Monica_in_Switzerland Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Anyone want to talk me into or out of a kindle? :confused1: I realize I'm the last person in the world to not have an E-Reader... I am such a Luddite. I love reading and have since very young. But... the benefits of a kindle seem undeniable- free classics (although I'd rather have those on my shelf than pop fuction), no shipping, instant gratification (lol), etc. Not to mention that I have a blind spot in my eyes and having the ability to enlarge text size would be very nice. Was anyone else as torn-up about this technological switch as I am? I can't even describe why I don't want a kindle... I just love the feel of a real book. And I want to force me kids to read real books until they have that "muscle/brain/emotional memory" as well. But with my vision issues, my hesitation over the Kindle is just starting to seem silly. I would definitely get the paperwhite and not one of the tablet computer type kindles... if I sit down with a computer, I will NOT be reading a book, I will be on WTM... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treestarfae Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Here's some cool e-reader covers oberondesign.com I don't think it's a big fuss to have one. They're cheap tablets nowdays and good for wifi on the go. We read both books and e-books. I don't forget real books at all but it's easier to check out e-books for the kids to read. I go for the real books when the illustrations are nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I felt the same way. My brother ended up sending me a Kindle when he forgot my birthday several years ago. I love it and actually prefer it to real books now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legomom Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I love to read but I was not interested in getting a Kindle. I just never gave it a thought. My husband was the one who thought that I would like it, so he bought it for me for Christmas a couple of years ago. I love it and interestingly it has not replaced my "real" books, it has just given me an additional avenue to read and discover books. A Kindle allows you to download samples of books that you might be interested in, so I use that option frequently. Even if a book is not something that I want to buy for the Kindle, it is easily allows me to preview books that I might want to buy in hard copy. Also, it provides easy access to reviews of books, so that helps me in purchasing or reading decisions also. I definitely recommend getting a Kindle because it can enrich your reading experience, rather than just replace books altogether. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I'm the same way and dh and I are discussing it (right at the moment, actually--I'm at the computer to show him some of the free stuff available). We have thousands of books in our house. We own many of the free classics. But it would be so nice to have a lot of books available for travel. I've found so many helpful homeschool resources on pdf lately . . . I'm really torn, too. Part of it, for me, is that it's not in our budget to buy one so it would be my one birthday present. It's always a debate as to how to allocate that generosity ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I wasn't so big on the idea, but now that I have a Kindle, I love it. It's hard when you grow up with books, because it feels like you're abandoning your "friends" for an upgrade, lol. But I still read about half paper books, half ebooks. And I love being able to tap a word and instantly see the definition. I never have to worry about dd pulling out my bookmark. And I don't have to figure out how to haul fifty pound massive tomes in my purse anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 Here's some cool e-reader covers oberondesign.com I don't think it's a big fuss to have one. They're cheap tablets nowdays and good for wifi on the go. We read both books and e-books. I don't forget real books at all but it's easier to check out e-books for the kids to read. I go for the real books when the illustrations are nice. Those covers are gorgeous. If I got one of those, no one would know I wasn't reading a real book... lol! Thank you to everyone! I am glad to hear that many people are as crazy as I am, but those with hesitations are now quite happy with their kindles. I think I will take the plunge! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I am in the same situation OP. Hmmmmmm.......... Which one are you going to get? The basic model or somethign more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I felt the same way you did. My mom got me a Kindle for Christmas a couple of years ago. Sure enough, I didn't take a shine to it. I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't like it. DH loves it. His entire work life is in PDF so he thinks it is the best invention ever. :tongue_smilie: DS10 likes the Kindle too. I like that the books I purchase on Audible can be downloaded to Kindle via wi-fi so that I can keep him in audio books without constantly syncing his iPod. But for me, nope. I like books. Real books that overflow in piles all over my house. You can put lots of books on a Kindle, but they still don't make a pretty pile. :lol: ETA: Oh, I forgot my favorite part, the real kicker. The Kindle died last month. So now it doesn't work. So unless we all want to read the e-books I did buy on a bright screen (computer, iPad), I'm stuck having to buy a new Kindle. Lots of money. Wonder how often that's going to happen. Not worth it, in my book. Never seen a techno glitch with a real paper book. