Everything about Kindle

[phall0106]

The peer pressure! The peer pressure! I caved and ordered one online…

Both Hallgirls have one and I’ve been playing around with the idea of getting one. The fact that I’ll soon be able to download books from my library pretty much closed the deal. I don’t buy a whole lot of books, but when a book comes out from my favorite author, I want it NOW. And there’s nothing worse than needing a book to read and not having it.

In addition, several of my magazine subscriptions are nearing renewal and even though I pass them along, I hate the idea of them evenutally ending up in the trash. This way, I’ll be able to get them on my brand spanking new Kindle.

[HMS_Irruncible]

@StGermain

But Even Sven said the other day that she posted to the Dope using her Kindle. No one would tell me how that works.

StG

You can think of the Kindle like an iPhone that has one really awesome app (book reader) and one kind of shitty app (web browser).

I would only browse/post from my Kindle if it were the only way to alert someone that I’m locked in the trunk of a car that was about to be crushed. Even then I wouldn’t hold out much hope, because the input keyboard/controller is crappy, and there’s no backlight so you can’t see it in the dark.

I only got a Kindle because I am a voracious reader and it helps avoid filling my house with books I’ll never read again. Even so, I feel bad that I can’t pass them on, and I feel bad for participating in that kind of racket, so I’m trying to use it more for free books and PDF’s.

[Reply]

@Cosmic Relief

You can think of the Kindle like an iPhone that has one really awesome app (book reader) and one kind of shitty app (web browser).

I would only browse/post from my Kindle if it were the only way to alert someone that I’m locked in the trunk of a car that was about to be crushed. Even then I wouldn’t hold out much hope, because the input keyboard/controller is crappy, and there’s no backlight so you can’t see it in the dark.

I only got a Kindle because I am a voracious reader and it helps avoid filling my house with books I’ll never read again. Even so, I feel bad that I can’t pass them on, and I feel bad for participating in that kind of racket, so I’m trying to use it more for free books and PDF’s.

How’s the PDF support in the latest generation? I had the first Kindle and the first DX, but neither could navigate PDFs quickly enough to be usable. It would take like 30-60 seconds a page to flip through them or zoom in.

[Clumsy]

I, too, have just ordered my first Kindle, partially inspired by this thread! It’s the immediacy of getting the book I want now, that I find exciting.

I did do a double take at the prices of the covers, mind. (The recommended leather ones, with a backlight, which I need). Although Amazon UK are selling those covers at 20% for the next few days. And the applegreen one looks very pretty, so…

[HMS_Irruncible]

@Reply

How’s the PDF support in the latest generation? I had the first Kindle and the first DX, but neither could navigate PDFs quickly enough to be usable. It would take like 30-60 seconds a page to flip through them or zoom in.

No idea. I have the first DX and it doesn’t take that long to flip pages. But the font size can’t be changed, and the rendering of text and images can be pretty bad sometimes.

[Yookeroo]

@Khadaji

I don’t like the lack of page numbers. It tells you the percentage of the book you have read, not the page you are on. It is only a small complaint.

I found this a bit annoying at first too. But I got used to it. And when you think about it, the percentage is probably better information.

[jabiru]

@Khadaji

I don’t like the lack of page numbers. It tells you the percentage of the book you have read, not the page you are on. It is only a small complaint.

When I first bought my Kindle, I was half way through a library book which I’d had to return because it was due back. I enquired on the discussion board, how to get to the page I wanted because the Kindle version started out with the beginning, naturally and I wanted to skip through the bits I’d read.

I got the information I wanted but I discovered a Kindle page isn’t necessarily the same number as a book page, which makes sense. I also altered the font size which, presumably, would alter the number of characters to a ‘page’ and therefore the number of ‘pages’.

[Reply]

The location thing makes sense for an e-reader, but makes it difficult to cross-reference sections with paper versions or to provide citations.

Thankfully, Amazon started remedying the situation and now some Kindle books will have real page numbers.

