eBook readers

[Brian the Automator]

Hey all,

 

Looking down the road to buy myself a birthday present, and I've really been interested in eBook readers. I'd like to get into reading for fun, and I read a lot of programming books (and have several as PDFs). The idea of having a bunch of dust-collectors around my bedroom and office is a pretty big turnoff, and I see that eBook readers are getting more popular, and somewhat more affordable. I'm interested in using one while on the exercise machines at the gym, and waiting around for doctors appointments (which has unfortunately become a large part of my/the wife's life).

 

Does anyone have an eBook reader or has used one? I don't necessarily need a top-of-the-line one, but I need to be able to load PDFs on it.

 

Thanks in advance,

Brian

[I Heart Brewers]

I have a kindle (version 1.0) and I love it. Some feel it is a bit restrictive in terms of catalogue and the formats it reads. But I know you can just email your pdf's to the kindle email account you have to send up when you register and it will convert them and put them on the kindle for you. Also, I have found a few websites that allow you to download non copyright protected text and which again can be sent to your kindle. The reason I post that is because most books from the kindle store are 9.99 (you can subscribe to newspapers and blogs as well for a monthly or daily price), which can be pricey to some when you are plopping down $360 for it. I can't speak to the programming library for the kindle though. If you are interested you should browse the catalogue on amazon's site. So those may be some drawbacks you personally may encounter based on what you would use it for.

 

As for everything else though I went to Cnet to compare it vs. the Sony reader and it won out. They both use electronic ink which I think makes the reading experience very similar to a book. The design of the kindle v1.0 is a bit counterintuitive, but from what I've read they fixed most of that with v2.0. Whispernet technology on it means you can download any book, newspaper or blog in seconds and you only have to pay for the content, not the use of the network. They have an experimental area on it with a primitive browser and some other features. V2.0 is supposed to be faster, but speed isn't a problem for me with mine so take that for what it's worth.

 

If you read a ton it's so convenient. I usually read quite often, but this actually makes me want to read more. Hope that helps.

[Brian the Automator]

Does it display just text, or images as well? Some of the PDFs I'm going to want to read have images embedded in them.

[Iron Chef Napalm]

I picked up a Kindle 2 a few days after launch and it's currently my favorite gadget. My wife can't stand the emotionless voice, but I use the text to speech feature on my hour long commute. It basically comes with a free wireless (sprint I believe) connection and I can check my email when I'm on the road without the monthly data plan fee. It's a horribly basic browser, but it works for simple surfing.

 

Books are cheaper and easy to get. Too easy in one instance as screen lag and an impatient click made me the proud owner of Terry Pratchett's Night Watch. They can be returned.

 

 

I have not played much with PDF books, but as the link below details, charts and graphs will not be your friend. It will read and display txt files that you upload via USB like you would a flash drive.

http://ireaderreview.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-pdf-faq-pdf-kindle-20-conversion-questions/

 

You will want to get a cover if you plan to carry it around with you. Amazon's basic cover has been well reviewed, but I got an oberon cover for my birthday. It was pricey, but I am fond of it. http://www.oberondesign.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=918

 

 

Let me know if you are going to show for any of the softball games and I'll bring it for you to look at.

[logan82]

Kindle 2 does not have pictures. It has a G3 connection to download books and newspapers. My wife has the Kindle 1 and likes it quite a bit.

[Brian the Automator]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/05/kindle-dx-2-2009-05-04_22-17-39-rm-eng_2.jpg

 

Looks like the "Kindle DX" is coming out soon. 9.7" screen and PDF support (yay). Hopefully the price isn't sky high, because this is exactly what I'm looking for.

 

 

[I Heart Brewers]

Looks nice. If this one will give the ability to support pdf's and pictures I don't understand why a firmware update wouldn't correct that on v1 & 2. Maybe that is implied though...

[Patrick425]

My wife mentioned to me that she would like to get a Kindle (sure..now that Christmas and her B-Day have passed!). I would like to surprise her with one as a "no occasion - just cuz I love you" gift.