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I was very ambivalent. The only reason I own one is that my DH won it at a conference. The way I evaluate technology is that I attempt to determine the problem the technology is created to solve and then decide if I have that problem. A kindle (and other e-readers) was created to solve the problem of places like Amazon not selling enough books. That is the Kindle's job, to get you to buy more books. Most of the time, I don't need to buy more books. I should mention my DH is a librarian at a major institution so I can pretty much get my hands on any book I could ever want. If some library in the country has it, I can at least inter-library loan it for a week. I do have quite a lot of free content on my Kindle. I should warn you that many of the free classics are terrible quality. It can be worth it to spend a couple bucks on a real Kindle edition with navigation and linked table of contents and actual editing. Given the choice between getting a copy of "Pride and Prejudice" out of the library and getting the free Gutenberg edition on my Kindle, I am going to go with the library copy. I suggest you go to the Gutenberg site and preview what is there and what it looks like. You should also go to your local library website and check to see if their virtual ebook system supports kindle. When I got mine, kindle didn't work with Overdrive and I was very frustrated. It does now and I am much happier. I was happy to have a kindle on vacation. I was able to download a new book at 10pm, while in a tent, in Maine. That was pretty darn cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitterpatter Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I also didn't want to give up print books...didn't think I would like reading on a screen. The main problem I've found in having a Kindle is that I spend waaaaaaaaaayyy more money on books. You can't buy or sell used Kindle books. I pretty much only bought used print books or checked them out from the library. I can hardly stand reading print books anymore. I love my Kindle that much. I do checkout some from our library's digital holdings. A good thing about having a Kindle, though, is that there are a lot of wonderful cheap books ($3 to $6) by independent authors. Books that I would never have read without having a Kindle. Indie books are usually published as eBooks first...until they get snatched up by publishing houses. We have a Kindle Fire (two now, actually). I also use it a ton for school. I download Spanish .mp3 word files onto it from Forvo.com so that DD can hear the words we're studying spoken by native speakers. I use savevid.com to download YouTube videos and transfer them to my Kindle for DD to watch during school. She just watched an old five-minute MeI-O-Toons cartoon about the Trojan Horse the other day. I also download pics we use it school. For example, we needed a pic of President Obama once. It was so easy to save it to my Kindle ahead of time. There was no having to disturb studies to pull it up on the computer in the other room. Yup, I love my Kindle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giraffe Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I love my Kindle. Love it. I also love real paper books. I've found that fiction is easily read on the Kindle, while reference (e.g., TWTM) is best read on paper. Non-fiction is somewhere in between. But what I love the best about the Kindle is that I can travel with hundreds of books in my purse. Since we are constantly going back and forth across the Atlantic, this is a critical feature. AND I can get new books anytime from Amazon.com, which is also critical as there are almost no English language books here. The e-ink technology is also a big win for me. My eyes are starting to get "old" and I had to increase the font on the Kindle recently. My eyes don't get tired with the Kindle. That's huge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Go for it! Free books, what could be better? I don't put everything on the Kindle, but it's good for classics and fun free reads. Anything I use for reference, I buy the paper book. Mine is just the 3G with keyboard, not a Fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 To answer the question, I am looking at the Paperwhite right now, the one without 3G. Hmmm. Thank you for cluing me in that not all the books are high quality digital versions, some are just scanned. Diidn't know that! Can you still increase the font size on the non-digitized ones? The critical factor for me is really whether or not having a kindle will reduce my eye fatigue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Was anyone else as torn-up about this technological switch as I am? Nope. Very first time I heard about a Kindle, I knew I had to have one. Now I'm on my second and can't imagine going back to life w/o an e-reader. And FWIW my first Kindle still works just fine, although the battery life isn't what it used to be. I've read hundreds of books on my Kindles and have never encountered one where I couldn't change the font size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 The Kindle has been wonderful for my dd, who takes reading material everywhere she goes, reads quickly, and can't find her place in a book if her bookmark gets lost. There was no way I was going to buy every Lang fairy tale book for her, but she has read them all since I was able to get them free on her Kindle. Now she's working through the whole Wizard of Oz series. For a prolific reader who likes old-fashioned books, the Kindle is both convenient and a money-saver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 The way I evaluate technology is that I attempt to determine the problem the technology is created to solve and then decide if I have that problem. A kindle (and other e-readers) was created to solve the problem of places like Amazon not selling enough books. That is the Kindle's job, to get you to buy more books. Most of the time, I don't need to buy more books. I should mention my DH is a librarian at a major institution so I can pretty much get my hands on any book I could ever want. If some library in the country has it, I can at least inter-library loan it for a week. I disagree with this. I believe that from Amazon's perspective, that is true, but not necessarily true from the consumer perspective. I didn't buy a Kindle because I needed to buy more books. I bought it for convenience. I like