Kindle? Why not a good old fashioned book?

[cseca]

At this time in my life I prefer paper books (Honestly - dead tree books? .Who is being superior? ) ...

Its a commonly accepted term among ereader owners. Its used to distinguish between ebooks and those made of paper pages. I can see how it might be taken in a negative sense. I see it as no different from using the term "brick and mortar" to distinguish physical stores from online merchants.

Yeah what she said.

I think I was the first one on this thread who referred to regular books as DTB. I didn't mean it negatively, it's just how the ereader community refer to regular books.

So no offense to regular book lovers. I love DTBs as well, just have no space to put them.

 

[bumbershoot]

This is one Kindle feature I don't like. I don't like to be read to -- I'm not an auditory person at all.

You know, when I was younger I used to look through Southern Living and other such magazines, and I was very, very attracted to library rooms -- entire walls of white bookshelves filled to the brim with books. I especially liked dining room /libraries, and having such a place of my own was a life's goal. But my own shelves have never looked like those perfect examples. While their shelves were always neat and punctuated with tasteful photographs and other momentos, my own shelves -- even when neat -- are populated by a mixture of hardbacks and paperbacks, no color scheme whatsoever. Throw in a few notebooks, stacks of over-sized books lying on their sides, and paperbacks stacked double to make the most of space. My reality isn't so lovely as the photographs (but, then, I also don't keep a big glass bowl of lemons on my kitchen counter either -- everyone does that in magazines!), and it's just not something I really want any more.

FWIW, if you work out at the gym, on a treadmill or similar, and you read, you can set it to that feature, turn the volume down, and the Kindle turns the pages for you. You can set it to go faster or slower (though it is a pain if you get distracted, as there's no pause button). it's especially nice if you're not someone that holds onto the machine, so you don't have to keep swinging your arm up to push the button, and can keep your balance.

ANd if you're at the gym, reading a book, using multiple clips to keep the book open...watch for someone with an e-reader...much easier!

At this time in my life I prefer paper books (Honestly - dead tree books? .Who is being superior? )

It's just a description. Do you have a better term? I was using "book-book". Which sounds really babyish. The descriptive term, just like "brick and mortar" mentioned above, is just that, a description. I can't get away from the fact that paper is made of dead trees, as I live in Tacoma WA looking over the pulp mill at the waterfront...every single day, trees brought in, pulp taken out... So "tree books" no..."tree-based books"? Hmm. But it indicates that there's something else in it...yes, ink and adhesives... Anyway, it's just a descriptive term to differentiate between e-book and, um, book-book.


And I read book-books/DTBs all the time. DS's homeschool stuff is in paper format, I go to the library, etc etc.

 

[RitaE]

This discussion kind of reminds me of an interview Stephen King gave a couple of weeks ago. He was asked if he thought the surge of digital publishing would be the death of "the book."

His answer (paraphrased) was that it might very well be the death of publishing and books as we know them. But then he went on to point out that he doesn't write books, he writes stories. All of these different methods .. printed books, Kindles, nooks etc are simply delivery methods for the story.

Publishing is rather unique in that it has existed for well over a hundred years now with really only minor technological advancement. That is clearly changing and frankly it is sending many in publishing into a tailspin. I think that all these issues we have right now ... kindle vs nook vs iPAD vs physical books and bookstores and Agency Pricing vs the cost of the hardback book etc, are not going to be what we see 5 years from now.

Just like with the advent of the automobile and the steam engine, what survives is going to be the ones who have a clear handle on what their business truly is - in other words: :I'm not in the Railway Business, I'm in the Transportation Business" is not all that different from "I'm not in the Book Business, I'm in the Story Business."

 

[stcassidy]

One of the budget things I started 2 years ago was to stop buying books and only use the library. I was spending thousands a year on books and felt so guilty if I didn't finish a book that I didn't like, it felt like I had wasted that money so I would finish the book even if I didn't like it. Reading had become a chore. Now bad books go back unfinished guilt free.

That being said I really really want an ereader and would buy one tomorrow if my library had the selection for ebooks that they have for paper books. I have heard that there are some libraries that are opening up for national lending for ebooks with extensive collections of new releases. If I could find one i would be ecstatic.

And yes I realize there are tons of free books but that's not what I am after.

