E-Readers

[Preacher]

Anyone here a fan of e-readers (Nook, Kindle,etc)? I love to read, and over the past few years have become a fan of e-readers. They are a convenient way to carry several books with me when I travel. My mother, on the other hand, swears that she needs the feel of a real book. What are some of the opinions of the esteemed BoB??

 

[forsooth]

I'm interested in buying one. Do you have a recommendation? Are they convenient to read while pipe smoking?

Thanks

 

[KevinP]

I absolutely love my Kindle 3, which replaced my Kindle 2. I can't compare it to the Nook or any other devise (except the Kindle app on the Galaxy Tab), but I'm happy to answer questions.

I don't think there's really much to say that you have read on Amazon's site. You really can read outside in bright sunlight. It's really light and convenient to carry around. I can't imagine being an expat in a non-English-speaking country without one (even though I was for many years).


The only thing where the info on Amazon that doesn't jibe with my experiece is battery life. One month must be for people who don't use it every often (a co-worker of mine fits in this category and would verify that statistic), but for someone who uses it a lot like I do, It's about two week. Still, how many other gadgets that run off rechargable batteries last that long? None that I know of.

 

[tiltjlp]

I still prefer to actually hold the book I'm reading.

 

[Preacher]

I currently use the Nook Color, which I love. I can't speak on the Kindle or the Sony e-reader because I have never used them. I have no trouble at all reading mine while smoking my pipe (one of my favorite ways to relax). I found a website called Project Guttenburg that has free ebooks. So far I have gotten The Count of Monte Cristo and the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

 

[Preacher]

I still prefer to actually hold the book I'm reading.

i have to admit that paper books feel better. It's just that when you are on the move a lot and do reading sitting in airports, it's nice to have more books to read at your disposal. My wife has some health issues and I spend a fair amount of time at the hospital with her, and the e-reader is very handy.

 

[Krusty]

I'm interested in buying one. Do you have a recommendation? Are they convenient to read while pipe smoking?

Thanks

I've a Kindle and love it! While smoking, can't be beat in that you hold the thing and "turn" the pages with one hand!

 

[whiskeywillow]

I do love my Nook. As a college student who has to move back and forth from home to campus several times a year, my Nook is an indispensable resource I can take with me rather than lugging fifty pounds of books around. However, my Nook could never replace physical books for me. The smell of the paper, the healthy weight of it in your hands, the tangible evidence of your progression through the pages...none of these can be replaced. Not to mention the beauty of a thoughtfully stocked bookshelf. :mrgreen:

 

[WaydeG]

However, my Nook could never replace physical books for me. The smell of the paper, the healthy weight of it in your hands, the tangible evidence of your progression through the pages...none of these can be replaced. Not to mention the beauty of a thoughtfully stocked bookshelf. :mrgreen:

Well said.
I have a Kindle and an iPad. The Kindle stays with me 27/7 and I can switch between my recreational reading and studies/research with the push of a button.

 

[Harlock999]

The smell of the paper, the healthy weight of it in your hands, the tangible evidence of your progression through the pages...none of these can be replaced. Not to mention the beauty of a thoughtfully stocked bookshelf. :mrgreen:

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

 

[Buckshot]

I still prefer to actually hold the book I'm reading.

I totally agree, but my wife has decided she would like the electronic book system.

 

[shootist51]

whattayado when the grid goes down?

 

[Schacht]

What I like about the iPad is, that it simply makes it possible to carry literally hundreds of books around. I even got some important stuff, that means in my case mostly sheet music, on the iPhone. I´m just about to scan every possible "Real Book" edition. Every musician can imagine the tremendous possibilities of such gear, since we can use resources like the Petrucci Music Library on a mobile device like the iPhone or an iPad.

So - I am really lucky about all that stuff, but when it comes to literature, nothing can beat paper.

 

[Airborne]

I’m really a fan of hard cover and paperback books. My wife bought a kindle about four months ago. A month or so passed by before I decided to give it a try. I used it for a few days and was completely hooked. So I bought one. I like it for many of the reasons already mentioned by others, however, there’s only two negatives that I can see: (1) some of the best selling books from some publishers, e.g., mysteries and thrillers, aren’t available on Kindle, and (2) I really miss the covers on real books. The solution to the first negative will solve itself. With more and more people buying e-books, publishers will be forced to put their best sellers on the electronic market. The solution to the second negative is that I have to get over it.

 

[Dnemets]

I downloaded an e-reader for my smartphone recently. VERY cool, free e-book called, "Tobacco in Colonial Virginia" by Melvin Herndon. Highly suggest it.. somewhat dry, but very informative and good.

 

[Professor_Briar]

I also have a nook color and love the thing. Not only do I have about 150 books on it, I bought the 100 classic novel selection for a trivial amount of money (includes sherlock Holmes) I also play movies that I convert from DVD to MP4 format. Movies are fantastic. And of course I have Sherlock Holmes movie on it. I still love hard cover books, but for business travel and reading on the porch after dark with my pipe, its perfect!
:study:
:study:

 

[puros_bran]

One thing I think sucks about e-readers.. and in no way do I think it's a total deal breaker..
Ever walked into Half-Priced books, or a mom and pop book store and picked up 8-10 used books for a couple bucks? Thats hard to do on the e-reader.
Sure they have some cheap books, and even a crap load of free ones.. but scoring that $80 Java manual or that $60 Excel VBA book for $15-20 bucks is a no go..

 

[forsooth]

I've read that trying to read books on coding, applications, etc., was troublesome on e-readers because of line wraps, etc. Don't know if it is true, or to what extent.

 

[Anthony]

I bought myself a Kindle for my last birthday.

I was hesitant to "convert" per se; however, I find the device to be an absolutely phenomenal piece of technology. I do not think that anything will ever replace the smell and heft of a great book; nevertheless, it was much more convenient backing a kindle in my rucksack then lugging crates of books back from overseas like I did during my last tour of Iraq.

 

[Josjor]

My wife got me a Kindle for Christmas last year. I'm an avid reader and most of our furniture purchases in the 18 years we've been together has been bookshelves. I love to collect signed and first editions and nothing replaces the feel of a real book.

All that said, the Kindle is always with me. It is incredibly handy if you travel and the cover with the built in light makes it a breeze to read in bed or on the deck with a pipe at night.

My wife suffered an eye injury 15 years ago. Before the injury she read quite a bit. After the injury she was limited only to large print editions in bright daylight. A big chunk of what was a relaxing activity for her was missing. I got her a Kindle for Valentine's day and now she's back to reading and doing it comfortably. The ability to change the print size, along with the non-glare screen and booklight, have improved her life incredibly.