox. However, now that they've opened it up to Google Play, you can access Chrome and the Kindle App, which would make it a general purpose Android device.
Finally, it's 40% off this week, which means I can get a Nook HD for the price of a Kindle Paperwhite.
Have you considered the Nexus 7? Also, I've used the Kindle Paperwhite's "experimental" web browser; you need to be on a wifi network, but it actually works okay for some things. I used it to break out of Amazon-land, go to www.gutenberg.org, and download a bunch of free books. I also used it to visit some blogs, read Wikipedia (good), read the New York Times (a little awkward but doable), and access my Gmail (rather more awkward, but still doable).
Gosh, and Roy Batty was just a Nexus 6!
Quote from: Brian on June 12, 2013, 06:14:03 AM
Have you considered the Nexus 7? Also, I've used the Kindle Paperwhite's "experimental" web browser; you need to be on a wifi network, but it actually works okay for some things. I used it to break out of Amazon-land, go to www.gutenberg.org, and download a bunch of free books. I also used it to visit some blogs, read Wikipedia (good), read the New York Times (a little awkward but doable), and access my Gmail (rather more awkward, but still doable).
I have considered a Nexus 7, but it seems too small and feels cheap to me. Nexus 10 seems too big. A 9" device seems like what I want. The bigger Kindle Fire would fit the bill, but this review is a bit off-putting.
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Kindle_Fire_Review
An update. Was at Staples to get some packing tape and they had a Kindle HD to demo. The software is definitely configured to make it awkward to escape from amazon.com. I did manage to get to a browser (their "Silk"). I pointed it to GMG just to see how it feels. In the middle of scrolling the first first page of postings I managed to get to it crashed, announced that Silk had to exit and returned to the start screen. Oh well. Cross one off the list.
Nexus 7 and the nearly identical Samsung tablet were at least functional, but a very poor cousin to the proper iPad. One annoyance is that the aspect ratio is too large. Maybe good for watching widescreen video, but not optimum for reading. Asside from that, they have copied the iPad basic functionality, but nothing in Android works as smoothly as in iOS. Even simple scrolling is a jerky annoyance in Android.
My Kindle has scarcely been used since I got a Nexus 7. Together with a bluetooth keyboard (Logitech K810) it even replaces my notebook for all but CPU-intensive tasks like photo editing.
Quote from: DavidRoss on June 14, 2013, 03:48:06 PM
My Kindle has scarcely been used since I got a Nexus 7. Together with a bluetooth keyboard (Logitech K810) it even replaces my notebook for all but CPU-intensive tasks like photo editing.
The Nexus 7 is very close to what I want except it is just a bit too small. The Nexus 10 is bigger than I need and is not substantially cheaper than a proper iPad. If there was a Nexus 8 they'd have me. The Kindke File 8.9 is the right hardware configuration, but too obviously an advertising platform for Amazon. As it stands, I'll probably stick with the eInk monochrome Kindle for now.
Quote from: Scarpia on June 14, 2013, 04:01:42 PM
The Nexus 7 is very close to what I want except it is just a bit too small. The Nexus 10 is bigger than I need and is not substantially cheaper than a proper iPad. If there was a Nexus 8 they'd have me. The Kindke File 8.9 is the right hardware configuration, but too obviously an advertising platform for Amazon. As it stands, I'll probably stick with the eInk monochrome Kindle for now.
The Nexus 7 was one of the best-selling devices of 2012 among technophiles for very good reason. Nearly-perfect execution, gorgeous resolution, svelte, comparatively light, first-rate construction by ASUS, and Android Jelly Bean. The size is perfect for what it is--there's ergonomic wisdom in the form factor, same as the original Kindle and its ilk. It will even slip into a hip or front pocket of my pants, making casual carry a breeze -- any larger and it wouldn't fit.
I learned the virtue of the form factor by experience: I bought a Kindle Fire 8.9 and the bigger Nook, but found both of them too large and heavy, though I loved their displays and figured I would root one of them to make it useful if I liked one of them, but like the iPad they're just too big for something that's basically just a content consumption device (though my younger boy loves his!). If I'm going to carry around something that big and heavy, I'll stick with an ultrabook that I can do
anything with.
BTW, v.2 of the Nexus 7 is due to debut next month, featuring a more powerful processor and
twice the resolution!
I read that same review of the Kindle Fire HD, Scarpia/Parsifal, and was similarly alarmed. I read it, in fact, on my Kindle Paperwhite in the experimental browser. Afterwards I pointed the browser to the official Nexus 7 website - and it crashed. In fact, it was so mad that I'd looked at the Nexus website that the Kindle browser crashed on startup every time I tried opening it, for the next 24 hours.
