Hey TL, I was wondering if anyone here owns a Kindle, more specifically, Kindle 2. Right now, it is selling on Amazon for $249 US, which I find to be a fairly reasonable price. Now, I'm only considering buying the basic Kindle 2 and not Kindle DX which cost an absurd $489.
I love to read when I get a chance to do it. After starting college, I haven't really engaged in much outside reading. I think the process of having to go to the store or the library to buy a book has really curbed this nice habit as I just don't have that much time. Also, when I'm assigned readings in pdf form, I really hate having to print it (I think it's a waste) and reading it on the computer gives me headaches sometimes. So the native .pdf support for the Kindle is a big selling point for me.
I will just like to ask you guys what your opinions are about this little device. Do you guys like the design? Does it work as advertised? I looked on the Amazon website for reviews but they all seemed to really love it, to a point where it is kinda suspicious. I would really appreciate some honest reviews.
You have enough time to read a book, but the 20 minutes it takes to go to the store and acquire it puts you just over the edge enough that you no longer have the time?
On May 30 2010 16:12 heyoka wrote: You have enough time to read a book, but the 20 minutes it takes to go to the store and acquire it puts you just over the edge enough that you no longer have the time?
Bleh, not worth it IMO for the price. It's neat but largely qualifies as a useless luxury, which (unless you're rich) is not worth that price tag.
Plus something has to be said about the feel of holding a book in your hands and reading it...I already stare at my computer screen for way too many hours per day, when I wanna settle down for some reading I'd rather not have to stare at another screen.
To each his own though, if you think it's worth it by all means go for it.
Is your genuine motivation to facilitate your burning interest in reading, or is it to acquire a fancy new toy? If your computer is discomforting to look at this is probably on account of poor resolution, image quality, brightness, a gaudy desktop/wm theme, or something else that's straining your eyes. You can certainly adjust things for easier reading.
On May 30 2010 16:16 BroOd wrote: e-readers are fine for magazines and newspapers, but I don't like the for books at all.
This. There is some aesthetic experience in reading actual books that is lost when transferred to the electronic screen. It's tough to explain my reasoning, but actual books are an experience in themselves, not JUST words written on a page. Also, you can just go to the library to get a book. You still have to pay for books with a Kindle.
As someone who doesn't read too often, I still like having a book in hand when I do read; though a Kindle may be easier to handle.
With that said, my mom was an avid reader and just absolutely loved it. She hasn't been able to read a book in 2-3 years because it's an immense strain on her eyes. It absolutely killed her, because she was always reading some book or another.
We got her a Kindle for Mother's Day, and while she hasn't gotten too into it yet (busy with work and she hasn't read in so long), she has read a few chapters of a book she picked up. The ability to change the text size has made it a lot easier on her eyes. Though she hasn't spent much time with it yet, she was ecstatic that she was actually able to read again. She really hates the clicking noise when you press the next page button and she's really bad with the little analog nub, though.
I have a kindle and I love it. I admit i do miss some things about having a book.Like when I'm half way through a book its cool seeing all the pages you read. The kindle will tell you your 50% through but its just not the same haha,
Honestly kindle was good for me because I would always end up fucking my books up somehow in my bag. But that was my problem not like a problem with books. And for pdf I 100% agree I cannot read pdf on a comp. I have no problem doing it on the kindle though
I would recommend you get an iPad - saw one for the first time the other day and it was realyl amazing. For the same price you honestly get a lot more at least with functionality.
On May 30 2010 16:37 General Nuke Em wrote: Don't get one. Amazon might randomly decide to delete the books you bought because of some publishing copyright snafu. *cough*
They're not going to do that anymore:
Amazon effectively acknowledged that the deletions were a bad idea. “We are changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers’ devices in these circumstances,” Mr. Herdener said.
On May 30 2010 16:45 rbkl wrote: I would recommend you get an iPad - saw one for the first time the other day and it was realyl amazing. For the same price you honestly get a lot more at least with functionality.
There's a huge difference between a fingerprint-covered, glossy iPad LCD and the e-ink display of the Kindle :/
It's a hell of a lot cheaper to buy a Kindle and get ebooks in the long term compared to traditional paperbacks. I work at a bookstore so I have access to any book I want but if I didn't, I'd get a Kindle the first moment I could (Or the Nook, or whatever is better, haven't really been looking into it).
It also depends if you like collecting books as well. A major reason that I like the Kindle is the space it saves. I'm not big on tangible/physical items, but instead prefer everything digital. You could get an iPad/iTouch but the battery life is a major factor as well so you'd have to weigh that for yourself.
On May 30 2010 16:37 General Nuke Em wrote: Don't get one. Amazon might randomly decide to delete the books you bought because of some publishing copyright snafu. *cough*
Amazon effectively acknowledged that the deletions were a bad idea. “We are changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers’ devices in these circumstances,” Mr. Herdener said.
On May 30 2010 16:45 rbkl wrote: I would recommend you get an iPad - saw one for the first time the other day and it was realyl amazing. For the same price you honestly get a lot more at least with functionality.
There's a huge difference between a fingerprint-covered, glossy iPad LCD and the e-ink display of the Kindle :/
Kindle: no wifi, you can't replace the battery yourself (you have to send it back to Amazon), ugly, a keyboard on the bottom you'll never use, DRM ebooks Amazon might delete if they get into a pricing dispute with the publisher (i.e. MacMillan).
Nook: touchscreen, wi-fi, you can replace the battery yourself, looks cooler, better accessories. You can also root it to access the Android OS but there's not a lot of third party apps that utilize this yet but if you can code then you add functionality yourself. The only disadvantage is that your side buttons might crack if you abuse them too much however this doesn't impact the functionality of the device at all.
Both support PDFs, both have relatively similar content offerings, screen sizes, dimensions, and are price competitive in terms of ebooks.
FYI: I work at Barnes and Noble. I'm not a shameless hack though, I actually hated the Nook when it first came out b/c the firmware was so bad I refused to sell it to people. Thankfully the company has updated it several times and its significantly better. At the store I work at we've sold many Nooks to customers who own Kindles. Their biggest comment is that the Nook "feels faster" b/c you use the touch screen to navigate your device settings etc. whereas all device manipulation on the Kindle occurs through the e-ink screen.
My advice: if you get the Nook don't abuse the buttons (press the too hard on the very edges). On one of our store demo units the bezel cracked from this. Also you can use the touchscreen to turn pages. If this concerns you get the extended warranty. The Kindle is really an awful device I would never buy one. The nook is mediocre to good but not amazing however it is definitely better than the Kindle.
Don't get the Sony, ridiculously smudgy screen and poor content offerings. Don't get the iPad for reading b/c you can't use it in direct light i.e. outside. At the Apple Store near the BN I work at they actually turn the lights off above the iPads b/c of this. The lightning environment can also impact the iPad's viewing angles and how it picks up reflections. Experiment: go use your iPhone on a sunny day outside to see what I mean. Sure you can use it but it would really suck for reading.
I have personally used the Kindle, Nook, Sony e-reader, and the iPad.
EDIT: one more thing, don't get an e-reader to just read PDFs. They can do it, but it is more of an additional feature. If the text isn't encoded in the PDF you can't resize it (i.e. a scanned document or a document that is basically images to prevent user copy-paste). You can zoom on the Kindle (awkward) and BN hasn't added zoom functionality to the Nook (forthcoming but probably easier with the touchscreen). I will mention though that most PDFs have the text encoded into the file so this may not be an issue for you. If you're just going to read PDFs indoors though, get a ultraportable laptop, netbook (with a newer processor), or an iPad. You'll get more functionality for your $$$ (except with the iPad lol). If you're going to be reading mostly books get the Nook.
I love my Kindle and use it to read and buy books all the time. Definitely worth it if you read a lot and want to carry around many books where ever you go. I even used it for classes last semester. I'm an English Lit major and a lot of the stuff I was able to find for free on Project Gutenberg. Plus it allows you to annotate, so it was easy for jotting down notes while reading that I wouldn't later lose.
I have the Kindle DX and it works perfectly for PDF reading without eye strain. I read a Gravity's Rainbow PDF on it just find.
edit: I have heard that the pdf support on the Kindle 2 is mostly crap though.
Hi everybody, thanks for your great advices, especially for space_yes for suggesting the nook. I've been looking at that too and I'm leaning towards it now.
As for the people who say that 259 is expensive for books, I think it is reasonable. It's the price of a good mp3 player, plus I haven't any of the newest gadgets in a while. I don't have an Iphone, an Ipad, or a netbook. My cell phone still a 4 year old Nokia... so I think if I were to spend some money, it might as well be something that will encourage me to read, especially when a lot of the classics, like Lungdude mentioned, are free.
On May 30 2010 16:45 rbkl wrote: I would recommend you get an iPad - saw one for the first time the other day and it was realyl amazing. For the same price you honestly get a lot more at least with functionality.
The Kindle is about half the price as the cheapest iPad. And honestly, since when did Apple products actually cost the same as their competitors? You are pretty much always paying a premium fee for the brand.
I have a Kindle, and like it for the following reasons:
I can read it in the sun. It works. Battery seems infinite. Kindle software syncs everywhere and can be used simultaneously. For example, My girlfriend can read on her iPhone while I use the Kindle.
Prior to that I've used a Nook and hated it. Mostly everyone in my family who has owned or tried a Nook has hated it. They have loved my kindle however.
Reasons why we hated the Nook:
It doesn't always work. Battery didn't last as long. E-Ink is slow compared to Kindle (this is a huge annoyance for anyone who can read fast. Which is probably anyone on TL.net) Touch Screen is gimmicky and unresponsive. Felt like a rushed product. (B&N admitted that it was rushed to compete with Kindle)
Having a Kindle really facilitates reading for me. Buying books is easy as pie (too easy...), and having my whole book collection (programming books) on one device is really handy. The fact that my e-books sync online is the best part. I have all my programming books on my PC for reference at work, and am able to make bookmarks that sync with the device to check up on at home.
Price wasn't really a concern for me at the time, though I did like the smaller Kindle for ease of transportation. I figured that any amount of money is worth it if I ended up reading more as a result. I did end up reading more, and thus it was worth the money.
Now. While I have, and will continue to sing praise for the Kindle. I feel that it will become a dead platform in a few years' time. The e-book market is becoming increasingly volatile, and I feel that eventually a few products will become edged out. The Nook is currently the underdog, and I fear Kindle will be next once Google and Dell's devices reach the center stage. However, that's a long time coming, and I expect all devices to exist for a good few years. So if you consider it an investment in your education you should buy whichever you like the most. You can test a Nook at a B&N, and I believe you can test a Kindle at Target soon (maybe already?). Really though, the Kindle makes reading so easy, and strangely too much fun. :D
On May 30 2010 16:12 heyoka wrote: You have enough time to read a book, but the 20 minutes it takes to go to the store and acquire it puts you just over the edge enough that you no longer have the time?
quote for truth. make an effort.
You like calling people? Why not make the effort and go inside and use a house phone instead of the ease and convenience of a cell phone?
Same dumb argument, its the age of information. Technology is imminent. Same reason why barnes+noble is going out of business.
I would get what i have(8 gig itouch for sub 200). not only can you read books, but have music and apps.
I think e-readers are great but please don't get a Kindle. It's a decent e-reader from what I have seen, not great but decent, but the biggest problem with the Kindle is that it can only handle books you buy from Amazon (at least that used to be the case when I looked into buying an e-reader).
So with buying a Kindle you are basically committing yourself to a Amazon monopoly with regards to what books you can and can't read. Also the books you buy, you are not buying at all but renting them because Amazon still keeps full control over the books and can do whatever they want with them.
ps. please don't listen to everybody suggesting you buy an iPad. The iPad isn't made for reading. It uses a normal screen and not e-ink. This renders it useless in a lot of situations.
On May 30 2010 18:36 Phunkapotamus wrote: I have a Kindle, and like it for the following reasons:
I can read it in the sun. It works. Battery seems infinite. Kindle software syncs everywhere and can be used simultaneously. For example, My girlfriend can read on her iPhone while I use the Kindle.
Prior to that I've used a Nook and hated it. Mostly everyone in my family who has owned or tried a Nook has hated it. They have loved my kindle however.
Reasons why we hated the Nook:
It doesn't always work. Battery didn't last as long. E-Ink is slow compared to Kindle (this is a huge annoyance for anyone who can read fast. Which is probably anyone on TL.net) Touch Screen is gimmicky and unresponsive. Felt like a rushed product. (B&N admitted that it was rushed to compete with Kindle)
Having a Kindle really facilitates reading for me. Buying books is easy as pie (too easy...), and having my whole book collection (programming books) on one device is really handy. The fact that my e-books sync online is the best part. I have all my programming books on my PC for reference at work, and am able to make bookmarks that sync with the device to check up on at home.
Price wasn't really a concern for me at the time, though I did like the smaller Kindle for ease of transportation. I figured that any amount of money is worth it if I ended up reading more as a result. I did end up reading more, and thus it was worth the money.
Now. While I have, and will continue to sing praise for the Kindle. I feel that it will become a dead platform in a few years' time. The e-book market is becoming increasingly volatile, and I feel that eventually a few products will become edged out. The Nook is currently the underdog, and I fear Kindle will be next once Google and Dell's devices reach the center stage. However, that's a long time coming, and I expect all devices to exist for a good few years. So if you consider it an investment in your education you should buy whichever you like the most. You can test a Nook at a B&N, and I believe you can test a Kindle at Target soon (maybe already?). Really though, the Kindle makes reading so easy, and strangely too much fun. :D
What version of the Nook firmware were you using? If it was before April I agree it was probably crap. The firmware updates have largely taken care of the unresponsiveness. I will mention that it doesn't do "flick" type gestures like the iPhone. I believe this is purposeful; you wouldn't want to accidentally navigate somewhere on the touchscreen if you brushed it accidentally. That would be annoying. In terms of the e-ink speed I don't know why you would think this b/c both Amazon and BN use Vizplex e-ink.
BN never admitted it rushed the product to compete with the Kindle. Please post a link to a company statement in this regard. When it is was first released it was definitely rushed (the software was buggy) but I don't think the timing had anything to do with the Kindle. Amazon's price cutting response (they lowered the Kindle price like $50 instantly) is evidence of this. We've speculated endlessly at our store why the company released the Nook like it did and we have no clear answer. The most reasonable line of thinking is that it was an attempt to try and bump Q4 sales from Nook pre-sales (it was announced during the Holiday shopping season but wouldn't actually ship until mid Dec to January).
The battery life for both devices is comparable and largely depends on how much actual reading you do. I believe both devices use lithium polymer batteries. If you set the Nook touchscreen to be on all the time and play music constantly this will obviously drain the battery faster. For normal usage the Nook is rated at ~10 hours, I'm not sure what the Kindle is rated at b/c they don't advertise an hourly figure (i.e. rated for 4 days? what does that mean?).
Finally the Nook is not the "underdog." It only took 2 & 1/2 months before Nook sales exceeded Kindle sales. Link. Granted Amazon doesn't release sales figures on the Kindle (mostly they've never needed to before b/c there was no competition, but their lack of response is telling) but the evidence the analysts are using is # of device shipped which is a common metric for electronic sales comparisons when actual sales numbers are unknown. Also, the Nook is retailed from two physical locations, Barnes and Noble and Best Buy. This is definitely a shoe-in for any potential customer.
E-readers are awesome, if you have the luxury money you should get one. Once you've used it you'll have a hard time going back to a regular book.
the reasons for me buying were 1. running out of physical space. i live in a small apartment and the books cramp up my space i know a library looks nice and cool but i just hate moving around with all those books ( i finish a book on average 1 per 1.5 weeks. 2. i live in singapore and books are damn expensive. the savings i'll get with buying ebooks are a lot and i calculated that the nook will buy itself after 20-23 books. 3. amazon's quite strict with international purchases and sadly they don't sell the kindle in sg. (need a us address and credit card to buy books for the kindle)
if you really are into reading then i don't think its a hard decision. i do love the smell and feel of a book but it's just illogical for me when i think of the benefits.
On May 30 2010 19:00 Golden Ghost wrote: I think e-readers are great but please don't get a Kindle. It's a decent e-reader from what I have seen, not great but decent, but the biggest problem with the Kindle is that it can only handle books you buy from Amazon (at least that used to be the case when I looked into buying an e-reader).
So with buying a Kindle you are basically committing yourself to a Amazon monopoly with regards to what books you can and can't read. Also the books you buy, you are not buying at all but renting them because Amazon still keeps full control over the books and can do whatever they want with them.
ps. please don't listen to everybody suggesting you buy an iPad. The iPad isn't made for reading. It uses a normal screen and not e-ink. This renders it useless in a lot of situations.
Thank you! I have to convince customers everyday at our store why the iPad sucks for e-books. It's so frustrating to try and explain what seems so obvious. I think part of the problem is that there is an Apple store 200 feet from the Barnes and Noble I work at so there are lots of Apple zombies.
On May 30 2010 19:12 eugene17 wrote: how timely when i have decided to buy a nook.
the reasons for me buying were 1. running out of physical space. i live in a small apartment and the books cramp up my space i know a library looks nice and cool but i just hate moving around with all those books ( i finish a book on average 1 per 1.5 weeks. 2. i live in singapore and books are damn expensive. the savings i'll get with buying ebooks are a lot and i calculated that the nook will buy itself after 20-23 books. 3. amazon's quite strict with international purchases and sadly they don't sell the kindle in sg. (need a us address and credit card to buy books for the kindle)
if you really are into reading then i don't think its a hard decision. i do love the smell and feel of a book but it's just illogical for me when i think of the benefits.
You will run into a similar problem buying books for the Nook. The Nook ebooks don't have the DRM that Kindle books have but you can't buy ebooks from BN.com directly from a non-US IP address. Here is how to get around this:
1) Use another ebook retailer besides BN.com. The Nook uses epub which is an open ebook format supported by other online retailers. 2) Use a proxy server located stateside or use VPN 3) Have someone buy the book in the U.S., then log into their BN account to download it to your comp and sideload it onto the Nook*
You can do some googling yourself for more details on 1-3.
*I can't personally verify this one works but I think the IP checking is only for making purchases; I read about this technique on a nook enthusiast forum
On May 30 2010 16:16 BroOd wrote: e-readers are fine for magazines and newspapers, but I don't like the for books at all.
This. There is some aesthetic experience in reading actual books that is lost when transferred to the electronic screen. It's tough to explain my reasoning, but actual books are an experience in themselves, not JUST words written on a page. Also, you can just go to the library to get a book. You still have to pay for books with a Kindle.
eInk is "quiet" and sort of nice. That said, there's no way in hell I'd buy a Kindle right now. They have to do a revamp soon since Apple just decimated them, and there's other readers like the Sony or B&N ones that give you access to ePub books. Also, the next generation of eReaders should be much better than the current.
On May 30 2010 19:12 eugene17 wrote: how timely when i have decided to buy a nook.
the reasons for me buying were 1. running out of physical space. i live in a small apartment and the books cramp up my space i know a library looks nice and cool but i just hate moving around with all those books ( i finish a book on average 1 per 1.5 weeks. 2. i live in singapore and books are damn expensive. the savings i'll get with buying ebooks are a lot and i calculated that the nook will buy itself after 20-23 books. 3. amazon's quite strict with international purchases and sadly they don't sell the kindle in sg. (need a us address and credit card to buy books for the kindle)
if you really are into reading then i don't think its a hard decision. i do love the smell and feel of a book but it's just illogical for me when i think of the benefits.
You will run into a similar problem buying books for the Nook. The Nook ebooks don't have the DRM that Kindle books have but you can't buy ebooks from BN.com directly from a non-US IP address. Here is how to get around this:
1) Use another ebook retailer besides BN.com. The Nook uses epub which is an open ebook format supported by other online retailers. 2) Use a proxy server located stateside or use VPN 3) Have someone buy the book in the U.S., then log into their BN account to download it to your comp and sideload it onto the Nook*
You can do some googling yourself for more details on 1-3.
*I can't personally verify this one works but I think the IP checking is only for making purchases; I read about this technique on a nook enthusiast forum
did my research on this as well. nothing hotspot shield can't do and bn isn't as strict with CCs. I just need a US address (thank you multinational company) and any CC. In case I run into anything now i know who to ping. thanks for the help spaceyes.
(also a colleague has a nook and i verified it with him and he loves it as he can buy online and the book will sync via wifi)
I've put in hundreds of hours of reading on my nintendo DS. At 150$ it's very cheap for the amount of screen size you get and I can't imagine doing without it anymore. I heard that it's possible to read pdfs and things with images too, but mostly I've used it for just text or html so I don't know how well it performs with pdf books. I did convert a few pdfs to html.
