Just ordered a Kindle!

[RitaE]

Oh gosh. A book was released this week that I really wanted to read but wasn't released in eBook form - so I'm back to an old fashioned "Dead Tree Book."

What a pain in the butt. It's hard to hold open, the font isn't adjustable, and my finger keeps trying to find that next page button.... I can't believe I ever used to read like this all the time.

 

[Imzadi]

Oh gosh. A book was released this week that I really wanted to read but wasn't released in eBook form - so I'm back to an old fashioned "Dead Tree Book."

What a pain in the butt. It's hard to hold open, the font isn't adjustable, and my finger keeps trying to find that next page button.... I can't believe I ever used to read like this all the time.

But they are great to use to prop up things! Need to make a vase higher, prop a book under it.


If Kindle ever fixes the backlighting issue on the kindle for PC, I may never get a real Kindle. I read off of my laptop now. It's on a laptop tray I have. Since the screen sits upright by itself, I never have to hold it up. I can eat greasy foods in bed. I just move the page up with my wireless mouse scroll wheel.

I'm actually thinking a getting an 18" screen laptop for my next PC upgrade. I never take my laptop out. I just like to have it as it s really compact & I can sit and read or chat online on the couch or in bed. But, I'd LOVE a bigger screen. The larger Kindle fonts have been a real luxury. No more reading too small print. I have changed the font on my computer setting, but I can only do it so much or the webpages get a skewed. Plus, the size of pictures or images are still the same small size.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I suppose you can borrow the E books from every library Europe and the US you only have to be a member and you can load the e books from your computer on the Kindle.
They stay for three weeks on the Kindle or Sony.

Thanks--that is really good to know.

How do you "check out" library books from other libraries? NYC has one of the largest eBook collections. But, I wouldn't be able to check them out without my real library membership.

Los Angeles has another large eBook collection. Unfortunately, as my membership ended when I moved from there, I cannot borrow eBooks from their collection without it.

Both of these libraries get their books with a limited budget. They can't just go loaning books out to non-members or people who do not live in their areas.

This is even with their eBooks and audio books. There are a limited amount of eBooks in a collection. Due to the copyright laws, libraries cannot "loan" more copies out than they have actual file copies of. I'm on a waiting list for a bestseller eBook. Until it's been borrowed & "returned" back into the system enough times, I won't be offered the eBook for check out until it's my turn. Some of these books are playable on a Kindle in the mobipocket format, which my library has.

Does Amazon Kindle have it's own international library system or an agreement with libraries which enables people to borrow books from libraries around the world?

In my case, with the NH library we still own our home there and our cards are still valid. As homeowners and property tax payers we can keep them up to date if we want. I don't feel right about using it for "free" when we aren't actaully living there so I still doante the $30 per year that a nonresident has to pay for a card for DD and myself and figure that covers us (actually I round up to $100 which is probably more than the value I get at the moment but it is a good cause and we got far more value out of the lbrary for years than we coudl ever put in). I worked at that library and love it and know far too much about the budget constraits of libraries to do anything shady to get my books.

 

[Imzadi]

I still donate the $30 per year that a nonresident has to pay for a card

What a great idea. Too bad we can't borrow eBooks & audio books online from other library systems by paying a small PayPal fee for "non-residential borrowing." I'd pay $.25 or a little more per book to "borrow" an eBook I couldn't get from my own library.

 

[DVCLiz]

I haven't heard of anyone on the Kindle forums being able to load library ebooks onto their Kindle, so don't expect that as a feature. It depends on the individual library system, the permissions and licenses they own, etc. It's NOT a standard feature that you would be able to check out ebooks and read them on your Kindle.

Bumbershoot is right that the international version uses AT&T. The point was that the KIndle is NOT a wifi capable machine. The Nook is selling itself as having both - but the wifi ONLY works when you are INSIDE a B&N B and M store apparently. That would only be useful in the case of living somewhere that was large enough to have a B&N store but not covered by Sprint. Another feature of the Nook is that you will occasionally be able to read for free an entire book if you download it and read it inside the B&N store. (I'm not hanging around a B&N or other bookstore long enough to read a novel, but I am sure some people do!)

