eReader - what's the point?

[tlbwriter]

What kind of internet access do you have on a Kindle? Everything (without color) or is it limited like a smart phone?

 

[DMRick]

I've got my smartphone internet shut off, so I can't compare it. I've googled, read and responded to my email on aol.com, gone to the weather.com, Amazon.com and just about anyplace I have the patience to type in. It's not like my home computer, with flash, etc..it's too slow for that. It's not meant to be a computer internet connection, but I love it for checking my email when I'm not able to get a free internet connection.

What kind of internet access do you have on a Kindle? Everything (without color) or is it limited like a smart phone?

 

[WowLookAtThat]

Well, the kindle saved me a lot of money and time. Where I live the Borders closed and the Barnes and Nobles is too far away for me to just go there whenever I want. Sadly I cannot find any discount bookstores here. I do buy from Amazon occasionally but sometimes the shipping is pretty high and takes a bit longer so a kindle saves me in cash and time. I get free books on my kindle such as classics (Alcott and Dickens are a must for the holiday season) and there are times that new books are for free. Sometimes my Kindle choices are cheaper than the Barnes and Nobles. I found a new Chanel biography for 15 while the store was charging me 30!

 

[LuLuO]

I like that my husband and I can share books. I have two Kindles on my account and we can move books back and forth easily.

I signed up for email and Facebook alerts for free and discounted books. There are new ones every day.

I love the look of the e-ink display, the weight of the device, the ease of use, and the battery life.

Like others, when traveling, I like having the space that is freed up by not carrying four or five books.

My husband averages two books a week. He keeps all of his books. Seriously, he has only gotten rid of one book since he was about 9 years old. We have shelves and shelves of books stacked two and three rows deep and two rows high and books stacked on top. They are all organized alpha I have one shelf and a Rubbermaid box with my favorite books from over the years. But we really have run out of room for our books. The Kindle has been fantastic for us.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Like others said, I love my ereader because:

1. Easier to travel with.

2. Easier to use on the treadmill/elliptical/crossramp, etc at the gym. (and this is where about 80% of my reading takes place. )

3. No more books cluttering up the house. (not such a big deal for me -- I donate most books after reading them once, but my dh keeps ALL of his, and we have way too many and nowhere to put more shelves without making the house look like a bookstore.

4. Ease of purchasing new books anywhere, anytime.

I wasn't sure about the whole "feel of holding a book" thing, but Dh and I both have nice leather covers for our Kindles, so it does "feel" nice in our hands. We both love them.

Someone said something about losing an ereader, when you normally lose your paperbacks. I think that people tend to take better care of things that are more valuable. I always used to lose my sunglasses, back when I wore cheap, $10 ones. Once I started buying real Raybans, then Maui Jims, I have not lost a pair since the early 80's! My dd14 will lose almost anything, but has never lost a phone or an ipod. And if you do lose that ereader with 1,000's of books on it, the books are still held in your account. You'd have to replace the ereader, but not the books.

 

[Eeyore98]

The point, for me, is that it's saved me a lot of money. I downloaded the free Kindle program for the Android phone I already had - no money spent there. And through my libary's website, I can borrow books and download them to my phone for 2 weeks at a time.

Before I had a way to read digital books, I was too lazy to make trips back and forth to the library to satisfy my reading habit. So I used the free website paperbackswap.com to trade the books I had for different books, only spending the cost of postage. So I wasn't spending much...but now I'm spending even less!

Obviously, there are always going to be a few situations where a real book is preferable - the electronics blackout period on planes, or reading in the pool on vacation (best done with a book that's already in terrible shape).

But the vast majority of my reading is done in bed with the lights off, just before falling asleep. And for that, I greatly prefer my backlit Android to a real book, because I absolutely hate dealing with booklights!

 

[olena]

Magnification..... I can finally read books again. The Kindle Fire not having Text-to-speech has been very disappointing though.

 

[nathalee81]

I resisted any e-reader for awhile and then my husband bought me a Nook.

I have come to love it for a number of reasons (most of which were previously listed by other posters).

1) I read two or three different books at any given time, especially on vacation. I no longer have to lug around all the books.

2) I can download a new book immediately-I don't have to wait to go to the bookstore or library. This is especially helpful if I see a review of a book that looks interesting...before I can forget about the review, I can buy the book on the Nook.