having hundreds of books to chose from any time I am anywhere. And I enjoy having my light Kindle to read in bed rather than a heavy book and having a built in book light. I also enjoy being able to switch between 2 or 3 books at any given time no matter what mood I'm in. I like only using one hand to read and being able to set my Kindle down on a surface and easily be able to read rather than having to hold down pages. And I like not having to return books to the library (I get a ton of e-books from the library). I love my Paperwhite and will never go back to not owning one. I read much more than I did before because of the convenience of it. Oh, and I don't agree with the perspective that Kindles are some how ripping you off because you have to own one to read your ebooks. This is true with any form of digital media like songs from iTunes or apps for Android. It is an established model that in order to use digital content, you have to own a digital device, whether it be an MP3 player or a tablet. And a $70 ereader is cheaper than most quality mp3 players. It is just a new market, so I guess it rubs some people the wrong way. I won't ever say that everyone needs one, but I love mine and highly recommend them to anyone who might be interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I have a love/hate relationship with my e-reader. I was just complaining about it a couple days ago with DH...there's something about turning pages of a book that I miss with it. (DH has 3 e-readers and loves them). What finally convinced me to get one was the Yesterday's Classics sale last summer. I wanted to get their set of books and needed an e-reader for it. Overall, I still prefer actually books, but it is nice to download most of my DC's literature books for free...not to mention lots of classics for me as well! Just because you have a Kindle doesn't mean you can't ever buy a print book again. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommiNEnd Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Dont do it !!! What is a free classic if you can't stick your nose in the pages and smell it? You will miss out on the comforting and interesting smell books have. There is a strange joy in stacking books that you are reading high. and being able to physically see and collect shelves upon shelves of books. Seeing the colourful spines and the diverse title fonts right in front of you while you sip your tea. Theres something beautiful about the dog ears and the worn edges and the faint underlines. You will forget the great memories you had curled up with a book, if you get a kindle. Don't get a Kindle !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I know most people are in love with their Kindles once they get them, but I wasn't in that boat at all. DH bought me one for Christmas a few years ago and I thought I would use it all the time. At first, I downloaded tons of free books onto it and even read a few things within the first few months. I didn't hate it, but I just didn't like it either. Personally, I prefer the feel of a real book in my hands. The Kindle would be good if I traveled a lot just to avoid carrying a bag full of books, but otherwise it just sits on the desk unused. I don't think I've touched it in 6 months or more. There were several things I disliked about it: *I prefer the feel of a real book in my hands. *I like to flip through the pages of a book and tab the last page in the next chapter as I'm reading so I know how far I have to go to get to a stopping place. This isn't possible on an e-reader. *Out of sight means out of mind for me. Even though the books are categorized on the Kindle, I have no idea what's on there. I can't SEE it. *There are no quick previews or blurbs that I can look at easily when trying to decide what to read on the Kindle. You have to go through Amazon to do that and that is too time-consuming. *The free books are not typically things I would read. *The free classics are usually horrible quality and not the best translations. The better versions are usually cheap, but then, the library is free. * I use the library almost exclusively and rarely ever buy a book new. I can't justify buying e-books, especially when they are sometimes just as expensive as the real book. *It can be truly atrocious trying to wade through the books when it's not a book that you read straight through. Many resource books without a linked table of contents are simply unusable. *There was a bit of a lag between hitting the button to go to the next page and when the device actually flipped to the next page. It wasn't horrible, but it could still be frustrating at times. *It locked up occasionally, especially when trying to get online, even on the Amazon site. There were some things that I liked about it, which most everyone else has already hit on, but overall it was just "meh" for me and I'd rather stick to my library books and the stuff I can trade for at 2nd & Charles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Oh, and I don't agree with the perspective that Kindles are some how ripping you off because you have to own one to read your ebooks. This is true with any form of digital media like songs from iTunes or apps for Android. It is an established model that in order to use digital content, you have to own a digital device, whether it be an MP3 player or a tablet. And a $70 ereader is cheaper than most quality mp3 players. It is just a new market, so I guess it rubs some people the wrong way. Well, I would never call it a rip-off. I agree that it is similar to downloadable music and apps. It's just that if I have the option of buying a hard copy or a digital copy (and I do for books and music, unlike with apps) it is something worth taking into account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeaganS Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 *I like to flip through the pages of a book and tab the last page in the next chapter as I'm reading so I know how far I have to go to get to a stopping place. This isn't possible on an e-reader. * I use the