Kindles

[Larkhall Linda]

Ok, So I may find the idea of reading a book on a monitor quite horrid, but my wife insists it must be wonderful and requested I get her a Kindle for Christmas.....yes I'm late but I really don't know where to start. Does anyone have any person experience good sites for reviews?

Larkhall (Never taking a Kindle to Bed) Linda

:eek:

[JoanM]

My brother-in-law got one for Father's Day. He isn't a computer driven type guy but loves the Kindle. He was just here for a week and I got to see it, use it, and ask a lot of questions. As I understand, the Kindle is an Amazon.com item. Other manufacturers (maybe Sony) have similar digital readers or what ever they are called.

The Kindle is wireless and you download books directly from Amazon. The screen can be read in any light situation. You can mark your place, change font size, look up words in the dictionary, make notes, and all kinds of cool things. He travels a lot so he really likes the fact that he can have so many books in a small space. There are a couple of versions look for battery power and storage as differences in the models. I'm sure there's someone who can tell you more.

[Bev in Tampa, FL]

...as does my wife. We both love it, battery life is amazing, can carry over 1000 books (and who would POSSIBLY want to do that, anyway?!), can get new releases for approx $9, can share books (she can read mine and vice versa). I highly recommend it, saves a lot of space cause we have books piled more places than I'd like to admit right now. Also saves trees, and who doesn't love to save a tree? : ) Buy Kindle, not any of the other electronic books, just a better product. You can get it at Amazon.com. Enjoy!

[Mary6906]

A coworker of mine just got one for Xmas, and she loves it. Thanks for your thoughts on this, Bev.... oh, and WELCOME TO THE BOARD!! :)

[TwinLori]

Haven't personally tried a Kindle myself, but a few weeks ago when I saw New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance at a booksigning, afterward spoke with her husband, who LOVES his Kindle! Sounds like it can be made to do even more things than just downloading books. Somehow I just can't imagine reading a book that isn't a hardcover or paperback, but one year I may adapt. :-)

[Cardiffgal]

Have it , love it and would recommend it. Amazon has lots of forums on the Kindle with feedback from owners. You can also google for forums outside of Amazon. I have had every generation of the Kindle, currently using a DX (larger screen) and love it.

Barnes and Noble came out with a similar product for the holidays which is back ordered.

[angelgirl]

Larkhall Linda& Bev,
Welcome to the board.
Thanks for sharing this about the Kindle. Plan to get one sometime so its good to get info about it.

O x

[Eva]

Welcome to the messageboard Linda. I hope you will have an accidentfree 2010.

va

[Larkhall Linda]

Thanks muchly! it's rather nice to be here!

[Elliott]

I've never met a person who uses a Kindle that doesn't love it. I've seen lots of people use them, and they all pretty much rave about how much they adore the thing. I read in the tub, so I really can't see how that could turn out nicely. A close friend just got a Nook (Barns & Noble version, I believe) and it was charging last night when we spoke on the phone. It has some features not offered on the Kindle, like book sharing to other Nooks for a certain number of days, etc.... Regarding the Kindle, the many who use them can't all be wrong. Enjoy!

[hoops]

I don't get it, I mean, it's like not having CD's because you have an mp3 player. not having LP's because turntables are hard to find. where does tho author autograph it? where do the noses go? of course, I read VERY slowly, so maybe that is the thing, I don't know.
peace
hoops

[Elliott]

I get it... I just don't want it. Hey Hoops, let's go to B&N, have coffee and look at the books and the cdeez!

[hoops]

Cool Ell, meet you in the mystery section
peace
hoops

[Cardiffgal]

Just to clarify I got my Kindle because I love to read and I travel a lot. With all the new restrictions on weight for carry-ons and check-in bags I have no room for books. So the Kindle made sense for me and I do still buy books, a habit I am sure I will never break but I no longer buy books I will read only once. Those go on the Kindle at generally a lower price.

PS I bought two books today! I mean REAL BOOKS TO HAVE AND TO HOLD.

[hoops]

Cardiff, that makes sense. I envy you your ability to read in a moving vehicle. enjoy!
peace
hoops

[Mary6906]

I hear ya, Hoops... I cannot read in a moving vehicle either... it gives me a wicked headache! :(

[dragonlady]

Mary....I can read on my netbook but I can't read a book or newspaper. I get the bad headache and motion sick...it is weird that I can read off my little combuter screen instead and not get sick.