David, can you comment on your Nexus 7 + keyboard experiences? I have 50 minutes' commute on a train every day, and have been using that time to read books on the Kindle Paperwhite (32 books so far this year!). But these days it's writing that I can't find time to do every day, and that train trip might be well-spent as enforced "writing time." So something like that would be ideal. I played around with a friend's iPad (fullsize) + keyboard, and enjoyed that experience.
I tried the Kindle "experimental" browser...once. It was an experiment I didn't want to repeat. It was a situation where I had to enter a network password and it was unable to show me the dialog box where the password was needed. It took me half an hour to get it back to the book-reading mode. I assume if I ever tried to open the browser again it would still be waiting for that password.
I've decided, Second generation Nexus 7.
Quote from: Brian on June 15, 2013, 02:43:03 PM
David, can you comment on your Nexus 7 + keyboard experiences? I have 50 minutes' commute on a train every day, and have been using that time to read books on the Kindle Paperwhite (32 books so far this year!). But these days it's writing that I can't find time to do every day, and that train trip might be well-spent as enforced "writing time." So something like that would be ideal. I played around with a friend's iPad (fullsize) + keyboard, and enjoyed that experience.
Works great, Brian. I tried a couple of other keyboards and liked the new Logitech one best. I couldn't find a commercial stand that positions the tablet where I want it, so I made one myself out of 1/8" plywood that's 6" high and opens flat for storage. The Nexus, stand, and keyboard fit nicely into a 6"x12" zippered pouch for carrying, and a real keyboard beats the dickens out of the touchscreen virtual keyboards on iPads and the like. The only drawback is that Word is not an option with Android -- but there are several cheap word processors that work fine and which let you save your work as a doc file.
Still, for "serious" work, I'd rather have a full-powered notebook running word. But the Nexus + kb is a great option, and with the stand it's even an ergonomically superior solution in some respects.
http://money.msn.com/now/blog--barnes-and-noble-shares-plunge-on-nook-pullout
Quote from: Bogey on June 25, 2013, 12:15:18 PM
http://money.msn.com/now/blog--barnes-and-noble-shares-plunge-on-nook-pullout
Well, glad I didn't go for the Nook. The end of the article says there is fear that B&N will end up with "niche status" but I think that's wishful thinking. I doubt they have enough market weight to justify the existance of a Nook App. They will end up bankrupt very soon.
Still waiting for the second generation Nexus 7, on which I plan to run two programs, Chrome and Kindle App.
It is unfortunate for Nook users that they might see the end of customer support, updates and a store to use. Hopefully the DRM won't make it hard or impossible to transfer the ebooks to another ereader or tablet.
I do my reading on the Kindle PaperWhite, and my general browsing on an Ipad Mini.
More evidence that the days of Barnes and Noble and the Nook are numbered.
Chief Leaves Barnes & Noble After Losses on E-Readers
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/09/business/barnes-nobles-chief-executive-resigns.html?hp&_r=0 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/09/business/barnes-nobles-chief-executive-resigns.html?hp&_r=0)
Karl it's starting to get time to start thinking about switching readers.
You have wide experience, Davey; what would your pick be?
Quote from: karlhenning on July 09, 2013, 09:40:50 AM
You have wide experience, Davey; what would your pick be?
There is really no alternative to Kindle. Thankfully they have created Kindle Apps for all significant platforms, so in some sense any hardware will do. I have an early generation Kindle with ePaper with rather low contrast. It's not comfortable to read unless the light is very good and I've thought of upgrading to a Kindle paperwhite, but am not sure the difference is worth the cost. Right now I'm waiting for the second generation Nexus 7. Kindle app is gorgeous on the various flavours of iPad, but that isn't a cheap device.
Quote from: Scarpia on July 09, 2013, 10:02:31 AMI've thought of upgrading to a Kindle paperwhite, but am not sure the difference is worth the cost.
I'm waiting for the next generation Nexus 7 for a color tablet I can use for multimedia and especially for typing etc., but for just plain old reading books, I will stick to the Kindle Paperwhite or possibly the Kobo (http://www.kobobooks.com/). (There's something about its only function being the reading of books, that focuses my attention and keeps me actually
reading!) Have never had a complaint with the Paperwhite - although "no backlighting" mode is actually sliiiightly backlit, the lighting spectrum is enough that I can read in the sun or in a dark room. Contrast is superb and text extremely readable, especially if you refresh every page-turn. If you have an early generation Kindle, you may also not have the same range of fonts?
