eReader - what's the point?

[DizBelle]

I read a lot. There is always a book I'm in the process of reading. You would think that an eReader would be perfect for me but I don't see the point.

I buy most of my books at the half price book store. On occasion, I'll buy a new one if it is by one of my favorite authors and it has just been released. I did a quick look at the Amazon Kindle and looked at the eBooks that are available and the price of the books in electronic form are generally twice as much as what I pay at half price books. Sometimes, if it is old enough, the book is the SAME price as what I pay at half price books. It seems that very few are less than $3.99 or so. AND, I can sell my books back to the half price book store when I'm done. So, saving money on books doesn't seem to be a reason to get one.

Also, the eReader is an electronic device. It has to be turned off for airplane takeoff and landing. This is generally the first 30 minutes and last 30 minutes of a flight. I like to keep reading during these times.

So, why do people get eReaders?

 

[Tuffcookie]

I'm with you. I don't need another electronic gadget.

TC

 

[KimR]

I don't use one, but for people who do I think it's the convenience. You can store many books in one small device and it is less bulky to carry around. Also, you can download books immediately rather than having to go to the bookstore or library.

As for me, I prefer traditional books as well. I normally only read one book at a time anyway. Also, I absolutely love going to the bookstore. Browsing through the store, making my selections, and coming home with a bagful of books is one of life's greatest pleasures. Downloading a book - where's the fun in that? That's just me, though. I know many people who love them and who knows, I may be a convert someday as well.

 

[kwelch10377]

I don't have the room to store all the books I have and I like to keep most of my books rather than sell them back. There are also a lot of free books you can get and with the Kindle you can now borrow from the library.

I find it easier to take to the gym and read while I am on the treadmill.

I like being able to purchase books with 1 click rather than going out and buying them or waiting for them to be shipped to me.

When on vacation I usually bring several books with me and it is a lot easier to bring a Kindle than 3-4 books.

 

[DEA]

I use my iPad as my eReader. My library has some ebook lending programs that help keep the costs down. I do buy books I am really anxious to read before they become available at the library, though.

As it turns out, I end up reading a lot of books on the iPad. I can even carry N books around in the same weight/volume space as 1 book because the eReader does not get any bigger when you add more content to it (okay, there have been some calculations showing that the weight increases with more content, but it is much less than a Just Noticeable Difference). At the same time, I can also watch movies, surf the web, check email, and listen to podcasts on the same device.

Plus, you say you're always reading a book. I'm often reading two or three books. Especially on WDW trips, I like having along something like the Unofficial Guide or some other guidebook just to prep for the trip. I'll also have a fiction book, and I'll sometimes (like my last trip), put on a PDF of something I'm working on to review.

I agree that the "downtime" on airplanes is a major hassle, but I can usually keep myself amused for that time with a crossword puzzle, writing down some notes, or watching JetBlue's in-flight entertainment.

I guess the short answer (too late!) is that I would probably not get a dedicated eReader, because it would not have all the functionality that I like having with the iPad. But, as it turns out, I really like reading on it, and use it primarily as an eReader.

 

[mrodgers]

Someone responded once to this question and said they misplace books often. Now all their books are on the eReader and they can't misplace them.

I said, "Ok, so now instead of misplacing your 1 book, you misplace your eReader and thus misplace the entire collection of books?"

 

[TDC Nala]

I commute by public transportation and I travel. I have an e-reader for 2 reasons.

1) I don't have to carry a heavy book. No, paperbacks aren't heavy, but I dont' have to wait until things come out in paperback. Plus, if I was finishing up a book in mid commute, I would have to carry two books so I can start a new one.

2) I can load it with several books at once, so I don't have to carry multiple books (even paperbacks take up lots of space when you need to bring several)

 

[NMAmy]

My sister loves hers and keeps trying to convince me that I need one. I've got a lovely library in my home and plenty of room to store my books. And, I think the format for electronic books will eventually change. I've already replaced music repeatedly--records, 8 tracks, cassettes, CD's, MP3's. And I've gone from video tapes to dvd's to blue ray. My books will always be in the correct format and I won't need electricity (except in a dark room) to read. I'm going to be old fashioned and stick with my real books for as long as I can.

 

[MIGrandma]

I read a lot. There is always a book I'm in the process of reading. You would think that an eReader would be perfect for me but I don't see the point.

I buy most of my books at the half price book store. On occasion, I'll buy a new one if it is by one of my favorite authors and it has just been released. I did a quick look at the Amazon Kindle and looked at the eBooks that are available and the price of the books in electronic form are generally twice as much as what I pay at half price books. Sometimes, if it is old enough, the book is the SAME price as what I pay at half price books. It seems that very few are less than $3.99 or so. AND, I can sell my books back to the half price book store when I'm done. So, saving money on books doesn't seem to be a reason to get one.