I've got this one and I can say it's pretty well worth the price. Its size and its easy readability (as well as its ridiculous battery life) make it worth buying. Keep in mind it's not backlit so you'll need some sort of light to read at night.
Also, either a kindle or a nook (I've seen but have not used the nook, so I can't offer advice on whether or not it's any good) have a ridiculously longer battery life and a more comfortable form than any product apple has made or is likely to make, so stay away from the iPad etc.
I'm might get flamed for saying this, but if you plan on getting a Kindle you could opt to save up a some more money for an ipad. it doesn't use e-ink so there are a lot of situations that you can't really read, but weigh out your options (when you would use it) It's ebooks haven't really kicked off yet, but there's a lot of more different stuff. Just my 2 cents, but I would rather get an iPad than a Kindle, but one of the reason is because I wouldn't do any extensive reading on it (So yeah the other stuff is more appealing). If you're serious about replacing ALL of your hardcopy books with e-devices, then yeah, get a Kindle over a iPad.
On May 30 2010 16:23 mmp wrote: If your computer is discomforting to look at this is probably on account of poor resolution, image quality, brightness, a gaudy desktop/wm theme, or something else that's straining your eyes. You can certainly adjust things for easier reading.
I think there's something inherently difficult about reading directly from the light source.
On computers, the backlight sits directly behind the screen. This produces intense light and sends it straight to the eye, which usually causes strain after longer periods. The paper on books just reflects light from its surroundings, and reflects it inefficiently. I think this might be why it's so easy on the eyes compared to white backgrounds and black text on a computer screen.
From my experience, inverting colors by turning the background black helps a lot with strain. However, it can be painful to switch between normal and inverted colors, especially since most websites and programs use their own colors.
You can't compare the "Electronic ink" displays to a computer monitor or iPad-type device, because they are not the same. No matter what Apple's marketing machine tells you, a pixelated LCD display will cause your eyes to be fatigued after awhile. Electronic ink does not have this drawback, any more so than a real book.
That being said, I'd still rather read with a nice book in my hands. But that is just my opinion.
I don't know much about current reader hardware, but I have a few points you might consider * If you read lots of pdfs you probably want a rather big display, since most pdfs are A4 and cannot be resized very well * Support for drm-free E-Pub * When buying drm-protected books there is the danger of vendor lockin since you might not be able to use your books if you buy your next reader from a different company.
On May 30 2010 22:22 Issorlol wrote: I've got this one and I can say it's pretty well worth the price. Its size and its easy readability (as well as its ridiculous battery life) make it worth buying. Keep in mind it's not backlit so you'll need some sort of light to read at night.
Also, either a kindle or a nook (I've seen but have not used the nook, so I can't offer advice on whether or not it's any good) have a ridiculously longer battery life and a more comfortable form than any product apple has made or is likely to make, so stay away from the iPad etc.
Yes, they are evil. Yes, they are proprietary. Yes, they have sick margins on their products.
But form/UI/battery life are not the main issues with Apple:s products.
Regarding chosing iPad or e-book reader
It comes down to: 1. If you want a device optimized for reading or price is a priority then the clear choice is the Kindle. 2. If you want a device that does a lot of things well, including reading, then the iPad is the clear choice.
On May 30 2010 17:35 space_yes wrote: Kindle: no wifi, you can't replace the battery yourself (you have to send it back to Amazon), ugly, a keyboard on the bottom you'll never use, DRM ebooks Amazon might delete if they get into a pricing dispute with the publisher (i.e. MacMillan).
Nook: touchscreen, wi-fi, you can replace the battery yourself, looks cooler, better accessories. You can also root it to access the Android OS but there's not a lot of third party apps that utilize this yet but if you can code then you add functionality yourself. The only disadvantage is that your side buttons might crack if you abuse them too much however this doesn't impact the functionality of the device at all.
Both support PDFs, both have relatively similar content offerings, screen sizes, dimensions, and are price competitive in terms of ebooks.
FYI: I work at Barnes and Noble. I'm not a shameless hack though, I actually hated the Nook when it first came out b/c the firmware was so bad I refused to sell it to people. Thankfully the company has updated it several times and its significantly better. At the store I work at we've sold many Nooks to customers who own Kindles. Their biggest comment is that the Nook "feels faster" b/c you use the touch screen to navigate your device settings etc. whereas all device manipulation on the Kindle occurs through the e-ink screen.
My advice: if you get the Nook don't abuse the buttons (press the too hard on the very edges). On one of our store demo units the bezel cracked from this. Also you can use the touchscreen to turn pages. If this concerns you get the extended warranty. The Kindle is really an awful device I would never buy one. The nook is mediocre to good but not amazing however it is definitely better than the Kindle.
Don't get the Sony, ridiculously smudgy screen and poor content offerings. Don't get the iPad for reading b/c you can't use it in direct light i.e. outside. At the Apple Store near the BN I work at they actually turn the lights off above the iPads b/c of this. The lightning environment can also impact the iPad's viewing angles and how it picks up reflections. Experiment: go use your iPhone on a sunny day outside to see what I mean. Sure you can use it but it would really suck for reading.
I have personally used the Kindle, Nook, Sony e-reader, and the iPad.
EDIT: one more thing, don't get an e-reader to just read PDFs. They can do it, but it is more of an additional feature. If the text isn't encoded in the PDF you can't resize it (i.e. a scanned document or a document that is basically images to prevent user copy-paste). You can zoom on the Kindle (awkward) and BN hasn't added zoom functionality to the Nook (forthcoming but probably easier with the touchscreen). I will mention though that most PDFs have the text encoded into the file so this may not be an issue for you. If you're just going to read PDFs indoors though, get a ultraportable laptop, netbook (with a newer processor), or an iPad. You'll get more functionality for your $$$ (except with the iPad lol). If you're going to be reading mostly books get the Nook.
OK, I have 500 USD, and I'm looking for an e-reader that could read DJVU format, since is the scanned advanced math book format (in my country is almost impossible to find advanced math paper-books so i had to read e-books). I had search a lot in the interwebz and I think the best choice is the Hanlin : + Show Spoiler +
You might also consider picking up the feature-light but cheap (and newly launched) Kobo E-reader, designed by Chapters.. The Kobo sells at a modest $150 and is not cluttered with a lot of the features other e-reader. If you simply want the e-reader to read books and don't mind transferring books over to the device through your computer, then it is a great option IMO.
For those of you saying that an e-reader is the same as a Ipad or Ipod touch, I have to disagree. E-readers are designed with a e-ink technology and are not back lit, allowing you to read for hours at a time and not experience any eye strain. Also, because of the way e-ink technology works, the battery life on e-books are significantly longer than other devices, the Kindle fore example has a 2 WEEK life span, or 8,000 page turns.
Amazon effectively acknowledged that the deletions were a bad idea. “We are changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers’ devices in these circumstances,” Mr. Herdener said.
Well I'm still waiting for Valve to get the message.
have a kindle 2 small it's awesome. very glad i bought it. you can get a ton of classic books on project gutenberg for free as well.
only thing disappointed is that books are a bit expensive considering it's digital media, especially with DRM. maybe i'm a cheapskate, but i liked it better when it was $10 max, not the $15 some books are now.
nevertheless, i love the kindle. i have a case that holds a reading lamp and will stand up hands free on a table. it's awesome. i wish all my books were kindle books instead of all the paper ones i pull out.
only downside -- any 8.5/11 PDF will not show up readable on the kindle 2. text is generally too small. i'm guessing this is a big upside to the kindle dx. however, you can set them to show wide and it's totally readable, you just have to look at each page in two pieces.
tbh, this is just a general "it's awesome" to e-readers and e ink
On May 30 2010 16:37 General Nuke Em wrote: Don't get one. Amazon might randomly decide to delete the books you bought because of some publishing copyright snafu. *cough*
They're not going to do that anymore:
Amazon effectively acknowledged that the deletions were a bad idea. “We are changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers’ devices in these circumstances,” Mr. Herdener said.
On May 30 2010 16:45 rbkl wrote: I would recommend you get an iPad - saw one for the first time the other day and it was realyl amazing. For the same price you honestly get a lot more at least with functionality.
There's a huge difference between a fingerprint-covered, glossy iPad LCD and the e-ink display of the Kindle :/
Clearly you have never used an iPhone or iPad...
Clearly you have never tried to read for an extended period of time on an iPhone or iPad...
I have a Kindle and access to an iPad and I would never read on the iPad over the Kindle. Sure the iPad has a shiny color screen but the weight difference is definitely noticeable after an extended period of time. There are a couple other reasons but the way I tend to read, the weight is the major stopping point. It's personal choice.
maybe i'm a cheapskate, but i liked it better when it was $10 max, not the $15 some books are now.
This is basically due to a 'battle' between Amazon & the big publishing companies. The companies basically pulled their stuff until the prices went up. It's a lot more complicated like that and Amazon is partially to blame, but I don't know enough about it to say anything more.
There are so many different ebook readers out there now that you really need to evaluate what features you want before making a decision. The Kindle is great but it isn't for everyone.
One thing I'd like to note... only half the books on my Kindle were actually bought from Amazon. It's also possible to strip the DRM from Amazon bought books if necessary.
On May 31 2010 05:46 aers wrote: I have a Kindle and access to an iPad and I would never read on the iPad over the Kindle. Sure the iPad has a shiny color screen but the weight difference is definitely noticeable after an extended period of time. There are a couple other reasons but the way I tend to read, the weight is the major stopping point. It's personal choice.
maybe i'm a cheapskate, but i liked it better when it was $10 max, not the $15 some books are now.
This is basically due to a 'battle' between Amazon & the big publishing companies. The companies basically pulled their stuff until the prices went up. It's a lot more complicated like that and Amazon is partially to blame, but I don't know enough about it to say anything more.
yeah, i know.
generally we pinch our fingers and hope that technological advances and market evolution should make things better and cheaper (or at least, better value for the price. the man acts as if market evolution and technological changes should make them more money with less risk. it's a bit of a downside.
look at steam/xbox live. here's a way in which anyone can make a game without getting a publisher on their side and be able to distribute it and make money off of it. big companies like EA and Activision see it and their eyes flash dollar signs and DLC.
the up side is the publishing companies will lose in the end and eventually things will trickle down to a more reasonable price ($15 for anything other than a brand-new textbook type situation is ridic i think) i have successfully stripped DRM off one kindle book, but it wasn't a great kindle release to begin with (as in, formatting issues, etc.) and it turned out even shittier. i don't know why torrent sites haven't sprung up distributing kindle books yet, maybe since they're so small it's not worth it
The price tag is a bit too big for me, although I do have a lot of my textbooks on PDF and being able to read them on a device that's easier on the eyes is a big plus.
I've got a kindle DX and I certainly find that I read much more than I used to. There is something to be said when in 20 seconds I can get the next book in a series and continue reading it on one device. Did I mention there are always a bunch of free books for the kindle right through the amazon store? Try out a new book in a series you haven't thought about, its wonderful.
The e-ink display is super awesome for text, Period. There are a whole ton of people who say there is some intangible to reading an actual book that you lose if you were to read it on a kindle, those people are hacks. Are you honestly thinking about the texture of the pages or even the act of flipping a page when you are focused on reading? No you arent, its just words on a page that get manufactored into the story in your head. Because e-ink doesnt refresh, youre looking at a static image of the text and so all the complaints about reading for hours on a CRT or an LCD really are moot. Its also nice that with the cell radio in the kindle itll sync your page and so you can use the kindle app on your pc/mac/iphone/ipad and keep up on your pages, as each device will automatically sync to the furthest read page. For the slowness of the kindle's screen, the 3G radio is fine for the super limited internet surfing you'd ever do on it. Don't be fooled, the Kindle is a e-book reader first and foremost, everything else is a perk or experimental.
As for the price..thats where it gets a bit touchy. There are plenty of netbooks that approach the kindle DX range, and most notably the iPad, which trades the nice e-ink screen for a more fully fledged internet device.
If you are an avid reader or already have an iphone and dont need the dual-ness of the ipad, I'd say get one, I love my Kindle DX dearly. Otherwise the iPad might be a better choice.
i don't think kindles are that good. maybe u should buy a laptop with 10 hours battery life instead. the only benefit kindle would have over a laptop is it's battery life and price, but laptop's can run pretty long now. with a laptop you can run pdfs rather than just specialized formats, that is the only formats that kindle can handle. with the right program you can even highlight text and make notes with your laptop for pds which is really useful. a kindle costs about 1/3 - 1/4 of a laptop with the above capabilities. if that isn't a big deal to you i'd recommend a laptop for sure.
On May 31 2010 08:09 Daimon wrote: i don't think kindles are that good. maybe u should buy a laptop with 10 hours battery life instead. the only benefit kindle would have over a laptop is it's battery life and price, but laptop's can run pretty long now. with a laptop you can run pdfs rather than just specialized formats, that is the only formats that kindle can handle. with the right program you can even highlight text and make notes with your laptop for pds which is really useful. a kindle costs about 1/3 - 1/4 of a laptop with the above capabilities. if that isn't a big deal to you i'd recommend a laptop for sure.
....
I think you're totally misunderstanding the reasons people buy eBook readers.
On May 30 2010 16:10 denzelz wrote: I love to read when I get a chance to do it. After starting college, I haven't really engaged in much outside reading.
A lot of people are gadget hounds who like to have the latest, nifty piece of technology, but gadgets only serve to supplement the things we already do. A great graphics tablet isn't suddenly going to turn you into an artist, just like a Kindle isn't going to turn you into a voracious reader. If you were buying so many books that you simply didn't have space for them all in your dorm room or you traveled so frequently that carrying multiple paperbacks was a drag, a Kindle might be for you. But I don't think it is. Save your money.
I haven't read what other people here have said, but here's my two cents :D
I adore my Kindle. I thought I was going to be one of those elitist "I love the feel of a real book!" people, but when my girlfriend surprised me with one my mind was blown.
The kindle feels nicer in your hands than any book. Turning pages is archaic and miserable. Books are somewhat unwieldy and limit the amount of positions in which you can read comfortably. Yes, you get that spoiled when you have a Kindle. This is from someone who had no intentions of getting one and who once quite loved real books.
I will say, that if you intend to mostly steal books, which I think is what makes the most sense if you buy one, (otherwise, why wouldn't you want what is essentially a free physical copy + art) be prepared to be a bit tech savvy. Almost nothing you can find for free is in the proper format (apart from stuff like Gutenberg), so you will have to learn to deal with converters and such. Calibre FTW. Also, if you're a bit OCD, you'll have to deal with learning to format books how you want them (justified, no space between paragraphs, etc).
If you're one who intends to buy books, this might come as good news, since its a boon you get over those who pirate-- such boons are usually few and far between.
Touch-screens suck. The kindle keyboard is pretty nice.
If you don't intend to pay for books, and are a voracious reader, it will pay for itself fairly quickly. It does seem, however, that the .lit format is much more common, and going with a Sony reader might be beneficial. Can't comment on quality of any other reader other than my general hatred for touch screens.
On May 31 2010 08:09 Daimon wrote: i don't think kindles are that good. maybe u should buy a laptop with 10 hours battery life instead. the only benefit kindle would have over a laptop is it's battery life and price, but laptop's can run pretty long now. with a laptop you can run pdfs rather than just specialized formats, that is the only formats that kindle can handle. with the right program you can even highlight text and make notes with your laptop for pds which is really useful. a kindle costs about 1/3 - 1/4 of a laptop with the above capabilities. if that isn't a big deal to you i'd recommend a laptop for sure.
....
I think you're totally misunderstanding the reasons people buy eBook readers.
how is that exactly? i'm not claiming that a laptop is for everyone, i was only making a suggestion. i wanted to buy an ebook reader too at some point but then i considered all the stuff you can do with ebooks on a laptop that no ebook reader can really do that well. yes an ebook reader has benefits that a laptop doesn't, but a laptop has benefits an ebook reader doesn't also SPECIFICALLY for ebooks, nevermind the other stuff you can do with a laptop. the question becomes whether the benefits of an ebook reader exceed the benefits that you can find in a laptop. for me the answer was no. for example, no ebook reader out there can run adobe 9 professional, and you can do some really awesome stuff with ebooks with that program. it made reading and studying books/ textbooks so much easier for me.
On May 31 2010 08:09 Daimon wrote: i don't think kindles are that good. maybe u should buy a laptop with 10 hours battery life instead. the only benefit kindle would have over a laptop is it's battery life and price, but laptop's can run pretty long now. with a laptop you can run pdfs rather than just specialized formats, that is the only formats that kindle can handle. with the right program you can even highlight text and make notes with your laptop for pds which is really useful. a kindle costs about 1/3 - 1/4 of a laptop with the above capabilities. if that isn't a big deal to you i'd recommend a laptop for sure.
....
I think you're totally misunderstanding the reasons people buy eBook readers.
how is that exactly? i'm not claiming that a laptop is for everyone, i was only making a suggestion. i wanted to buy an ebook reader too at some point but then i considered all the stuff you can do with ebooks on a laptop that no ebook reader can really do that well. yes an ebook reader has benefits that a laptop doesn't, but a laptop has benefits an ebook reader doesn't also SPECIFICALLY for ebooks, nevermind the other stuff you can do with a laptop. the question becomes whether the benefits of an ebook reader exceed the benefits that you can find in a laptop. for me the answer was no. for example, no ebook reader out there can run adobe 9 professional, and you can do some really awesome stuff with ebooks with that program. it made reading and studying books/ textbooks so much easier for me.
edit: also another thing i wanted to mention was
Redundant. People who wants to buy an eBook reader would already know about laptops. =.=
I wouldn't buy an ebook reader because I think you will at some point lose all your books that you have stored on this thing. In 10 years it might be damaged and by then the technology is outdated and it would be a hassle to get all your books back again. With a real book you know that it is gonna be there all your life except maybe if your house gets destroyed. I don't know I just think a bookshelf with a nice collection of books is a real gem to have. I once found an book in our attic that was written in 1904 and was about the german-chinese war and damn it felt so authentic and awesome to read in it and just hold that 100 year old book in your hands, you could never have that experience with ebooks. Aside from that my favorite places to read besides my bed are at the beach and at the swimming pool and with a 250$ device you'd have to constantly have an eye on your bag and be worried about thieves :/
On May 31 2010 08:09 Daimon wrote: i don't think kindles are that good. maybe u should buy a laptop with 10 hours battery life instead. the only benefit kindle would have over a laptop is it's battery life and price, but laptop's can run pretty long now. with a laptop you can run pdfs rather than just specialized formats, that is the only formats that kindle can handle. with the right program you can even highlight text and make notes with your laptop for pds which is really useful. a kindle costs about 1/3 - 1/4 of a laptop with the above capabilities. if that isn't a big deal to you i'd recommend a laptop for sure.
....
I think you're totally misunderstanding the reasons people buy eBook readers.
how is that exactly? i'm not claiming that a laptop is for everyone, i was only making a suggestion. i wanted to buy an ebook reader too at some point but then i considered all the stuff you can do with ebooks on a laptop that no ebook reader can really do that well. yes an ebook reader has benefits that a laptop doesn't, but a laptop has benefits an ebook reader doesn't also SPECIFICALLY for ebooks, nevermind the other stuff you can do with a laptop. the question becomes whether the benefits of an ebook reader exceed the benefits that you can find in a laptop. for me the answer was no. for example, no ebook reader out there can run adobe 9 professional, and you can do some really awesome stuff with ebooks with that program. it made reading and studying books/ textbooks so much easier for me.
edit: also another thing i wanted to mention was
Redundant. People who wants to buy an eBook reader would already know about laptops. =.=
lol, did you even read what i wrote or just the first couple sentences? yeah i'm sure many people know about laptops, thanks for pointing that out. not many people know about what you can do with adobe acrobat 9 pro though, i'm afraid. please read more carefully to the posts you reply to in the future.
On May 31 2010 08:09 Daimon wrote: i don't think kindles are that good. maybe u should buy a laptop with 10 hours battery life instead. the only benefit kindle would have over a laptop is it's battery life and price, but laptop's can run pretty long now. with a laptop you can run pdfs rather than just specialized formats, that is the only formats that kindle can handle. with the right program you can even highlight text and make notes with your laptop for pds which is really useful. a kindle costs about 1/3 - 1/4 of a laptop with the above capabilities. if that isn't a big deal to you i'd recommend a laptop for sure.
....