In other words, having "wifi" in addition to the Sprint or AT&T service (I think I remember that Nook will use AT&T) isn't really a selling point unless you meet a very small set of circumstances.

 

[luvpooh]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I will definitely make sure I do not take it in the tub without something protecting it!

I guess I mis-wrote when I said wi-fi, but it does have limited internet connectivity, correct? Under the 'experimental' section, or something like that?

I did look into the Nook but the fact that it is not 'real life' tested yet was the main reason I didn't get it. That and I really didn't like the look of the lcd screen at the bottom with the book covers; I thought it would be more distracting than anything. Plus, IIRC, the books seem to be more expensive through BN than through Amazon.

The main reason why I finally talked myself into getting one is because I have a ridiculous amount of books taking up lots of space. We are in the process of boxing them up and donating them; amazingly enough we had to call 3 libraries before we found one that wanted to take them!

 

[Briarmom]

I am thrilled to see this thread. I am countign on the above effecgt fofr DD as well. I jsut ordered one last week for her for Christmas. She is young for such a pricey gadget (will be 13 next month) but she takes care care of her stuff (has had a cell phone since age 6 and never once misplaced it or damaged it) and she reads all the time. In the US she was going through 4-10 novles a week. Here, she has read everything that the library has in Engish and we try to buy her at least one cheapie book a week (classics can be had for 3-4 Euro in English) and one thing she really wants every 3-4 weeks 9special order english books generally run about 15 euros).

Did you order the one with International whatever (sorry I need coffee ) on it?

I got mine when I still lived in Belgium, so I always had to download books onto my computer first, but it was really easy.

I LOVE my Kindle. I still like reading 'book books' every once in awhile, but the Kindle is just so convenient. I have shelves and shelves of books in the house, so this is such a space saver as well.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Did you order the one with International whatever (sorry I need coffee ) on it?

I got mine when I still lived in Belgium, so I always had to download books onto my computer first, but it was really easy.

I LOVE my Kindle. I still like reading 'book books' every once in awhile, but the Kindle is just so convenient. I have shelves and shelves of books in the house, so this is such a space saver as well.

Thanks--yes we ordered the one that says it works internationally (but just in Europe really) for downloads. I am sooooo hoping this means the end of DD lugging really heavy backpacks full of books through airports, train stations, etc. I think if they ever weighed her carry on (backpack--goes under the seat in front of her always) she would not be allowed to board with it! I don't know how she carries the darn thing.

 

[RitaE]

The Kindle does have internet connectivity - mostly it was put there for access to wikipedia, but you can use it to check email etc ... it really only works well on text orientated pages but I have used it to log onto gmail in a pinch.

I have spent months cleaning out bookshelves around here luvpooh. My husband has developed some asthma/allergy type symptoms the past couple years and all those dusty books had to go.

If you are going to be obtaining a large digital library, you'll want to get some sort of management system. Many people use calibre (freeware) to help them orgainize and track all their ebooks. I'm approaching 600 ebooks on my Kindle now and I'd be lost without calibre.

 

[robb01]

Congrats, you'll love it!

 

[luvpooh]

The Kindle does have internet connectivity - mostly it was put there for access to wikipedia, but you can use it to check email etc ... it really only works well on text orientated pages but I have used it to log onto gmail in a pinch.

I have spent months cleaning out bookshelves around here luvpooh. My husband has developed some asthma/allergy type symptoms the past couple years and all those dusty books had to go.

If you are going to be obtaining a large digital library, you'll want to get some sort of management system. Many people use calibre (freeware) to help them orgainize and track all their ebooks. I'm approaching 600 ebooks on my Kindle now and I'd be lost without calibre.

thanks for the tip about calibre; I will check it out.

Yes my husband has developed an allergy too, just his is to clutter in general, lol. We have been 'minimizing' a lot the past few weekends; books, cd/dvds, clothes, shoes, etc. It's amazing how refreshing it is to have less 'stuff' around.