Also, the eReader is an electronic device. It has to be turned off for airplane takeoff and landing. This is generally the first 30 minutes and last 30 minutes of a flight. I like to keep reading during these times.

So, why do people get eReaders?

I used to feel the same way. I read a lot too and just didn't see the point. My DD has a Kindle and loves hers and has pointed out a few things, so I have re-thought my position on e-readers. It is smaller than a book and will fit into my purse so I can take it anywhere. On trips I generally take 3-4 books (hardcover) so that's quite a bit of space in a suitcase, the Kindle would take up lots less room. And with having several books loaded into the Kindle, I would never be without a book to read like I might be with regular books (on vacation, camping, etc.). And isn't it just GPS units and cell phones that have to be turned off during landing and take-off? I sat beside I woman with an e-reader on our last flight, and I don't recall her turning it off during those times.

And being able to download books from the library instead of physically having to drive there would be a plus, and it's my understanding that there a lot of free and 99cent books to download from Amazon.

I generally buy my books from Doubleday, or the "bargain racks" at book stores, then I donate them to Goodwill. I probably could sell them but I don't want the hassle or take the time to do it, so for me an e-reader would mean a lot less clutter of books in the house (until I got around to boxing them up for Goodwill) too.

I'm hoping to get a Kindle for Christmas.

 

[NYEmomma]

I'm very old school in my love for PAPER books... I've always had a dream of having a house with a library in it with wall-to-wall books. So I thought I'd never, ever, ever be a convert to e-readers. But DH convinced me this year for 2 reasons & 2 reasons only:

1) I have a hard time holding my books open when I'm at the gym on the elliptical machine. They never fit properly in the book holder things on the machine & it's a real pain in the butt. A kindle would be SO much easier to use at the gym.

2) I'll be having twins in June-ish. I spent a LOT of time on the couch, nursing DD for 13 months. I always tried to read while she was nursing, but it was hard & awkward to hold the book & turn the pages. A kindle would be a lot easier for nursing.

I'll still be buying most/all my books in paper form though... and that's as much as I can say about my plans w/o angering some DISers.

 

[FireDancer]

You can take an eReader with 1,000 books on it and easily carry and store it. You can't do that with real books.

There is no harvesting of trees, processing them into paper, creation and use of ink, transporting the trees and raw paper and final product all over the globe using gas and causing pollution.

You don't have to get in a car and drive somewhere to purchase or check the book out.

You don't have to wait for your book in the mail.

eReaders offer a platform for additional interactive media to be included in books and magazines. Video ads instead of merely print or animated illustrations.

With eReaders like the Fire you don't just consume printed media but can use it for movies, audio, and web content.

These things might not matter to some consumers and if that is the case the eReader isn't for them but they are the things that are used to determine whether or not they are a fit for you.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

One big perk I discovered is that you never lose your place! I have little ones that are very good at pulling out a bookmark if you leave a book laying around in their reach. There are tons of out of copyright books available for free, you can borrow from the library and download immediately, you can carry around tons of books at once! I also love having a Bible on Kindle.

 

[NYEmomma]

One big perk I discovered is that you never lose your place! I have little ones that are very good at pulling out a bookmark if you leave a book laying around in their reach.

Gah! DD does this CONSTANTLY!!! Drives me bonkers.

 

[DVCLiz]

Wow - where to start? It always puzzles me that people who are not interested in a certain technology seem to need to prove that their way is better, with thinly veiled snipes at those who choose to invest in the technology. I have several friends who are "what's the point" types, too - it's as unpleasant to hear in person as it is to read online.


For the record, at least two of my most die-hard "never, ever read from an electronic device" friends now have their own Kindles and you would think they were invented specifically for them lol.

As to your question, the first point I'd make is that not everybody chooses the same set of requirements you do for selecting your reading material. Not everyone needs or wants to buy used books, resell them, etc. Some people like to read new hardback books (which are almost always cheaper in ebook form). Some people like to keep the books they have purchased to reread them.

I think ereaders are wonderful inventions. I can see or hear about a book, search for and download it immediately, and be reading in less than a minute. I can store an endless number of books on Amazon's servers (I have Kindle products) and move anything back and forth when I choose. I can enlarge the font size, change the background color (on the new Fire), have the book read out loud to me (if the publisher allows it), lend a book to another Kindle owner (again if the publisher allows it), check out a digital book from the public library, send a book as a gift to a friend and have it delivered immediately to her account, look up an unfamiliar word and have it defined for me immediately on the same page, search for a word or phrase and locate it immediately from the entire book...shoud I keep going?

Do you have shelves of books overflowing in your house? Always needing to buy more bookshelves? Not me - I have weeded my paper book collection down to fit the available shelving I already have. Everything else is in ebook form. If I want to buy something in paper to keep forever in that format, guess what? I do!!! Because there is no law that says I have to choose one or the other - I can have ebooks and paper books at the same time. In fact, for some favorites I have both!!