I think you're totally misunderstanding the reasons people buy eBook readers.
how is that exactly? i'm not claiming that a laptop is for everyone, i was only making a suggestion. i wanted to buy an ebook reader too at some point but then i considered all the stuff you can do with ebooks on a laptop that no ebook reader can really do that well. yes an ebook reader has benefits that a laptop doesn't, but a laptop has benefits an ebook reader doesn't also SPECIFICALLY for ebooks, nevermind the other stuff you can do with a laptop. the question becomes whether the benefits of an ebook reader exceed the benefits that you can find in a laptop. for me the answer was no. for example, no ebook reader out there can run adobe 9 professional, and you can do some really awesome stuff with ebooks with that program. it made reading and studying books/ textbooks so much easier for me.
edit: also another thing i wanted to mention was
The whole point of eReader, at least for me, is to have as little straing on your eyes as possible. No other with LCD screen come even remotely close to e-ink capabilities in that regard. I believe this is the main reason anyone should buy eReader at all (maybe portability too, but that's secondary)
I'm not a huge book person so I guess I don't understand the fad behind this...but does the average person really need to carry around 1500 books at all times :/ Just seems like an expensive luxory only NEEDED by a very small amount of people.
Not dissing it! Just don't understand the full practicality of it.
On May 31 2010 08:09 Daimon wrote: i don't think kindles are that good. maybe u should buy a laptop with 10 hours battery life instead. the only benefit kindle would have over a laptop is it's battery life and price, but laptop's can run pretty long now. with a laptop you can run pdfs rather than just specialized formats, that is the only formats that kindle can handle. with the right program you can even highlight text and make notes with your laptop for pds which is really useful. a kindle costs about 1/3 - 1/4 of a laptop with the above capabilities. if that isn't a big deal to you i'd recommend a laptop for sure.
....
I think you're totally misunderstanding the reasons people buy eBook readers.
how is that exactly? i'm not claiming that a laptop is for everyone, i was only making a suggestion. i wanted to buy an ebook reader too at some point but then i considered all the stuff you can do with ebooks on a laptop that no ebook reader can really do that well. yes an ebook reader has benefits that a laptop doesn't, but a laptop has benefits an ebook reader doesn't also SPECIFICALLY for ebooks, nevermind the other stuff you can do with a laptop. the question becomes whether the benefits of an ebook reader exceed the benefits that you can find in a laptop. for me the answer was no. for example, no ebook reader out there can run adobe 9 professional, and you can do some really awesome stuff with ebooks with that program. it made reading and studying books/ textbooks so much easier for me.
edit: also another thing i wanted to mention was
Redundant. People who wants to buy an eBook reader would already know about laptops. =.=
lol, did you even read what i wrote or just the first couple sentences? yeah i'm sure many people know about laptops, thanks for pointing that out. not many people know about what you can do with adobe acrobat 9 pro though, i'm afraid. please read more carefully to the posts you reply to in the future.
Wow, looks like you're the only one who knows about adobe acrobat. (Use FOXIT, newbie. It's faster... and free.) Look. All your information is redundant. Plus, look at your phrases:
i don't think..
maybe u should...
You clearly don't have an understanding why one would go for an ebook reader. You would think we did not considered a laptop at first? Or maybe even a netbook?
First of all, a book. You pick it the fuck up and read. Not wait for a fucking boot screen or other apps to start up.
Second of all, they last much longer than a laptop: E-ink. Read about it. And laptop on standby is not gonna work. So is the fake advertising of a laptop's hours. Guess how they test the hours. With lights as dimmed as possible and the lid closed.
Third, mobility: There are no seats on the train, bus, rail.... you are standing up..... your other hand is holding bag... you already have a backpack.... switch on.... and read......no need for a second hand to flip the fucking pages.
TL;DR Do you know if I remove any mention of ebook readers in your post, all you did is advertised computers to rednecks? We are not rednecks. Hence, redundant.
I wouldn't buy one of these just because then you're locked into one company's store... and I've heard it's quite a hassle to pirate decently. As a MONSTER reader both of these are deal killers to me.
On May 30 2010 19:12 eugene17 wrote: how timely when i have decided to buy a nook.
the reasons for me buying were 1. running out of physical space. i live in a small apartment and the books cramp up my space i know a library looks nice and cool but i just hate moving around with all those books ( i finish a book on average 1 per 1.5 weeks. 2. i live in singapore and books are damn expensive. the savings i'll get with buying ebooks are a lot and i calculated that the nook will buy itself after 20-23 books. 3. amazon's quite strict with international purchases and sadly they don't sell the kindle in sg. (need a us address and credit card to buy books for the kindle)
if you really are into reading then i don't think its a hard decision. i do love the smell and feel of a book but it's just illogical for me when i think of the benefits.
You will run into a similar problem buying books for the Nook. The Nook ebooks don't have the DRM that Kindle books have but you can't buy ebooks from BN.com directly from a non-US IP address. Here is how to get around this:
1) Use another ebook retailer besides BN.com. The Nook uses epub which is an open ebook format supported by other online retailers. 2) Use a proxy server located stateside or use VPN 3) Have someone buy the book in the U.S., then log into their BN account to download it to your comp and sideload it onto the Nook*
You can do some googling yourself for more details on 1-3.
*I can't personally verify this one works but I think the IP checking is only for making purchases; I read about this technique on a nook enthusiast forum
did my research on this as well. nothing hotspot shield can't do and bn isn't as strict with CCs. I just need a US address (thank you multinational company) and any CC. In case I run into anything now i know who to ping. thanks for the help spaceyes.
(also a colleague has a nook and i verified it with him and he loves it as he can buy online and the book will sync via wifi)
That is good to know. I only work part-time in the evenings (I'm a college student) but I feel better about telling people you can get it to work overseas.
On May 31 2010 08:26 Ndugu wrote: I haven't read what other people here have said, but here's my two cents :D
[...]
Touch-screens suck. The kindle keyboard is pretty nice.
Lol very logical. The kindle keyboard < Nook touchscreen (or other device with 2 screens) b/c every time you need to manipulate the Kindle your reading is interrupted when the e-ink screen switches over to the menu whereas with the Nook your book remains open on the e-ink screen.
No offense Kindle owners but the Nook is a superior device though I will add that it's not superior enough to throw down another $260 unless money is no object.
On May 31 2010 16:07 USn wrote: I wouldn't buy one of these just because then you're locked into one company's store... and I've heard it's quite a hassle to pirate decently. As a MONSTER reader both of these are deal killers to me.
One of the big issues with the Kindle is that you're going to be locked into Amazon's DRM ebook format. The more books you buy the harder it will be to switch to another e-reader down the road.
You can buy ebooks for the Nook from other retailers besides BN since the Nook supports EPUB (open ebook format). Also, it's really easy to pirate on the Nook. Trust me I know
In Seattle you can even check out e-books from your library if you don't want to pirate anything though they expire after a couple of weeks.
On May 31 2010 09:40 REDBLUEGREEN wrote: I wouldn't buy an ebook reader because I think you will at some point lose all your books that you have stored on this thing. In 10 years it might be damaged and by then the technology is outdated and it would be a hassle to get all your books back again. With a real book you know that it is gonna be there all your life except maybe if your house gets destroyed. I don't know I just think a bookshelf with a nice collection of books is a real gem to have. I once found an book in our attic that was written in 1904 and was about the german-chinese war and damn it felt so authentic and awesome to read in it and just hold that 100 year old book in your hands, you could never have that experience with ebooks. Aside from that my favorite places to read besides my bed are at the beach and at the swimming pool and with a 250$ device you'd have to constantly have an eye on your bag and be worried about thieves :/
With both Amazon and BN you have an online account that keeps digital receipts of all your ebooks so if you lose your e-reader or the memory gets wiped you can easily re-download the book. The existence of cool antique books is not an argument against e-readers. Most people don't roll around with their copy of War and Peace from 1891 lol.
On May 31 2010 17:27 space_yes wrote:With both Amazon and BN you have an online account that keeps digital receipts of all your ebooks so if you lose your e-reader or the memory gets wiped you can easily re-download the book. The existence of cool antique books is not an argument against e-readers. Most people don't roll around with their copy of War and Peace from 1891 lol.
I'm pretty sure you can't, I own a Sony Ereader or w/e it's called and I couldn't use amazon books.
However, most readers have their own store which will sell books formatted to be read on their reader. One minor detail is that you may need an american credit card (they wouldn't let me use my international visa), but you can find online book stores that will sell you books in usable formats for the same price (i.e. pdf).
On August 07 2010 03:57 gds wrote: After reading most of the thread i still wonder if you can read a book bought on amazon.com on another ereader device than the kindle?
I have a Verizon Droid X with the [free] kindle app. All you have to pay for is the books. That's an option. It's backlit so the phone's battery drains quickly, whereas the kindle's battery lasts forever and it's easier to read in daylight.
Not only is it sluggish but personally I do not think its worth it.. With that said.. I did get my mom one for her birthday, and she loves it and uses it all the time.
I bought a Sony Reader a few years ago when it was $60 when you signed up for a Sony credit card, and it was totally worth it. It was quite a bit slower at page turning than the current e-ink readers, but I got used to it after a day or so of reading, after which I started pressing the next button before I finished the page.
Don't do it. I hear that it's much better reading the actual book.. Plus if you ever return items on Amazon, I hear you can get your account banned rather easily and your kindle is now a paper weight.
Hey, sorry to bump this old thread but I figured it would be better than making a new one if it already exists.
I was wondering, what do you guys think of the Kindle 3 compared to some of the other stuff. I'm pretty settled on buying an E-reader that can read PDF (for reading lecture notes, e-textbooks, and obviously books/novels as well. The dictionary is pretty awesome too), so lets keep the "its a waste of money" discussion away please. I just want feedback of how good/reliable the kindle is vs some of the other stuff. (PS. its only $140).
On May 13 2011 02:47 mprs wrote: Hey, sorry to bump this old thread but I figured it would be better than making a new one if it already exists.
I was wondering, what do you guys think of the Kindle 3 compared to some of the other stuff. I'm pretty settled on buying an E-reader that can read PDF (for reading lecture notes, e-textbooks, and obviously books/novels as well. The dictionary is pretty awesome too), so lets keep the "its a waste of money" discussion away please. I just want feedback of how good/reliable the kindle is vs some of the other stuff. (PS. its only $140).
It's not very good for textbooks or lecture notes frankly, but there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't buy it just for novels. It is NOT a waste of money at all, one of the best purchases I've made this year by far, most skeptics haven't even used the thing, I know because when I show them they fucking love it.
I have one thing I hold against the kindle. Size. It is too big for me, at that size I could just as well use a laptop. Though e-ink is the difference. E-ink is wonderful.
So I got a small reader (I can put it in my pocket). I like it a lot, but I didn't even compare it with the kindle since the kindle is in the wrong category for me.
I was very against a kindle preferring teh "paper feel" etc. Then I tried it. It's great. Books are a lot cheaper for it too. Size is fine for me, it compares favourably with the paper versions.
It also blows my mind that I could download books wirelessly in places like the Kruger National Park. (There aren't many normal bookshops there!)
I have used a Kindle for the last 3 years or so, and it is quite awesome. Most of my ebooks are a fraction of the cost of a paper book, in some cases they are free if no royalties are being paid, and it is obviously quite a bit lighter to carry around. Of course, I read a lot, so it is the perfect device for me.
A benefit if you are not going to be near a power outlet for a length of time is that the battery life, if you turn the wifi off when not downloading books, will last you for 48 hours worth of reading time.
Edit: @mprs: It isn't that great for textbooks and articles you may want to refer to (especially if you are citing using MLA format) for school, although to be fair I have yet to actually use the Kindle 3 so maybe there are improvements I didn't notice. As or reading everyday books, it is perfect.
I'm thinking of buying one. Many people seem to complain about the price in this thread, but these days they cost 139(for the keyboard one with 4gb)
I really prefer the good old books, but books are heavy and takes up a lot of place, so a Kindle is way more convenient. What I'm really afraid of, though, is that I will have a hard time reading one book, and instead just read a little on 10 different books (I have this problem when listening to MP3s on my iPhone, I can just NEVER complete a song before putting on the next). I really just can't decide! Help me out guys
PS: I'm not really considering the new one, as I just want to read books, not play games and watch movies.
Kindle (or any e-Ink reader really) with Caliber is great. Big paperback books are great to have but academic books and work papers are just so annoying to lug around. Instead of dealing with easily lost and damaged sheets of paper or huge 2000 page hardcover textbooks, you just use one, light and hard to lose device.
I have one thing I hold against the kindle. Size. It is too big for me, at that size I could just as well use a laptop. Though e-ink is the difference. E-ink is wonderful.
The standard one is like the size of a typical sized paperback. Perhaps you're thinking about the Kindle DX? Its not difficult to get confused, look at Amazon's websites right now - their product segmentation is confusing as hell!
I own a Nook. E-readers are awesome, and can load non-DRM files. If you happen to have any of those lying around, you can use Calibre and put them on your device.
On May 13 2011 02:57 adun12345 wrote: I'm generally not a terribly materialistic person - I don't care all that much about my possessions.
But damn do I like owning books. Real, bound-paper books. I just can't get enough of them.
I doubt I'll ever end up with a Kindle-type device.
This a million times over. Its a huge pain in the ass, since I am constantly moving in/out of my appartment every spring and fall while I work out of town in the summer, putting books into storage. etc etc. But it is so worth it. I have an iPhone and I won't even use the free kindle app for that reason, its convenient. But I will instead order books from amazon and wait a week, plus walk to local bookstore just to support them.
Seriously, if there is anything more awesome than having shelves and shelves and shelves of your own books; its going to book stores. lol. Just say no to Kindle for pleasure reading.
That said, if I had a good reason to use one for textbooks/pdfs I would consider it. But depending on your field, you very well might want the hardcopy versions of those books for the future. I have all my math books from undergrad and grad school; and even though I ended up not going the academic position route, I am glad that I have them. If you DO go the academic position route, a nice library of texts in your office is basically mandatory.
On October 09 2011 07:16 Arnstein wrote: I'm thinking of buying one. Many people seem to complain about the price in this thread, but these days they cost 139(for the keyboard one with 4gb)
I really prefer the good old books, but books are heavy and takes up a lot of place, so a Kindle is way more convenient. What I'm really afraid of, though, is that I will have a hard time reading one book, and instead just read a little on 10 different books (I have this problem when listening to MP3s on my iPhone, I can just NEVER complete a song before putting on the next). I really just can't decide! Help me out guys
PS: I'm not really considering the new one, as I just want to read books, not play games and watch movies.
I have the old one. First off I would definitely get the touch screen over the keyboard because it's more compact. The keyboard is not worth the extra space on the device. The Kindle Touch Wifi starts at $99 which is quite a bit cheaper than the previous generation Kindles.
For reading the device is definitely top notch and has many advantages over paperback books; these advantages are obvious so I won't bother pointing them out here. The only flaw with the Kindle is that it doesn't come with a reading light so that problem needs to be solved if you read a lot at night.
Whether or not this device is worth it depends on you. If you are an avid reader then I would definitely go for it. However, I was not (although I thought I was), I just devoured the books I loved and now I rarely use the Kindle anymore. Nevertheless, I don't regret it because whenever I feel like reading a lot of classics I still have the Kindle option available.
Lastly regarding downloading pirated ebooks. (I'm not going to lie, I bought the Kindle so that I wouldn't have to buy books anymore.) I've done this and this is very easy to do. However the hard thing is finding a properly formatted release with all the words spelled correctly, this can be mildly annoying at times.
edit: don't listen to the people dissing e-readers because they 'like the feel of the book in their hands'. whether or not you feel this is completely up to you. I for one didn't miss this feel at all because the Kindle is lighter and much easier to hold especially with one hand (especially compared to those annoying compact books that just fold in on themselves, so annoying).
The Kindle program is free for windows, and I love it. I often read in bed from my laptop. It's a great way to store and organize your books.
Some of the greatest pluses of ebooks is that you can easily click a word to get a definition, easily set bookmarks and notes for great quotes (very useful for homework assignments too), and ebooks tend to be cheaper than paper books.
You can take many many more books wherever you go without being concerned on space. If I go for a long plane trip, I devour books very quickly, and I'm not sure what I want to read at any given time so I'll often pack 4-5 big novels, plus a few smaller ones for light reading. With the Kindle I plan to get, I won't have to do that.
The main disadvantage, I think, is that there is no way to transfer books you already own onto it.
Not that I would expect there to be such a way, but it means that you're essentially starting your book reading from scratch.
As an ambidextrous person, I love the fact that I can flip the page on my Kindle with either hand. Definitely the best purchase I've made in a long while. Most classic books are available for download, legally, completely free. Pirating books isn't all that hard either, so if you're comfortable with either of these options you'll end up saving a ton of money.
I've probably read more books in the last 6 months than I did in the previous 4 years simply because it's so much easier to access.
Get the basic model. At 79$ they will be worth every penny. Anything above that is just icing on the cake (and the DX price is, as you stated, absurd).
It really depends on your eyes. I'll never buy a Kindle myself, as I can read on my phone for hours just fine, and why carry two devices around when one can do the job? Especially since you carry your phone with you nearly all the time, it's so convenient - whenever random stuff happens during the day and I have to wait (in a long queue, or for a pizza, whatever) I just get the phone out and start reading. I've read the entirety of the Way of Kings (1000+ pages hardcover) on my 2.55 inch android phone and loved it. I guess surfing the web on 3g works too but I like reading way more, as I feel like surfing can be done much quicker on my comp.
On the other hand my girlfriend, parents, etc really dislike reading on a backlit screen and there's no way in hell they would do that, so paper or e-ink is the next best choice.
So it really depends how your eyes work.
Regarding the joy of possessing a physical book, unless the book is really beautiful, what's the point really? It's like video games, they used to have beautiful boxes but now it's all the same standard shitty plastic case with sometimes even a PDF manual. So either buy the collector edition or just buy the download imo. Same for books, I'll either buy the hardcover or get the ebook.
I have decided to buy an ebook reader as well. Did a lot of research on it tonight.
I am leaning toward kindle touch and sony PRS-T1 at this point. I would probably get the standard 79$ kindle, but in a couple reviews I read that the physical buttons were kinda crappy.
I've pretty much decided to buy one, I just need to choose between the Kindle 3 or Touch. I really like the Kindle 3, and I'm not a big fan of touch-screen(and I love the buttons to switch pages on the Kindle 3), but Touch is cheaper.
On October 09 2011 15:35 Arnstein wrote: I've pretty much decided to buy one, I just need to choose between the Kindle 3 or Touch. I really like the Kindle 3, and I'm not a big fan of touch-screen(and I love the buttons to switch pages on the Kindle 3), but Touch is cheaper.
All the kindles are pretty cheap except the DX. No idea why that is so expensive. I would prefer both touch screen and physical buttons for sure. Kinda weird they don't have both options. I think I have decided to go with the touch though. I really don't want the keyboard.
Having bought a kindle myself, I have to say it has great advantages. I'll just list the advantages and disadvantages I can come up with. Advantages: -Space. You can carry a whole library around with you, that is really good for travelling. -Downloading stuff. You can download books ANYWHERE where you have mobile phone network. Just fucking awesome. -Good display. A kindle (not the tablet I guess) is as good as a book to read, meaning that it beats tablets by far in that regard.
Disadvantages: -Cost. Now not that mutch but still, its quite a bit of money. The books themselves are not cheaper (not that mutch at least.), so it would take about 150 books until it has payed for itself. -Battery. A book doesnt need battery, a kindle does. Note that this disadvantage is minor and only comes into play if you are on a 2 week vacation without power. -Variety. I dont know what plans amazon has for the future but there are far less books in the kindle store avaiable than in a bookstore. If you don't want to read books in english it is really hard to find what you want in the store.
I have to admit myself that there is one more point. Since I kinda "collect" books (will run out of space soon I fear) I dislike that you dont hold in your hands what you read. But that is really a personal thing. I hope my points helped to make a desicion.
On October 09 2011 12:01 KevinIX wrote: The Kindle program is free for windows, and I love it. I often read in bed from my laptop. It's a great way to store and organize your books.
Some of the greatest pluses of ebooks is that you can easily click a word to get a definition, easily set bookmarks and notes for great quotes (very useful for homework assignments too), and ebooks tend to be cheaper than paper books.
The whole point of a Kindle is to be able to read ebooks without the screen firing high-energy electrons into your eyes.
Which is why I really hate reading off a computer screen.
I ordered myself a nook touch a few days ago; eagerly waiting for it! Haha, sorry if I'm somewhat offtopic, but this seems to be more of a general ereader thread now so...