library almost exclusively and rarely ever buy a book new. I can't justify buying e-books, especially when they are sometimes just as expensive as the real book. Just so you know, Kindles now pay attention to how quickly you read a book and will tell you how long they predict it will take you to get to both the end of the chapter and the end of the book based on your reading speed. You can also get ebooks from the library now, which wasn't something you used to be able to do when I first got my Kindle. The selection will obviously vary based on your library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I don't think an e-reader is a rip off. I think it is a tool. It just isn't the right tool for every job. When it is the right tool for the job, it is great. If I commuted or traveled a great deal for work then I would use it quite a lot. It was wonderful to take on vacation. My sister found it to be great for reading while nursing a baby. You know how the book always falls on the baby's head? Better a kindle than a thick novel, right? And reading on a kindle is absolutely superior to reading on a iphone or ipad etc. They do make for a nice reading experience. My son and I have been very disappointed by the quality of many of those free classics and prefer a library book or a second hand hard copy. I don't know how some of you use reference books in ebook form, but people like different things. I have seen a couple people complain that they now spend much more $$ on books than they did before, and I am guessing that makes Amazon and the publishing industry happy. I certainly don't fault the publishing companies for that! I am glad they are publishing so many wonderful books. There are worse things to spend money on. You know, writing this makes me realize that I haven't even touched my kindle since the summer. I should prob. go and see if it is still charged. I wonder where it is...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 Ahhhhhhh! Indecision!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CupOCoffee Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I was very ambivalent. The only reason I own one is that my DH won it at a conference. The way I evaluate technology is that I attempt to determine the problem the technology is created to solve and then decide if I have that problem. For me, the use of the Kindle is a godsend. I have arthritis in my hands and it was becoming more and more difficult to hold books comfortably for long periods of time, especially nice big hefty books. Kindle technology solves that problem nicely, and now I can read like I used to. So regardless of Amazon's reason for making the Kindle, for ME I had a problem that the technology of e-readers easily solves. ~coffee~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I like the fact I can carry whole library in my handbag. I can also get access to books that aren't available here and they usually are a bit cheaper - plus I don't have to pay half the cost again in shipping then wait 6 weeks. I am spending more on books but I am fairly careful. I love that in most cases the sample is long enough to get a good idea of whether I will like it. There have been a few though that I have got the table of contents and a lengthy introduction but no text. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morningxmorning Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I'm a librarian and resisted the Kindle for years but then I got one for Xmas and never looked back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Dont do it !!! What is a free classic if you can't stick your nose in the pages and smell it? You will miss out on the comforting and interesting smell books have. There is a strange joy in stacking books that you are reading high. and being able to physically see and collect shelves upon shelves of books. Seeing the colourful spines and the diverse title fonts right in front of you while you sip your tea. Theres something beautiful about the dog ears and the worn edges and the faint underlines. You will forget the great memories you had curled up with a book, if you get a kindle. Don't get a Kindle !!! Yes... because once you buy a Kindle, they take away your permit to buy paper books. :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I was torn about getting a Kindle as well. I think I would have waited longer than what I did if it hadn't been gifted to me. A big part of it was that I really enjoy the way books feel in my hands, the way they smell, and well, the whole sensory experience of reading a book. Then I realized, "Uh, duh. I can read e-books on a Kindle without it having to be either/or... I can still buy a paper book or get one from the library." That's when I jumped in full force. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommiNEnd Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Yes... because once you buy a Kindle, they take away your permit to buy paper books. :huh: Not sure the tone of this comment. But it made me chuckle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Dd has the kindle keyboard, ds has the kindle touch, dh has the kindle paper white, and I have the kindle app on the iPad. E use Calibre to manage our ebooks. We all use both print and ebooks. The only disadvantage to the ebook (IMO) is that it's harder to flip back and find something I read before. On the other hand, the dictionary feature makes up for that. They aren't very expensive and if you have an actual kindle linked to Amazon Prime you can check out a book a month from Amazon. Plus most libraries have some ebooks available to check out, so you aren't stuck buying everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerenlynne Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 We live in a small town with a not so great library and it is a pretty far drive to find a bookstore so Amazon is my lifeline. I have one regular kindle and one kindle fire. I used the Kindle a lot when I was commuting on a train but now that I am not working and homeschooling, my kids use it