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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 1, 2009 15:40:04 GMT
Has anyone tried either of these devices? Is it too odd to read this way, or a brilliant and useful innovation?
These things are pricey, but they'd be the perfect solution to having enough reading along when traveling. I think Borders and maybe some of the other chain bookstores carry them. I'd sure want to try it out before purchasing.
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voy
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The Lobstah Lady
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Post by voy on Apr 1, 2009 18:21:31 GMT
we are having this dicussion on another list I'm on.. some who have them (Kindles) love them - others don't because of the limited number of sources to download to them. the consensus seems to be building that if you aren't already "hooked" wait a year or so and the price will come way down, and some of the download problems may be solved. hth.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 1, 2009 18:30:14 GMT
Hmm. Waiting for the price to come down would definitely be my impulse. However, I didn't know that there were download problems, nor that there were limited sources.
A friend and I were discussing them yesterday. She said she'd checked on a sizable number of books in which she'd be interested, and they all seemed to be available for Kindle.
That does help, thanks.
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voy
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Post by voy on Apr 2, 2009 2:00:12 GMT
I t hink they have to be from amazon...(for Kindle)
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2009 5:14:28 GMT
They seem to be getting better and cheaper, but I will still be waiting for a number of years.
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Post by gyro on Apr 2, 2009 6:07:42 GMT
A fat head here at work bought one and has been raving about it.
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Post by hwinpp on Apr 3, 2009 2:29:24 GMT
Are these the 'electronic' books? I don't think I'll ever buy one. Not even as a present for somebody.
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Post by gyro on Apr 3, 2009 4:23:48 GMT
Why not ? I think they're a reasonable idea; and probably pretty logical for the future. The only thing that'll stop me buying one is a). price, and b). I hardly ever read books these days - even the ones with pictures.
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Post by hwinpp on Apr 4, 2009 2:30:05 GMT
I'm not a big fan of reading news off a PC monitor, although I do now because there's not much other choice. I imagine an electronic book to be much the same. I like the feeling of a book, the way it slowly ages. To me an e- book would be just too sterile.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 4, 2009 2:51:37 GMT
I notice I have less patience with reading anything on the PC monitor than I do with printed matter.
What started the conversation between me and my friend about the Kindle was the question of its non-bookishness. However, we've both had the problem of running out reading material while traveling, which to me would be the electronic reader's main advantage. My friend is more of an instant gratification person. If she hears of a book that interests her, she wants to own it now. She also prefers to buy rather than to use a library. Neither of those things apply to me.
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Post by tillystar on Apr 4, 2009 3:21:29 GMT
I am really rubbish at reading things of a screen, I can concentrate far less and I couldn't read for such long periods of time. I really can't imagine using one, but you never know.
In terms of reading when travelling, I always take lots of books and shed them as I go and then have space for things that I find on my way!
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Post by gyro on Apr 10, 2009 19:08:20 GMT
From what I know, reading it is not like reading off a monitor or computer; that's the point. It would appear a lot of time has been spent on colour/contrast/brightness/flicker etc. etc.
But I can't testify how different it is as I've never seen one. Don't auto-reject, explore, kids.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2009 19:51:00 GMT
I was looking at an electronic book at the store this week -- didn't even bother to see what brand it was. They are definitely looking better and better.
However, I will always have low-tech books on hand. They work even in candlelight when all else fails.
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Post by gyro on Apr 11, 2009 19:08:51 GMT
It'd be foolish at this stage to think the electronic version(s) replace the paper ones ..
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2009 19:17:27 GMT
Yes, we all need to check back here in about 10 years. Errr... the way things are going, make that 3 years.
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Post by gyro on Apr 11, 2009 19:33:49 GMT
3 months ...
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Post by gyro on Apr 11, 2009 20:09:29 GMT
Ironically enough, I am currently downloading the 100 Classic Books Collection for the Nintendo DS .....