I would use one, if I had actual control over my books. As the kindle has severe DRM (e.g. locking me out of books because of highlighting), and Amazon has actual control over my library... I'll stick with paper until things improve.
On October 09 2011 23:09 Gnosis wrote: I would use one, if I had actual control over my books. As the kindle has severe DRM (e.g. locking me out of books because of highlighting), and Amazon has actual control over my library... I'll stick with paper until things improve.
Stripping drm from books is very easy, so is converting between formats.
But you're right the biggest flaw in kindles is the excessive drm and refusal to support open source formats. It's really shameful. I couldn't buy my father one for his birthday because of this, I got him a Kobo touch instead and it's actually much nicer than my kindle in several ways, but most importantly works with library software, takes all formats, etc.
my parents and my brother bought a kindle, and they think its awsome , and they lvoe it. they travel a lot, so its good for them they dont need to carry 10 books around just 1 kindle.
if you read a lot and have not too much space for books , a kindle is a good choice!
On May 30 2010 16:16 BroOd wrote: e-readers are fine for magazines and newspapers, but I don't like the for books at all.
Have you tried e-readers like the Kindle? The screen isn't actually like any screen you've ever seen before -- it's e-ink.
I actually prefer it over most books in terms of eye strain since the bleach white background isn't there. The only downside is you need a lamp to read because e-ink has no back light (like a real book I guess).
On August 07 2010 03:57 gds wrote: After reading most of the thread i still wonder if you can read a book bought on amazon.com on another ereader device than the kindle?
Yeah you can. Kindle has apps for iPad/iPhone and Android so you can read it on those if you want, there are programs for computers to read pretty much any ebook file format, and you can pretty easily convert them using the same software. Just think of it like you would an mp3.
On August 07 2010 03:57 gds wrote: After reading most of the thread i still wonder if you can read a book bought on amazon.com on another ereader device than the kindle?
Yeah you can. Kindle has apps for iPad/iPhone and Android so you can read it on those if you want, there are programs for computers to read pretty much any ebook file format, and you can pretty easily convert them using the same software. Just think of it like you would an mp3.
Except, of course, that you shouldn't be transcoding mp3s to other formats :S
i wish bigger e-ink readers would become more common, like the size of a decent tablet. (9 or 10") i just hope ebook readers won't get cannibalised by the dominance of the tablets these days.
To anybody in this thread considering getting a kindle. Yes, you should get one. At this point if somebody gave me for free me a normal book and its ebook I would throw the book away and read it in my kindle. It's just more convenient. A thing I love about the kindle is that it saves all the words you highlight to a txt file ("My Clippings.txt" on the usb storage). When I'm done reading a book in English (I'm not a native speaker and novels are full of literary or archaic words that I've never heard) I grab the txt and review the words I learned. The inline dictionary is also very easy to use and you can replace it. Another advantage for me is that I can select the font size. I like reading in a slightly bigger font size than what publishers use.
I have had many ebook readers, and I would advise you to avoid touch devices. I had a sony with touchscreen and it was super annoying how the page would change or a word would get highlighted sometimes when I touched the screen accidentally. Currently I use a kindle 3 wifi (no touch) and I think it's the best device available atm, I like how I can touch it on the screen when I grab it without nothing happening (don't worry it doesn't get dirty like a phone screen or something) There are also available hacks to replace the fonts (which I recommend).
But maybe it's just me because if people was as annoyed as me because of the touch thing the devices wouldn't sell. I suspect that a lot of people buying these devices are getting them for novelty rather than intensive reading.
Overall, I get the feeling that while most devices were designed to sell (i.e: to impress a potential buyer that tries it in a shop) the kindle was really well thought up and designed for its intended purpose, replacing books. Keep in mind that amazon main business is selling books (I haven't tried the nook, but it gives me the same "commercial" flashy feeling, like they outsourced it to some company instead of getting involved heavily in its design like Amazon, so I'm not gonna get one)
About connectivity options, I would recommend you to disable whatever wireless tech comes with the reader (wifi, 3g, bluetooth) cause they decrease the battery life. Just use the usb cable.
I just got the new $79 amazon kindle the way the words are displayed make it easy on the eyes. I got the ad supported one and they don't bother me. They don't come up when your reading and really only up show on the standby screen which I think make it look more lively. I don't need 3g as I'm not away from a wifi connection most of the time anyway. Its nice also not having to deal with the paper on some books and sometimes they pages novels are made out of irritate my skin so I never have to worry about the kind of paper the book is made with either.
My father owns a kindle and I must say if you want an ebook buy this. It has a really nice screen, it prevents your eyes from getting tired watching a screen.
I have over 300 books for my kindle, it's better than reading the actual paperbook. Easier to read, better, easier to find, carry with you.
I am just sad I won't automatically get my library on it ...
Only thing it's bad for is if you are reading books with a lot of illustrations, ie, non-fiction, science books, whatever, with lots of diagrams and so on. That's easier to see in an actual book.
Do you guys think that they will stop producing and selling the Kindle 3/Keyboard now that the new series will be out?
Since I got an A on my physics test my grandfather gave me 100 dollars. I don't want to buy the Kindle soon, as I haven't finished my real books yet, and therefore won't buy any new ones, but if they stop producing the Kindle Keyboard, I have to buy it now :O
On October 10 2011 06:41 Arnstein wrote: Do you guys think that they will stop producing and selling the Kindle 3/Keyboard now that the new series will be out?
Since I got an A on my physics test my grandfather gave me 100 dollars. I don't want to buy the Kindle soon, as I haven't finished my real books yet, and therefore won't buy any new ones, but if they stop producing the Kindle Keyboard, I have to buy it now :O
Doubt it, there's enough people who want a keyboard one that they'll still make some.
On October 10 2011 06:41 Arnstein wrote: Do you guys think that they will stop producing and selling the Kindle 3/Keyboard now that the new series will be out?
Since I got an A on my physics test my grandfather gave me 100 dollars. I don't want to buy the Kindle soon, as I haven't finished my real books yet, and therefore won't buy any new ones, but if they stop producing the Kindle Keyboard, I have to buy it now :O
The kindle touch has a touch keyboard (like the ipad), which seems pretty usable, while still reducing the side from the kindle keyboard. It's $99 as well.
If you enjoy reading, there's no reason not to get a kindle. It's considerably more comfortable to read on than physical books (which I love) for a few reasons: (1) you never have difficulty finding a comfortable way to hold it; (2) you can easily hold it and turn pages with one hand; (3) you can read it comfortably no matter the distance you hold it from you; and (4) you can increase the font size as it gets darker to maintain a comfortable reading size. It's also incredibly comfortable (and motivational) to have your entire to-read list on your kindle at the same time. My father used to read 5-10 books a year, mostly when we went on holiday. Since he got a kindle for his birthday back in June, he's read about 20 books. Instead of lying in bed watching TV in the evenings, he prefers to read on his kindle, even if it's just for an hour or so. Similarly, my gf likes reading, but she hasn't read much in the last few years. Since she got her kindle about 2 months ago she's read 6 or 7 books already. Constantly having books to read with you, and not having to worry about keeping your place, makes it much easier to read when you have the time, instead of waiting for a situation in which you have enough time to start and finish a book.
On October 10 2011 16:30 Arnstein wrote: As I said earlier, I don't want a touch Kindle. I think I'm ordering my Kindle Keyboard today :O I'm sooo stoked!
Unless you have a very good reason for wanting a keyboard, I would suggest getting the normal Kindle 4 (not the touch version). It's 79$, considerably smaller and page transitions are faster as well. You do lose out on a few things: Battery life is supposed to be shorter, you can't play MP3s, and you don't have a keyboard. However, I personally almost never use the keyboard. I use it to create collections for my books (Fantasy/Contemporary/etc.) for which the on-screen keyboard more than suffices. I also never use the kindle to play MP3s (and the software is really shitty). The only real concern I had when ordering the new kindle is the battery life, but I haven't noticed a significant difference between the Kindle 3 and Kindle 4. Either way, Kindle 4's battery is more than strong enough for normal reading needs.
The advantages you gain are pretty big though. The whole thing is about 15% smaller, which makes it more comfortable to hold in one hand or put in your pocket, and it weighs about 10% less, which makes reading more comfortable too. Furthermore, the page turns are slightly faster and less obtrusive, which is nice. I prefer the physical page turn buttons to a touch screen, which is why I decided on the Kindle4 over the Kindle Touch. Everyone else in my family has a Kindle 3, and they're all jealous of mine
I want the kindle fire :D. E-ink is cool and all, but the kindle fire has color, and apps and etc with an ips display. Also, besides glare, e-ink displays aren't really any better for reading.
I'm considering buying a kindle, mostly since I have a lot of my college textbooks as e-books. I do read novels / science texts too, though.. not sure if it's worth the money, or which kindle to look at to begin with o_O
On October 10 2011 17:15 lazysloth wrote: I want the kindle fire :D. E-ink is cool and all, but the kindle fire has color, and apps and etc with an ips display. Also, besides glare, e-ink displays aren't really any better for reading.
E-ink displays are much better for reading. I have nothing against reading on an LCD screen, I've been reading books on my computer for more than ten years now (back when the only ebooks available were terrible rips), but it doesn't compare to reading on an e-ink screen. I remember reading research that said the average person reads about 20% slower on a backlit screen, and I definitely found that when I read on an LCD. On the other hand, e-ink displays read as well as ink on paper, it's just more comfortable to manage.
That's not to say that the Fire isn't awesome, I'd love one myself, but if you want something to read on, the e-ink kindles are in a different class.
On October 10 2011 17:25 synapse wrote: I'm considering buying a kindle, mostly since I have a lot of my college textbooks as e-books. I do read novels / science texts too, though.. not sure if it's worth the money, or which kindle to look at to begin with o_O
For one, it depends on the format of the ebook. PDFs are not very comfortable to read on kindles, so if it's a PDF I wouldn't suggest it. If it's a proper Epub/Mobi book though, then you could give it a shot. It also depends on how you study. I highlight a lot, and while the kindle has a highlight feature, I'm not sure how it will compare to highlighting with a pen. It could be very good (since it allows you to jump between between highlights and also export your highlights to a computer so that you can make notes more easily), but it could also be slower or more distracting. I don't know, since I've never tried studying on the kindle.
If your ebooks are in PDF, then I'd guess the Kindle Fire (the tablet) is probably the best, since it should handle PDFs better than e-ink screens would. If your books are in a proper ebook format, then I'd guess the Kindle touch would be good, as it should allow you to drag to highlight.
Regarding the cost, I think it's worth the money if you enjoy reading. The cheapest kindle (which I have) costs $80 and is very good. Kindle books are usually quite a bit cheaper than paper versions, so you'll end up making the money back pretty quickly.
I just ordered my Kindle! Can't wait to get it! I have to hurry reading through my "real" books now, so I can justify buying a few Kindle-books when I get it! Come to think of it, the new Haruki Murakami book would be a good first buy!
If you have textbook ebooks in pdf, they're almost impossible to read on an e-ink kindle if you convert them to mobi. Mobi just can't handle the figures and pictures sometimes, completely butchering the book.
I recommend a kindle fire over a regular kindle if you're going the textbook route like I am.
I'm considering getting one, and hoping that someone can answer me the following question:
Are kindles 'region' specific or region locked in any way?
This because Amazon does not have a presence in the Netherlands, and I'd have to order it from the US to get one, or have an english friend order me one and then mail it to me. If I get a 'british' kindle, will it differ in any way from getting a US kindle?
Oh and secondly, how well does a kindle deal with academic articles in PDF form?
I have the 'Amazon Kindle 3' (http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reader-Wifi-Graphite/dp/B002Y27P3M) and it is awesome! It is lightweight and fits very nicely in my hand. For those saying PDF isn't comfortable, you can just convert to MOBI with a program like 'calibre'. Works wonders! Haven't found anything negative about it yet, you can even read it while you bathe, just have it in a ziploc bag. (hard to do with normal books)
So all in all I am very happy I bought it, even with the extra costs for getting it to sweden.
On October 10 2011 17:15 lazysloth wrote: I want the kindle fire :D. E-ink is cool and all, but the kindle fire has color, and apps and etc with an ips display. Also, besides glare, e-ink displays aren't really any better for reading.
Reading off LCD is like staring at a light bulb. It's a no brainer that it's bad for your eyes. So in terms of eye fatigue (not to mention thinking about the long term and taking care of your eyes), e-ink displays are way better for reading.
Daigomi how do you feel about the buttons on the new kindle? I have read that they are poorly positioned in comparison to the kindle 3. Is it comfortable to you?
On October 10 2011 22:11 Bosu wrote: Daigomi how do you feel about the buttons on the new kindle? I have read that they are poorly positioned in comparison to the kindle 3. Is it comfortable to you?
They really don't bother me. They are slightly smaller, but as they are on the edge of the device (where you will be clicking in any case), you can't really miss them. I just tried a few different ways of holding it, and I can't really find a way to hold it where clicking wouldn't be comfortable. I just held a Kindle 3 to compare the clicking comfort, and couldn't find a difference. What I did notice is that the Kindle 3 is much heavier, making it less comfortable to hold in one hand.
This, for me, is the most natural grip for the kindle, and your thumb is placed comfortably on the buttons.
The two buttons. They look like they should be pressed at an angle, but are meant to be pressed straight down. Perhaps that's why people get confused?
The Kindle3. As you can see, it's much bigger, and with a one-handed grip it feels quite heavy.
On October 10 2011 21:46 Derez wrote: I'm considering getting one, and hoping that someone can answer me the following question:
Are kindles 'region' specific or region locked in any way?
This because Amazon does not have a presence in the Netherlands, and I'd have to order it from the US to get one, or have an english friend order me one and then mail it to me. If I get a 'british' kindle, will it differ in any way from getting a US kindle?
Oh and secondly, how well does a kindle deal with academic articles in PDF form?
There are no differences (that I know of) between Kindles from different regions. However, the Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire are restricted to the US, while the Kindle 4 and Kindle Keyboard are available everywhere. Also, you can't get the "Special Offers" outside of the US, which means the Kindle 4 costs $110, and the Kindle Keyboard costs $140.
I haven't tried reading academic articles on my kindle yet, but I'd guess it would depend on the quality and type of PDF. The Kindle can display pictures and diagrams, but because of the small screen it's not ideal for it. So if you're going to be using things with tons of diagrams (for example, engineering drawings) it might not be that good. Also, some PDFs have the text selectable, while others are simply scans of a page (that is to say, big images). If the text is selectable, you should be able to convert the document to an Epub/mobi using calibre, which would make it easy to read. If it's an image, it's shitty to read because the text isn't formatted to fit on the screen. You can zoom to a level it's comfortable at, but it usually consists of lots of panning instead of page turning.
On October 10 2011 21:46 Derez wrote: I'm considering getting one, and hoping that someone can answer me the following question:
Are kindles 'region' specific or region locked in any way?
This because Amazon does not have a presence in the Netherlands, and I'd have to order it from the US to get one, or have an english friend order me one and then mail it to me. If I get a 'british' kindle, will it differ in any way from getting a US kindle?
Oh and secondly, how well does a kindle deal with academic articles in PDF form?
I'm from the Netherlands and I have the US Kindle 3. Getting it from the US is a good thing because now we can pay for our books in dollars which is a lot cheaper :-D
On October 10 2011 21:46 Derez wrote: I'm considering getting one, and hoping that someone can answer me the following question:
Are kindles 'region' specific or region locked in any way?
This because Amazon does not have a presence in the Netherlands, and I'd have to order it from the US to get one, or have an english friend order me one and then mail it to me. If I get a 'british' kindle, will it differ in any way from getting a US kindle?
Oh and secondly, how well does a kindle deal with academic articles in PDF form?
I'm from the Netherlands and I have the US Kindle 3. Getting it from the US is a good thing because now we can pay for our books in dollars which is a lot cheaper :-D
So with a US kindle you buy your books in the Amazon US store and with a british kindle you buy in the UK store? It is region locked in that sense then?
I love my Kindle! I got it as a gift and at first i wasn't too thrilled about it. After a little while grew on me. It's pretty cool, if you see a book online or hear someone talking about one that you want to read. All you do is pull it out and order it and literally start reading in less than a minute on the spot.
One of my favorite parts of it is the fact that you can customize it to your reading style. You can change the font, increase the size and even change the way the words show up (fill your kindle long ways). One of the biggest things about it i use is the reading to me feature. When i go on long trips with the family i put in my headphones and let it read to me since i get car sick when i'm reading while moving. I'm never going back to a normal book, ever.
For the features the Kindle gives you its well worth the price.
On October 10 2011 23:44 micronesia wrote: Just got a 79 dollar kindle :p
Reading the hobbit. I started reading it in 1996 and got to page 3 or so... but I think I'll make it this time!
Does the thing turn off? Haven't figured that out yet lol
Yeah its at the bottom. When its on there is a light at the bottom and you slide a thingie over it to put it in 'sleep mode'. It has a picture on front when it is in sleep mode. One of the reasons i think Kindle is weird is because you can really turn it off... you can only make it sleep. Meanwhile your battery drains.
I bought an ebook reader a few months ago (kobo touch) and I am so happy I did. It is very convenient to have all of your books in one place in such a small device. I used to ignore ebooks because I liked holding a physical book but now that I've made the jump I can't go back.
I've even ended up buying some books that I already have in paper form again so I can read them more conveniently.
The price is actually pretty good now for the new kindle, but with the right phone it would be a waste, the kindle app is great, can read books one handed, turn pages with volume key and view in landscape or portrait.
So I would advise getting a smartphone with a large screen (my phones is 4.3" which is great for it, my brothers iphone, 3.5" i believe, seemed abit too small to comfortably read.
Since there's no backlight, it only uses power when it changes the advertisement. If you have the no-ads version, it just keeps one image there and uses very little to no power.
My kindle battery lasts for weeks and I never turn it off. About 3-4 weeks I think.
For all those that say the kindle slowly drains power in sleep mode: you are dead wrong. As someone pointed out it is an e-ink screen. It only uses power when it changes what is being displayed on the screen, so once a picture/page is on the screen, it is no longer using power. This is the secret to the kindles, quite frankly, ridiculous battery life. I have had mine for about a year now, and I have charged it a total of four times, and I read a lot.
On October 10 2011 23:44 micronesia wrote: Just got a 79 dollar kindle :p
Reading the hobbit. I started reading it in 1996 and got to page 3 or so... but I think I'll make it this time!
Does the thing turn off? Haven't figured that out yet lol
Hold the power button for about 5 seconds.
When you just press the power button it goes to sleep mode.
Thank you this worked.... felt stupid wasting the batteries 24/7 with advertisements lol
It's not wasting batteries when the advertisements are on. How e-ink works is it uses energy to arrange the ink in a specific way, but once the ink has been arranged it requires no energy to keep it that way. If you don't turn any pages, your kindle should stay turned on for about 2 months without requiring a charge. The biggest battery drain you can have is leaving the wi-fi or 3g on which decreases your battery life by about 50%. As long as those aren't on, you're not supposed to ever turn off the kindle.
The Kindle is incredible, especially if you do any traveling. The number of great, free books available is more than you could ever read in a lifetime. I've been an avid reader all my life. For me, the ability to switch between so many books at any time, the travelling weight of so many books in such a small space, the fact that I can email from just about anywhere in the world as I'm travelling, and the cost savings of having all these free books outweighs any sense of romantic "feeling" of having a "real" book in hand. I just finished the ~800 page East of Eden on my Kindle and am so glad I didn't have to lug that monster around and look pretentious everywhere I read it. I love a real book as well, but the convenience argument just so far outweighs that for me.
They are going so cheap now, I'd grab one now if you haven't already.
On October 11 2011 00:20 XeliN wrote: The price is actually pretty good now for the new kindle, but with the right phone it would be a waste, the kindle app is great, can read books one handed, turn pages with volume key and view in landscape or portrait.
So I would advise getting a smartphone with a large screen (my phones is 4.3" which is great for it, my brothers iphone, 3.5" i believe, seemed abit too small to comfortably read.
I strongly disagree. I have the iPhone app, and the reason why I've never even given Kindle a chance is because I thought it was about the same as reading on the iPhone, which hurts the eyes. I tried reading the books I bought for the iPhone app on the Kindle, and it just looks a lot better on the Kindle, and it feels a lot more like a book.
Another thing is that with the iPhone I keep switching too the Facebook app and TeamLiquid etc, I find it really hard to concentrate on the book. With the Kindle I've been able to focus a lot more, because it's not as easy to go into other apps/search the web.(this will probably change with Kindle Fire though).
