OH would like an eReader for Christmas. Any views on the best one. Kindle? Sony eBook?
Thanks in advance
mel
Thanks in advance
mel
eReaders
- Thread starter Mel
- Start date
My wife has the latest Kindle and is very pleased with it. There some differences in how you download the books and the Kindle has a keyboard the Sony uses a stylus and has to be tethered to a PC that has the download program on it. The Kindle has built in wifi and you can download books straight to it over a wifi network.
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/hardware/2269525/amazon-kindle-vs-sony-reader
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/hardware/2269525/amazon-kindle-vs-sony-reader
i bought my wife a Kindle , not the 3G one , it downloads a book from Amazon in seconds on the home wi-fi ,she is well pleased with it , they can hold up to 35000 books ,
As a matter fo interest what is the average price you would pay for a book and is it higher for new releases?
As I understand it the Kindle will only download books from Amazon. Is this correct?
The Kindle does have good reviews and a good price compared to others but if what I've read above is true then maybe the cost is being offset from the profit on downloaded books from Amazon.
The Kindle does have good reviews and a good price compared to others but if what I've read above is true then maybe the cost is being offset from the profit on downloaded books from Amazon.
No thats not true LB , Amazon is the quickest way to download books , but another site my wife uses is ,
www.thenovelnetwork.com you pay a one of fee for a lifetime of books-comics-newspapers , the only trouble is with the independant sites is you have to download to your PC then tranfer to the Kindle
www.thenovelnetwork.com you pay a one of fee for a lifetime of books-comics-newspapers , the only trouble is with the independant sites is you have to download to your PC then tranfer to the Kindle
I bought a Wi-Fi Kindle 3 (£109) when it first launched a few months ago and I'm very pleased with it — I can't recommend it enough for anyone who reads a lot. Buying ebooks from the Kindle store is the easiest option, since you can do it from the Kindle itself and they're delivered over Wi-Fi (or 3G, if you pay more for that model) in a matter of seconds. This can lead to impulse ebook-buying, of course...
Ebook prices seem a little on the high side to me when you consider that paper, printing and distribution costs are removed from the equation, but I don't think this problem is unique to Amazon. The fact that you can read a book within seconds of thinking about it also helps offset this. Amazon also lists Kindle ebook prices alongside print prices when browsing the Kindle store, so you can always see the difference between hardback or paperback editions.
The Kindle can be used to read ebooks from other sources too, though this involves a bit of a rigmarole on a computer. The best way to do this is with a free Mac/PC app called Callbre to transfer them from your computer to the Kindle.
The MobileRead forum is also worth a look for some background info on the Kindle. Incidentally, I also wrote the Kindle 3 review on which that V3.co.uk comparison was based...
Ebook prices seem a little on the high side to me when you consider that paper, printing and distribution costs are removed from the equation, but I don't think this problem is unique to Amazon. The fact that you can read a book within seconds of thinking about it also helps offset this. Amazon also lists Kindle ebook prices alongside print prices when browsing the Kindle store, so you can always see the difference between hardback or paperback editions.
The Kindle can be used to read ebooks from other sources too, though this involves a bit of a rigmarole on a computer. The best way to do this is with a free Mac/PC app called Callbre to transfer them from your computer to the Kindle.
The MobileRead forum is also worth a look for some background info on the Kindle. Incidentally, I also wrote the Kindle 3 review on which that V3.co.uk comparison was based...
I have bought my wife a Kindle for Christmas - the best bit of kit I've ever invested in. Why? Because it's the first electronic gadget that's ever tickled her fancy, and for God's sake, it cost £150 - that's a lot of money up front to read a bl**dy book! Point is, she will never again be able to point the finger at me for exhorbitant spending on gadgets! So as I say, I reckon it's money well spent!!
On the practical side, it really is clever. Already, we have downloaded about a dozen books - which otherwise would have gobbled up a lot of room in our suitcases and been seriously detrimental to our baggage weight allowance on our January holiday. If she reads them all, she can browse and download as many more books as she likes from the beach. And I will be able to get a daily e-newspaper downloaded every day. So these are the main points that attracted us.
On the downside, of course, she can't physically pass on the books to me to read after she's finished. I need to invest another 100 quid for the basic Kindle for me, to do that. Then, she can, because the books are held on an email account and can be downloaded to any Kindle on the same account.
But there, the sharing has to end. You can't pass them on to mates or family, nor can someone pass their downloads to you. That will be the main disadvantage I think. However, so far the prices for the books have seemed quite reasonable so we will have to get used to paying for ALL the books we read, as opposed to borrowing and browsing in charity shops and hotel libraries!
(One other thing, don't waste money on a Kindle case for 30 quid - loads just as good for about a tenner on ebay etc...)
On the practical side, it really is clever. Already, we have downloaded about a dozen books - which otherwise would have gobbled up a lot of room in our suitcases and been seriously detrimental to our baggage weight allowance on our January holiday. If she reads them all, she can browse and download as many more books as she likes from the beach. And I will be able to get a daily e-newspaper downloaded every day. So these are the main points that attracted us.