I found this thread from a while back and I'm looking for any updated advice regarding e-book readers. Is Kindle the way to go? Can I get better value from a different device? Should I just get her an IPad (I'm assuming IPad's have an e-book reader app - although, I'm hoping to keep it under $200)? The review of the Kindle that I read on Amazon says that people do a "double take" because the screen has the look of paper and there is no glare. This sound's nice. Can anyone attest to this?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

[pitchleague]

I got my wife a Kindle for Christmas. I'll have her chime in on it later tonight since she has used it a bunch in just a little over a week.

[owbc]

My wife loves her Kindle (1.0). I think the Kindle is far superior to the Nook or other e-readers, unless you are planning on reading magazines, in which case a color Nook might be better. The iPad is a poor e-reader because of the glare from the screen, the short battery life, and most importantly, the heavy weight. The Kindle is about as heavy as 50 sheets of paper.

 

I will definitely be getting one as well as soon as I can afford it. The best features are the dictionary that lets you immediately look up any word and the ability to highlight and save any interesting passage. It almost never needs recharging because the battery life is so long. It's also just more fun to read on it because of what a cool piece of technology it is. No more waiting 2 days for books to arrive in the mail and then accumulating on a shelf.

 

I think the great advantage to the Kindle is that it does not have Internet capabilities. The last thing I need is another distraction when I am reading. The Wi-Fi quickly downloads new books and allows you to browse the catalog and read reviews, and there isn't really any need to do anything else on the Internet. It doesn't pretend to be a computer or a smart phone.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that you will not really be saving any money on books by getting a Kindle (assuming you follow copyright laws). Classic books are free and anything more than 10-20 years old is $5 or less, but new stuff costs at least as much on a Kindle as buying the paperback on Amazon. In some cases, I have seen the Kindle version cost more than the paperback.

 

Also, you are probably going to want to invest in a nice leather case for the Kindle which is going to be another $40+.

 

I can't comment on its ability to read PDFs or show images.

[hammytime]

As my husband pointed out, I did indeed get a Kindle for Christmas, and I am absolutely loving it. I had seen them advertised, but wasn't sure I would like them (particularly, holding them while I read), until I saw and held one at Staples a couple of months ago. I was very impressed with how light they are. (I was worried that my hand/wrist would get tired or sore during long reading sessions.) I did a little research after that, and everything I saw rates the Kindle as the best e-reader available now. A co-worker showed me hers, which is the slightly bigger model, and raved about the page forward/back buttons. I'm liking the smaller one a lot. Book prices aren't a whole lot better than actual paperbacks, but the ability to purchase new books almost instantly is a great feature, I think. You can also download free games and purchase other games; this feature is a nice bonus, without making it a hand-held computer. Someone also mentioned the experimental functions (such as on-line access), but I haven't tried those out much yet. All in all, I'm really happy with my Kindle. (It's even easier to read when I'm eating lunch or something, because I can set the Kindle next to me; no more juggling a book and food.)

[mothershipconnection]

Is Kindle the way to go? Can I get better value from a different device? Should I just get her an IPad (I'm assuming IPad's have an e-book reader app - although, I'm hoping to keep it under $200)?

 

I got a Sony Reader Pocket, and the screen looks great PLUS I can download books from virtually any source and import them using Adobe Digital Editions. I don't have experience with Kindle, but don't believe they support epub and other formats. What's most awesome is that the Ft. Worth library has free checkout of ebooks, which I can import to my reader, so I can "go to the library" without leaving my computer, and I don't have to remember to return the books.

 

I just bought the wife an iPad, which she loves, and which can display epub/kindle/basically all formats, plus it's backlit (unlike my reader), but the screen is not glare-free, and it weighs more than the <6oz my reader does, but also has a more "natural" screen size (mine is 5.5").

[Patrick425]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I'm going with the Kindle. I have read good things about it and Consumer Reports rates it pretty high.

[Invader3K]

I got my wife the Kindle with the 3G for Christmas and she really likes it. You can even browse the web with it if you wish.

[craigharmann]

Yeah, the wife got a Kindle for Christmas as well. Loves it. I like how easy to read it is, although personally, I'd like it backlit. It's pretty much just like reading a book.