3) I love that I can download magazines, as well. I have an addiction to tabloids (not something I am proud of), now I can download some of them on my Nook.

4) My bookshelves are limited, so I now don't have to worry about buying more bookshelves!

I will say, though, there are still certain books/authors that I will always buy the "real" book.

 

[DeaverTex]

I really do see the advantages to an e-reader, and I'm not emotionally bonded to paper books in any way -- although you'd never know that from the hundreds we have in the house! From my viewpoint the main disadvantage of an e-reader is cost. We buy paperbacks pretty much exclusively, and we have a couple of good bookstores within a half hour of the house. We have bought maybe 2 hardbacks in the last 10 years except for some off the bargain rack that were cheaper than paperbacks.

I've looked at the Kindle book costs (not Nook, though) and they tend to be the same price as hardbacks, and occasionally even a bit more expensive. We just aren't going to pay more than $7 or so for ANY book, and it looks like that keeps e-books out of reach, at least for now. I know about the free books, too, and the self-published stuff, but I haven't seen anything there that piqued my interest.

And then, there's the price of the reader itself. I figure about $100 for something I'd be satisfied with (or that Mrs. Tex would be satisfied with) and that's a bunch of paperbacks right there.

 

[Pigeon]

I got a Nook as a gift. It's OK. I don't love it. I'd rather read a real book hands down, and I enjoy weekly visits to the library. I like to read cookbooks, and it is horrible for that.

What I do like about it is that when I'm out of reading material and can't get to the library, I can usually download something from the library's collection on Overdrive. But, they don't have a huge collection and there are waiting lists for probably three quarters of the books I'd want to read. Still, I can usually find something.

There are some free books, but they are mostly older, public domain titles, self published crap or insipid Christian fiction that is free for a very good reason.

I hate the waste of electricity to charge the thing, and the fact that they need charging to me means they aren't something I want to take on vacation.

All in all, it was a nice gift, but not something I'd buy for myself after using it and seeing what it's like. I rarely buy books either in print or electronic format, so for me that's not much of an issue, but given a choice of buying the print or the electronic version, I'd buy the print unless I needed a title instantly.

 

[Pigeon]

I think that people tend to take better care of things that are more valuable. I always used to lose my sunglasses, back when I wore cheap, $10 ones. Once I started buying real Raybans, then Maui Jims, I have not lost a pair since the early 80's! My dd14 will lose almost anything, but has never lost a phone or an ipod. .

My kids are exactly the opposite. The more expensive it is, the more likely they are to lose it.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

PS I'm a librarian and I am not 'threatened' but the new format, in fact our usership has gone up because people get library cards to use our media. And once they have the card it's really easy to go ahead and use the other resources available including non digital items.

Wish I shared your optimism. I am also a librarian, and I am very threatened by the ebook. I am starting to see it at my library now too - we got our stats so far for the year, and the ebook is starting to decrease our circulation of physical books. And I think my library is getting quieter - like most DISers here, the average person will have no reason to go to the library when everyone owns a e-reader/tablet/iphone and can download almost anything at anytime. There is no way to compete with the convience of the ebook. It is here to stay and it's the future, no doubt.

I see a trend on this thread; most people who said they would never use a ereader - once they got one, they were hooked; they are not going back to paper books. I suspect in just a few short years, the ebook will be the expected norm, and no one will think twice about it. It will be rare to want a physical copy of any new book, if they are still mass produced at all. It has been predicted that the business model of most future books will be ebook only.

I am very worried about my career, as I should be. I know I need to start to make alternate plans. I fully admit I have a grudge against the ebook and the e-reader so I have no desire to ever own one!

 

[DMRick]

I hate the waste of electricity to charge the thing, and the fact that they need charging to me means they aren't something I want to take on vacation.

Do you have the Nook color? My sister does and says it has to be charged often. I was away my last trip for 17 days, and never turned off my Kindle and didn't have to charge it once. It uses very little electricity, unless I am using it continuously on line.