On the downside, of course, she can't physically pass on the books to me to read after she's finished. I need to invest another 100 quid for the basic Kindle for me, to do that. Then, she can, because the books are held on an email account and can be downloaded to any Kindle on the same account.
But there, the sharing has to end. You can't pass them on to mates or family, nor can someone pass their downloads to you. That will be the main disadvantage I think. However, so far the prices for the books have seemed quite reasonable so we will have to get used to paying for ALL the books we read, as opposed to borrowing and browsing in charity shops and hotel libraries!
(One other thing, don't waste money on a Kindle case for 30 quid - loads just as good for about a tenner on ebay etc...)
Many thanks for the feedback. Kindle looks like a good choice. I will go and investigate further.
mel
mel
I have had the new Kindle 3G version for two months. It is a great piece of kit. If you search for Kindle Books you will find Amazon's UK site for their Kindle book sales. Go to the top 100 books and you will get a list of top paid for books and also top free 100 books. I have found that there are new authors who allow their books to be supplied by Kindle free or for a very low price say 71p. There are also many classic books that you can load for free. I went for the 3G version so that I could use it when away with the caravan. It cost an extra £40 but you do not pay any subscription to connect to the internet. I have found that I can access sites like BBC News and weather which can be useful. I have also managed to pick up my emails using it. No where as quick as using laptop but is a good back stop. It can also read most books to you if you can stand the computer voice, and play MP3 music whilst you read. You can also upload your own documents that are in Word or PDF.
You can download a Kindle app for PC's and read the book on both Kindle and read a book from your PC, Mac, Iphone, Blackberry, Android or Windows phones.
My wife reads a lot but she has threatened me with severe physical violence if I buy her one of the eReaders! She much prefers the physical books.
I said to her a few years ago, when these things first came out, that they will eventually replace paper books but she refuses to believe me. I wasn't sure I believed it myself at the time but I just realised why it may happen - they're wiping out the second-hand market. I didn't realise you couldn't tranfer the Kindle books from one device to another. Because of that, it means you have to buy a book you want, as opposed to borrowing it from a friend or getting it cheap from a charity shop. So if you want it, you have to pay - a publishers dream!! Even if you're only paying 71p for an older ebook, that's 71p more than they would normally get for an old paperback.
No, I think paperbacks are destined to go the way of tapes and CDs...better not tell the wife!
I said to her a few years ago, when these things first came out, that they will eventually replace paper books but she refuses to believe me. I wasn't sure I believed it myself at the time but I just realised why it may happen - they're wiping out the second-hand market. I didn't realise you couldn't tranfer the Kindle books from one device to another. Because of that, it means you have to buy a book you want, as opposed to borrowing it from a friend or getting it cheap from a charity shop. So if you want it, you have to pay - a publishers dream!! Even if you're only paying 71p for an older ebook, that's 71p more than they would normally get for an old paperback.
No, I think paperbacks are destined to go the way of tapes and CDs...better not tell the wife!
Hi Mel,
I purchased the new Kindle 3 about 2 months ago. I think it is one of the best "gadgets" I have purchased. Easy to use, downloads books very fast. It holds about 3500 books. Great for taking with you in the caravan or just about anywhere. The only thing I would suggest is to buy the cover for it - but beware the Amazon cover is about £50.00. I purchased mine from a UK seller on E-bay for £9.99. I have a friend who purchased the original cover from Amazon, & he says the cover I purchased is identical & just as good.
I purchased the new Kindle 3 about 2 months ago. I think it is one of the best "gadgets" I have purchased. Easy to use, downloads books very fast. It holds about 3500 books. Great for taking with you in the caravan or just about anywhere. The only thing I would suggest is to buy the cover for it - but beware the Amazon cover is about £50.00. I purchased mine from a UK seller on E-bay for £9.99. I have a friend who purchased the original cover from Amazon, & he says the cover I purchased is identical & just as good.
Thanks one and all. Bought OH an unknown brand, "iRiver" for the sole and simple reason that our local Costco was flogging it very very cheaply.
. Probably not as good as the Kindle but less of a pocket dent. So far OH seems to like it and true to male form has spent more time downloading books and fiddling with the settings than actually reading it.
mel
mel
Like Collin I bought HID a Kindle for Christmas - very well received ! Have yet to explore all the bells and whistles but the 3G download works very well in Spain and leaves me free to play with the laptop.
Thanks evereryone who has listed the other download sites.
Thanks evereryone who has listed the other download sites.
The OH bought me a 3G kindle for Christmas so I do not have to take loads of boos with me on holidays.
I bought from ebay a couple of CD's with over 2000 books on them.
I have used it extensively since xmas and now have had to buy one for the OH for her Birthday!!!!
I bought from ebay a couple of CD's with over 2000 books on them.
I have used it extensively since xmas and now have had to buy one for the OH for her Birthday!!!!
It is being said, e-readers are killing books. This is the common view of most book seller. Since they were first introduced, e-readers have been gaining quickly in popularity. Millions upon millions of e-readers are sold each year. I found this here: Can bookstores survive financial challenges Many small book-stores are facing a serious challenge with e-readers. Can book-stores survive in this new sector? The short answer is, with creative marketing and short-term loans, some bookstores might endure, but it probably will not be easy.
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