more than I do. I upgraded to the Kindle fire because you can now sync your audible books with the kindle version. For my dyslexic son it is so cool to have the audible version reading the book while the kindle version is highlighting each word. For this to work, you have to buy the correct version of each(learned that the hard way)so it is certainly more expensive than going to a library or buying a used book but DS would probably never read the book at all without the technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivingHope Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I appreciate that the font size can be adjusted on my kindle. I can see pages clearly now. We love real books here too, but toting a 500 page book and a nursing baby has its disadvantages. When I went out of the country for a month, I only packed that little kindle...a thousand book library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Not sure the tone of this comment. But it made me chuckle. Extreme sarcasm. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommiNEnd Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Extreme sarcasm. ;) extreme sarcasm can be funny, if said with the right tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zebra Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I don't buy many books at all, and my library has a very limited selection of e-reader books with long waiting lists. So for me, a Kindle is pointless. If I could afford to buy lots of books or had access to a good free e-reader library I would get a Kindle. I like the feel of real books too, but having a whole library in your purse is kind of an exciting idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Yes... because once you buy a Kindle, they take away your permit to buy paper books. :huh: That would probably be a benefit. ;) The piles of books are taking over my house!!! :willy_nilly: I've had a Nook for almost 3 years, I've bought 2 books for it, everything else I've checked out from the library or downloaded for free. I download almost all of my free books (classics) from manybooks.net, I have never had one from there that is a bad copy or difficult to read. My dd sometimes uses the Nook but for now it's easier to get her books at the library. Our next ereader will be a Paperwhite, drooling over that :drool5: . Of the dozens of booklights that I've owned, I've never had one I liked. We also have a Kindle Fire but I've never put any books on it, I don't like reading on a shiny screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 You folks have never had a poor copy or a bad scan of a free ebook? Because I have had quite a few that were very annoying to read. For example, I wanted a collection of fairy tales for times that my younger son and I were waiting for my older son to finish his piano lessons. I downloaded on the the pink or blue fairy tale books, or maybe it was Hans Christian Anderson. There was no linked table of contents. So if he wanted the, let's say 45th fairy tale I would have to page through all 44 other fairy tales to get to the one we wanted. That is a whole lot of clicking. If I planned to read through the entire book from beginning to end it would have been ok, but that wasn't what we needed. Same problem with the collected works of Shakespeare, and with another one by Kipling. That to me is not really worth anything. It can be worth paying 4.99 to get the formatted and edited versions. It isn't much money and I am happy to pay for it, but people should know ahead of time that all those free ebooks aren't always so practical. I have had books with typos, books with chapters missing etc. If you read the reviews of many of the free books you will see lots of complaints about such things. I am not the only one who has experienced this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyP Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 There were several things I disliked about it: *I prefer the feel of a real book in my hands. *I like to flip through the pages of a book and tab the last page in the next chapter as I'm reading so I know how far I have to go to get to a stopping place. This isn't possible on an e-reader. *Out of sight means out of mind for me. Even though the books are categorized on the Kindle, I have no idea what's on there. I can't SEE it. *There are no quick previews or blurbs that I can look at easily when trying to decide what to read on the Kindle. You have to go through Amazon to do that and that is too time-consuming. *The free books are not typically things I would read. *The free classics are usually horrible quality and not the best translations. The better versions are usually cheap, but then, the library is free. * I use the library almost exclusively and rarely ever buy a book new. I can't justify buying e-books, especially when they are sometimes just as expensive as the real book. *It can be truly atrocious trying to wade through the books when it's not a book that you read straight through. Many resource books without a linked table of contents are simply unusable. *There was a bit of a lag between hitting the button to go to the next page and when the device actually flipped to the next page. It wasn't horrible, but it could still be frustrating at times. *It locked up occasionally, especially when trying to get online, even on the Amazon site. There were some things that I liked about it, which most everyone else has already hit on, but overall it was just "meh" for me and I'd rather stick to my library books and the stuff I can trade for at 2nd & Charles. I agree with all of this. I started out loving my kindle, but became less enamored as time went on for the reasons listed above. Now it died on me and I do not currently plan to buy a new one. I maybe should have known this all along, but I just recently realized that Amazon (and others) track your reading. If I was iffy before, that pushed me over the edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clear Creek Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I don't