lynn Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 How much are books, games, accessories? What is the best deal you have found? Which one should I consider if I want to books for myself and the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Books tend to be slightly cheaper than new printed editions. I have a regular Kindle, so no games. The only accessory I have or need is the cover. I paid around $30 for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 You can see book prices on amazon. Our library has a large selection of books that can be downloaded to the kindle or other eReaders. If you want the kindle for eReader only, get a basic one. I got my son the paper white with ads. The ads aren't there when you're in the book, so it's worth the discount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeritasMama Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I bought a screen cover for my fire for 12.00 and a case for 20.00. I use mine mostly for public domain books, but the ebooks I have purchased usually cost between 5.00-10.00. It is also easy to use PDFs on the Kindle or convert PDFs to mobi files, so I have put a lot of my PDF teaching guides on my Kindle as well. You can download books and files directly from you computer or email them to your kindle, you don't have to go through Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipper Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Mine goes everywhere and I love it. I have a kindle fire with a cover. I have some games on there (mostly angry birds, fruit ninja and a few others). I also keep books that I'm reading and I download a few movies. I use it when I take the girls to soccer practice and I have to wait (I watch the games, but not the practices), same with dance classes. I take it to doctor appointments and play movies for the kids if it's taking forever. (If I'm alone, I read my books or play games). There's a list on amazon for free books that seem to circulate. I look every few weeks and download several that I like that are free. I've downloaded a couple of books that I like to re-read (such as Gone With the Wind). I'm really happy with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 My library has a decent selection of ebooks, plus I paid $35 for an e-membership to the Free Library of Philadelphia. It was worth the $35 to me, but it might not be to some people. It really depends on how much you read and how good your library's e-book collection is. It costs as much or as little to read Kindle books as it costs to read print books IME. I have both an e-ink Kindle and a Kindle Fire. I prefer reading on the e-ink one because it's like reading a book (it's not backlit). I use my Fire as a tablet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unfrumpable. Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 The book prices for both Kindle editions and paper editions are listed on Amazon. Some *new* books are less expensive on the Kindle vs buying them new, but lots of times used books are significantly cheaper than Kindle editions. IMO, this negates the ease and convenience of buying the Kindle edition, if I can have the physical book for cheaper. I do prefer physical books over ebooks, though I have a 2nd generation Kindle and an android tablet with the Kindle, Nook, & Kobo app. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeganCupcake Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Our library system has a great selection of ebooks, so I borrow a lot of what I read. There are also the Kindle Daily Deals and often there are books on sale for $1.99 to $3.99 that I have had my eye on for some time. I don't like to buy a lot of books, but I do buy some now and then. I have a light for mine, since I do a lot of reading in the middle of the night when DH is sleeping. I think the light was about $15.00. I don't usually use a case (though I have one). I knitted a cozy for DH's with some scrap yarn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Senior citizens have free memberships. My mom is signed up and I use her account. My library has a decent selection of ebooks, plus I paid $35 for an e-membership to the Free Library of Philadelphia. It was worth the $35 to me, but it might not be to some people. It really depends on how much you read and how good your library's e-book collection is. It costs as much or as little to read Kindle books as it costs to read print books IME. I have both an e-ink Kindle and a Kindle Fire. I prefer reading on the e-ink one because it's like reading a book (it's not backlit). I use my Fire as a tablet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 If you have Amazon Prime you can "borrow" one free book per month to read. That is a great feature IMO. I only have a basic Kindle so no games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 You can see comparisons and videos of the different Kindle models and their features on Amazon's website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 If you have Amazon Prime you can "borrow" one free book per month to read. That is a great feature IMO. I only have a basic Kindle so no games. But only the books they allow to be lent...it hasn't been that useful to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 But only the books they allow to be lent...it hasn't been that useful to me. Me either. I have yet to use this benefit of Amazon Prime. The books I want aren't available in their lending library, though it's been a while since I checked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I