Has anyone used a Kobo?
I like my Nook Simple Touch fine; really don't want a bells-&-whistles tablet, probably for Brian's reason that, if what you do on a given device is read books, and only read books, then you're apt to read a book when you've got that device in your hand. I hear that B&N will hold onto their e-ink product, so I suppose (knock on laminate) that I'm all right, as long as B&N remains in business. I suppose that one reason I am loth to migrate to Kindle is, I have so much lit on my Nook which (I expect) is useless on a Kindle, and I don't know what it would cost me to 're-build' that library on a Kindle.
Well, bear in mind that, so far as building a library goes, the books on your Nook will stay there until the machine dies, even if B&N dies first. But you are quite right that B&N's e-ink products will remain, so that's a good step.
I'd say that, if/when you do need a new reader, the Paperwhite will suit your needs fine. I'm thinking about a Nexus 7 or iPad mainly because I could also be writing...
P.S. Off-topic: thanks for your testimonial re: MediaMonkey. I had to find a few settings and fix 'em, but so far, so good. Got my podcast subscriptions and my music files all ready to go. :)
You are most welcome, and your thanks ultimately redound to Gurn, who put me on to the program.
Quote from: karlhenning on July 09, 2013, 10:27:51 AM
I like my Nook Simple Touch fine; really don't want a bells-&-whistles tablet, probably for Brian's reason that, if what you do on a given device is read books, and only read books, then you're apt to read a book when you've got that device in your hand. I hear that B&N will hold onto their e-ink product, so I suppose (knock on laminate) that I'm all right, as long as B&N remains in business. I suppose that one reason I am loth to migrate to Kindle is, I have so much lit on my Nook which (I expect) is useless on a Kindle, and I don't know what it would cost me to 're-build' that library on a Kindle.
When Barnes and Noble goes bankrupt Amazon will presumably buy the tattered remains and you may be able to read Nook books on a Kindle. (My Borders account became a B&N account when Borders went under.) There is no doubt that B&N will be gone soon, it is just a question of when. It seems to me that there is strong incentive to switch to Kindle as soon as possible, rather than buy even more books that will be orphaned in the near future. Anyone with a Nook HD can start buying Kindle Books immediately, because B&N opened the Nook HD to Google Play, which means the Android Kindle App can be installed.
I have a lot of content on my Kindle, but almost all of it was free. Almost everything on Project Gutenberg is now available on Amazon.com as a free Kindle Download. That's a big advantage over getting it from Project Gutenberg directly because you current page, bookmarks, etc, are shared across all Kindle devices or apps.
Last I saw, there is a chance that the brick and mortar version part of B&N will be taken private and the Nook division might be taken over by Microsoft. (Not good, Microsoft seems to have the inverse Midas touch these days, everything they touch turns to sh*t.)
Decided to get the Kindle Paperwhite. I want a good reading experience with a display that can be read is high or low light, and I don't want to be tempted to waste time on the internet whenever I read a book. Also, when I need to create content it never seems to be in an environment where I can't take and use a notebook computer, so a tablet computer is not a high priority. Kindle Paperwhite seems to be the best fit.
I still fantasize about having an iPad with retina display.
If Amazon was smart, they would offer to replace all Nook owners with a Kindle. They make money on the downloads, not the devices.
Quote from: Bogey on July 12, 2013, 03:51:12 PM
If Amazon was smart, they would offer to replace all Nook owners with a Kindle. They make money on the downloads, not the devices.
...except from me. :) Almost everything on my Kindle is free download of public domain content (Conrad, Dickens, Lawrence, Tolstoy, etc.
Quote from: Scarpia on July 12, 2013, 03:55:35 PM
...except from me. :) Almost everything on my Kindle is free download of public domain content (Conrad, Dickens, Lawrence, Tolstoy, etc.
Indeed free for you, but I believe they make money with their pop up adds whether you read them or not. With more Kindles out there, they get more hits. Then there is this:
http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/02/did-amazon-just-kill-a-golden-goose/
Quote from: Bogey on July 13, 2013, 05:02:20 AM
Indeed free for you, but I believe they make money with their pop up adds whether you read them or not. With more Kindles out there, they get more hits. Then there is this:
Mine's got no ads! I wish I could modify which screensavers appear when I turn my Kindle off, but I'm plenty happy that they are not advertisements.