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 12, 2009 3:03:33 GMT
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Post by gyro on Apr 12, 2009 20:53:12 GMT
Started reading Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde on the DS. It's a pretty cool idea, to be fair. Obviously, there's about 50 times more pages as they fit FAR less words per page than in a book, but that doesn't matter. You can also hold the DS 'on it's side' so it opens like a book too. And it remembers you page and you can have up to 3 bookmarks.
Which one comes first; Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, by the way ?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2009 20:59:24 GMT
Tom Sawyer comes first, I think.
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Post by gyro on Apr 12, 2009 21:02:40 GMT
Thought so. Will try that next. I'm not sure if the small amount of wordage per page helps or hinders at the mo. Currently, it seems easier to just pick up and go, but after a while, I don't know if it will detract. Also, there's a noticeable difference between the sharpness of the 1st page (top screen) and the 2nd (bottom/stylus screen).
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2009 21:06:06 GMT
Be sure to tell us as soon as the technology has been perfected.
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Post by gyro on Apr 12, 2009 21:11:22 GMT
Ha, yeah. Well, for a games machine, it's a nifty gimmick, I guess. But in all honesty, there's a certain attraction in having all that literature there at a touch of a button. Within the 100, there's at least 10 or so books that I've always wanted to try.
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Post by gyro on Apr 15, 2009 22:37:47 GMT
To be fair, because of this on the Nintendo DS, my daughter is currently reading Little Women, which can be nothing but a GOOD thing .....
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2009 17:32:31 GMT
I think that classic literature should be combined with the new gaming systems. No new game until you can reply to random questions about Little Women, for example.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2009 2:58:17 GMT
I agree. I'm of hw's take on these. Something sterile about them yes.I do have much difficulty concentrating on a lit screen for long periods. It feels unnatural.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 9, 2018 16:10:46 GMT
I'm reviving this very old thread & its title to reflect the prevalence of electronic reading in 2018. Now we can install the free Kindle app on any number of devices, including mobile phones, so no one has to be without reading material at any time. And it's not only Kindle & its apps now: download.cnet.com/blog/download-blog/7-best-ebook-reader-apps-for-2018/Recently I've subscribed to two free email newsletters which daily offer me heavily discounted ebooks. The virtue of both is that you choose which genres interest you so that you're only offered books you'd actually want. The proof of that is that I've bought 33 books since the beginning of September, almost all of them in the two-dollar range. Almost all of them are limited-time-only, frequently on sale at that price for only 24 hours. In order to show, not tell ~ BookBub generally only offers me three selections daily. Today I bought one of those selections which I'll show here and there is another which may well appeal to many anyporters: The Verdun Affair is the book I bought, and The Devil's Reward is the one that might interest some people here. Early Bird Books offers me many more daily selections, sometimes as many as ten. They also have quite a few flash sales, i.e., deals available for only 24 hours. Now that I have both these services tweaked to only offer me books I'd actually read, I really look forward to receiving the daily offerings. Generally Early Bird Books are offered over several platforms, not just through Amazon. Here are the links, if you'd like to give them a try: www.bookbub.comearlybirdbooks.com
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 9, 2018 20:48:43 GMT
You're more than welcome, Huckle! I wound up never finding any bargains on Amazon before, because I had to wade through so much trash that I would just give up.
You will probably find at the beginning that you'll have to go in once and refine your areas of interest. What I like is that for the most part romance stuff is separated out from everything else, so that it's safe to say that you'd like to see historical fiction without being barraged by bodice-rippers.
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Post by bjd on Nov 10, 2018 8:44:44 GMT
I'm still reading paper books and have no intention of moving to an e-reader for now. I find that reading on a screen tires my eyes more than books do.
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Post by amboseli on Nov 10, 2018 9:46:51 GMT
I've had my Sony e-reader for at least 5 years. I read a lot when I'm on holiday and with all the weight limits on airplanes these days an e-reader with 1000 books or so on it is really handy. I was a bit reluctant in the beginning but I haven't read a paper book in years. I love my e-reader. My husband reads on his tablet (LCD screen) which is much more tiring for the eyes than the screen of an e-reader (e-ink). The only disadvantage is the price of e-books. I can't borrow them in our library and recent e-books (in Dutch) are still 6 to 10 euros per piece.
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