I would definitely recommend an e reader. I personally have the Sony one which is awesome. More comfortable to hold than a book and the screen actually makes it look very similar to the ink on paper so it doesn't feel like you're reading off a computer screen. Apps for phones can't even compare to an actual e-reader so anyones advice who has only used an app is basically worthless. And not that i'm supporting it, but you can get ebooks from torrent sites so if you were that way inclined, you'd very quickly make your money back on the e-reader itself.
I have a kindle and i love it! The coolest thing about having a kindle is that you dont have to pay for books anymore. You can go to any torrent site and download books in bulk. I just got all of the game of thrones books for free! It feels and looks great too. To me the kindle is one of those things you didn't know you needed but now that you have it you cant live without.
On October 11 2011 01:33 mud123 wrote: I have a kindle and i love it! The coolest thing about having a kindle is that you dont have to pay for books anymore. You can go to any torrent site and download books in bulk. I just got all of the game of thrones books for free! It feels and looks great too. To me the kindle is one of those things you didn't know you needed but now that you have it you cant live without.
isn't the kindle linked to amazon via your amazon account? i.e. can't they tell if you're torrenting books?
On October 11 2011 01:43 DeltruS wrote: Does anyone know if it is possible to get the add version for $80 and then hack it to not have adds?
It probably is (although I haven't looked for a way to do it), but most people agree that the Kindle ads are actually pretty nice and tasteful. Also, you only see them when your phone is sleeping, or when you are on your homescreen, so they don't really interfere with anything. All in all, I don't think there's much of a reason to remove the ads.
On May 13 2011 02:47 mprs wrote: Hey, sorry to bump this old thread but I figured it would be better than making a new one if it already exists.
I was wondering, what do you guys think of the Kindle 3 compared to some of the other stuff. I'm pretty settled on buying an E-reader that can read PDF (for reading lecture notes, e-textbooks, and obviously books/novels as well. The dictionary is pretty awesome too), so lets keep the "its a waste of money" discussion away please. I just want feedback of how good/reliable the kindle is vs some of the other stuff. (PS. its only $140).
Just quoting myself. After getting a Kindle 3G (known as Kindle Keyboard 3G now), I want to say that it was the best investment I have ever made. The number of books I read outside of textbooks/research papers increased by infinity percent. I read about 1-2 books a month, and I also subscribed to a newspaper which I started reading. In fact, reading newspapers was something I never did, but it is so easy without the hassle of shuffling papers, makes it much more enticing.
Honestly though, I would stay away from the touch. I haven't tried it, but it looks like it might be clunky. It isn't like the touchscreen of an iPad/iPhone/other tablets and touchscreen phones. It is essentially buttons but on the screen. It isn't like you can move stuff around or zoom in and out.
Also, the special offers Kindles are really great. They don't really interfere with anything you do, but they do provide some awesome deals. There was a guy who found a deal of 20% off a Macbook Air and decided to buy a Kindle Special Offers Edition because he would end up saving money in the process.
On October 11 2011 01:43 DeltruS wrote: Does anyone know if it is possible to get the add version for $80 and then hack it to not have adds?
It probably is (although I haven't looked for a way to do it), but most people agree that the Kindle ads are actually pretty nice and tasteful. Also, you only see them when your phone is sleeping, or when you are on your homescreen, so they don't really interfere with anything. All in all, I don't think there's much of a reason to remove the ads.
Ah, thank you. That does sound like a VERY good deal.
Wait for the kindle fire. Super cheap for a Tablet, and you can just put a kindle app on that. Then not only do you have a kindle, it's touchscreen, and you have all the benefits of having a Tablet as well. The only downside is that currently there is no 3g feature. That being said, it still looks pretty great and plan on getting one myself.
Daigomi convinced me to go buy the standard kindle at 79.99 a couple hours ago. And it seems to be pretty fucking awesome. Especially with the update so it doesn't flash every page. Apparently a lot of people prefer it flashing every page. I think those people are fucking nuts.
The ads are definitely not a problem either. I don't notice them at all on the home screen. The screensaver ones are noticeable, but they seem fine. If a hack comes out I suppose I will probably remove them. But its hardly a problem at all.
On October 11 2011 02:01 UnknownReclaimer wrote: Wait for the kindle fire. Super cheap for a Tablet, and you can just put a kindle app on that. Then not only do you have a kindle, it's touchscreen, and you have all the benefits of having a Tablet as well. The only downside is that currently there is no 3g feature. That being said, it still looks pretty great and plan on getting one myself.
Unless you're looking for an e-reader and not a tablet.
You're losing ALL the benefits of the regular kindle: - e-ink display (most important). The screen is not like a monitor, it looks closer to a book. Reading on LCD displays is more damaging to your eyes and a lot more annoying. - battery life. "Up to 8 hours of continuous reading." That's crap for an e-reader. With the normal you get a month of regular usage (~2-3 hours a day). That's like what, 10 times as much? - price. You have to pay 3x as much for a Fire.
So yeah, might as well save up for an actual tablet that has 3G and all that, if you're not interested in the actual reader part.
@Bosu: not flashing every page means that there can be artifacts left over on the display (like, parts of the old page still visible). I'm sure that they are not that annoying, otherwise they would make it flash more often, but I am guessing that's why people prefer the flashing?
Also, if you crack it, you risk voiding the warranty, and if the ads are not intrusive at all, I don't see why you would want to do that. You get a $30 discount for getting the ads, why not be fair and keep them? :D
On October 11 2011 02:22 Arnstein wrote: Any Europeans(Norwegians in particular) that ordered their Kindle from Amazon.com? How long will it take before I get it? I can't wait!!!
For Romania it takes 2-3 days (yes, from US, you can only order it from US here). And our internal couriers are pretty sucky. I think it will take about 2 days tops to enter Norway, and then... from the airport to your home, you be the judge.
On October 11 2011 02:22 Arnstein wrote: Any Europeans(Norwegians in particular) that ordered their Kindle from Amazon.com? How long will it take before I get it? I can't wait!!!
Why didn't you use the british amazon? I ordered mine from http://www.amazon.co.uk/ and took like 4 days.
Because USD is so much cheaper than GBP, I saved 90 USD by buying it from the US! Also buying books from the American shop is a lot cheaper!
Too bad I ordered it to my apartment(won't be back there before friday). I was sure it took at least a week, so I thought it didn't matter. Seems like Amazon has great service :D
On October 11 2011 01:43 DeltruS wrote: Does anyone know if it is possible to get the add version for $80 and then hack it to not have adds?
It probably is (although I haven't looked for a way to do it), but most people agree that the Kindle ads are actually pretty nice and tasteful. Also, you only see them when your phone is sleeping, or when you are on your homescreen, so they don't really interfere with anything. All in all, I don't think there's much of a reason to remove the ads.
It absolutely is possible to do this-- after a day I was pretty tired of the credit card/mascara ads when I turned the thing off, so I looked for a way around. Thing is, the kindle 'hacking' community is extremely supportive of amazon and refuses to post a step-by-step guide to disable the ads (or tether your laptop to the kindle and use its 3g, for that matter).
On October 11 2011 01:33 mud123 wrote: I have a kindle and i love it! The coolest thing about having a kindle is that you dont have to pay for books anymore. You can go to any torrent site and download books in bulk. I just got all of the game of thrones books for free! It feels and looks great too. To me the kindle is one of those things you didn't know you needed but now that you have it you cant live without.
isn't the kindle linked to amazon via your amazon account? i.e. can't they tell if you're torrenting books?
nah they cant. you can get ebooks from ur library or other ebook sellers, not just amazon. it's like installing unsigned apps on a smartphone
The kindle is an amazing invention. It really has let me read a lot more then I would have in the past because of time crunches. Its really hard to always carry around a book, and the battery life is just insane. Pros: Light Easy to Use Not backlit(keeps your eyes good, just buy an led light) books are cheap(plus you can torrent them easily enough) Reads PDFs Good for reading on the can page turning is easy The text just looks amazing, unlike other readers
Possible cons: Dont get a e-copy of every book you already bought(wish this started becoming popular) Not color till the fire its like an iphone in that your paying for the books moreso then the device(like paying for service) no light not good for webrowsing even though its advertised(much better on the fire)
Overall i really love my kindle, and am super glad I bought one. I think soooo many older people will begin to love these more and more because it makes reading easy on the go.
On May 30 2010 16:37 General Nuke Em wrote: Don't get one. Amazon might randomly decide to delete the books you bought because of some publishing copyright snafu. *cough*
They're not going to do that anymore:
Amazon effectively acknowledged that the deletions were a bad idea. “We are changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers’ devices in these circumstances,” Mr. Herdener said.
On May 30 2010 16:45 rbkl wrote: I would recommend you get an iPad - saw one for the first time the other day and it was realyl amazing. For the same price you honestly get a lot more at least with functionality.
There's a huge difference between a fingerprint-covered, glossy iPad LCD and the e-ink display of the Kindle :/
Got a question, can anyone look in manual for minimum working temperature? Winter is coming and reading books in public transport is pain when you can't turn the page in gloves but I'm not sure if Kindle would work without any problems.
On October 11 2011 03:44 Chaosu wrote: Got a question, can anyone look in manual for minimum working temperature? Winter is coming and reading books in public transport is pain when you can't turn the page in gloves but I'm not sure if Kindle would work without any problems.
Here's what the Kindle Users Guide that came in your Kindle says....
Maintaining Your Kindle Avoid exposing your Kindle and its accessories to rain or liquid spills. If your device does get wet, immediately turn the power off. Wait for the device to dry completely. If your device needs service, consult only Amazon.com authorized personnel by contacting us through Customer Support listed at the end of the Tips and Troubleshooting section. Faulty service may void the warranty.
Clean the screen with a soft cloth; be careful not to wipe it with anything abrasive.
When carrying your Kindle in a bag or briefcase, keep the book cover on to avoid scratches.
Don't expose your Kindle to extreme heat or cold. For example, don't leave it in the trunk of your car in sub-zero or high-heat conditions.
I'm in NH - and it is COLD. I left mine in the car because like you - I was going to get it at lunch time and read it at work. It worked, and still works fine, but it was very sluggish until it warmed up. Needless to say, I haven't left it in the cold car like that again. I can't afford to replace it
On October 11 2011 03:44 Chaosu wrote: Got a question, can anyone look in manual for minimum working temperature? Winter is coming and reading books in public transport is pain when you can't turn the page in gloves but I'm not sure if Kindle would work without any problems.
Google search reveals that it has a minimum working temperature of 0C. This seems to be more than just an idle warning, as I've seen a few people comment on Kindles dying if they're exposed to sub-zero temperatures for too long.
On October 11 2011 04:33 Indifferent_century wrote:
yes you definitely should.
Ignoring the fact that Wikipedia isn't too reliable and the kindle does require a plug every now and then (unlike the guide.
Also any person who actually likes reading should really purchase their books, regardless of them being e-books or not. Support the writers, few enough people read as it is.
I don't read much but I have a lot of PDF files to sift through. I bought a Kobo (1rst gen) but the pdf support is very clunky and slow, so much so that I've literally stopped using it. =/
Now the Kobo Touch came out, and I'm wondering if it'll provide an experience similar to reading a .pdf on my iTouch (in terms of ease of re-sizing) and browsing, if so I might be sold into buying it...
How does the Kindle support pdf files in comparison?
On October 11 2011 04:33 Indifferent_century wrote:
yes you definitely should.
Ignoring the fact that Wikipedia isn't too reliable and the kindle does require a plug every now and then (unlike the guide.
Also any person who actually likes reading should really purchase their books, regardless of them being e-books or not. Support the writers, few enough people read as it is.
I'm keeping a list of the books I read, and I'l donate $20-$50 depending on how much I like the book after I get a 100k a year job. That is how I wish society worked. Nobody has to pay for anything that doesn't have a physical value, but the culture and infrastructure is such that donating is expected and super easy.
On October 11 2011 04:33 Indifferent_century wrote:
yes you definitely should.
Ignoring the fact that Wikipedia isn't too reliable and the kindle does require a plug every now and then (unlike the guide.
Also any person who actually likes reading should really purchase their books, regardless of them being e-books or not. Support the writers, few enough people read as it is.
I'm keeping a list of the books I read, and I'l donate $20-$50 depending on how much I like the book after I get a 100k a year job. That is how I wish society worked. Nobody has to pay for anything that doesn't have a physical value, but the culture and infrastructure is such that donating is expected and super easy.
Uh huh. In my experience, people that claim they're going to do that, come up with excuses why they shouldn't pay anything. Like people that torrent an entire game for free, play through the whole thing in one sitting, then come up with some bullshit reasons why they didn't like it. "Oh it was ONLY 40 hours long" or "The graphics were a generation behind!" etc. Happily coming to terms with their decision not to pay squat in their head, and claiming that since they're flat broke, and there would have been no sale in the first place, the developer/publisher lost nothing (nevermind that over here in the real world, everyone has some level of disposable income and they likely would have eventually bought it). I expect that books, being just another entertainment product to most people, are subject to the same level of scrutiny for greed's sake.
On October 11 2011 04:59 BentoBox wrote: I don't read much but I have a lot of PDF files to sift through. I bought a Kobo (1rst gen) but the pdf support is very clunky and slow, so much so that I've literally stopped using it. =/
Now the Kobo Touch came out, and I'm wondering if it'll provide an experience similar to reading a .pdf on my iTouch (in terms of ease of re-sizing) and browsing, if so I might be sold into buying it...
How does the Kindle support pdf files in comparison?
It supports PDF, but I don't like reading PDFs. There are minor issues with resizing, some characters aren't displayed properly, the page arrangement is sometimes screwed up, etc.
However, all of that is easily fixed by just converting the PDF into .azw or .mobi (kindle formats), and there are a bunch of free programs that can do that such as "Calibre". It's easy and fast, and the end result is 10x better than reading a PDF directly. It's still not as good as a book you buy on Amazon that's been customized for Kindle, obviously, but it's close enough, and very 'readable'.
On October 11 2011 05:02 DeltruS wrote: I'm keeping a list of the books I read, and I'l donate $20-$50 depending on how much I like the book after I get a 100k a year job. That is how I wish society worked. Nobody has to pay for anything that doesn't have a physical value, but the culture and infrastructure is such that donating is expected and super easy.
Yes, that would be ideal, but that's not how the world works. If it were an appliance, I'd understand, because you have to use that over and over, and you don't want to 'invest money' in something that's crappy. But even a bad book will give you some experience, unlike say, a bad movie. There are reviews and other things like that to make you decide if you want the book or not, and it's not really a price that justifies not paying, since you can find thousands of books around the $10 mark on Amazon (last one I got was Max Brooks' World War Z, I highly recommend).
So, by the time you have such a job, said writers might have given up or died, or w/e. Samsung ain't gonna go bankrupt if you return a TV you don't like, but if you read books now and pay for them... years in the future, then it's like you got a job and they'd pay you in 5 years. And don't get me wrong, I downloaded some books as well, but I try to support whatever I can.
And just for comparison, I earn less than $10k a year (while I still have about 40-50% more than the average wage in Romania).
Can it read txt files (just sequences of ascii/utf8 without formatting)? I have some books in that format and they are a pain to read, I have already contemplated creating a good css file for books and then just pasting everything in the <body>...
I looooooove my Kindle. Travelling a lot means if I want to take books anywhere I get significantly weighed down. As of now, that's no longer a concern.
Anyone know if the Kindle Touch is out yet? Some places suggests it is out already but I have also heard they don't come out until November? Also, can you buy these kindles in-store at best buy etc;, or do they have to be ordered on amazon?
On October 11 2011 22:59 kirdie wrote: Can it read txt files (just sequences of ascii/utf8 without formatting)? I have some books in that format and they are a pain to read, I have already contemplated creating a good css file for books and then just pasting everything in the <body>...
Yes it can, but it's also very easy to convert them to proper Mobi files using calibre. Using calibre, you can convert practically any text format to a kindle/e-reader friendly format.
On October 11 2011 23:20 Vin{MBL} wrote: Anyone know if the Kindle Touch is out yet? Some places suggests it is out already but I have also heard they don't come out until November? Also, can you buy these kindles in-store at best buy etc;, or do they have to be ordered on amazon?
Kindle Touch is officially coming out on the 21st November. Anything saying it's out before then is lying. I've got no idea if they can be purchased at a local shop though, in SA we have to order them. That said, delivery from the US to my house in SA took about 4 days, so it doesn't take very long.
For those still unsure about the new kindle, Wired just did a pretty good review. The flaws they point out might bother some people, but if you just want to read books on it, it shouldn't be a problem. More importantly:
I’ve been testing it for five days, and I can tell you that as an e-book reader, it’s better than the old Kindle in almost every way. It’s about 20 percent lighter, weighing six ounces to the older Kindle’s eight and a half ounces. It’s also about 30 percent smaller, though the screen is exactly the same size. The new Kindle’s screen does look slightly larger when you place it next to an older one, but that’s only an optical illusion caused by the new beveled edge around the screen. Other improvements include a slight boost in page-turning speed, as well as new page-turning buttons that are not only more satisfying to click, but more attractively integrated into the bevel that runs around the entire edge of the device.
It's sent from Oslo and will arrive in Trondheim later today probably. Too bad I didn't order it to my dad's house, where I'm staying for this week, because I thought it would take at least one week to get it. I NEED IT NOW!!!
One thing I think many people forget to point out is that Amazon has quite excellent customer support for kindles. I dropped my kindle, and it stopped working, and Amazon sent me a replacement, and a box to ship the old one back in without question.
Yes indeed. They definitely don't have that good support for other things. I once ordered a school book in the beginning of the semester and received it two weeks before my exam...
On October 13 2011 08:25 Arnstein wrote: Yes indeed. They definitely don't have that good support for other things. I once ordered a school book in the beginning of the semester and received it two weeks before my exam...
I haven't had much issue with amazon. You have to double check on whether or not its "sold by amazon" or "fulfulled by amazon". If its through the merchant marketplace, then you have to deal with third parties, some of which may not be so reliable.
I love amazon so much, I am contemplating amazon prime, since i can get it for 49 dollars, and free 2-day shipping is the most amazing thing ever. Likewise, with kindles being pretty cheap now, I may get one for my birthday.
On October 11 2011 02:01 UnknownReclaimer wrote: Wait for the kindle fire. Super cheap for a Tablet, and you can just put a kindle app on that. Then not only do you have a kindle, it's touchscreen, and you have all the benefits of having a Tablet as well. The only downside is that currently there is no 3g feature. That being said, it still looks pretty great and plan on getting one myself.
Unless you're looking for an e-reader and not a tablet.
You're losing ALL the benefits of the regular kindle: - e-ink display (most important). The screen is not like a monitor, it looks closer to a book. Reading on LCD displays is more damaging to your eyes and a lot more annoying. - battery life. "Up to 8 hours of continuous reading." That's crap for an e-reader. With the normal you get a month of regular usage (~2-3 hours a day). That's like what, 10 times as much? - price. You have to pay 3x as much for a Fire.
So yeah, might as well save up for an actual tablet that has 3G and all that, if you're not interested in the actual reader part.
@Bosu: not flashing every page means that there can be artifacts left over on the display (like, parts of the old page still visible). I'm sure that they are not that annoying, otherwise they would make it flash more often, but I am guessing that's why people prefer the flashing?
Also, if you crack it, you risk voiding the warranty, and if the ads are not intrusive at all, I don't see why you would want to do that. You get a $30 discount for getting the ads, why not be fair and keep them? :D
There are obviously a few advantages to getting a regular Kindle. I won't argue with that, because it would just be silly. But it still has so many extra features that I find it to be a much better option. Granted the battery life is much shorter in comparison, but when is the last time that you read for over 8 hours straight? Or 5? It's not something that many people do lol. And you mentioned about that it's at 2-3 hours a day. You can still do that on the Fire. And have 5 hours leftover. In which you can browse the web or a bunch of other stuff. After which you can set it by the computer and plug it in for the night. Just like you would for your cellphone.
Also, saying that
Unless you're looking for an e-reader and not a tablet.
is kind of missleading. It is still an e-reader. In fact it can read many more types of documents than a regular kindle.
All I'm saying, is that there are many more features for the Fire. Considering that it only costs $200, I think it is an amazing deal, and something that many people should look into.
On October 11 2011 02:01 UnknownReclaimer wrote: Wait for the kindle fire. Super cheap for a Tablet, and you can just put a kindle app on that. Then not only do you have a kindle, it's touchscreen, and you have all the benefits of having a Tablet as well. The only downside is that currently there is no 3g feature. That being said, it still looks pretty great and plan on getting one myself.