Quote from: Bogey on July 13, 2013, 05:02:20 AM
Indeed free for you, but I believe they make money with their pop up adds whether you read them or not. With more Kindles out there, they get more hits. Then there is this:
http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/02/did-amazon-just-kill-a-golden-goose/
I sprung for the Kindle without ads. But as I understand it, the ads are for Amazon itself so Amazon wouldn't be collecting commissions anyway, just hoping they'll generate sales. I'm not a total Kindle-loss for Amazon. I have purchased a few Kindle books and perhaps I'll get used to the idea and start buying more paid content for Kindle, but I still don't like the idea of "buying" something that can't be gotten out of the Kindle Sandbox. I have books on the shelf the I bought 20 years ago and their presence reminds me that I've read them and I and will read some of them again. Will I be able to read my Kindle books purchased now in 20 years?
Quote from: Bogey on July 13, 2013, 05:02:20 AM
Indeed free for you, but I believe they make money with their pop up adds whether you read them or not. With more Kindles out there, they get more hits. Then there is this:
http://publishingperspectives.com/2013/02/did-amazon-just-kill-a-golden-goose/
Interesting link, Bill. Thanks. I don't buy many eBooks for my Kindle, but it isn't because I am necessarily looking for freebies. I would pay a fair price and call it win::win. But when you look at a book listing, and the price structure is like this;
Hardcover: $14.99
Kindle: $13.49
Softcover: $9.99
AMP New & Used: $2.99 - $11.99
I have a hard time justifying paying nearly the same price as a brand new hardcover book for a piece of 1's & 0's that, as Scarpia says, may not work in a few years, who knows?
Now that Apple has got their 'nads whacked for collusion and price fixing with the publishers, theoretically the price can find its level based on marketplace conditions. I would really like to actually get good use from my Kindle Fire HD, but only on fair terms.
8)
Why does this site keep showing me an add for "Kindle Touch 3G," a product which has been discontinued? The only Kindles Amazon sells are Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Paperwhite 3G, Kindle and Kindle DX.
Quote from: Brian on July 09, 2013, 10:12:36 AM
Has anyone used a Kobo?
I have, avoid at all costs. Customer service is terrible, and they keep releasing updates that break things or make changes for no reason that are irritating. I like the size of the Aura but still not worth it.
Quote from: Gurn Blanston on July 13, 2013, 07:11:42 AM
Interesting link, Bill. Thanks. I don't buy many eBooks for my Kindle, but it isn't because I am necessarily looking for freebies. I would pay a fair price and call it win::win. But when you look at a book listing, and the price structure is like this;
Hardcover: $14.99
Kindle: $13.49
Softcover: $9.99
AMP New & Used: $2.99 - $11.99
That is representative of new releases but not AT ALL in general. Since the price fixing has ended, the kindle versions are typically a few dollars cheaper than the paperback. Still more expensive than buying used but I'm finding ebooks are running $5-10. Anything equal to or lower than mass market paperback I'm fine with, and that is the rate for most ebooks. I would rank the costs as follows:
Library < Buy used < Kindle < Buy new.
Quote from: Scarpia on July 13, 2013, 06:11:09 AM
I sprung for the Kindle without ads. But as I understand it, the ads are for Amazon itself so Amazon wouldn't be collecting commissions anyway, just hoping they'll generate sales. I'm not a total Kindle-loss for Amazon. I have purchased a few Kindle books and perhaps I'll get used to the idea and start buying more paid content for Kindle, but I still don't like the idea of "buying" something that can't be gotten out of the Kindle Sandbox. I have books on the shelf the I bought 20 years ago and their presence reminds me that I've read them and I and will read some of them again. Will I be able to read my Kindle books purchased now in 20 years?
Right. I use a different route than most, I guess. I tend to buy my books from the computer after reading a number of the reviews on and off the web page. Once and a while I will just grab it with my Kindle.
It is rumored that the new Nexus 7 will be unveiled today. I'll be patrolling play.google.com.
Do please report.
Quote from: Scarpia on July 23, 2013, 09:53:28 PM
It is rumored that the new Nexus 7 will be unveiled today. I'll be patrolling play.google.com.
Best Buy jumped the gun and put up a pre-order page for the 16 GB version! (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nexus%207%207%20inch%20Tablet%20with%2016GB%20Memory/1484847.p?id=1219052238174&skuId=1484847&st=nexus%207&cp=1&lp=1&ci_src=11138#tab=overview&AID=10474050&PID=4003003&SID=u246nxfj9nll&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2FNexus%25207%25207%2520inch%2520Tablet%2520with%252016GB%2520Memory%2F1484847.p%3Fid%3D1219052238174%26skuId%3D1484847%26st%3Dnexus%25207%26cp%3D1%26lp%3D1%26ci_src%3D11138%23tab%3Doverview&ref=39&loc=01&CJPID=4003003)
Is it just me or, compared to an iPad mini or a Kindle Fire, is the Nexus really long and skinny?