had a 2nd generation Kindle which I loved and used a lot. I recently bought a Kindle Fire and must say I'm not as impressed as I thought I'd be. I was excited about having a tablet device but I don't find I use the features like I probably should to justify the cost of it. I don't borrow books because my library system isn't good. They don't have a lot available. I'd say I can spend anywhere from $5 to $30 per month on buying books for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrs.m Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 It really depends on how much you want to spend. I spend nothing some months and other months I purchase a lot of books. I generally just download freebies for games for my kids. I also use the library's ebook site to borrow books. One thing you can do is create your ebook wishlist on Amazon and then use this site: http://www.ereaderiq.com/ to get notified via email of price drops. I have found some really great deals on books that I really wanted because of this service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I have had the regular Kindle for 1.5 years now. So far I have bought a lighted cover and that is it. All my books have been free ones or borrowed from the library. I read all the time and those have been enough. I do have a few games that were free too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I have a basic kindle (with ads) and have spent $15 on books (with gift card). Everything else I get is free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 But only the books they allow to be lent...it hasn't been that useful to me. Me either. I have yet to use this benefit of Amazon Prime. The books I want aren't available in their lending library, though it's been a while since I checked. I rarely find books I want (though I have found a few), but just to be clear - It's the publishers who decide whether or not a book can be loaned from the Prime library, not Amazon. The exception is Amazon published e-books. I think authors publishing through them have to agree to making their books available for lending for a certain period of time. It's also publishers who decide if a book is lendable from one Kindle owner to another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aslana Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 It will cost you as much or as little as you; as indicated by the previous posts. I've spent a grand total of $20 on my kindle--three books by an author I love. That's it. There is so much out there in the public domain (including textbooks like those from CK-12) that I've yet to have need of purchasing any book. Of course, this only works if you do not have an author you follow regularly. My author is a regular producer, but not regular enough that I must purchase books all the time. There's a good space between her books, so it gives me time to save the money. This may all change if I ever get enough money to purchase other author's books I want on mine. I will be purchasing an otterbox type thing for mine soon though. eta::: just as a small thread-jack, how does one look up the gig amount on their kindle? I have a 2nd gen, it came from a pawn shop. No documentation (not stolen either, we checked). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I rarely find books I want (though I have found a few), but just to be clear - It's the publishers who decide whether or not a book can be loaned from the Prime library, not Amazon. The exception is Amazon published e-books. I think authors publishing through them have to agree to making their books available for lending for a certain period of time. It's also publishers who decide if a book is lendable from one Kindle owner to another. I know that. My point was that it isn't necessarily a useful perk of having a Prime membership. From my view as a reader, what's relevant is the lending library selection, not which entity makes the books available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Most of the apps I have purchased have been free to $3.99. I download quite a lot of classics that are either free or up to $2.99. I will pay for a classic if the free version doesn't have good formatting or a linked TOC. I probably spend about $10 - $30 a month on other books, but there have been months where I don't buy a thing. Most other books I purchase are in the area of $10. I rarely buy a book for over that amount. I purchased a cover for my Fire for about $20. My original Kindle keyboard model I spent $30 for a cover with a light. My other Kindle without the keyboard doesn't have a case. I don't want to bulk it up by adding a case to it. I rarely find anything to rent in the Kindle lending library, but I love Prime and would never give it up! I probably watch about 1 - 3 hours a week of prime video though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 One thing you can do is create your ebook wishlist on Amazon and then use this site: http://www.ereaderiq.com/ to get notified via email of price drops. I have found some really great deals on books that I really wanted because of this service. That looks like a good resource. I've also found non-freebie book deals from Pixel of Ink emails or on the Daily Kindle Deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 It's cost me a small fortune! I've found I'm a total sucker for instant gratification. It does save an awful lot of trees with all the boxes that aren't coming to my house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plath Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I