Unless you're looking for an e-reader and not a tablet.
You're losing ALL the benefits of the regular kindle: - e-ink display (most important). The screen is not like a monitor, it looks closer to a book. Reading on LCD displays is more damaging to your eyes and a lot more annoying. - battery life. "Up to 8 hours of continuous reading." That's crap for an e-reader. With the normal you get a month of regular usage (~2-3 hours a day). That's like what, 10 times as much? - price. You have to pay 3x as much for a Fire.
So yeah, might as well save up for an actual tablet that has 3G and all that, if you're not interested in the actual reader part.
@Bosu: not flashing every page means that there can be artifacts left over on the display (like, parts of the old page still visible). I'm sure that they are not that annoying, otherwise they would make it flash more often, but I am guessing that's why people prefer the flashing?
Also, if you crack it, you risk voiding the warranty, and if the ads are not intrusive at all, I don't see why you would want to do that. You get a $30 discount for getting the ads, why not be fair and keep them? :D
There are obviously a few advantages to getting a regular Kindle. I won't argue with that, because it would just be silly. But it still has so many extra features that I find it to be a much better option. Granted the battery life is much shorter in comparison, but when is the last time that you read for over 8 hours straight? Or 5? It's not something that many people do lol. And you mentioned about that it's at 2-3 hours a day. You can still do that on the Fire. And have 5 hours leftover. In which you can browse the web or a bunch of other stuff. After which you can set it by the computer and plug it in for the night. Just like you would for your cellphone.
Unless you're looking for an e-reader and not a tablet.
is kind of missleading. It is still an e-reader. In fact it can read many more types of documents than a regular kindle.
All I'm saying, is that there are many more features for the Fire. Considering that it only costs $200, I think it is an amazing deal, and something that many people should look into.
I absolutely love the Kindle Fire, but I disagree with lots of things you say here.
Firstly, it's not an e-reader. E-readers are devices built with the express purpose of reading. Tablets are devices that can read, but have many other purposes. Every feature in the normal Kindle is designed to improve reading, while many of the features in the Fire actually detract from reading in order to allow you to do other things. As such, it's a tablet, not an e-reader.
Secondly, the e-ink screen on a Kindle isn't a small advantage, it is a massive massive advantage. I've been reading books on LCD screens for years, but it doesn't compare with reading proper ink on paper. For one, research has shown that people read much more slowly on an LCD screen. For another, it's pretty bad for your eyes to read on an LCD screen. Most importantly though, it's just not nearly as comfortable to read on an LCD screen, which makes reading more of a chore than it has to be. Everybody I know that got a kindle increased their reading by at least 200%, because it's comfortable and convenient to read on. All those people could just as easily read on their laptops (which they often lie down and use in bed), but they don't even consider doing it, because it's just not as comfortable.
Thirdly, I think most people that buy a Kindle for reading read more than 8 hours a day now and again. Maybe not every day, but over holidays, for example, I can read 80 hours a week comfortably. Yes you can charge it in between reading sessions, but the whole point of the Kindle is that it's like a book, so you don't have to worry about charging it. Also, remember you don't read every day so you might not use the Kindle for a week or two, before wanting to use it. With a normal Kindle, you know that you can always pick up the Kindle and read your book. With a Fire, you always have to consider if the Kindle will be charged when you want to read.
Then there are lots of "smaller" things that still play a role. The Fire weighs considerably more than the Kindle. After using the Kindle 4, the Kindle 3 feels too heavy for me to read one-handed. I can't imagine that the Kindle Fire would be comfortable to read with in most normal reading positions. That doesn't mean you can't read with it, I used to read on a laptop quite regularly, but once again, it's less comfortable or convenient. The bezel is also bigger which will make turning pages impossible one-handed. Also the screen is reflective which will prevent any reading in sunlight (one of my favourite things to do during vacations), and also will reflect all fingerprints you get on it.
As important as all these things though, is the fact that it costs $200. That's not much, but it's 2.5x as much as a Kindle. To put into context, you can get an iPad 2 or Galaxy Tab 10.1 for 2.5x the price of the Fire. The difference in price is very significant.
All in all, if you want a device to read on, the normal Kindle costs you 2.5 times less than the Fire and offers a vastly superior reading experience. If you want to occasionally read, but also do things like play Angry Birds and watch TV shows, then the Fire is a great deal. However, don't get the Fire if your primary purpose is reading. It's just not designed for that.
So I just pre-ordered the Kindle Fire, and what's the first news I see?
Before there was one, there were two. Rumor has it that even though Amazon is yet to begin shipping the much-anticipated Kindle Fire, the company already has China-headquartered Foxconn Electronics working on the second generation. According to the website Cult of Android, the Kindle Fire 2 is set to begin shipping in the first half of 2012.
In a DigiTimes article, it's been reported that Foxconn “has secured orders from Amazon for assembling second-generation Kindle Fire tablet PCs.” Foxconn, however, declined to comment.
Also worth taking note of is the fact that Foxconn is also the manufacturer of the Apple iPad 2 and the Sony Tablet S. According to DigiTimes’ sources, it is estimated that nearly 80% of all future table PC shipments will come from Foxconn.
“Although we know very little about Amazon’s second tablet at this point,” writes Cult of Android contributor Killian Bell, “it is expected to be a huge improvement over its predecessor.” She continues with talk of “rumors” that suggest the Kindle Fire 2 will have a larger screen, faster process, cameras, as well as 3G connectivity.
I eventually caved and bought the ad-less kindle for 109$. The add one isn't available outside of US
This is going to be pretty helpful. I will be able to download all my books and the math textbooks I have to read all day.
The shipping looks like it only going to be two days, even though it is across the country. I guess that is an advantage of my university being in a major city.
On October 13 2011 15:25 UnknownReclaimer wrote:Granted the battery life is much shorter in comparison, but when is the last time that you read for over 8 hours straight? Or 5?
4 times this week. I know I'm a little insane when it comes to getting stuck on books (I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT... THERE IS NO STOPPING), but it definitely makes the Kindle Fire a no-go for me.
On May 30 2010 16:16 BroOd wrote: e-readers are fine for magazines and newspapers, but I don't like the for books at all.
This. There is some aesthetic experience in reading actual books that is lost when transferred to the electronic screen. It's tough to explain my reasoning, but actual books are an experience in themselves, not JUST words written on a page. Also, you can just go to the library to get a book. You still have to pay for books with a Kindle.
I'm curious, can you rent books on a kindle if your library supports it? Seems rather strange if you can't. You can rent DVDs for a fee etc.
Before there was one, there were two. Rumor has it that even though Amazon is yet to begin shipping the much-anticipated Kindle Fire, the company already has China-headquartered Foxconn Electronics working on the second generation. According to the website Cult of Android, the Kindle Fire 2 is set to begin shipping in the first half of 2012.
In a DigiTimes article, it's been reported that Foxconn “has secured orders from Amazon for assembling second-generation Kindle Fire tablet PCs.” Foxconn, however, declined to comment.
Also worth taking note of is the fact that Foxconn is also the manufacturer of the Apple iPad 2 and the Sony Tablet S. According to DigiTimes’ sources, it is estimated that nearly 80% of all future table PC shipments will come from Foxconn.
“Although we know very little about Amazon’s second tablet at this point,” writes Cult of Android contributor Killian Bell, “it is expected to be a huge improvement over its predecessor.” She continues with talk of “rumors” that suggest the Kindle Fire 2 will have a larger screen, faster process, cameras, as well as 3G connectivity.
On October 26 2011 16:11 Capped wrote: What the fuck is the point in a machine, where you can only read books? And it costs THAT MUCH MONEY.
Like omgwtf retarded to buy something like this?
Guess what guys, my computer lets me read books.
Guess what else it can do -_-
Clearly you aren't much of an avid reader. I usually read books in paper where I can, but with the kindle it's nice to know I'm not accidentally damaging a books spine as I go, amongst a few other convenience benefits.
What the fuck is the point in a machine, where you can only read books? And it costs THAT MUCH MONEY.
Like omgwtf retarded to buy something like this?
Guess what guys, my computer lets me read books.
Guess what else it can do -_-
Judging by your chosen eloquence I assume you mean watch prodigious amounts of pornography and post on forums. Come on man, don't post for the sake of posting. If you have something to say then put some thought into writing it. It's basically flamebait to say that in a thread about e readers.
On October 11 2011 02:01 UnknownReclaimer wrote: Wait for the kindle fire. Super cheap for a Tablet, and you can just put a kindle app on that. Then not only do you have a kindle, it's touchscreen, and you have all the benefits of having a Tablet as well. The only downside is that currently there is no 3g feature. That being said, it still looks pretty great and plan on getting one myself.
Unless you're looking for an e-reader and not a tablet.
You're losing ALL the benefits of the regular kindle: - e-ink display (most important). The screen is not like a monitor, it looks closer to a book. Reading on LCD displays is more damaging to your eyes and a lot more annoying. - battery life. "Up to 8 hours of continuous reading." That's crap for an e-reader. With the normal you get a month of regular usage (~2-3 hours a day). That's like what, 10 times as much? - price. You have to pay 3x as much for a Fire.
So yeah, might as well save up for an actual tablet that has 3G and all that, if you're not interested in the actual reader part.
@Bosu: not flashing every page means that there can be artifacts left over on the display (like, parts of the old page still visible). I'm sure that they are not that annoying, otherwise they would make it flash more often, but I am guessing that's why people prefer the flashing?
Also, if you crack it, you risk voiding the warranty, and if the ads are not intrusive at all, I don't see why you would want to do that. You get a $30 discount for getting the ads, why not be fair and keep them? :D
There are obviously a few advantages to getting a regular Kindle. I won't argue with that, because it would just be silly. But it still has so many extra features that I find it to be a much better option. Granted the battery life is much shorter in comparison, but when is the last time that you read for over 8 hours straight? Or 5? It's not something that many people do lol. And you mentioned about that it's at 2-3 hours a day. You can still do that on the Fire. And have 5 hours leftover. In which you can browse the web or a bunch of other stuff. After which you can set it by the computer and plug it in for the night. Just like you would for your cellphone.
Also, saying that
Unless you're looking for an e-reader and not a tablet.
is kind of missleading. It is still an e-reader. In fact it can read many more types of documents than a regular kindle.
All I'm saying, is that there are many more features for the Fire. Considering that it only costs $200, I think it is an amazing deal, and something that many people should look into.
I absolutely love the Kindle Fire, but I disagree with lots of things you say here.
Firstly, it's not an e-reader. E-readers are devices built with the express purpose of reading. Tablets are devices that can read, but have many other purposes. Every feature in the normal Kindle is designed to improve reading, while many of the features in the Fire actually detract from reading in order to allow you to do other things. As such, it's a tablet, not an e-reader.
Secondly, the e-ink screen on a Kindle isn't a small advantage, it is a massive massive advantage. I've been reading books on LCD screens for years, but it doesn't compare with reading proper ink on paper. For one, research has shown that people read much more slowly on an LCD screen. For another, it's pretty bad for your eyes to read on an LCD screen. Most importantly though, it's just not nearly as comfortable to read on an LCD screen, which makes reading more of a chore than it has to be. Everybody I know that got a kindle increased their reading by at least 200%, because it's comfortable and convenient to read on. All those people could just as easily read on their laptops (which they often lie down and use in bed), but they don't even consider doing it, because it's just not as comfortable.
Thirdly, I think most people that buy a Kindle for reading read more than 8 hours a day now and again. Maybe not every day, but over holidays, for example, I can read 80 hours a week comfortably. Yes you can charge it in between reading sessions, but the whole point of the Kindle is that it's like a book, so you don't have to worry about charging it. Also, remember you don't read every day so you might not use the Kindle for a week or two, before wanting to use it. With a normal Kindle, you know that you can always pick up the Kindle and read your book. With a Fire, you always have to consider if the Kindle will be charged when you want to read.
Then there are lots of "smaller" things that still play a role. The Fire weighs considerably more than the Kindle. After using the Kindle 4, the Kindle 3 feels too heavy for me to read one-handed. I can't imagine that the Kindle Fire would be comfortable to read with in most normal reading positions. That doesn't mean you can't read with it, I used to read on a laptop quite regularly, but once again, it's less comfortable or convenient. The bezel is also bigger which will make turning pages impossible one-handed. Also the screen is reflective which will prevent any reading in sunlight (one of my favourite things to do during vacations), and also will reflect all fingerprints you get on it.
As important as all these things though, is the fact that it costs $200. That's not much, but it's 2.5x as much as a Kindle. To put into context, you can get an iPad 2 or Galaxy Tab 10.1 for 2.5x the price of the Fire. The difference in price is very significant.
All in all, if you want a device to read on, the normal Kindle costs you 2.5 times less than the Fire and offers a vastly superior reading experience. If you want to occasionally read, but also do things like play Angry Birds and watch TV shows, then the Fire is a great deal. However, don't get the Fire if your primary purpose is reading. It's just not designed for that.
Agree with everything this guy said. When you look up the regular kindle on the amazon page, it doesn't just say Amazon Kindle. They stress the E-INK part right on the name cause it matters that much.
Own a regular kindle with 3g myself and I have to say that over the summer I surprised even myself reading so much every day (instead of Starcrafting like I usually do) that I'd drain the battery on more than one occasion. Obviously I'm in school now and I don't have that free time, but yeah I mean if you love what you're reading what's to stop you reading for hours on end?
I friggin LOVE the screen. Takes like 5 minutes getting used to pressing buttons to flip pages. I'd prefer it over any glossy screen.
I work with a guy who really enjoys his Kindle. He says it is mobile and he can read whenever he wants rather than lugging books around, like at work when he has some downtime.
So I just got a Kindle 3 the other day, with the keyboard.
Being in Australia, obviously, I couldn't get the Kindle Fire or Touch yet, and the Kindle 4 with no keyboard doesn't float my boat (and isn't out for another week anyway).
My main question - what format can I convert my m4b audiobooks to, to allow the Kindle to play them? My fiancee has a bunch of audiobook files, and I want to play them on the Kindle on the drive to and from work. They have no DRM on them.
I should add that while I could convert them to MP3, I was hoping to convert them to an actual audiobook format, as having one huge long mp3 doesn't appeal to me because it would make navigation very difficult within the book, and I've noticed sometimes (while listening to my 2hr+ podcasts in mp3 format) that it will just lose my place when I put it on standby, and fastforwarding to the middle of a 2hr mp3 30 seconds at a time is...taxing...on my patience.
So I'd like a format that the Kindle will recognise as an actual ebook.
Let's say reading assignment is about 100 pages a week (20 pages per course per week). Here, the university printer costs 5cent a page, so thats 5€ a week. Let's say a semester has 14 weeks, so a semester is 70€, 140€ a year, just for printing stuff you will never touch again. 3 years for a bachelors would total 420€ or a masters of 5 years 700€.
And this is before leisure reading, additional reading for papers and, if that floats your boat, downloading text books for free that would cost you 100€ a pop.
On October 26 2011 16:11 Capped wrote: What the fuck is the point in a machine, where you can only read books? And it costs THAT MUCH MONEY.
Like omgwtf retarded to buy something like this?
Guess what guys, my computer lets me read books.
Guess what else it can do -_-
Clearly you aren't much of an avid reader. I usually read books in paper where I can, but with the kindle it's nice to know I'm not accidentally damaging a books spine as I go, amongst a few other convenience benefits.
Actually i read quite a bit and i either use a book or just my laptop / PC as its the same thing - content wise.
In terms of actually enjoying it "more" or feeling more "comfy" with a book, yeah i do.
However using a kindle in favor of lets say, a tablet that can give you the exact same experience (Reading a book on it) is in my mind pretty downright stupid. I find it hard to fathom how people pay out serious bucks for something that has such a limited purpose, i assume you have to pay for the books on it, i havent done much research, even without having to pay for the books (assuming you can take any and all books you want) it would take a serious amount of reading to cover the price of it, as opposed to buying the book itself. Even then the added benefit of having the book outweighs it for me.
Also im well aware the kindle offers added "comfort" (?) in favor of books or tablets in different forms. (Kindle vs tablet, nicer reading screen although i cant fathom wtf that is. kindle vs books, less weight, easier to carry, less damage etc.) probably more and im sure you will all explain this to me.. I just dont see it as "comfort", either use a good old fashioned book, or use a tablet / laptop / pc to read, dont buy a stupid contraption designed for purely reading, its shooting yourself in the foot. I cant even think of a useful anagram of buying something that should be multipurpose but isnt and only applicable to one.
What the fuck is the point in a machine, where you can only read books? And it costs THAT MUCH MONEY.
Like omgwtf retarded to buy something like this?
Guess what guys, my computer lets me read books.
Guess what else it can do -_-
Judging by your chosen eloquence I assume you mean watch prodigious amounts of pornography and post on forums. Come on man, don't post for the sake of posting. If you have something to say then put some thought into writing it. It's basically flamebait to say that in a thread about e readers.
Fair enough, i guess i deserved it along with the warning i got ^_^. Refer to paragraph above post. ty.
On October 26 2011 18:08 Lorken wrote: Get F.lux and set it so be night time settings all the time! Personally I read to get away from screens and just chill for a bit.
then a kindle will suit you perfectly. you completely forget you are reading a screen.
On October 26 2011 16:11 Capped wrote: What the fuck is the point in a machine, where you can only read books? And it costs THAT MUCH MONEY.
Like omgwtf retarded to buy something like this?
Guess what guys, my computer lets me read books.
Guess what else it can do -_-
Clearly you aren't much of an avid reader. I usually read books in paper where I can, but with the kindle it's nice to know I'm not accidentally damaging a books spine as I go, amongst a few other convenience benefits.
Actually i read quite a bit and i either use a book or just my laptop / PC as its the same thing - content wise.
In terms of actually enjoying it "more" or feeling more "comfy" with a book, yeah i do.
However using a kindle in favor of lets say, a tablet that can give you the exact same experience (Reading a book on it) is in my mind pretty downright stupid. I find it hard to fathom how people pay out serious bucks for something that has such a limited purpose, i assume you have to pay for the books on it, i havent done much research, even without having to pay for the books (assuming you can take any and all books you want) it would take a serious amount of reading to cover the price of it, as opposed to buying the book itself. Even then the added benefit of having the book outweighs it for me.
Also im well aware the kindle offers added "comfort" (?) in favor of books or tablets in different forms. (Kindle vs tablet, nicer reading screen although i cant fathom wtf that is. kindle vs books, less weight, easier to carry, less damage etc.) probably more and im sure you will all explain this to me.. I just dont see it as "comfort", either use a good old fashioned book, or use a tablet / laptop / pc to read, dont buy a stupid contraption designed for purely reading, its shooting yourself in the foot. I cant even think of a useful anagram of buying something that should be multipurpose but isnt and only applicable to one.
What the fuck is the point in a machine, where you can only read books? And it costs THAT MUCH MONEY.
Like omgwtf retarded to buy something like this?
Guess what guys, my computer lets me read books.
Guess what else it can do -_-
Judging by your chosen eloquence I assume you mean watch prodigious amounts of pornography and post on forums. Come on man, don't post for the sake of posting. If you have something to say then put some thought into writing it. It's basically flamebait to say that in a thread about e readers.
Fair enough, i guess i deserved it along with the warning i got ^_^. Refer to paragraph above post. ty.
Try a Kindle in real life before dismissing the screen as "no big deal".
I have my Kindle now, and I absolutely love it! I preordered the new Haruki Murakami book, and when I woke up yesterday I suddenly had it on my Kindle! Absolutely love it :D
I have a Kindle, it's very convenient, but I'm not very fond of the screen, still too glossy to me >.< If you have light just behind you, it reflects quite a lot.
On October 26 2011 20:19 mr_tolkien wrote: I have a Kindle, it's very convenient, but I'm not very fond of the screen, still too glossy to me >.< If you have light just behind you, it reflects quite a lot.
I don't find that i have this problem moreso than I do with a book. Its a little more reflective, but you can usually just move it slightly so that it catches diffuse light. It has to be a really focused light source to actually obscure the words.
Only reason I haven't gotten one yet is because I love the feel of turning the pages and holding a huge book. Points for doing it in front of a fireplace.
I did hold one and read a few pages at a local store though... The kindle is pretty good. Just not for me.
On October 26 2011 20:57 PolSC2 wrote: Only reason I haven't gotten one yet is because I love the feel of turning the pages and holding a huge book. Points for doing it in front of a fireplace.
