eReader and eBooks : My Kindle

[BankFodder]

Well I have already blogged about my Kindle:- http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/entry.php?157-I-bought-a-Kindle

 

But I have to say it again - what an amazing gadget. In fact it is becoming less of a gadget and more of an essential part of how I live.

 

One thing I have noticed is that every now and then Amazon offers current popular books for £0.00p!!!

For FREE!

 

You have to spot them and get them. A few hours later, they have a price tag on them again.

 

If I spot more of these offers I'll post them here - but you have to move quickly. At the beginning I would hesitate and ask myself if the book interested me at all - but suddenly, it dawned on me that if the book is free then it is better to grab the opportunity, get it and then decide later.

 

I don't know why I didn't realise this to begin with.

 

So far I have read Memoirs of a Geisha, Fallen Idols, The Trophy Taker and The Confession - all for free.

These are all mainstream novels.

 

I also got through the Larsson Trilogy, beginning withe The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo. A great read - through all three books.

[MeshMick]

Just a quick question about the Kindle - I'm thinking of getting one, love reading, but does it ever hurt your eyes? I find that after an hour or so at the computer I need to stop and do something else, and I'm just worried that the Kindle will do this as well, it's pretty much a book sized computer screen right?!

[BankFodder]

I get no eye problems at all with it. there is no glare and the image is completely still. Better still, you can alter the text size to suit your vision. I wear reading glasses and I can read it comfortably. As my eyes get worse I will be able to increase the size of the text.

 

I understand that once the page is displayed, there is no electricity use at all. It is not like a screen which is constantly refreshing itself to keep on displaying.

 

The Kindly uses Electronic Ink. The page displays and then remains like that. The only time that any electricity is used is when the page is changed/turned over.

 

I suppose that it is for this reason that ther is no video function etc.

 

Some people may prefer the Ipad but for reading, it really is a compromise. The Ipad has a high glare screen with a normal screen refresh rate which means that the screen image will be oscillating at some very high rate. As I understand it, it is this oscillation which causes eye fatigue.

 

I don't know where you can test a Kindle or what Amazon's return policy is. However they are at least controled by the Distance Selling regs and so that would give you enough time to get a Kindle, appraise it over a few days and then return it.

 

However, don't think that you are going to especially enjoy it simply by getting the mormall diet of out-of-copyright classics.

 

I have met a few people who have got fed-up with eReaders beause their plan was that they were going to save money by reading free books all the time. It is as if they thought that an eReader was a way to beat the system.

 

The eReader is like a book. You aren't going to be interested unless you are reading something that you want to read. That means that you have to try it out by going and buying a book that really interests you.

[Mr lex]

Out of interest to those thinking of buying an eReader. My local branch of Waterstones has a display of eReaders in store including the Kindle. They were quite happy to demonstrate them to me, but did make the point of saying 'We couldn't do this on a Sat. afternoon Sir !!!' So if you want to have a look before you buy, pick your time.

 

Lex

[carpetmojo]

Yes, a lot of people seem to think the Kindle is the only viable ereader - it's not ! I am a Sony PRS650 owner, a choice arrived at after I clarified what I wanted an ereader for ! I was then swayed by the sheer quality of build of the Sony, and the fact it was not tied to a bookseller, and that it used, among others, ePub, the most widely used digital format world-wide. The only facility that the Kindle and

the iRiver ereader have that others don't - AT THE MOMENT -is the ability to d/load books without using a computer.

As I'm never likely to need a book desperately, at a moment's notice, because I've read all the books I've d/loaded alraedy, I ignored that so-called advantage.

(Um, and a Kindle at Waterstones ? That's a first....... As well as someone who knows anything about readers !)

 

And the "free books" facility is a huge bonus - not just out of copywrite are available, loads offree modern and new books available on a lot of sites, plus giveaways on sites like MobileRead. AND with ePub etc.. you can access libraries for Audiobooks to lend, and some ebooks - and, the big plus, the Philladelphian, and the Singapore, Free Digital Library, with 1,000's of ebooks for borrowing.

 

So, think before you buy, I say !!!

[locutus]

Just to add to this, Amazon have made a Kindle app for the I-pad. So if you have one of these you can get amazon kindle books still. Also, there is an app for android (requires android version 1.6 or greater), and there are an array of cheap android tablets on the market (Sub £70 to around £400). These android and i-pad "Tablets" also have lots of other useful functions (internet browsing etc...) and also android phones will support this (which may interest Bankfodder if his phone screen is big enough for his failing eyes )

 

The kindle screen is similar to an "etch a sketch" that displays the page, so once displayed it uses no more power, that makes the battery life incredible (bf will testify to this I'm sure!), and the page is like looking at a light gray paper page with the text in black, so no brightness caused by a "back-light" which all traditional monitor and phone screens use, keeping it easy on the eye.

[Nystagmite]

Just a quick question about the Kindle - I'm thinking of getting one, love reading, but does it ever hurt your eyes? I find that after an hour or so at the computer I need to stop and do something else, and I'm just worried that the Kindle will do this as well, it's pretty much a book sized computer screen right?!

 

I have various eye problems and tend to get eye strain using a computer. I have never had any problems with eye strain with the Kindle.

[MONX]

I got a kindle for my birthday! It is the best present ever.

 

There are applications you can download onto your pc that convert book files from other sources so that you can read them on the kindle (calibre) if you google this you should be able to find it.

 

Also there are lots of sites that offer free libraries that you can download and one that I really adore is burgomeister, it is all done by private message so you have to join and they do ask you to pay something towards the running of the site but initially you can download books for free on sundays once you have been accepted as an occasional patron.

 

Ive downloaded from Amazon the first three books in the Game of Thrones series of books which (as usual) are so much better than the tv series. Ive also downloaded a load of Steven Kings, and like a lot of other people Ive taken advantage of the free classical books offered by project guttenburg.

 

Ive seen other readers and i love and prefer the Kindle

 

The page is so easy to read, the text size can be changed and will suit most people, i normally read with glasses but just bump up the text size so that i can read it lying down in bed without!

 

You can actually get the kindle to read the book to you....ok its a bit like a dalek but you can chose either male or female voice and if you slow it right down it does sound a bit like an audio book.

 

I would recommend it to anyone!

[sarahlloyd]

My Kindle is quite honestly my most treasured possession.

 

I wouldn't be without it now

[victoriaN]

Got to agree, kindles are amazing - how the screen works with the electronic ink is genius. I also like my iPad as an ebook reader, and of course that has more functionality, but for reading outside the Kindle is FAR superior.