My two cents on the publishing business is that publishing will end up with books either in beautiful hardbound editions rather than the crap hardbound editions that get mass produced now or they will be mass produced dime-store disposable, pulp style paperback books that will be recycled or sent on to the next reader. The rest will be electronic. Books won't go anywhere just become better made for the ones we want to keep in our homes and more widespread by electronic means. I beleive that e-books are helping the public start reading again.

Kathleen has been selling books for two decades and she's pretty much convinced me this is the way of the future especially since I see how my industry in legal publishing is going...and it is similar.

-di

[Gandalf]

Santa gave me an iPod Touch for Christmas. The Kindle app for the iPod touch is free. I have 2 devices for the price of 1. I love my Kindle app.

Now, having said that, do you know the full name of Barnes and Noble's elecronic book reader? The full name is the "Nook e-book reader". Go ahead, say it out loud, I'll wait.

There. Is it just me? Am I some kind of a pervert, or do you hear it as the Nookey Book Reader too? I find myself wondering what a "nookie book" is, and where I can get a copy.

[aspiemom]

Santa gave me an iPod Touch for Christmas. The Kindle app for the iPod touch is free. I have 2 devices for the price of 1. I love my Kindle app.

Now, having said that, do you know the full name of Barnes and Noble's elecronic book reader? The full name is the "Nook e-book reader". Go ahead, say it out loud, I'll wait.

There. Is it just me? Am I some kind of a pervert, or do you hear it as the Nookey Book Reader too? I find myself wondering what a "nookie book" is, and where I can get a copy.

Hahahahahahaha! You got that right!

With Kindle being praised so highly, I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I have a Sony ebook reader and love it! I might have to check into that nookie book though.:D

[Dar]

I have many friends with Kindles and they all love them. The best thing is having so many books available in such a small and light package. I am unable to travel anywhere without several books, so my carry on is always very heavy. I even carry a big giant purse (yes I admit it, a purse) so that I can fit whatever book I'm reading inside it. I don't have a Kindle yet, because for right now, I have the Kindle application on my iphone. I use it for books that I don't feel the need to have taking up space on my bookshelves, but that I want to have access to. The screen is rather small, although you can adjust the font size, and I really like that it's lit from behind, so I can read in the dark (like in bed when Peggy is asleep). That's the one thing I don't like about the Kindle, that it's not a lit screen, but I've heard all kinds of explanations about why it isn't and everyone says they just use a book light on it. I have yet to find a book light that actually works effectively though, at least on books, maybe on a Kindle it would work better.

Considering our book collection is dangerously close to taking over the entire house and garage, I'll probably be getting one sooner rather than later.
Why is it so hard to part with books? Maybe that's a topic for another thread. ;)

[Oak Kitten]

Is it possible to print out excerpts from a book on one of these devices? That would be great if it were. When I am researching a book or an article, I often photocopy pages from books that I intend to cite as secondary sources. Do the e-versions of books on these devices have page numbers? It would only be worth it to me if I was able to download scholarly works with footnotes. Is that kind of stuff even available on these things, or is most of the available content popular non-academic works?

I often find good material on Google Books, which are actual scans of hardcopy books with page numbers and footnotes, but it doesn't allow you to print.

Oak

[JoanM]

Oak, I can't answer your question about the Kindle but have you done screen shots of the pages on google books? Not the same as a print out but at least you'll have the notations you need. (I just recently tossed all my notes and tons of copied pages with bib info from my dissertation, I know what you mean.) jm

[Gandalf]

...our book collection is dangerously close to taking over the entire house and garage... Why is it so hard to part with books?
It's called "book creep" and it is, I'm afraid, an incurable condition. I've got it. Really bad! You just have to learn to live with it. I wouldn't have it any other way!

[Oak Kitten]

Oak, I can't answer your question about the Kindle but have you done screen shots of the pages on google books? Not the same as a print out but at least you'll have the notations you need. (I just recently tossed all my notes and tons of copied pages with bib info from my dissertation, I know what you mean.) jm

Screen shot, eh? How dey do dat?

Oak

[JoanM]

Screen shot, eh? How dey do dat?