I did hold one and read a few pages at a local store though... The kindle is pretty good. Just not for me.
See I kind of agree with you.
The Kindle never replaces the feel of a book.
But for me, not every book is an amazing classic that I just want to feel the pages turn beneath me. I'm never going to read Lord of the Rings on it, because I love the real version of that I have, it feels so much more magical.
but for the latest Star Wars Extended Universe book, that I'd buy from the bookstore as a paperback - the Kindle is a lot more practical.
On October 26 2011 20:57 PolSC2 wrote: Only reason I haven't gotten one yet is because I love the feel of turning the pages and holding a huge book. Points for doing it in front of a fireplace.
I did hold one and read a few pages at a local store though... The kindle is pretty good. Just not for me.
See I kind of agree with you.
The Kindle never replaces the feel of a book.
But for me, not every book is an amazing classic that I just want to feel the pages turn beneath me. I'm never going to read Lord of the Rings on it, because I love the real version of that I have, it feels so much more magical.
but for the latest Star Wars Extended Universe book, that I'd buy from the bookstore as a paperback - the Kindle is a lot more practical.
On October 09 2011 23:09 Gnosis wrote: I would use one, if I had actual control over my books. As the kindle has severe DRM (e.g. locking me out of books because of highlighting), and Amazon has actual control over my library... I'll stick with paper until things improve.
Stripping drm from books is very easy, so is converting between formats.
But you're right the biggest flaw in kindles is the excessive drm and refusal to support open source formats. It's really shameful. I couldn't buy my father one for his birthday because of this, I got him a Kobo touch instead and it's actually much nicer than my kindle in several ways, but most importantly works with library software, takes all formats, etc.
That's the thing though, even if it's easy I don't want to strip DRM. Actually it's not stripping DRM that's the issue for me, it's the principle: why am I supporting a product I ultimately have to circumvent, at least in part?
My wife wants an e-reader of some sort, you recommend the Kobo?
On October 26 2011 18:08 Lorken wrote: Get F.lux and set it so be night time settings all the time! Personally I read to get away from screens and just chill for a bit.
I am going to have to second this. I first heard about F.lux in one of the threads concerning the Gunnar gaming glasses. I was contemplating buying them as I bought a new LED monitor and was having trouble playing games for any length of time. I decided it was because the monitor was much brighter than my old and fatiguing my eyes. Since F.lux was free, I tried it. At first the yellowish hue at night bothered me a bit, now I don't even notice it. If I turn it off my eyes instantly hurt, so that little program is a huge benefit to me.
I do have fairly sensitive eyes to artificial light so everyone elses results may vary.
On October 26 2011 18:08 Lorken wrote: Get F.lux and set it so be night time settings all the time! Personally I read to get away from screens and just chill for a bit.
I am going to have to second this. I first heard about F.lux in one of the threads concerning the Gunnar gaming glasses. I was contemplating buying them as I bought a new LED monitor and was having trouble playing games for any length of time. I decided it was because the monitor was much brighter than my old and fatiguing my eyes. Since F.lux was free, I tried it. At first the yellowish hue at night bothered me a bit, now I don't even notice it. If I turn it off my eyes instantly hurt, so that little program is a huge benefit to me.
I do have fairly sensitive eyes to artificial light so everyone elses results may vary.
It might just be a bad habit from being so used to it but my eyes hurt when I turn it off too
On topic: there's no such thing like an E-book library or something right? 90% of what I read I get from the library unless it's a really new book or something I really like and want for myself. I don't like the idea of having to pay too enjoy a good book (especially when it's not in book form).
On October 26 2011 18:08 Lorken wrote: Get F.lux and set it so be night time settings all the time! Personally I read to get away from screens and just chill for a bit.
I am going to have to second this. I first heard about F.lux in one of the threads concerning the Gunnar gaming glasses. I was contemplating buying them as I bought a new LED monitor and was having trouble playing games for any length of time. I decided it was because the monitor was much brighter than my old and fatiguing my eyes. Since F.lux was free, I tried it. At first the yellowish hue at night bothered me a bit, now I don't even notice it. If I turn it off my eyes instantly hurt, so that little program is a huge benefit to me.
I do have fairly sensitive eyes to artificial light so everyone elses results may vary.
It might just be a bad habit from being so used to it but my eyes hurt when I turn it off too
On topic: there's no such thing like an E-book library or something right? 90% of what I read I get from the library unless it's a really new book or something I really like and want for myself. I don't like the idea of having to pay too enjoy a good book (especially when it's not in book form).
Actually, some of the libraries I go to have an e-book selection
On May 30 2010 16:16 BroOd wrote: e-readers are fine for magazines and newspapers, but I don't like the for books at all.
This. There is some aesthetic experience in reading actual books that is lost when transferred to the electronic screen. It's tough to explain my reasoning, but actual books are an experience in themselves, not JUST words written on a page. Also, you can just go to the library to get a book. You still have to pay for books with a Kindle.
I'm curious, can you rent books on a kindle if your library supports it? Seems rather strange if you can't. You can rent DVDs for a fee etc.
There is something called overdrive I think it is some libraries have for lending e-books, also you have to pay a fee to borrow DVDs from the library? (bah you probably just mean renting in general)
On October 26 2011 16:11 Capped wrote: What the fuck is the point in a machine, where you can only read books? And it costs THAT MUCH MONEY.
Like omgwtf retarded to buy something like this?
Guess what guys, my computer lets me read books.
Guess what else it can do -_-
Clearly you aren't much of an avid reader. I usually read books in paper where I can, but with the kindle it's nice to know I'm not accidentally damaging a books spine as I go, amongst a few other convenience benefits.
Actually i read quite a bit and i either use a book or just my laptop / PC as its the same thing - content wise.
In terms of actually enjoying it "more" or feeling more "comfy" with a book, yeah i do.
However using a kindle in favor of lets say, a tablet that can give you the exact same experience (Reading a book on it) is in my mind pretty downright stupid. I find it hard to fathom how people pay out serious bucks for something that has such a limited purpose, i assume you have to pay for the books on it, i havent done much research, even without having to pay for the books (assuming you can take any and all books you want) it would take a serious amount of reading to cover the price of it, as opposed to buying the book itself. Even then the added benefit of having the book outweighs it for me.
Also im well aware the kindle offers added "comfort" (?) in favor of books or tablets in different forms. (Kindle vs tablet, nicer reading screen although i cant fathom wtf that is. kindle vs books, less weight, easier to carry, less damage etc.) probably more and im sure you will all explain this to me.. I just dont see it as "comfort", either use a good old fashioned book, or use a tablet / laptop / pc to read, dont buy a stupid contraption designed for purely reading, its shooting yourself in the foot. I cant even think of a useful anagram of buying something that should be multipurpose but isnt and only applicable to one.
What the fuck is the point in a machine, where you can only read books? And it costs THAT MUCH MONEY.
Like omgwtf retarded to buy something like this?
Guess what guys, my computer lets me read books.
Guess what else it can do -_-
Judging by your chosen eloquence I assume you mean watch prodigious amounts of pornography and post on forums. Come on man, don't post for the sake of posting. If you have something to say then put some thought into writing it. It's basically flamebait to say that in a thread about e readers.
Fair enough, i guess i deserved it along with the warning i got ^_^. Refer to paragraph above post. ty.
laptops and tablets are more expensive though, and for long periods of reading time I'd rather stare at e-ink than an LCD screen, it causes less eyestrain.
I love my kindle, I download so many books online and saves me a lot of money.although theres a lot of nostalgia with real books, its reallly convenient for me as a guy that sometimes finishes 10 books a month to carry them with me. Not to mention several of my heavy textbooks for my university classes.
Calibre is an awesome app that lets me dl any format, pdf mobi doc jpgs epub then convert and email wirelessly to my kindle. I dont charge it for several weeks sometimes no problem its convenientfor someone who forgets to charge his phone.
On May 30 2010 16:16 BroOd wrote: e-readers are fine for magazines and newspapers, but I don't like the for books at all.
This. There is some aesthetic experience in reading actual books that is lost when transferred to the electronic screen. It's tough to explain my reasoning, but actual books are an experience in themselves, not JUST words written on a page. Also, you can just go to the library to get a book. You still have to pay for books with a Kindle.
I'm curious, can you rent books on a kindle if your library supports it? Seems rather strange if you can't. You can rent DVDs for a fee etc.
There is something called overdrive I think it is some libraries have for lending e-books, also you have to pay a fee to borrow DVDs from the library? (bah you probably just mean renting in general)
well both, yea my main city library has DVDs, CDs, even older forms of electronic media for rental for small fees.
The advantage to having one with a keyboard is just having a keyboard. If don't have much use for it so I went with the standard 79.99 as I prefer not having it.
The fire is cool, but to me it isn't what I want in an Ebook reader. The reason I wanted a kindle is because of the eink. I don't want to read on an LCD display. Also the battery life on an eink reader is much better.
The fire is more a tablet than an ebook. If you just want to read, stick to the b&w e-ink models since they're much more versatile and can be read in sunlight/anywhere basically. The keyboard is just if you like having buttons instead of a touchscreen.
I have an older kindle, and I love it.. wouldn't have read nearly as much in the past year if I hadn't bought it.
Personally I wish I had a keyboard, cause I use the kindle to study and i google or wiki things pretty often. Atm I'm waiting for the touch reviews to see how it handles pdfs and how the browser is controlled by touch and then i might get that one.
If you dont intend on using the browser much then theres really no need for the keyboard, you dont need it for searching books since a) you can do that on pc and b) even if you always do it on the kindle, you dont do it near often enough to require a keyboard
There seem to be a few posts in the previous pages about reading PDFs on the Kindle. Allow me to give my review.
I bought the Kindle specifically to read a backlog of math PDF textbooks and papers I've developed over my years at uni, on a screen that doesn't fire electrons into my eyes.
For the most part it does a very good job. PDFs are best read on landscape mode. However, it's possible to read them on portrait mode as a entire page if your OK with small writing.
The zoom feature for PDFs is tacky, limited, and time consuming to adjust. The good news is that you don't need to zoom when reading PDFs on landscape.
Formulas and formatting is preserved when reading a PDF file, it's as if it were on a computer, but with a screen that is comfortable for the eyes. White margins are also automatically cropped which is helpful.
On October 28 2011 06:37 Dalguno wrote: I'm considering buying a Kindle. Actually, I'm going to get one. I want to decide which I want.
What are the advantages of buying one with a keyboard? Is it worth the extra money? Is the Fire pretty cool, or not worth it?
It depends on what you plan to use the keyboard for. Every person in my family has a kindle, and none of us use the keyboard (which is why I got myself the Kindle without a keyboard). On the other hand, if you're like 7mk then you might want a keyboard.
The Fire should be pretty cool, but since it's a tablet I'd wait for the reviews to come out a week or so before it's released. Also, it's more like the iPad than it is like the classic Kindle, so it's once again about what you want from it.
If you want an eInk kindle, your best option right now is probably to waita week or two for the Kindle Touch. It's got slightly better specs at only a marginal increase in price.
On October 29 2011 01:18 paralleluniverse wrote: There seem to be a few posts in the previous pages about reading PDFs on the Kindle. Allow me to give my review.
I bought the Kindle specifically to read a backlog of math PDF textbooks and papers I've developed over my years at uni, on a screen that doesn't fire electrons into my eyes.
For the most part it does a very good job. PDFs are best read on landscape mode. However, it's possible to read them on portrait mode as a entire page if your OK with small writing.
The zoom feature for PDFs is tacky, limited, and time consuming to adjust. The good news is that you don't need to zoom when reading PDFs on landscape.
Formulas and formatting is preserved when reading a PDF file, it's as if it were on a computer, but with a screen that is comfortable for the eyes. White margins are also automatically cropped which is helpful.
Afaik the Sony readers are much better at dealing with pdfs, thats why im still unsure about replacing my kindle 4 with something else entirely. I mean it does an ok job with pdfs but it could be much better. Yesterday I tried converting pdfs to .mobi format. If you put a lot of effort into it you can make any pdf into a perfect mobi but obviously noone wants to waste that much time, I only tried the very simple way of just importing and converting to mobi without any further editing and on some of my pdfs i had decent results, with no huge flaws, other than the paragraph spacing being a bit messy. A lot of the files however were pretty screwed, id say about 50/50.
Other than the price the kindle store is a big plus though and I generally like amazon as a firm, im still pretty unsure about what to do, I'll probably have to wait for the kindle touch reviews to make a decision
On October 29 2011 01:18 paralleluniverse wrote: There seem to be a few posts in the previous pages about reading PDFs on the Kindle. Allow me to give my review.
I bought the Kindle specifically to read a backlog of math PDF textbooks and papers I've developed over my years at uni, on a screen that doesn't fire electrons into my eyes.
For the most part it does a very good job. PDFs are best read on landscape mode. However, it's possible to read them on portrait mode as a entire page if your OK with small writing.
The zoom feature for PDFs is tacky, limited, and time consuming to adjust. The good news is that you don't need to zoom when reading PDFs on landscape.
Formulas and formatting is preserved when reading a PDF file, it's as if it were on a computer, but with a screen that is comfortable for the eyes. White margins are also automatically cropped which is helpful.
Afaik the Sony readers are much better at dealing with pdfs, thats why im still unsure about replacing my kindle 4 with something else entirely. I mean it does an ok job with pdfs but it could be much better. Yesterday I tried converting pdfs to .mobi format. If you put a lot of effort into it you can make any pdf into a perfect mobi but obviously noone wants to waste that much time, I only tried the very simple way of just importing and converting to mobi without any further editing and on some of my pdfs i had decent results, with no huge flaws, other than the paragraph spacing being a bit messy. A lot of the files however were pretty screwed, id say about 50/50.
Other than the price the kindle store is a big plus though and I generally like amazon as a firm, im still pretty unsure about what to do, I'll probably have to wait for the kindle touch reviews to make a decision
prs-t1 does look good tho
The only PDFs that can be converted to MOBI successfully are those with no sophisticated formatting such as columns, formulas, text boxes, etc.
Kindle can readily and comfortably read plain text documents like those shown in the screenshot.
i'm also thinking of buying an eReader right now but i can't decide between kindle touch / prs-t1 / kobo touch.
sony i don't like the glossy frame also there is a huge delay with shipping right now
kobo i saw in some review that the contrast of the screen is weak .. more like gray/gray than black/white also overall build quality is inferior to sony/kindle
kindle has low storage capacity and there is no sd card slot :/
i'm currently leaning towards kindle but 4gig storage just seems too small. also can anyone here confirm the problem with kobo? or did they already fix it somehow? heard that they are quite quick in updating their eReader and adjusting it to customers demands.
On October 29 2011 17:04 qeMix wrote: i'm also thinking of buying an eReader right now but i can't decide between kindle touch / prs-t1 / kobo touch.
sony i don't like the glossy frame also there is a huge delay with shipping right now
kobo i saw in some review that the contrast of the screen is weak .. more like gray/gray than black/white also overall build quality is inferior to sony/kindle
kindle has low storage capacity and there is no sd card slot :/
i'm currently leaning towards kindle but 4gig storage just seems too small. also can anyone here confirm the problem with kobo? or did they already fix it somehow? heard that they are quite quick in updating their eReader and adjusting it to customers demands.
An ebook takes about 400 KB, and a 100 page PDF are about 1 MB, so 4 GB is probably enough books to last over 10 years of reading.
On October 29 2011 17:04 qeMix wrote: i'm also thinking of buying an eReader right now but i can't decide between kindle touch / prs-t1 / kobo touch.
sony i don't like the glossy frame also there is a huge delay with shipping right now
kobo i saw in some review that the contrast of the screen is weak .. more like gray/gray than black/white also overall build quality is inferior to sony/kindle
kindle has low storage capacity and there is no sd card slot :/
i'm currently leaning towards kindle but 4gig storage just seems too small. also can anyone here confirm the problem with kobo? or did they already fix it somehow? heard that they are quite quick in updating their eReader and adjusting it to customers demands.
4 gigs should be plenty unless you read something with a lot of pictures or use it as mp3 player. What i would worry about in kindle case is very little support to formats like epub. But that's just me, you may be ok with just using amazon store.
On October 29 2011 17:04 qeMix wrote: i'm also thinking of buying an eReader right now but i can't decide between kindle touch / prs-t1 / kobo touch.
sony i don't like the glossy frame also there is a huge delay with shipping right now
kobo i saw in some review that the contrast of the screen is weak .. more like gray/gray than black/white also overall build quality is inferior to sony/kindle
kindle has low storage capacity and there is no sd card slot :/
i'm currently leaning towards kindle but 4gig storage just seems too small. also can anyone here confirm the problem with kobo? or did they already fix it somehow? heard that they are quite quick in updating their eReader and adjusting it to customers demands.
4 gigs should be plenty unless you read something with a lot of pictures or use it as mp3 player. What i would worry about in kindle case is very little support to formats like epub. But that's just me, you may be ok with just using amazon store.
hm then i guess 4gig should be enough. i don't think epub would be a problem since i can just convert it to mobi with calibre.
On October 29 2011 17:04 qeMix wrote: i'm also thinking of buying an eReader right now but i can't decide between kindle touch / prs-t1 / kobo touch.
sony i don't like the glossy frame also there is a huge delay with shipping right now
kobo i saw in some review that the contrast of the screen is weak .. more like gray/gray than black/white also overall build quality is inferior to sony/kindle
kindle has low storage capacity and there is no sd card slot :/
i'm currently leaning towards kindle but 4gig storage just seems too small. also can anyone here confirm the problem with kobo? or did they already fix it somehow? heard that they are quite quick in updating their eReader and adjusting it to customers demands.
4 gigs should be plenty unless you read something with a lot of pictures or use it as mp3 player. What i would worry about in kindle case is very little support to formats like epub. But that's just me, you may be ok with just using amazon store.
You can read epub on a kindle if you install another OS like Duokan on it! (which it's really easy to do )
I read on my iPad, but not too extensively - I think if you plan on reading a lot and don't like the space physicals books take up, then an eReader might be the ticket. I'd consider the Kindle if I was rich or didn't already have an iPad - it's easier to read on a Kindle, but I just couldn't justify getting one since I can read on so many of my other devices and I just don't read that much
Bought one for my girlfriend for an anniversary, the keyboardless one. She reads it everyday, loves it, says it's much better than a book (smaller, lighter, easier to hold/read/turn page) etc. If you read novels, I'd recommend it. I want one myself now.
On Wednesday, Amazon took some of the shine off Barnes & Noble’s announcement when it released a statement saying that actually the Kindle Fire would be coming preloaded with Netflix and Pandora, together with apps for Facebook, Rhapsody, Twitter, Comics by comiXology, and the Weather Channel, among others.
And now news has come that the Fire will also have support for Hulu Plus, along with ESPN’s ScoreCenter, which allows sports fans to keep track of the latest scores from various sports leagues and competitions around the world.
Amazon did a really good job with the Kindle, and made it for really pretty cheap. I wonder if the Fire will just end up being a super solid tablet for cheap.
i just wanna say thanks to this thread as it made me buy a kindle and i absolutely love it, bought the simple 99 euro version and it's simply amazing, read several books already in the last 3 weeks
On November 13 2011 02:40 Tsubbi wrote: i just wanna say thanks to this thread as it made me buy a kindle and i absolutely love it, bought the simple 99 euro version and it's simply amazing, read several books already in the last 3 weeks
Personal curiosity but what were your intermittent reading time per session and how strained did your eyes feel by the end of each?
On November 13 2011 02:40 Tsubbi wrote: i just wanna say thanks to this thread as it made me buy a kindle and i absolutely love it, bought the simple 99 euro version and it's simply amazing, read several books already in the last 3 weeks
Personal curiosity but what were your intermittent reading time per session and how strained did your eyes feel by the end of each?
My experience has been 1-4 hours and little to no strain on they eyes. Compared to a 4 hour session on a computer it`s nothing.
On November 13 2011 02:40 Tsubbi wrote: i just wanna say thanks to this thread as it made me buy a kindle and i absolutely love it, bought the simple 99 euro version and it's simply amazing, read several books already in the last 3 weeks
Personal curiosity but what were your intermittent reading time per session and how strained did your eyes feel by the end of each?
i read like 8 hours a day the first weekend and experimented a lot with text size and type, with pretty middle of the road settings i found reading extremly convenient
in fact, as im reading a lot of stuff for master thesis on normal paper atm i can personally say that i find reading on the kindle less straining for the eyes
I've had a kindle for 2years now and read alot from it. There is no strain on your eyes... I blame the kindle for me reading more in my life due to how easy it is to start a new book. They are so cheap now and pay in the long run. DO IT!!!! <3
It's weird how every company producing ereaders has decided to switch over to tablets. Kobo, Kindle, Nook all have a tablet coming out. I guess there's no new eink technology in the near future
On November 14 2011 09:21 floor exercise wrote: It's weird how every company producing ereaders has decided to switch over to tablets. Kobo, Kindle, Nook all have a tablet coming out. I guess there's no new eink technology in the near future
If that was true, why bother updating the kindle to the new touch ones when they have the fire? They will easily coexist, and amazon's fairly aggressive pricing model allows them to do so.