The phildelphia library has you pay 15.00 a year to use the e-books from their library even if your are in a different state. I have used the libary more now that I have a Nook than I ever have before. I have found 4 free librarys that I can use that have not cost me any money out of pocket. Also I have found some great free books also.
If you search for other boards they have lists of local librarys. Contact me and I will give the other website to you.

 

[MELSMICE]

Publishing is rather unique in that it has existed for well over a hundred years now with really only minor technological advancement. That is clearly changing and frankly it is sending many in publishing into a tailspin.

This is interesting & I had never thought of it this way. My DH works in advertising. He has worked for newspapers, the phone book & now current an industrial marketing firm that used to print books for their clients.

Think about it.........you can read the newspaper online, the phone book is not obsolete, but there are other means to get the same information that you'll find in the phone book....I always go to the internet. The books that used to be printed for the firm he works for no longer are. Everything they do is through internet marketing (websites, etc.).

I don't think physical books will be gone any time soon, but over the course of many, many years they actually could be.

 

[JamesMom]

This discussion kind of reminds me of an interview Stephen King gave a couple of weeks ago. He was asked if he thought the surge of digital publishing would be the death of "the book."

His answer (paraphrased) was that it might very well be the death of publishing and books as we know them. But then he went on to point out that he doesn't write books, he writes stories. All of these different methods .. printed books, Kindles, nooks etc are simply delivery methods for the story.

Publishing is rather unique in that it has existed for well over a hundred years now with really only minor technological advancement. That is clearly changing and frankly it is sending many in publishing into a tailspin. I think that all these issues we have right now ... kindle vs nook vs iPAD vs physical books and bookstores and Agency Pricing vs the cost of the hardback book etc, are not going to be what we see 5 years from now.

Just like with the advent of the automobile and the steam engine, what survives is going to be the ones who have a clear handle on what their business truly is - in other words: :I'm not in the Railway Business, I'm in the Transportation Business" is not all that different from "I'm not in the Book Business, I'm in the Story Business."

I guess e-publishing will do away with book signings. Kinda hard to sign an e-book.

I am a hybrid. I read my free/discounted books on the Kindle and check out the others from the library, and rarely, buy a 'dead-tree' book. I don't re-read much of what I read so pre-Kindle, I would make semi-annual treks to half price to get my $1.50 for a box of books. Now, I use the library for books I don't want to keep (knowing if I want to re-read it, it'll be there and they can put up with the dusting & clutter) and use my Kindle for my favorites and cheap electronic reads. The best of both worlds.
I usually have 3 or 4 books I am reading, so the Kindle works great for whatever mood I am in while the kids are doing (insert activity here). I also write so it is convenient to put my pdf files to show off...er, comment on the go.
You can put any document on it so I use it for school files as well. Use an USB cord and you can connect & print from a computer. A big thumb drive you can read off of. On my last Disney trip I put documents i downloaded from the web so instead of lugging big guide books, I searched for Animal Kingdom show times right on my Kindle I had read on Disboards that someones collects recipies on their Kindle.
Think outside the box...

 

[stcassidy]

I am torn between getting a Kindle or another type of book reader or not. I buy & read a lot of books, but I also borrow them out. My DD's, I lend them to my mom, neighbors, friends, etc., so I'm not sold mainly because of that.

However, I really like the idea of having one "book' to take on vacation instead of a stack of them. I'm heading to Florida for almost a month over Christmas & I'm going to have to pack about 10 or more books to read. That's a lot of suitcase space.

I was looking at the IPad yesterday & really liked the way the books was "presented" on the screen. I'm just not fully convinced that I'm ready to take the plunge yet.

I found the IPad to be harder on the eyes than the other ereaders. The nook has e-ink you can read in anywhere even in direct sunlight and you can see the words without a problem. I do not think you will find that with the IPad. That was one of the reasons I went nook instead of Ipad

 

[stcassidy]

So, how do you do this on the Nook? Do you rent them or are they free from the library?

Do they have newer releases that you can get from your library? Do you have to go to the library to get it?

once you have a library account set up, you need Adobe Digital Elements (free from adobe) you save the library book in your Adobe and then connect the nook to your computer (side loading) and it will appear on you Adobe and you drag it into the nook file.
Once on the nook it will not be in the bn library, but you will see other documents library and it is in there.
It might sound complicated, but have found videos on youtube that can show you how.
Hope that helps

 

[RitaE]

I guess e-publishing will do away with book signings. Kinda hard to sign an e-book.