[keeganst94]

What’s the screen like? I’ve heard some stuff about how it’s not back lit, and is easy on the eyes, but I tend not to trust reviews on an ad. I ask because for whatever reason I see screens very poorly and get headaches from prolonged viewing.

[JessMagic]

@jabiru

When I first bought my Kindle, I was half way through a library book which I’d had to return because it was due back. I enquired on the discussion board, how to get to the page I wanted because the Kindle version started out with the beginning, naturally and I wanted to skip through the bits I’d read.

I got the information I wanted but I discovered a Kindle page isn’t necessarily the same number as a book page, which makes sense. I also altered the font size which, presumably, would alter the number of characters to a ‘page’ and therefore the number of ‘pages’.

Yeah, I find that quite annoying too. I’d imagine that’d lead to problems with book groups when you’re trying to refer all the people to a certain passage (if that happens in book groups - I’ve never been to one).

Generally though, I love my Kindle.

[Reply]

@JessMagic

Yeah, I find that quite annoying too. I’d imagine that’d lead to problems with book groups when you’re trying to refer all the people to a certain passage (if that happens in book groups - I’ve never been to one).

Generally though, I love my Kindle.

I imagine you could just search for a few words out of a sentence in that passage.

[LurkMeister]

@keeganst94

What’s the screen like? I’ve heard some stuff about how it’s not back lit, and is easy on the eyes, but I tend not to trust reviews on an ad. I ask because for whatever reason I see screens very poorly and get headaches from prolonged viewing.

The e-ink system which Kindle uses is very similar to reading on regular paper (except that you can adjust the size of the typeface). You do need to have external light to see it, just s you would with a book. There are several varieties of lights you can buy that attach to the Kindle or its case, but I can’t speak to which ones are best because I’ve never used one.

[Mama_Zappa]

@VitrolicBump

Oh and if you have an Android based smartphone, you should be able to get a kindle app for your phone…for free. Then all you need is to buy the books.

Ditto for iPhones - and both platforms also have Nook apps. A friend of mine has a Nook Color that she hacked to turn it into a low-end Android tablet, precisely so she could read her Kindle books on it :D.

Getting third-party stuff onto the devices can require some manipulation. I don’t think (but could be very wrong) that epub files can be read directly on the Kindle, however converting them is a trivial matter using Calibre (freeware). I believe PDFs can be read without conversion. Both of those formats can be read as-is on the Nook.

For the record, I have a Nook Color. We went with Nook because it already supports library borrowing, though I’m the first to admit that the selection generally sucks. And you can lend books… if the publisher has granted such permission, and you can only do it once… i.e. that’s not much of a selling point :).

[JessMagic]

@Reply

I imagine you could just search for a few words out of a sentence in that passage.

Fine if everyone in the book group has a Kindle. I was thinking more of me sitting there with my Kindle while everyone else has hard copies - how do I guide them to the passage?

“About 37% of the way through”!

[CookingWithGas]

@Blackberry

Oh, and I wouldn’t buy one right now because they’re supposed to be coming out with a new generation in the fall.

The problem with that advice is that there will always be a new version around the corner. Buy it whenever you’re ready.

@Darryl_Lict

One thing about the Kindle is that the internet browsing capability is worse than nothing. It’s pretty much impossible to do anything on it. An iPad or an Android tablet are way better for internet stuff.

Well, not literally impossible, but it’s slow and very difficult to navigate the page, although there is an “article mode” that easily identifies an article embedded on the page and will show you that without all the other page decorations/ads. The keyboard is like texting, but you have to change modes to enter digits or symbols, and navigate to them on a screen, instead of click buttons, which is really hostile.

@LouisB

One other question: are the books that are available particularly expensive?

I have found that most Kindle books are a couple of dollars cheaper than the discounted hard copy from Amazon. If your objective is to save money, then do not buy a Kindle. Buy it if you want to buy convenience and functionality.

Kindle is monochrome. So I won’t buy any Kindle books where color illustrations are an important part of the book. Even B&W illustrations don’t look great. But I do like the e-ink look.