use my kindle fire all day long as a tablet and for PDFs primarily. Most of the books we are reading on it right now are PDF books, from the library's Ebooks or in the public domain like the Burgess books. We use it for the I See Sam readers, too. Dd is also using it for YouTube videos and to watch a few art lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 The only books on my Kindle are free, public-domain texts. That is why I purchased the Kindle in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 OP: We do not have a Kindle. If we buy one and have it shipped here, there is no warranty or service available here... I just discovered, that DD needed a Novel, for the next semester of English. Had I known that, I would have ordered it last September, when we ordered textbooks and a novel, or at the end of December, when we ordered the Art textbook. The Kindle version of this novel was available on Amazon for $4.99. I downloaded Amazons free "KindleForPC" reader application and installed that on DD's PC. Then, we set up an Amazon.com account for her. I then logged into my Amazon.com account, and I sent her the Kindle version of the novel, as a "Gift". When she logged in, she needed to furnish "Billing" information for her new Amazon.com account. I got my Debit card and put in my name and address, but as I remember, I did not need to furnish the card number or security code or expiration date. I believe Amazon only wants to verify what country the user is in, because not all books can be exported from the USA (probably for Trademark reasons). Now, I notice that a novel DD will need for 7th grade English is available in Kindle form, with the price of $0.00 Free is nice.... In our case, we will probably just use the KindleForPC reader application and use it to read books. You have the book you buy, within a few minutes. GL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I bougnt the very basic $79 kindle with the ads.....which disappear when you turn it on and so far have been nothing offensive at all. I honestly don't even notice the ads at all. I bought a cover for it and a book light for reading at night (now I would get the one with the nightlight in it but they didn't offer it then). I have paid $3.99 total for books. I bought 1 book that was #4 in a series that our library system didn't have. The rest have been free from the Amazon top free 100 books. I have discovered a lot of different types of books and authors I would have never otherwise read. I LOVE my kindle. I have over 200 books on it waiting for me to read. It is great for traveling as I only have to take it along, not a stack of books. I do bring one paperback book for reading in the hot tub at hotels, etc. but otherwise I do 95% of my reading on my kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 We bought a Kindle Fire for one of our DDs for Christmas. The whole family has been using it. We bought a very basic cover for it at Big Lots (~$3) and that's is all we've spent since we bought it. We download free games. Not many of them are very good but we enjoy a couple of them. We use it as a tablet to browse the internet. We use the local library for e-books. Their selection is getting better as time goes by. While the Kindle gets a lot of use and I do not regret the purchase, we do not use it to buy books. We have a great local used bookstore that we love; we use the library extensively; and we still buy new books from Amazon. I haven't found the Kindle book prices to be a savings so we just go ahead and buy the regular book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I have the 3G with keyboard and a basic case. Most of the books on there are freebies. I pay as little for books as possible. I have a couple of games on there, but they were free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CupOCoffee Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I've had my basic Kindle for just about a year now and have spent exactly $5 -- on a case. I have probably 200 books on it and have not paid for a single one. There are sites that you can sign up for that send you emails with free/very cheap books for Kindle, plus you can search Amazon for free books. I have more books that I can possibly read and there always more available. I have 2 games on there, simple word games, also free. So like others have said, the cost of owning a Kindle depends on the owner. Mine has served me well this last year, and my kids pick it up sometimes as well. I have more than enough books to keep me happy and have not paid for a single one. ~coffee~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ameena Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I have a regular kindle, 3g version with ads. I think I've spent maybe $10 on books over 2 years. Mostly I just get free ones :) I have oodles of books on there - more than enough to keep me happy. It's been one of the best purchases I ever made :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Me either. I have yet to use this benefit of Amazon Prime. The books I want aren't available in their lending library, though it's been a while since I checked. Sometimes ones that weren't available become available... a big part of it is agreements with publishers. I can usually find something interesting. I didn't get prime for the lending library so it's not a big deal if I don't get something one month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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