Quote from: Brian on July 24, 2013, 04:41:03 AM
Is it just me or, compared to an iPad mini or a Kindle Fire, is the Nexus really long and skinny?
Nexus 7 is widescreen format and the iPad is traditional screen aspect ratio. Widescreen is an advantage for watching widescreen video. For most other purposes I find the traditional aspect ratio preferable. I thought Kindle Fire was also widescreen.
Quote from: Brian on July 24, 2013, 04:41:03 AM
Is it just me or, compared to an iPad mini or a Kindle Fire, is the Nexus really long and skinny?
Yes I strongly dislike using 16:9 for tablets because I use mine mostly in portrait mode and not landscape mode. For videos I use either my tv or my computer. I really disliked Apple's decision to make their new iphone (the 5) skinny, I thought the aspect ratio of the one I have, the 4S, is perfect.
But then again if all you're going to do is watch video, 16:9 might be the right choice. Just not for me.
Looks like the new Nexus 7 will have a whopping 1920x1200 resolution!!
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/07/24/new-nexus-7-up-for-pre-order-at-best-buy/ (http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/07/24/new-nexus-7-up-for-pre-order-at-best-buy/)
Quote from: DavidW on July 24, 2013, 07:32:58 AM
Looks like the new Nexus 7 will have a whopping 1920x1200 resolution!!
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/07/24/new-nexus-7-up-for-pre-order-at-best-buy/ (http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/07/24/new-nexus-7-up-for-pre-order-at-best-buy/)
Looks like all of the rumors were true. It seems clear the thing will be unveiled at a media even in San Francisco today, but the one question remaining open is the street date. One of the rumor sites that had the technical details right said that the product would be available in Taiwan end-of-July and in the US in early August. I see Best Buy is no help, they just say "coming soon."
Quote from: Scarpia on July 24, 2013, 07:37:25 AM
Looks like all of the rumors were true. It seems clear the thing will be unveiled at a media even in San Francisco today, but the one question remaining open is the street date. One of the rumor sites that had the technical details right said that the product would be available in Taiwan end-of-July and in the US in early August. I see Best Buy is no help, they just say "coming soon."
this leaked
(http://www.technobuffalo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/nexus-7-best-buy-availability-630x444.png)
Official announcement made, new website launched (http://www.google.com/nexus/)
Based on a recent visit to play.google.com, it is not impossible to purchase a Nexus 7. They have removed the old Nexus 7 and only list the new Nexus 7, which they now reveal will be available July 30. The new Nexus 7 is only available with WiFi connectivity, no cellular data connectivity is available. To view the site I had to get to a computer that runs Chrome. Apple users visiting the site with Safari are out of luck.
In any case, the aspect ratio is a turn-off. I'm saving my pennies for an iPad with retina display.
btw a recent survey has shown that 3 in 4 americans prefer paper books to ebooks. A similar survey found similar results in the UK. Looks like the physical format is here to stay.
Still, if half of the books on my shelves at home were available in ebook form . . . .
Quote from: DavidW on July 26, 2013, 07:43:29 AM
btw a recent survey has shown that 3 in 4 americans prefer paper books to ebooks. A similar survey found similar results in the UK. Looks like the physical format is here to stay.
The question is what fraction of that 3 in 4 Americans is one of the 90% of Americans who do not read books at all. No doubt paper books are here for the immediate future. But the trend is away from paper and I would not be surprised if printed books become a niche market in a generation or two.
Your 90% statistic is made up, Pew says that 81% of Americans read 1 book or more per year. Since previous reports have shown that while ebooks have made a huge dent in mass market paperback sells they have had no impact on hardcover sells, and only a small impact on trade paperback sells. Since the majority of readers only read on vacation, and in that case are more likely to buy a physical book, the physical format is here to stay. People have been proclaiming the end of paper books as soon as the kindle was released, but the reality is that we've already reached equilibrium. Ereader sells have plateaued off and the majority of tablet users are not reading books on their tablets. Not only that but Books a Million (second largest chain in the US) has started installing espresso machines for printing books on demand. If ebooks are to replace paper books, it's not happening anytime soon or at all.
Why are you getting so worked up about it?
Quote from: Scarpia on July 28, 2013, 06:59:54 AM
Why are you getting so worked up about it?
Too much caffeine yesterday.
Much as I like my Nook . . . Davey's store of e-readers has opened possibilities to me. Getting a Kindle in, later today. Having two e-readers is not crazeee, is it?