Or the events will change. The customer will show up at the event and get a specialized digital file that has a signature page embedded into the book and they'll sign a post card for you when you go up to get your picture taken with them.

 

[pintamino]

Or the events will change. The customer will show up at the event and get a specialized digital file that has a signature page embedded into the book and they'll sign a post card for you when you go up to get your picture taken with them.

Right, the idea behind a book signing is not the signature, but usually the other interaction with the author (and from the publisher's point of view, the promotion aspect).

I have a good friend who is about to leave on tour for his second novel, I'm going to ask him to watch out for e-readers (that's how I bought his book!) and let me know what he sees.

The back panel of the nook is removable/replaceable, this girl had authors sign hers and simply buys a new one when it gets full and then displays them, which I think is clever!

link

I adore my nook. I read so much that I don't have room to keep all my books... my parents got me my nook for my birthday so I would stop filling their house with my books! It helps at school, too... don't have to go to the bookstore to buy a new book, I can download it from my apartment (and no schlepping boxes of books back and forth - or storing them!)

 

[StephMK]

For me, to do that, I like the Kindle better than a book! With a book, you'll have to go to the end, find out what page the story ends (I've been burned by mysteries with up to 30 pages of ads, coming soons, etc etc, at the back of a book) so that you know the context of how many pages left, and then you run the risk of seeing "who dunnit" when you read mysteries LOL. But with the K, you've got x out of y "locations" right there!

With the K, I just start typing the name of the person that I am wondering about...or just some interesting word that I remember was in the spot I'm thinking about. If Jenny was walking through the forest thinking about who killed Kevin, I'll type in "forest", and it brings up a list, with contextual sentences around it, of where "forest" is used in the book. I can find things VERY quickly doing that.

Thanks for posting that! That is a plus over a DB book. I can usually remember a certain word or phrase better than the people or places involved. I love tech but unless I get one as a gift, I have no plans for one because new windows, floors, & braces are all ahead on the want/need list.

We are adding an e-reader to DH's family though. It should be interesting. DFIL is getting a kindle for his bday. DH nixed my idea at first, then presented it to his sibs & they were all for it. FIL is a library volunteer and repairs books, not sure how he will receive the e-version. But I think the ability to enlarge the text, be read to, & take on trips will be a plus. And he loves technology so it'll at least be something new since he reads all the time.

 

[Arielle22]

I have had my Kindle for almost a year and love it. Before when we travelled I would bring 5 books for a week. Now I just need the Kindle.

I have an hour ride each day on the commuter train and go through 3 books a week. I love being able to pre-order the book and it appears on the Kindle on release day.

I have many older books that I will be giving away. I reread my books many times so these books are 10+ years old and taking up a couple of bookcases.

I also downloaded a couple of games for free which I enjoy.

I enjoy using the search function as well as the dictionary. Before if I didn't know a word I would try to figure the meaning from the sentence. Now I highlight the word and get the definition.

I am getting my best friend one for Christmas this year and might get my daughter one also.

 

[LisaInNc]

I have a lot of reasons why I love my Kindle.

I read constantly. The storage of the hundreds of books was becomming a problem. Some I like to go back to. A few favorites I read once a year. I can store every book I ever buy on one device. I just moved to a much smaller house and I have no place for books sadly.

The cost of books is cheaper. I am someone that wants a book the day it comes out with certian authors. So the Kindle price saves me money. Forget the library, I call mine the library without books. No matter what I want, they never seem to have it.

I can get a book any time day or night. I live in a small town and we just have one small bookstore or WalMart for books. If I want something I can download it immediately. Before that I would have to drive an hour to the larger town and go to a big book store.

I can carry all my books with me all the time. Any trip I might pack 3-5 books. Now all I need is my Kindle. That saves me space in my suitcase...more room for shoes.

My Kindle is more lightweight than a hard coverd book. I find that reading in bed is so much nicer without having to hold a really heavy book. My arms used to ache.

I can switch books quickly. A day of jury duty and I was able to finish a book and download a new one in minutes.

I have privacy with what I am reading. Occasionally I like a trashy novel. I don't get embarassed because no one can see what I am reading,

I LOVE that there is a dictionary in it. I love that you can easily bookmark and make remarks on pages.

For me it's a perfect fit. I find that it feels just like a book.