It’s nice to be able to click on a URL in a book and go directly to the web page.

The number one biggest complaint I have is that you can’t treat Kindle books like real books. You can’t lend them at will*, sell them, or give them away. And being from the paper generation (I’m 54)** I would like to leave my kids some of the books that I really liked, such as books about physics, photography/art books, or classic novels. Can’t do that with a Kindle. Who even knows if the Kindle will be around in 25 years?

*You can lend them, but only up to 14 days, and only if the publisher allows it.

**I am a software developer, very comfortable with technology, and keep everything possible in digital format on my hard drives. I actually hate to deal with paper for relatively transient tasks. However, I have also seen what has happened to digital media over the last few decades. I don’t think there’s machine around that can still read a hard drive from 40 years ago. But there are paper works still around from hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

[Cattitude]

Question:

I have a wireless router at home. Is there any reason I need the Kindle with the 3G WiFi included? The $25 difference isn’t such a huge deal either way just wondering if I’ll be kicking myself if I don’t get it.

[LurkMeister]

@Cattitude

Question:

I have a wireless router at home. Is there any reason I need the Kindle with the 3G WiFi included? The $25 difference isn’t such a huge deal either way just wondering if I’ll be kicking myself if I don’t get it.

I also have wireless at home, so I opted for just having WiFi without the 3G access. 3G gives you the ability to download almost anywhere, but I can’t think of any circumstance where I would need to buy something when I’m not home and be able to read it immediately.

[Mama_Zappa]

@LouisB

…

One other question: are the books that are available particularly expensive?

They’re definitely not as cheap as they should be, given the distribution cost is far lower than with a “dead tree” version and their upfront costs are far lower (don’t have to print a bunch of books which may or may not sell).

For example, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: the paperback version at Amazon is 8.13. The Kindle version is 9.99. WTF??? Outlander’s regular paperback is 8.94 and the Kindle edition is 8.99.

However, there are publishers that recognize that ebooks are a very profitable way of doing business even without gouging the customers. Baen Books in particular (they have a number of things online free, including the CD versions of a number of book collections; they have other things for purchase online that are also quite reasonable).

And pretty much all the classics / out of print stuff can be had from Project Gutenberg or other sources - for free.

Whatever version you go with, I would personally encourage you to convert them so you can read on whatever device you might buy in the future. Say you get a Kindle now… then in 3 years Barnes and Noble comes out with a new Nook that does everything including the dishes - you might want to read your Kindle-purchased content on that device.

[Kevbo]

@LurkMeister

… but I can’t think of any circumstance where I would need to buy something when I’m not home and be able to read it immediately.

I have the WiFi only version. It was actually a gift from me to Kevbabe. She spends a lot of time out of WiFi range, so I upgraded hers to the 3G version.

I have wished for 3G a few times, but not enough to upgrade mine:

Traveling on short notice when the airports don’t have free wifi. Especially international travel..long flights, and no TV when you are at destination. Similarly when visiting friends that have no internet service. When it starts raining on your camping trip and shows no signs of stopping.

On project Gutenberg books: They are pre 1920 or so. Reading many of them will make you starkly aware of how common and casual racism and antisemitism was back in those days.

[QUOTE=Momma Zappa]
They’re definitely not as cheap as they should be, given the distribution cost is far lower than with a “dead tree” version and their upfront costs are far lower (don’t have to print a bunch of books which may or may not sell).
[/QUOTE]

I always thought the higher priced ones were factoring in the risk of piracy when they put a digital copy “out there”.

[CookingWithGas]

@Cattitude

I have a wireless router at home. Is there any reason I need the Kindle with the 3G WiFi included? The $25 difference isn’t such a huge deal either way just wondering if I’ll be kicking myself if I don’t get it.

Kindle aside, I have in the past forgone features like that because I didn’t want to kick out the extra few bucks. But if you’re spending over $100 on the thing get the 3G. You could live without it but if you had it, you would be glad to have it.