e-reader musings

[sienamystic]

So, my birthday is approaching and my mom-in-law has asked what I want. The answer is a whole slew of things, some of which are too spendy to ask for like a newer, bigger iPod touch. But I have a list: a light for my bike, a decent cutting board, a new gi (mine has a giant hole in the pants and will need to be replaced asap), a gift certificate to Amazon to keep us stocked with Toriani syrups, a cute and flirty pair of shoes that would go with several of my dressier dresses. But I'm pondering a Kindle or some other e-reader.

I've been resistant for a while, as all my friends know - mostly because I wasn't sure if I'd ever use it. (I can hear my friend Persia laughing at me even as I type this.) Moving has forced me to winnow my book collection over time, but I still have a lot of them, and I'm a big re-reader. (Plus I do weird things like read in the shower, where an ereader clearly cannot come with me.) But the idea of maybe reducing my stack of books even further is rather appealing. On the other hand, a lot of my stuff isn't available digitally, so I may not actually be able to winnow my collection down all that much. But I'd be able to go to Project Gutenberg and read all sorts of cool old stuff for free. And since I'm facing two work trips that will involve a lot of travel time, and watching my sister fill her Kindle for her epic upcoming trip, the idea of an ereader has become more tempting. I wish I could predict if I'd enjoy using the thing on a regular basis, though, or if it would gather dust unless I was traveling and needed it.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

To be honest, I hate our kindle. The e-book selection sucks, and if you like books, you might not like pressing a button to turn a page. I find it hard to finish books on the kindle, whereas I always finish print books unless they suck.

Just my two cents...
Jess

[sienamystic.livejournal.com]

See, this is exactly what I'm worried about. I don't want to ask for something that I'll never use.

[wild-patience.livejournal.com]

I love my ereader. I don't know anyone who has one who does not. Many libraries now also have e-books (or can connect you to a system which does) which you can borrow. It works the same way as hard copy: you check them out when they are available, they are good for 2 or 3 weeks, then you have to renew them or they go inactive.

Libraries are now getting the Kindle-program (I forget what it is) for the books, too. As you know, Amazon's ebooks have a proprietary format that does not work on other readers.

I have a Sony, which I love. My husband and my sister had the Nook (Barnes & Noble). The Nook (like newer Kindles) has internet access, so it can be used for web stuff as well (although it's not as good as a real computer.) My Sony doesn't have that. I also have a tablet with the Kindle and Nook apps on it so I can download Kindle and Nookbooks. (I wanted to buy the Shadow Unit volumes and was mad that they were only available as Nookbooks - they have proprietary formatting which does not run on my Sony even though they are all epub.) The tablet was wonderful for reading the Hugo nominees last year. The graphic novels did not work so well on my black & white Sony but looked fabulous on the table (ASUS EEE.)

Does the Project Gutenberg work for the Kindle? I know they have it in epub format, which is what my Sony uses.

Another thing I like is that you can download PDF files and papers. I have downloaded convention schedules and interesting papers onto my readers.

I think that whatever you decide on, you will find you love it. (Having tendonitis in my wrist, I appreciate having a lighter weight ereader. I like not having to weight down paper pages - I read while I eat and paper often wants to turn.) Enjoy!

[sienamystic.livejournal.com]

Project Gutenberg is one of the big reasons I'm thinking about the Kindle.

Heh, I read when I eat as well, and that's an interesting benefit - less wrist sprain from holding a book awkwardly open. Although it can't go into the shower with me!

I keep weirdly waffling on this and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's that even though they've come down in price, I still regard them as a big investment.

[st-aurafina.livejournal.com]

I use an iPad, which isn't like the ebook readers because it doesn't have the e-ink screen (which is amazing.) It is very, very large, though, and I like it quite a lot. AO3 is great for downloading large fics, and Gutenberg is brilliant, and if you're in the US, there are always lots of ebook freebies going on, too.

If you go for it, Calibre is a good free program for organising and converting ebooks. It's kind of like iTunes for books.

How do you read a paper book in the shower, though?

[(Anonymous)]

I got one for my birthday last year and decided against keeping it. I like books. That said, if I traveled more or took the train to work, I would have kept it, since even one normal-sized book weighs down a carry-on. I'm sure the day will come when I'll break down and get one, but not yet. :)

~Kate-h

[antisoppist.livejournal.com]

I have a Sony, not internet connected, you have to copy stuff onto it from the computer. I mostly use it when I'm travelling. I haven't bought any e-books but I use it as a good way of reading Gutenburg downloads, AO3 downloads and out-of-print books that people had scanned without having to either print them all out or be glued to the computer in my spare time when I spend all day staring at it as it is. OK I am still looking at a screen but I can be in the garden or in bed.

I am still mainly a real books person for things that exist in paper format but I still get a lot of use out of my e-reader.