Quote from: karlhenning on January 14, 2014, 06:50:46 AM
Much as I like my Nook . . . Davey's store of e-readers has opened possibilities to me. Getting a Kindle in, later today. Having two e-readers is not crazeee, is it?
Not to me, I own the Kindle 3, 4 Silver, 4 Black, Paperwhite II, Nook Simple Touch, Kobo Glo, and Kobo Aura HD. I gave the Paperwhite I to my Father. But yes of course collecting ereaders is silly. I only use the Paperwhite II currently.
A new feature for the Paperwhite II and the Kindle app that I really like is making the default to show as page numbers. I do like page numbers the best, better than locations, better than time left to read.
Well, there are some Kindle titles (Hex High School, e.g.) which are not available on the Nook ... so I think that if I keep myself to two e-readers, I am out of the danger zone 8)
Quote from: DavidW on January 14, 2014, 04:30:08 PM
Not to me, I own the Kindle 3, 4 Silver, 4 Black, Paperwhite II, Nook Simple Touch, Kobo Glo, and Kobo Aura HD. I gave the Paperwhite I to my Father. But yes of course collecting ereaders is silly. I only use the Paperwhite II currently.
A new feature for the Paperwhite II and the Kindle app that I really like is making the default to show as page numbers. I do like page numbers the best, better than locations, better than time left to read.
Hi
David - BOY, you've really tried a lot of these readers! I'm still using my iPad 2 from spring of '11; Susan has migrated from a Color Nook to an iPad Mini - I plan to buy an iPad Air in the spring of this year - looking forward to the Retina display - I do read books (usually Amazon Kindle app purchases) & about a half dozen magazines on the device - the 4x increased resolution on the Air will be a relief to my aging eyes.
As a general observation, I'm finding reading physical books more difficult, likely for a variety of reasons: 1) My eyes are not the same (similar experience for my wife) and the type seems to have gotten smaller? I now attach 'knitting' magnifiers to my glasses (absolutely needed now for CD booklets!); and 2) My attention span has really deteriorated probably in part related to using computers and jumping back & forth from one tab to the next - wondering if others have had this experience, esp. those in later life? But, I just feel that e-books (mags etc.) will be my preferred reading choice for the rest of my life. Dave :)
Dave, I also own the iPad Mini. I'm thinking of trading in it for the iPad Air. You've mentioned better resolution, bigger screen... but it is also a faster machine. I mostly use the mini for internet browsing and it is so slow. I'm also tired of expanding the screen or switching to that special read mode, I want the bigger screen.
It's nice that we don't have to put up with small font anymore, but I do know that my Father uses a much larger font than I do. I laugh until I realize that will be me someday.
Coincidence? One minute I am sending a message to a friend proposing that we meet at a Barnes & Noble. Seconds later, a Nook alert arrives on my cell phone.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 05, 2016, 09:09:18 AM
Coincidence? One minute I am sending a message to a friend proposing that we meet at a Barnes & Noble. Seconds later, a Nook alert arrives on my cell phone.
Meeting in barns for nooky is common enough, if perhaps not noble.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 05, 2016, 09:09:18 AM
Coincidence? One minute I am sending a message to a friend proposing that we meet at a Barnes & Noble. Seconds later, a Nook alert arrives on my cell phone.
Text message, not email? From a cell phone or from a nook tablet?
Quote from: Scarpia on November 06, 2016, 06:15:23 AM
Text message, not email? From a cell phone or from a nook tablet?
The Messenger app; so, sure, I can imagine that app communicating with the Nook app on the Android phone. ("I can imagine" = "Of course, I must have ticked the box consenting")
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 07, 2016, 05:17:16 AM
The Messenger app; so, sure, I can imagine that app communicating with the Nook app on the Android phone. ("I can imagine" = "Of course, I must have ticked the box consenting")
Google admits to scanning your gmail to "improve your ad experience" (i.e., earn them more advertising money) but that is data you consciously put on their server. I have never heard of anyone disclosing that they scan your text messages, but this suggests they do.
A quick look around seems to indicate that people tend to think the messages sent via Google Hangouts are scanned, but I always assumed that SMS text messages are between you and your phone carrier.
Quote from: Scarpia on November 07, 2016, 06:04:23 PM
Google admits to scanning your gmail to "improve your ad experience" (i.e., earn them more advertising money) but that is data you consciously put on their server. I have never heard of anyone disclosing that they scan your text messages, but this suggests they do.
A quick look around seems to indicate that people tend to think the messages sent via Google Hangouts are scanned, but I always assumed that SMS text messages are between you and your phone carrier.