buy many books at all, and my library has a very limited selection of e-reader books with long waiting lists. So for me, a Kindle is pointless. If I could afford to buy lots of books or had access to a good free e-reader library I would get a Kindle. I like the feel of real books too, but having a whole library in your purse is kind of an exciting idea! I get all my free books from Amazon. They have a list of the top 100 free books, as well as the top 100 free books in about 20 different categories. New books appear on the lists every week...I think a lot of authors offer a book for free for a few days in the hope that readers will want to purchase other books of theirs after reading the free one. OP, I dithered about buying a Kindle for quite a while. My husband went ahead and bought me one for Christmas a couple years ago and it wasn't long before I realized that while I was reading a book (whether it was a paper copy or a digital copy), if the book was good then I did not notice whether I was reading it on my Kindle or from a paper book. I am not one to smell or feel my book while I read it; I am immersed in the story. I still buy real books and use my library regularly, but I also like having the option of a digital book. And honestly, having over 600 unread books on my Kindle (all but a few free) is like having my own personal library. Whatever I am in the mood to read, I have a selection to choose from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizsharp Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I have an iPad with the kindle app on it so that I could have 4G (we don't have wireless). I wanted to access the internet anywhere I went. I too love the feel of real books but being able to read in bed with the lights out, turning pages with absolute silence (tiny babe in my bed), and instant access to most books made it an easy transition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaughingCat Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 And I don't have to figure out how to haul fifty pound massive tomes in my purse anymore. This has been the #1 best thing for me. Well worth the cost. I'll admit that Amazon has gotten more book money from me since I bought the thing too - BUT it has all been low price ($1-$2) - often from their deal of the day. I would pay that much for a book even at the cheapest used sources I've found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dahliarw Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I like the fact I can carry whole library in my handbag. I can also get access to books that aren't available here and they usually are a bit cheaper - plus I don't have to pay half the cost again in shipping then wait 6 weeks. I am spending more on books but I am fairly careful. I love that in most cases the sample is long enough to get a good idea of whether I will like it. There have been a few though that I have got the table of contents and a lengthy introduction but no text. This is why I love it. I carry my kindle with my everywhere in my purse. I have it to pull out if I have some free time or if I get stuck at a long appointment, etc. It's lighter than any book and if I finish a book I'm not stuck until I get home, I can just pull up another one. I get books both from the libarary and the free ones online (not just classics either - there are several blogs that tell you what kindle books are free or reduced for a day - I've gotten free modern books from contemporary writers that I love that were free for one day only). I also love the samples, so I know if it's worth buying a book I'm looking at. I also really love that I can lay in bed and check out a new book from the library and start reading it right away. I don't actually have to drive to the library to get a book that is there! I should add, I had a Kindle touch 3g for a year and I did have some issues with lag time (page turning) and such. Dh got me a paperwhite for Christmas this year (I think because he wanted a kindle too and this way he gets my old one) and it is MUCH better. No wait for page turning or book loading like the old one. And I've only ever had 1 book have formatting issues. I emailed amazon, they refunded the purchase, and their techincal team looked at it. The error was in how the book was formatted by the publisher for kindle, not in the device itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I used to be a paper only gal, too. Then, I got dh a Nook. Then I got a Kindle Ap on my iPad. And now.... it's all over. I don't know what to say. Just get it. Assimilate. It feels so good. So light. So easy. And you know what was so fun about my Kindle ap on the iPad? When I was reading Massey's "Peter the Great" I could just jump right on the Net and look up maps, and pictures of these guys. When he was describing how St. Petersburg was built, I looked up all sorts of pictures, just sitting right there on my comfy chair with my blanket on me. Didn't even have to get up. It's a good thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Just so you know, Kindles now pay attention to how quickly you read a book and will tell you how long they predict it will take you to get to both the end of the chapter and the end of the book based on your reading speed. Interesting. I've never heard of that. You can also get ebooks from the library now, which wasn't something you used to be able to do when I first got my Kindle. The selection will obviously vary based on your library. My library does offer ebooks now, which is great; however, the download process is incredibly confusing and not intuitive at all. Every time I'm in the library there is AT LEAST one person at the circulation desk asking for an explanation on how to do it. I guess I haven't made it worth my time to bother. It could be useful for someone who didn't have a great physical library system though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I don't buy books at the moment - everything comes from the library, either on paper or as an audiobook. We did consider a reader a few years ago (when we had money) because it would make travelling easier. If we start travelling again, we might think again. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