 

[Gisele]

I personally do not like e readers. Hence, shall never buy one, nor do I care to receive one either, for if I did, I would sell it. And for a book no less. I find these things to be odd, weird, and strange, but not in a cool way. Otherwise, I would like it. These stupid things will never, ever replace a good story that is housed between fine quality pages, which is held together by top quality binding. A stupid little piece of electronics, cannot compete with the former. To be able to actually open a book, feel the pages, the texture, see the illustrations, the stupid little piece of electronics once again cannot compete. Never, ever will. Do not even begin to compare such especially so to first edition, mint, wonderful or even not so wonderful books. Do you really think I would rather read Bram Stokers Dracula on said stupid little piece of electronics? No way ever! I would gnaw off my fingers first. To be able to hold history in your two hands, and know that the book that you are reading is from a time that you are not, to wonder whom else may have read that book, or perhaps it even came from a famous authors personal library, how special that truly all is. E readers are as impersonal as someone breaking up with you via your answering machine or voice mail.
I like libraries too... where else can one visit so many books at one time? OK so there is the occasional book that might have cheese puff residue on it, but it happens..... or that might not look so pretty anymore... but so what? I will still take that over that stupid little piece of electronics any day of the week, month or year!

 

[Nancyg56]

I personally do not like e readers. Hence, shall never buy one, nor do I care to receive one either, for if I did, I would sell it. And for a book no less. I find these things to be odd, weird, and strange, but not in a cool way. Otherwise, I would like it. These stupid things will never, ever replace a good story that is housed between fine quality pages, which is held together by top quality binding. A stupid little piece of electronics, cannot compete with the former. To be able to actually open a book, feel the pages, the texture, see the illustrations, the stupid little piece of electronics once again cannot compete. Never, ever will. Do not even begin to compare such especially so to first edition, mint, wonderful or even not so wonderful books. Do you really think I would rather read Bram Stokers Dracula on said stupid little piece of electronics? No way ever! I would gnaw off my fingers first. To be able to hold history in your two hands, and know that the book that you are reading is from a time that you are not, to wonder whom else may have read that book, or perhaps it even came from a famous authors personal library, how special that truly all is. E readers are as impersonal as someone breaking up with you via your answering machine or voice mail.
I like libraries too... where else can one visit so many books at one time? OK so there is the occasional book that might have cheese puff residue on it, but it happens..... or that might not look so pretty anymore... but so what? I will still take that over that stupid little piece of electronics any day of the week, month or year!

I suppose that if I was purchasing only first edition books that were printed on best quality paper and bound in leather I might feel the same as you bit since I do not limit myself to only hardbound books I would not discount the value of an electronic tool.

I realize that everyone has different expectations from any experience that they enjoy and reading is certainly no exception but I find it a bit narrow minded to refer to a tool that many people not only want but in some cases need as "stupid". For you an e-reader is useless, unnecessary and repulsive. I get that. For me? Not at all. I keep my Nook with me almost all of the time. It goes in my purse when I leave the house, lies on my bedside stand when I am home and travels with me on vacations. I have friends who had given up reading die to vision issues who now have access to books. Those of us who read on e-readers do not feel that we cannot visit libraries, hit bookstores for a hour or two or must now stop purchasing a book that we wish to display in a bookcase. I have no idea why this is all or nothing for some folks, it is not for me.

I have been reading since I was 6 years old and for me the pleasure of the written word is not limited to any format, I don't need to fondle pages or caress book covers in order to be immersed in a story. I think that while I respect your decision to refrain from using an electronic tool as one option to enjoy a book you seem to disdain my decision to employ that option. It is the attitude that I find offensive and a somewhat small minded.

 

[Goofyluver]

I personally do not like e readers. Hence, shall never buy one, nor do I care to receive one either, for if I did, I would sell it. And for a book no less. I find these things to be odd, weird, and strange, but not in a cool way. Otherwise, I would like it. These stupid things will never, ever replace a good story that is housed between fine quality pages, which is held together by top quality binding. A stupid little piece of electronics, cannot compete with the former. To be able to actually open a book, feel the pages, the texture, see the illustrations, the stupid little piece of electronics once again cannot compete. Never, ever will. Do not even begin to compare such especially so to first edition, mint, wonderful or even not so wonderful books. Do you really think I would rather read Bram Stokers Dracula on said stupid little piece of electronics? No way ever! I would gnaw off my fingers first. To be able to hold history in your two hands, and know that the book that you are reading is from a time that you are not, to wonder whom else may have read that book, or perhaps it even came from a famous authors personal library, how special that truly all is. E readers are as impersonal as someone breaking up with you via your answering machine or voice mail.
I like libraries too... where else can one visit so many books at one time? OK so there is the occasional book that might have cheese puff residue on it, but it happens..... or that might not look so pretty anymore... but so what? I will still take that over that stupid little piece of electronics any day of the week, month or year!