I can't imagine ever going back to a regular book again. The only books I buy now are cookbooks or anything heavily laden with pictures.

Lisa

 

[MrsPete]

I'm an English teacher and I totally "get" the romanticism of "real" books. I do not think, though, that Kindles are robbing the soul of literature. There are some great Kindle book versions out there, almost as beautiful as a hard-bound, illustrated book.

I'm an English teacher, and my department is split 50-50 on this subject.

His answer (paraphrased) was that it might very well be the death of publishing and books as we know them. But then he went on to point out that he doesn't write books, he writes stories. All of these different methods .. printed books, Kindles, nooks etc are simply delivery methods for the story.

I agree with that wholeheartedly. I do not particularly love BOOKS, which take up space and require maintenance.

That is the only downside to the kindle, I have no idea yet how much they charge for books but I am not in the position to be paying for books right now.

Log onto amazon.com and click your way to "Kindle Books". You'll see the price below each book. If you click on "Bestsellers", which changes constantly, you'll find that the $0 books are always near the top because they are -- duh -- best sellers.

Oddly enough, even when you "buy" a free book you'll get an email saying that you've just "bought" it. I think this is done because they set the book up in such a way that if they intend to charge for it in the future, the structure'll be prepared and they can just change the $0 to whatever price they intend to charge.

You should ALWAYS "buy" any free book that interests you immediately. Many times it's free only for a day or two, and then it'll appear for cost. I think authors do this because "free" gets them into the bestsellers, and then once they're there, people will notice them and pay for their books.

You absolutely should download Outlander, which is free right now. If this information was already posted on this thread, I apologize for being redundant . . . but I LOVE that book.

Interesting thread though, didn't realize you could change font size and highlight.

Changing the font size is WONDERFUL for those of us with aging eyes!

I LOVE that there is a dictionary in it. I love that you can easily bookmark and make remarks on pages.

I hadn't expected to particularly like this feature . . . but I do! Being an English teacher, I'd like to think I have a pretty good vocabulary, but I find myself clicking on words to check their meaning -- something I wouldn't bother to do, if it meant going to the dictionary -- and I'm becoming more precise.

 

[nessz79]

I hadn't expected to particularly like this feature . . . but I do! Being an English teacher, I'd like to think I have a pretty good vocabulary, but I find myself clicking on words to check their meaning -- something I wouldn't bother to do, if it meant going to the dictionary -- and I'm becoming more precise.

Yes, I do this as well!

 

[jl]

My 8 yr. old granddaughter just started reading "Little House on the Prairie"; hubby asked me Sunday night if we could order the set on Amazon for her & said why don't you get the new Kindle, etc., (he read the super saving - free shipping on the book set).

We are doing Disney Panama Canal cruise Jan. '11 & I have been talking about getting one for that!

So I am watching for the UPS delivery each day & am so excited!

Ended up getting the lighted book cover as well as 2 yr. warranty, too.

 

[melancholywings]

I really want a kindle because I want the space and we have dust allergies in the house. And I love that there are so many books online. It empowers both the writer and reader by removing all the middle men.

 

[pantherlj]

Being a "budget person" I didn't like the idea of a kindle (why buy when I can get them for for at the library). Nor, did I like the idea of cuddling in bed with one vs a regular book. DH got me one for our anniversary last week and so far I LOVE it! It's SO much easier to read with in bed! And, I am reading books that I never would have checked out from the library. I think I'll still hit the library for some of my quick new item books that I don't want to pay $10 for but so far, I have 40 books and haven't paid a penny for one. Lots of classics that I haven't read in years or never got around too. I even downloaded a couple of fun word games.


It fits great in my purse too. My library books don't. So, while waiting for DD at school today, I was able to read a few pages!

 

[Zuzu03]

DD has a Nook and I'll be getting a Kindle soon. Can anyone tell me what the real benefit is to getting the 3G over the regular Wifi one? DD's Nook is the 3G one, because the WiFi at her school is spotty (prep school in the mountains). I'm just not sure I need it because we have wireless here at home and I have it at school. Thoughts?

Oh and I've already downloaded some free books on my PC with the Kindle for PC and the Nook for PC. Free apps that I use ALL the time especially at work! Love this feature!

 

[vhartwell]

I rent books from the library for 2 weeks with my Nook. I just check them out, read them and then return them.