This isn't a phone carrier text message, but conversation via the Facebook-related Messenger app. I probably was not clear.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 08, 2016, 05:00:25 AM
This isn't a phone carrier text message, but conversation via the Facebook-related Messenger app. I probably was not clear.
Oh, I would take for granted that any messenger app is scanned for marketing purposes.
Quote from: Scarpia on November 08, 2016, 06:52:52 AM
Oh, I would take for granted that any messenger app is scanned for marketing purposes.
Indeed.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 08, 2016, 07:14:45 AM
Indeed.
I only use iMessage, or SMS to non-iPhone contacts. I never noticed any evidence of something in an iMessage or SMS message being mined for marketing purposes, but I wouldn't rule it out. Recently Apple introduced some sort of integration of iMessages and Apps, and that seems to open a whole new can of worms.
My Nook may have died (the power button appears inoperative now.) To be fair, the device is ten years old.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 29, 2022, 06:01:19 PM
My Nook may have died (the power button appears inoperative now.) To be fair, the device is ten years old.
Eek! Is it something that you can bring in to get fixed? It might be worth it to check and see (and if it's also financially viable).
PD
Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on September 30, 2022, 05:15:12 AM
Eek! Is it something that you can bring in to get fixed? It might be worth it to check and see (and if it's also financially viable).
PD
Almost certainly not worth it (the warranty's long expired) the power button seems to have recessed into the case. Nothing for it but to get a fresh device, meseems.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 30, 2022, 05:19:36 AM
Almost certainly not worth it (the warranty's long expired) the power button seems to have recessed into the case. Nothing for it but to get a fresh device, meseems.
This video may help you (stilted though it be): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0ZUn4MjbZo
Or there might be other solutions out there; I just did a quick google. And I don't know what version of it you have too. ;)
PD
Many thanks!
BOY! My response below, 8 years ago in this thread - I'm still reading physical books (just enjoy the feel and smell - most ordered from History Book Club and some from Amazon/Apple) - but 2 of 3 books I read are on my iPad (now an 11" Pro w/ retina screen) - yes, more expensive that a dedicated reader but used as my complementary computer, so like being able to do web browsing, email, Zinio for magazines, photos, etc. Dave :)
Quote from: SonicMan46 on January 14, 2014, 04:49:05 PM
Hi David - BOY, you've really tried a lot of these readers! I'm still using my iPad 2 from spring of '11; Susan has migrated from a Color Nook to an iPad Mini - I plan to buy an iPad Air in the spring of this year - looking forward to the Retina display - I do read books (usually Amazon Kindle app purchases) & about a half dozen magazines on the device - the 4x increased resolution on the Air will be a relief to my aging eyes.
As a general observation, I'm finding reading physical books more difficult, likely for a variety of reasons: 1) My eyes are not the same (similar experience for my wife) and the type seems to have gotten smaller? I now attach 'knitting' magnifiers to my glasses (absolutely needed now for CD booklets!); and 2) My attention span has really deteriorated probably in part related to using computers and jumping back & forth from one tab to the next - wondering if others have had this experience, esp. those in later life? But, I just feel that e-books (mags etc.) will be my preferred reading choice for the rest of my life. Dave :)
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 30, 2022, 05:19:36 AM
Almost certainly not worth it (the warranty's long expired) the power button seems to have recessed into the case. Nothing for it but to get a fresh device, meseems.
I'm aware of technicians who will try to fix an iPhone, etc, outside the ecosystem of Apple stores. Perhaps a little googling will turn up someone in your area who works on other gadgets.
Quote from: Spotted Horses on September 30, 2022, 08:07:11 AM
I'm aware of technicians who will try to fix an iPhone, etc, outside the ecosystem of Apple stores. Perhaps a little googling will turn up someone in your area who works on other gadgets.
Thanks!
I currently have a Kobo Libra 2 and love it to death, just a simple, well designed piece of tech. Kobo's ebook store can't match Amazon's, but I like the fact that it can read lots of different formats, can hold 32 gb of ebooks (for reference I have over 2,500 epub books, and the thing is barely a third full), works smoothly with my local library, and ergonomically it's very comfortable to use, fits right in your hand. I greatly prefer it to reading on a tablet or phone -- I don't like the glare from reading from a shiny glass surface, I deal with enough of that looking at my laptop for work. I've used Kobos for about 10 years, before that I had a few Nooks but gave up on them as Barnes & Noble's tech just couldn't keep up.