Well, tell us how you really feel.

I suppose that if I was purchasing only first edition books that were printed on best quality paper and bound in leather I might feel the same as you bit since I do not limit myself to only hardbound books I would not discount the value of an electronic tool.

I realize that everyone has different expectations from any experience that they enjoy and reading is certainly no exception but I find it a bit narrow minded to refer to a tool that many people not only want but in some cases need as "stupid". For you an e-reader is useless, unnecessary and repulsive. I get that. For me? Not at all. I keep my Nook with me almost all of the time. It goes in my purse when I leave the house, lies on my bedside stand when I am home and travels with me on vacations. I have friends who had given up reading die to vision issues who now have access to books. Those of us who read on e-readers do not feel that we cannot visit libraries, hit bookstores for a hour or two or must now stop purchasing a book that we wish to display in a bookcase. I have no idea why this is all or nothing for some folks, it is not for me.

I have been reading since I was 6 years old and for me the pleasure of the written word is not limited to any format, I don't need to fondle pages or caress book covers in order to be immersed in a story. I think that while I respect your decision to refrain from using an electronic tool as one option to enjoy a book you seem to disdain my decision to employ that option. It is the attitude that I find offensive and a somewhat small minded.

This is me.

I get lost in the words of the story. That's all I need. Love my Kindle. I'd been wanting one for years when my wife got me mine for Christmas last year. I havn't read this much in years. and THAT is the point of the e-reader...to read.

Anything that gets folks to enjoy reading and to actually read rather than plopping down in front of a computer, video game or TV show...THAT is a wonderful thing.

 

[tlbwriter]

Someone said something about losing an ereader, when you normally lose your paperbacks. I think that people tend to take better care of things that are more valuable. I always used to lose my sunglasses, back when I wore cheap, $10 ones. Once I started buying real Raybans, then Maui Jims, I have not lost a pair since the early 80's!

I agree. To me, it's more like a phone than a book. I've never lost a cell phone. I've never loaned a cell phone to someone who didn't return it.

I personally do not like e readers. Hence, shall never buy one, nor do I care to receive one either, for if I did, I would sell it. And for a book no less. I find these things to be odd, weird, and strange, but not in a cool way. Otherwise, I would like it. These stupid things will never, ever replace a good story that is housed between fine quality pages, which is held together by top quality binding. A stupid little piece of electronics, cannot compete with the former. To be able to actually open a book, feel the pages, the texture, see the illustrations, the stupid little piece of electronics once again cannot compete. Never, ever will. Do not even begin to compare such especially so to first edition, mint, wonderful or even not so wonderful books. Do you really think I would rather read Bram Stokers Dracula on said stupid little piece of electronics? No way ever! I would gnaw off my fingers first. To be able to hold history in your two hands, and know that the book that you are reading is from a time that you are not, to wonder whom else may have read that book, or perhaps it even came from a famous authors personal library, how special that truly all is. E readers are as impersonal as someone breaking up with you via your answering machine or voice mail.

Reading the DIS must drive you crazy, then. How do you put up with all these stupid, impersonal pixels?

 

[Scurvy]

I personally do not like e readers. Hence, shall never buy one, nor do I care to receive one either, for if I did, I would sell it. And for a book no less. I find these things to be odd, weird, and strange, but not in a cool way. Otherwise, I would like it. These stupid things will never, ever replace a good story that is housed between fine quality pages, which is held together by top quality binding. A stupid little piece of electronics, cannot compete with the former. To be able to actually open a book, feel the pages, the texture, see the illustrations, the stupid little piece of electronics once again cannot compete. Never, ever will. Do not even begin to compare such especially so to first edition, mint, wonderful or even not so wonderful books. Do you really think I would rather read Bram Stokers Dracula on said stupid little piece of electronics? No way ever! I would gnaw off my fingers first. To be able to hold history in your two hands, and know that the book that you are reading is from a time that you are not, to wonder whom else may have read that book, or perhaps it even came from a famous authors personal library, how special that truly all is. E readers are as impersonal as someone breaking up with you via your answering machine or voice mail.
I like libraries too... where else can one visit so many books at one time? OK so there is the occasional book that might have cheese puff residue on it, but it happens..... or that might not look so pretty anymore... but so what? I will still take that over that stupid little piece of electronics any day of the week, month or year!