In short, there are many, many features of current ereaders that have nothing to do with money. In addition, there are thousands and thousands of free books and lots of opportunities to save, share and buy cheaply. Current bestsellers are never going to be cheap - in any format.

As to your point about the airplane, I've never been on a flight that made me turn off my Kindle for 30 minutes on each end of the flight. Five minutes, maybe. For those times I take a paper magazine or do some needlwork. If I so chose, I could also have a paper book for flight restricted reading times. The possibilities are endless.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Just got my Kindle and here are my comments:

• Very lightweight and takes up almost no room in my purse (this is a huge part of it for me)
• Very convenient--decide on a book and it's there in a minute (I don't have much time to get to a used book store)
• My public library has lots of ebooks available (and not just classics)
• Last few times I have been on a plane, the people sitting around me with regular kindles did not turn them off for landing and the attendants saw it and did not make them turn it off.

Yes, if I buy books, I could get actual books cheaper through other avenues, but I just don't have time to do that much any more. I realized that I was almost never reading for fun anymore and I missed it--reading is a total escape from life! I guess the Kindle fits my life better at this point.

Editing to add: I admit it is a luxury, totally unecessary, but it fits in my budget so I'm OK with it. Reading is my hobby and this is how I do it. "What's the point?" could really be asked of any luxury anyone enjoys.

 

[vettechick99]

I like the fact that I can lay in bed and not have to move constantly depending on what side of the page I'm on. And there are no shadows.

OH, but the very best thing is the dictionary. When I read period pieces I get lost in the language and all I have to do is scroll up and the definition is there. I learn new words all the time!

But I have two friends like you who read constantly and don't want one. They love all the aspects of books.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

My mom lives in a rural area and doesn't get out and around much - especially in winter. She is an avid reader, so her Kindle works for her. She has immediate and constant access to books whenever she wants a new one. She also likes that it is now easy to keep track of what she has already read. Her books are also at least a little cheaper and at the rate she goes through them, every little bit helps. (She really needs to learn how to get the library books!)

for me, personally, I can't justify buying one and I love real books. I am considering a previously owned Nook next time they are available - just to check them out and make sure I wouldn't care for one.

 

[Planogirl]

I see nothing wrong with eReaders but I LOVE to poke around in bookstores and as long as I get such pleasure out of that I see no need for an eReader. For ME.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

1. I don't have to wait for new books to come out in paperback and the Kindle version is cheaper than the hardcover price.

2. I don't have to carry around Stephen King hard covers (currently reading 11/22/63 which is 849 pages in hardcover); also got my Kindle as a gift while I was reading Under the Dome (879 pages).

3. While reading The Girl Who books I finished book 2 and was frantic to get to book 3. Loved the way it left off but could NOT have waited to get to a bookstore/library for Book 3.

4. Book stores seem to be a thing of the past. There's still Amazon but it does take a few days to get the books. There are also libraries but why take a chance the book you want isn't in?

5. I can load multiple books at a time.

6. You can also load games, etc. so there's something for me and my daughter to do if we're waiting at an appointment, etc.

7. No trees killed.

8. The ability to share some books with friends.

9. I no longer have to worry about where I'm going to store my books.

10. No more wrist/neck/shoulder strain from holding heavy books.

11. If I want to go back and read something again, it's right at my fingertips.

The only time I do purchase a book now is if a favorite author is having a book signing. I had a friend who was deadset against an e-reader. She liked reading a book, holding a book, cracking the binding on a new book. I get it, honestly. I let her borrow my Kindle just to try it. She was still a little hesitant but got one as a gift and is now thrilled.

 

[Christine]

I fought getting a Kindle for a long time. My mom bought me one for Christmas so I was forced to use it. Like you, OP, I couldn't really justify the purchase. My only complaint was that I had SO many books laying around my house that, I swear, they were multiplying. None of my friends are readers so I couldn't even get into passing them around.

I was a big shopper at the used book store, like you. My used book store's selection just kept getting worse. It appears that most people in this world just want to read fluff like James Patterson, Nora Roberts etc so there were TONS of those books but none of the "good stuff." Additionally, the store got very picky about what it would buy back so I just got stuck with a lot of books.

Overall I don't buy a lot of new books and when I do, I want it right away.

Anyway, I have had my Kindle since last December. I have only purchased two "new" books for it. The rest I've got when a good one gets reduced (paid about $2.99 for a few) and I've tried a few free books (most of those are really so-so). The library lending feature just kicked in and I've been doing REALLY well with that. I also still borrow heavily from the regular library. So between the library and my Kindle, I always have something to read.

I no longer buy/keep books or visit by half-price store, but if your store is good OP, then maybe you just don't have a need for it yet.