Oak
I use Mac and "Grab It". I can select a section, window, screen, or timed screen (no idea what that is) I want captured and it saves it, I think maybe as a jpg or tiff. I can also name and print the saved file. I think you're on Windows. I'm sure there's some equivilant on Windows.
Look...Sara and Mary have already given you some Windows info...is this a great place or what?
Learning never ends...jm

[Sara]

Oak, I use "Screen Shot Standard 8" by Broderbund (the Print Shop people) and it gives lots of options. I was lucky to find it on sale at the right time, but it's still a good value, for what it does, at regular price. I've been very happy with it. I save as a jpg. Here's the link. (http://www.broderbund.com/store/broder/en_US/pd/Screen_Shottrade_Standard_8.0/productID.110147500)

For something you probably already have on your machine, you might try Start ---> (All) Programs ---> Accessories ---> Snipping Tool. It's much more limited, but no additional cost.

[Mary6906]

I use the same thing, JoanM.

Oak... you should have a key at the top of your PC keyboard that says "PRINT SCREEN"

1. Get up in your window the part of the screen you want to 'capture'.
2. Hit the Print Screen key
3. Then open up some program like Word, or Powerpoint, etc., and Paste that capture into that document and voila... you can print it off

[Puppy lover]

I wonder whether the just introduced Apple iPad will make a dent in the Amazon/B&N/Sony devices. I'm a huge Mac fan and have had an ongoing obsession with my iPhone, but can't imagine lugging around another device.
It looks interesting though. The iTunes store will carry books, magazines, and newspapers too.

[leslie]

I have an iPhone that my husband got me for Christmas, SPECIFICALLY so I could load it full of books from BN! I love it. I spent so much time at the hospital last year with him, always unpredictably, that I kept saying I wish I at least had a book on me. Well now, I'm never without several books! They eat very little memory on the iPhone and are easy on the battery usage provided your screen is not at maximum contrast. If my iPhone is ever lost I'm dead. All those books, songs, movies, address book, calendar, alarm clock settings, maps, in short MY LIFE is in that thing! :eek: But, my purse went from a suitcase to a pocket! My back is certainly happier.

[GodSistah]

I got a Kindle for Christmas and I like it a whole lot. It's like an ipod for books.

:)

[Elliott]

Hello my cool sistah' where ya been? Regarding the Iphone.... if you don't have one, never get one. Once it has you hooked, you're hooked for life.

[jennypaul2009]

lollll.... yaaaa .....totallly hoookkkedd;)

[Kathleen Brogan]

But, as not all videos have found their way to dvd, not all Lps found their way to CD. And, since not all cd's have found their way to the on-line services, (I-tunes, Rhapsody), etc., not all book titles will be available on kindles, i-pads and the like. Marketing is still a big issue.

[DaveM]

There is simply something about a book....and a room full of shelves of books. A Kindle or its equivalent will provide all the information you might want and more, but it will never have the aesthetics, the "presence" of a book (much as a ballpoint isn't a fountain pen and a word processor isn't a typewriter).

I recently got my good turntable hooked up and working properly and have been rediscovering some of my old vinyl. Since I always kept my records clean, stored them reasonably well, and played them with a good cartridge, most are in quite good condition. I am amazed at the difference in sound between original analog pressings and a number of transfers to CDs, particularly early ones that apparently did not take into a consideration the wider channel separation and dynamic range potential of the medium (The Eagles' "Hotel California" is a fine example--some of the tracks on the CD I have are almost inaudible. Presumably it has been remastered by now--I will say that the past couple of years have brought new masterings of albums by, for example Alan Parsons, which actually sound better than the vinyl versions, snaps, crackles, and pops notwithstanding.

For some time, a number of stereo amplifers including a "vinyl sound" button which basically compressed the output of a CD so that it would more or less sound like a record. I wonder if Kindle will ever include an emulator button which will provide the sensory experience of turning a paper page, the vaguely spicy smell of an antique book or a leather binding, or the bibliophile's delight: a first edition signed by the author.

For the record, I am all for preserving as much written material as possible in an electronic form that will remain durable for as long as possible. Paper falls apart with age, bindings give out with wear. Digital renderings will last as long as equipment capable of reading them exists. File formats have become reasonably standard, but we must take care not to repeat the last forty years of digital history, during which one operating system after another bit the dust to be replaced by a successor which was not backwards compatible.