You clearly feel very strongly about this!

Since I often used to buy new books or used mass-market paperbacks, I don't feel I have given up the feeling of holding history in my hand while reading e-books. I never felt there was anything particularly personal or historical about a physical book, or at least books in general. Sure, there was history behind the cookbooks I was given by my grandmother, or the Bible she gave me, or the ones with inscriptions from friends or family members who gave them as gifts, or the books I've gotten autographed by my favorite authors. I still have those, and I've gotten more even after getting my Kindle. I don't think there's a requirement that you give up all physical books once you get an e-reader, though maybe someone forgot to tell me that part.

You sound like quite the paper connoisseur. I, personally, don't have particularly strong feelings about paper. I am more of a connoisseur of stories. I read books for the words, not the material those words are printed on. The words that appear in my Kindle are just the same as the ones that appear between the covers of any physical book. The stories I read on my Kindle are just as real as the ones I read on printed pages. Dracula was one of the first books I downloaded to my Kindle when I got it almost exactly a year ago. I had already read it in both hard back and paperback form, and oddly the story was exactly the same when I read it with my Kindle. It didn't lose it's magic just because it was on a paper-like screen rather than actual paper. Right now I have 113 books in my purse waiting to be read so I never have to worry that I'll be caught somewhere without something to read, and I could never do that without my Kindle. Some of those books are even ones I already own in physical form, but because those editions are very valuable to me I love having electronic copies that I can read wherever I want, without having to worry that I will damage them somehow. I love bookstores and libraries. I'll never stop loving physical books. But my Kindle is one of those things I just can't imagine ever giving up - I love it, even if it is a stupid little electronic device.

 

[mariamouse]

I am very worried about my career, as I should be. I know I need to start to make alternate plans. I fully admit I have a grudge against the ebook and the e-reader so I have no desire to ever own one!

. I hope everything works out for you and that you will not worry too much about the e-reader's impact on your job. I think it will be many years before libraries become obsolete! Best wishes.

 

[FireDancer]

I personally do not like e readers. Hence, shall never buy one, nor do I care to receive one either, for if I did, I would sell it. And for a book no less. I find these things to be odd, weird, and strange, but not in a cool way. Otherwise, I would like it. These stupid things will never, ever replace a good story that is housed between fine quality pages, which is held together by top quality binding. A stupid little piece of electronics, cannot compete with the former. To be able to actually open a book, feel the pages, the texture, see the illustrations, the stupid little piece of electronics once again cannot compete. Never, ever will. Do not even begin to compare such especially so to first edition, mint, wonderful or even not so wonderful books. Do you really think I would rather read Bram Stokers Dracula on said stupid little piece of electronics? No way ever! I would gnaw off my fingers first. To be able to hold history in your two hands, and know that the book that you are reading is from a time that you are not, to wonder whom else may have read that book, or perhaps it even came from a famous authors personal library, how special that truly all is. E readers are as impersonal as someone breaking up with you via your answering machine or voice mail.
I like libraries too... where else can one visit so many books at one time? OK so there is the occasional book that might have cheese puff residue on it, but it happens..... or that might not look so pretty anymore... but so what? I will still take that over that stupid little piece of electronics any day of the week, month or year!

If you don't like the format that is fine but as we have learned through the years with music and movies format really doesn't matter, it is content that matters. I don't care if I own a physical CD or DVD, give me an mp3 or ISO file. Better yet let me stream it and not have to own it in any form. The words on the page are what is important, not what those pages are made of.

There will always be some people loyal to the old medium because they think it is better quality wise (which is why people still buy vinyl) or because they resist change but the notion that the content in better on the old medium just doesn't make sense. It is the same content.