I still prefer a paper book if I'm reading something with maps or illustrations, if I'll need to consult footnotes or endnotes, or if it's an old favorite. But for most books, especially fiction, it works just fine, saves shelf space, and is the ideal option for carrying around thousands of reading options on vacation, or even on a lunch break.
Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on September 30, 2022, 05:19:36 AM
Almost certainly not worth it (the warranty's long expired) the power button seems to have recessed into the case. Nothing for it but to get a fresh device, meseems.
The Glowlight 4 is great, I highly recommend it. If your old one was the Nook Simple Touch the huge jump in resolution and having that warm frontlight really makes a difference.
Quote from: DavidW on September 30, 2022, 03:33:53 PM
The Glowlight 4 is great, I highly recommend it. If your old one was the Nook Simple Touch the huge jump in resolution and having that warm frontlight really makes a difference.
I think I'll go ahead with that.
I bought a Kindle in 2010. It was interesting that I found a post here that I made in 2011 saying that I was drifting back into physical books. But eventually more and more of my reading became ebooks due to limited space in my apartment and then later presbyopia. I now live in a house and wear progressive lenses. Over the course of the past year or so since I could comfortably read normal and fine print again, and found myself reading ebooks less and less often. It is just a nicer experience to read print books and to own them (actually own them).
I think it was inevitable, but a few things have made up my mind to ditch ebooks a little bit earlier. Amazon has made a critical change to close the exploit people (like myself) were using to strip the DRM off the ebooks they paid for. The second is the Roald Dahl controversy. You've most likely heard of it. But what you might not know is that the publisher pushed the censored version out to Kindle, Kobo etc. to replace the original version. I didn't "own" any of those ebooks, but it is just too much. Paying full price for a license to own something that could change at the drop of a hat... it is just ridiculous. And I'm not taking it anymore.
So I'm calling quits on ebooks. I'm reading one now, and it will be the last one.
What about everyone else?
I got a kindle around 2012. I bought comparably few books, but use it mostly for public domain books (e.g. the last batch I got were lots of CS Lewis whose stuff is available from Australian Gutenberg or so).
The most annoying thing for me is that when I don't use it for weeks it nevertheless discharges so I have to think about re-charging even if I don't use it.
I am also appalled at the schoolmarmish Dahl censorship (ironic and somewhat fitting that these Dolores Umbridge types (of both sexes) hate on Dahl) and I like physical books too much to go all kindle.
Quote from: DavidW on March 12, 2023, 10:09:41 AMI bought a Kindle in 2010. It was interesting that I found a post here that I made in 2011 saying that I was drifting back into physical books. But eventually more and more of my reading became ebooks due to limited space in my apartment and then later presbyopia. I now live in a house and wear progressive lenses. Over the course of the past year or so since I could comfortably read normal and fine print again, and found myself reading ebooks less and less often. It is just a nicer experience to read print books and to own them (actually own them).
I think it was inevitable, but a few things have made up my mind to ditch ebooks a little bit earlier. Amazon has made a critical change to close the exploit people (like myself) were using to strip the DRM off the ebooks they paid for. The second is the Roald Dahl controversy. You've most likely heard of it. But what you might not know is that the publisher pushed the censored version out to Kindle, Kobo etc. to replace the original version. I didn't "own" any of those ebooks, but it is just too much. Paying full price for a license to own something that could change at the drop of a hat... it is just ridiculous. And I'm not taking it anymore.
So I'm calling quits on ebooks. I'm reading one now, and it will be the last one.
What about everyone else?
I bought a Kindle around the same time, still works although 99% of my reading is on the Kindle App for iPad or iPhone.
The Dahl controversy is outrageous, but it is not that new or unique to ebooks. I read complaints from enthusiasts that the publishers of the Poirot books edited the new editions of the books to remove the old-fashioned writing style in favor of a more contemporary style. (Isn't that the whole point of reading an old book?) Faulkner's book The Mosquitos was edited by the publishers to remove what was considered unacceptable sexual references. That made the plot development disjointed. The fact that Amazon can modify the text you've already purchased is something new and clearly outrageous. It has not happened to any Kindle book that I own.
That said, I'm not going back to physical books anytime soon. The time I have available to sit down with a physical book in good lighting with my reading glasses is basically zero. If I read physical books I'd be able to read maybe one book per decade. The other factor is that I've signed up with bookbub.com, which scans amazon for discounts and sends you a daily email. You can specify a genre, and you can create a list of authors you are interested in. Turns out there are more $1.99 offers on my favorite authors than I can ever read. It is very rare that I pay full price for an ebook, the only exception being the occasional new release by a favorite author that I don't want to wait for.