threedogfarm Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I agree with all of this. I started out loving my kindle, but became less enamored as time went on for the reasons listed above. Now it died on me and I do not currently plan to buy a new one. This is the reason why I have not bought a Kindle. It is one more thing to "maintain" and upgrade over time. And the books that are bought on it are not useful unless you have the device. I was very tempted to buy a Kindle when Yesterdays Classics had their sale last summer until I realized that I wanted to make the purchase b/c I liked the "idea" of having all those books available to me--none of them were on my proposed book list for the following year! So for me, the reasoning of having free books available to me via amazon or inexpensive or free classics (that were well formatted) just doesn't cut it. I have enough books on my to-read list for both the children and me that my library owns that I don't need to add to it. That being said--I really, really like the idea of having my daughter "read" and listen to a book at the same time. She does have problems with comprehension when reading a book vs. listening and I think this would help her. I would consider getting a Kindle for that reason b/c I can't think of another way to accomplish this (except by having her read aloud to me which we do but this would allow her to have this for longer periods of time). The question I would have to consider though would be whether this would become a crutch instead of a help? She does enjoy reading aloud to me but it is more work (for anyone) to read aloud than to read silently. So that is the incentive to improve. . .with a kindle and listening to someone else read. . . hmmmmmm. . .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weddell Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I love my kindle so much that I bought my dd one when she was 6. We are American and living in India and although we do have access to books here, the kindle is so much easier. I read much more now than I did before I got a kindle. We still have a house in the US and so I still have my library card. Our library has a great ebook selection so a ton of my reading is free. I also check the daily deals at both amazon and barnes and noble (nook app on ipad). Every month amazon has 100 books that they mark $4 and below and then they also have an occasional sale. Between all the sales and deals, I have a ton of high quality books to choose from. Same with dd's kindle. She just read all the oz books for free and is now working on a couple library books. I couldn't afford to keep her in books without the kindle! Once we move back to the US this summer, I do plan on getting lots of her books (and books for my younger ds who still only reads paper books) at the library since I don't like to spend money on certain types of kid books (rainbow magic, Geronimo Stilton type). I also buy kid books at thrift stores when we are in the US, so dd reads about 50% regular books and 50% ebooks. The kindle is fabulous for travel too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantmom Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 I've been thinking about a Kindle lately too. I actually have a NOOK, and I love it because it does NOT have a backlit screen. It is just like reading a real book. And I spend enough of my day between homeschooling stuff, household business and my work sitting in front of a computer screen. I can't stand to sit at a computer and read long pdfs for example, which I sometimes would have to do for my work. So, with the Nook, I can download a pdf to it and read it on there instead of staring at a computer screen for 200 pages. But lately, it seems that every book I've wanted to buy on the Nook is cheaper on the Kindle, and even cheaper to order the actual paper book from Amazon than it is to get it on the Nook! The other day I was going to get my book club's next book, and it was $15 on the Nook, $11 to get the actual print book from Amazon, and $9 on the Kindle! That is a big difference, and that has happened with the past three books that I considered getting on the Nook. So, while I love the no backlit screen thing, I am torn and really wanting a Kindle now too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I've been thinking about a Kindle lately too. I actually have a NOOK, and I love it because it does NOT have a backlit screen. It is just like reading a real book. And I spend enough of my day between homeschooling stuff, household business and my work sitting in front of a computer screen. I can't stand to sit at a computer and read long pdfs for example, which I sometimes would have to do for my work. So, with the Nook, I can download a pdf to it and read it on there instead of staring at a computer screen for 200 pages. But lately, it seems that every book I've wanted to buy on the Nook is cheaper on the Kindle, and even cheaper to order the actual paper book from Amazon than it is to get it on the Nook! The other day I was going to get my book club's next book, and it was $15 on the Nook, $11 to get the actual print book from Amazon, and $9 on the Kindle! That is a big difference, and that has happened with the past three books that I considered getting on the Nook. So, while I love the no backlit screen thing, I am torn and really wanting a Kindle now too. The only Kindle that is backlit is the Kindle Fire. I have an older Nook too and I love the e-ink (hate reading much on a computer screen). The Kindle Paperwhite has e-ink, but it has little lcd lights built into the side that you can use when it's dark, so it's like a built in book light not a backlit screen. I will definitely be getting a Paperwhite soon, maybe Mother's Day or my birthday in June. :thumbup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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