Battery life + the lack of glare is a key selling point in the e-ink readers vs the tablets. Tablets are great for some things (color reading, applications, web), but if you just need to read novels, the kindle is far superior.
I'm personally looking to get a kindle for christmas this year. I'm intrigued by the fire, but I may want to see reviews / play with one first before purchasing. The price point is good, I just need to know more about the functionality.
Dude, defiantly buy a kindle: I'm considering doing exactly the same, actually. The reflective ink idea is really, really good - and personally I think it will be a mult-billion dollar industry when it gets to laptop screens, and the refresh rate picks up.
The day the put that technology on an ordinary computer screen is the day we begin to really see the digital revolution take off.
On November 13 2011 02:40 Tsubbi wrote: i just wanna say thanks to this thread as it made me buy a kindle and i absolutely love it, bought the simple 99 euro version and it's simply amazing, read several books already in the last 3 weeks
Personal curiosity but what were your intermittent reading time per session and how strained did your eyes feel by the end of each?
I've read for up to 3 hours with no strain on the eyes, it's indistinguishable from reading paper.
And this was the main reason I bought a kindle: I hate reading text on a computer screen.
On November 14 2011 09:21 floor exercise wrote: It's weird how every company producing ereaders has decided to switch over to tablets. Kobo, Kindle, Nook all have a tablet coming out. I guess there's no new eink technology in the near future
As long as tablets continue to use LCD screens that fire electrons into your eyes, eInk devices will remain in demand.
Kindle Fire is released tomorrow,(so remember TL'ers if you ordered it to be move your money from savings etc.) Amazon estimates I should get mine on Wednesday... I'll be at work most likely
On November 15 2011 09:00 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: Just got an email from Amazon, my Kindle Fire has been shipped.
And please tell us how it works with starcraft streams and at what quality (360p,420p,720p etc...) it starts to lag and slowdowns. I've made a thread on the tech forum but as no onehave the kindle fire yet it's pretty empty for the moment. Thanks in advance
Not sure what stance Engadget takes on the Kindle Fire i will read this after posting but Wired's review was less then enthusiastic about the product. Really an interesting product idea but i have to say if i was going to drop money on a tablet i want it to have at least 10.1 in screen and be running honneycomb and later ICS. I'm going to grab the Xoom after the price comes down more, hopefully when Xoom2 get released, but i can't say i have any problem with diversity and competition in the tablet market. I want to see more tablets priced this competitively.
I received a Kindle as a gift and I love it. It's great to have for long trips, I can put a lot of my favorite series (ones that I can read over and over and still love) for relatively low prices.
Now when I finish my 2 new books (real or on the kindle) while I'm at my grandparents' house for the week (no internet), I have so many options for rereading, while taking up less space than one book.
Like other people have said, the Kindle just doesn't cut it for the "holding a book" feeling thought.
Afterthought! Its also super nice for reading while working out (I use it on a stationary bike mostly). Sweaty fingers and random drips irritate me with real books, with a Kindle its super easy to clean and I don't feel like I am ruining it.
My brother bought one, he quite likes it. He said it was cheaper to buy a kindle plus a digital copy of all his books for school than buying all the hardcovers.
For those that picked up the fire, what do you think about lack of external memory and smaller internal memory vs the nook color / nook tablet? With the nook color priced at 200 and tablet coming out for 250, B&N are remaining quite competitive. What made you buy the KF over a B&N product?
On November 16 2011 15:30 mrgoochio wrote: For those that picked up the fire, what do you think about lack of external memory and smaller internal memory vs the nook color / nook tablet? With the nook color priced at 200 and tablet coming out for 250, B&N are remaining quite competitive. What made you buy the KF over a B&N product?
Honestly I don't plan on cramming almost every App I can find onto the Kindle, or trying to play say Sim City, or even Civilzation on it. When B&N unveiled the Nook tablet all they seemed to do was gloat that it had access to outside the marketplace video with access to Hulu etc. Whereas Amazon did not.
Amazon simply countered by announcing Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, and Newsstand were apart of the Apps. Your move Nook.
But one things the Kindle Fire and Nook will suffer from, availability of Apps in the first few days/weeks. Though I have downloaded TWC, and have seen Pandora already.
On November 16 2011 15:30 mrgoochio wrote: For those that picked up the fire, what do you think about lack of external memory and smaller internal memory vs the nook color / nook tablet? With the nook color priced at 200 and tablet coming out for 250, B&N are remaining quite competitive. What made you buy the KF over a B&N product?
Honestly I don't plan on cramming almost every App I can find onto the Kindle, also when B&N seemed to gloat that it had access to outside the marketplace video with access to Hulu etc.
Amazon simply countered by announcing Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, and Newsstand were apart of the Apps.
But one things the Kindle Fire and Nook will suffer from, availability of Apps in the first few days/weeks. Though I have downloaded TWC, and have seen Pandora already.
I bought my dad a Nook color a few months ago and immediately installed CM7 on it so it has full market access and pretty much full tablet usage. I was talking about the extra space more for music and media rather than apps.. apps seem relatively small and 8GB should be sufficient for books and apps. Although with wifi available almost anywhere I go and my cell phone, i suppose I wouldn't need to store music directly on the device.
I honestly haven't followed the KF that closely, I was just wondering if there was something new that the KF brought to the table. Im thinking about getting myself a tab or ebook reader for xmas
On November 16 2011 15:30 mrgoochio wrote: For those that picked up the fire, what do you think about lack of external memory and smaller internal memory vs the nook color / nook tablet? With the nook color priced at 200 and tablet coming out for 250, B&N are remaining quite competitive. What made you buy the KF over a B&N product?
Honestly I don't plan on cramming almost every App I can find onto the Kindle, also when B&N seemed to gloat that it had access to outside the marketplace video with access to Hulu etc.
Amazon simply countered by announcing Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, and Newsstand were apart of the Apps.
But one things the Kindle Fire and Nook will suffer from, availability of Apps in the first few days/weeks. Though I have downloaded TWC, and have seen Pandora already.
I bought my dad a Nook color a few months ago and immediately installed CM7 on it so it has full market access and pretty much full tablet usage. I was talking about the extra space more for music and media rather than apps.. apps seem relatively small and 8GB should be sufficient for books and apps. Although with wifi available almost anywhere I go and my cell phone, i suppose I wouldn't need to store music directly on the device.
I honestly haven't followed the KF that closely, I was just wondering if there was something new that the KF brought to the table. Im thinking about getting myself a tab or ebook reader for xmas
I guess that's where the Kindle has the advantage with the free Clod Storage with Amazon digital content.
On November 16 2011 15:30 mrgoochio wrote: For those that picked up the fire, what do you think about lack of external memory and smaller internal memory vs the nook color / nook tablet? With the nook color priced at 200 and tablet coming out for 250, B&N are remaining quite competitive. What made you buy the KF over a B&N product?
Honestly I don't plan on cramming almost every App I can find onto the Kindle, also when B&N seemed to gloat that it had access to outside the marketplace video with access to Hulu etc.
Amazon simply countered by announcing Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, and Newsstand were apart of the Apps.
But one things the Kindle Fire and Nook will suffer from, availability of Apps in the first few days/weeks. Though I have downloaded TWC, and have seen Pandora already.
I bought my dad a Nook color a few months ago and immediately installed CM7 on it so it has full market access and pretty much full tablet usage. I was talking about the extra space more for music and media rather than apps.. apps seem relatively small and 8GB should be sufficient for books and apps. Although with wifi available almost anywhere I go and my cell phone, i suppose I wouldn't need to store music directly on the device.
I honestly haven't followed the KF that closely, I was just wondering if there was something new that the KF brought to the table. Im thinking about getting myself a tab or ebook reader for xmas
I guess that's where the Kindle has the advantage with the free Clod Storage with Amazon digital content.
Ah I read about that, sounds cool. I think B&N is rolling something out to compete as well. Don't know if any of that is available with a custom ROM, so that may be an unavailable feature. What exactly does that do?
So would you recommend me getting a normal kindle for 79 bucks or the kindle fire for 200? I kind of just want to be able to read pdf's on it and not so much browse the web.
On November 18 2011 04:44 HaruHaru wrote: So would you recommend me getting a normal kindle for 79 bucks or the kindle fire for 200? I kind of just want to be able to read pdf's on it and not so much browse the web.
The kindle fire would be alot better than the normal kindle for reading pdfs. The regular kindle is better for reading novels (books with only text)
Yeah the only thing that irks me about the fire is the no 3G, but rumors abound say the next Kindle Fire(if that's what it will be called) will have it.
But it's nothing a WiFi doesn't cover. I love this thing.
Works like a charm. It also strips the DRM so you can move the file between devices if you need to.
Seconded. I don't have a kindle (yet?) but calibre is pretty amazing in general. I've only been using it for a few days but it's already been super useful. Go for it!
Works like a charm. It also strips the DRM so you can move the file between devices if you need to.
Seconded. I don't have a kindle (yet?) but calibre is pretty amazing in general. I've only been using it for a few days but it's already been super useful. Go for it!
Thanks! I tried converting a textbook that was in PDF format into mobi format, but it loses all the pictures and formatting. Is this only useful for converting one column pdf's and not so much for things like textbooks?
buy the cheapest new kindle amazon will sell you. for me it was one of those things i didn't think i'd need but after i got it became something i dont know how i lived without. a truly wonderful device and if you know how to / feel comfortable using torrents will pay for itself 100 fold in the first half hour out of the package.
I'm considering getting a Kindle, and the Fire has my attention. The apps are novel enough, and being able to have my Evernote available wherever I am definitely sounds useful. The color display for reading comics also sounds nice. My big concern is that because the display for the Fire is different from the standard Kindle I might not be able to use it around bright lights/sunlight. Can anyone with the Fire confirm that it does/doesn't suffer from this?
On November 20 2011 13:21 Scribble wrote: I'm considering getting a Kindle, and the Fire has my attention. The apps are novel enough, and being able to have my Evernote available wherever I am definitely sounds useful. The color display for reading comics also sounds nice. My big concern is that because the display for the Fire is different from the standard Kindle I might not be able to use it around bright lights/sunlight. Can anyone with the Fire confirm that it does/doesn't suffer from this?
The screen is good, but yes, it isn't e-ink, so it'll suffer in the same situations that a laptop screen would suffer, albeit not as badly.
On November 20 2011 11:38 mud123 wrote: buy the cheapest new kindle amazon will sell you. for me it was one of those things i didn't think i'd need but after i got it became something i dont know how i lived without. a truly wonderful device and if you know how to / feel comfortable using torrents will pay for itself 100 fold in the first half hour out of the package.
after much consideration i bought a kobo touch and it is not bad. it is a little too small compared to a hard cover book and the background is a little too dark compared to real paper. but i find it easier to hold and turn pages. also i am able to read manga on the device (converting .jpg to .epub) although i woudn't recommend as it becomes hard to read due to the size of the screen. and yes i must agree it pays for itself quickly. not using torrent as i consider them unsafe but there are other ways^^
I'm gonna buy my mother a kindle for christmas - she has probably read well over 10 thousands books in her lifetime, and she is really interested in the kindle for the exact reason people argue against them.
she's tired of carrying around 2-3 books at a time she wants to not have to pay so much for books she wants access to many books at once without high commitment to them (again they're cheaper, etc, etc)
i know she wants it so now i just need to get some opinions on really good cheap e-readers.
thoughts for the starving art student wanting to give back to his mother?
Yeah bought my mother a Kindle Fire for Christmas I gave it to her early as she already knew it was coming -.-
Loves it.
Rumor has it the Kindle Fire 2 will be unveiled in the Spring. And that the Kindle Fire is coming to the UK for £100. But most are saying that is financially impossible.
On December 10 2011 09:28 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: Rumor has it the Kindle Fire 2 will be unveiled in the Spring. And that the Kindle Fire is coming to the UK for £100. But most are saying that is financially impossible.
Damn, if that's true (Fire for £100), I would jump on that immediately.
Still haven't made the decision to buy one or not yet. The basic Kindle looks really good(and is, I've played about with the keyboard model that I bought for my mum), but not sure if I might just get more out of the Fire.
I don't suppose reading manga is possible on the basic kindle at all, is it?
edit- Actually, I just googled it and apparently there's a tool for it that will convert the manga to a format readable by the Kindle. In these pics it looks very clear, but is it realistic to expect that from most manga scans? Has anyone here used it?
On November 20 2011 11:38 mud123 wrote: buy the cheapest new kindle amazon will sell you. for me it was one of those things i didn't think i'd need but after i got it became something i dont know how i lived without. a truly wonderful device and if you know how to / feel comfortable using torrents will pay for itself 100 fold in the first half hour out of the package.
after much consideration i bought a kobo touch and it is not bad. it is a little too small compared to a hard cover book and the background is a little too dark compared to real paper. but i find it easier to hold and turn pages. also i am able to read manga on the device (converting .jpg to .epub) although i woudn't recommend as it becomes hard to read due to the size of the screen. and yes i must agree it pays for itself quickly. not using torrent as i consider them unsafe but there are other ways^^
The new firmware update allows the Kobo to read .cbr files, you wanna check them out if you want to read more comic on your device.
On November 24 2011 10:51 WackaAlpaca wrote: I'm gonna buy my mother a kindle for christmas - she has probably read well over 10 thousands books in her lifetime, and she is really interested in the kindle for the exact reason people argue against them.
she's tired of carrying around 2-3 books at a time she wants to not have to pay so much for books she wants access to many books at once without high commitment to them (again they're cheaper, etc, etc)
i know she wants it so now i just need to get some opinions on really good cheap e-readers.
thoughts for the starving art student wanting to give back to his mother?
The "cheaper" argument isn't true. Quite often I find e-books costing more than their printed cousins.
Kindle is awesome though. Especially the 3G version where you get free internets.
I now have owned (at one time) all but the Gen 1 kindles and I have to see the kindle 3rd generation with keyboard is the best. The touch is faster for page turnings but I often screw up the touches to get the menu screen and occasionally it will register a touch if I hold it too hard on the left corner.
On the other hand kindle fire is probably the only one I didn't like. Too heavy and no eink makes it a bad e-reader. Would have been different if I needed a tablet I guess. It seems like a pretty good tablet.
The "cheaper" argument isn't true. Quite often I find e-books costing more than their printed cousins.
This is exactly why price fixing is being investigated by both the EU and the DOJ. Hopefully the scumbag publishers and Apple will get slammed with a gigantic fine followed by gigantic class actions. Amazon's policy of subsidizing the ebooks was probably the greatest thing ever and why I am such a loyal amazon customer.
I'm planning on buying an eReader but since I'm in Canada my options seem limited. I'm trying to decide between the Kobo Touch and the Kindle 4. The main difference is that the Kobo reads ePub while the kindle leaves you stuck with mobi (which in turn leaves you with Amazon's Canadian catalogue which is smaller than the US). I've heard that the Kindle can effectively read ePub through conversion but sometimes the file is converted incorrectly and leaves artifacts (can anyone confirm this?). Some of the reviews I've read of the Kobo suggest that the software is buggy.
Can anyone who is knowledge on both products give me some advice here? Keep in mind I am in Canada which has some effects on service.
I have a Kobo touch and I really like it a lot. The interface is really intuitive and the software is not buggy at all. What I really like is that the device reads nearly every file format, is ultra light and is really comfortable to hold. Ah yeah and Kobo's update policy is top notch. Every few weeks a firmware update is released, adding more features and fixing bugs. The only things bugging me is that the touch sometimes doesn't register a page turn, but this is something you avoid by using it more and know how hard to touch. The real drawback though is the built in dictionary. It really sucks balls, it doesn't even know basic words such as immortality in the German- English translation. I really hope they improve on that in a future update. Fingers crossed.
On December 10 2011 09:28 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: Rumor has it the Kindle Fire 2 will be unveiled in the Spring. And that the Kindle Fire is coming to the UK for £100. But most are saying that is financially impossible.
Damn, if that's true (Fire for £100), I would jump on that immediately.
Still haven't made the decision to buy one or not yet. The basic Kindle looks really good(and is, I've played about with the keyboard model that I bought for my mum), but not sure if I might just get more out of the Fire.
I don't suppose reading manga is possible on the basic kindle at all, is it?
edit- Actually, I just googled it and apparently there's a tool for it that will convert the manga to a format readable by the Kindle. In these pics it looks very clear, but is it realistic to expect that from most manga scans? Has anyone here used it?
Na I guess Amazon will sell it for 200€ in Europe :D the cheapest Kindle costs 99€ while the same Kindle costs 109$ hmm. I own a Kindle Fire. I think its a nice toy to play around with ^^. I watch some streams / play games / read some books / browse from time to time with. It is a nice thing to have overall. However if you want to use it manly as a e-book reader get the ones with e-ink like the Kindle Touch. :o
Ah and you can get the Android App market on the Kindle Fire too.
Yes you should, definitely. The plain standard e-reader at 89 dollars is a brilliant product and well well WELL worth the money if you read often. YES!!
I bought a Kindle Touch for $130 (got the advertisements included one). It's a great product and I'm just about 70% through my first book (The Hobbit) on it. I'm not quite sure how to put PDF files on it yet, but when I figure that out I'll probably be downloading books in mass numbers.
bought a kindle fire for my mom the other week for her christmas present. been busy playing around with it. Amazing device honestly, in terms of its build. great screen, nice colors, good legibility indoor or outdoor. text feels soft so it doesn't strain your eyes unlike the over sharpened filter from samsung devices.
been busy flashing the current build of cyanogenmod7 onto it as well. One thing i dont like is the market restrictions that amazon placed on it and hiding some of the system settings. oh well, this puts the regular honeycomb interface back onto it.
On December 12 2011 01:00 RastaMonsta wrote: i prefer the old fashioned way and reading a REAL book
A real book isn't made by the bounded stacks of paper and a cover. The reason to read a book is for the content not the skin, and I am always surprised when people make this argument thinking it makes them look smarter.
On December 12 2011 01:00 RastaMonsta wrote: i prefer the old fashioned way and reading a REAL book
is there a particular reason? having switched to reading my books on my infuse i no longer have to take up a chunk of my backpack space with a book, theres no additional weight, i can pull it out and read it on the go. its more legible outside under the sun since the light doesn't reflect off the paper, you can flip pages by flicking your thumb. older individuals can increase the font size no problem. theres a night mode so you can read comfortably under low light conditions. you should give it a shot =0
I`ve got a question: I`m intersted in buying an e-reader in order to read scientific articles (for my PHD-Thesis). I`m kinda tired of copying/printing the papers every time and I don`t want to carry 200 sheets of paper (plus additional books/notebook etc) every time I go to the library. On the other hand I do not want to read the articles on the notebook because I`m kinda inattentive when I read my stuff there. I was intersted in buying a Kindle but apparently only books that are bought from Amazon run there. As I´m a pretty big newb when it comes down to electronic devices it is greatly appreciated if someone has an useful alternative for me (the articles are mostly PDF).
On December 12 2011 01:16 Irrational_Animal wrote: I`ve got a question: I`m intersted in buying an e-reader in order to read scientific articles (for my PHD-Thesis). I`m kinda tired of copying/printing the papers every time and I don`t want to carry 200 sheets of paper (plus additional books/notebook etc) every time I go to the library. On the other hand I do not want to read the articles on the notebook because I`m kinda inattentive when I read my stuff there. I was intersted in buying a Kindle but apparently only books that are bought from Amazon run there. As I´m a pretty big newb when it comes down to electronic devices it is greatly appreciated if someone has an useful alternative for me (the articles are mostly PDF).
I've never tried putting pdfs on a regular e-reader (such as original style kindle). But you can put as many .pdfs as you want (up to the 8gig storage limit) on a Kindle Fire ($200), and they work. The Fire has a default way to view .pdfs, or you can open them through various apps. You can transfer them onto the fire just like a usb flash drive (plug it in w/ an appropriate cable - doesn't come included - drag files onto the kindle fire folder) or download them onto the device. As far as I've tested, pdfs are scalable (pinch to zoom in/out, drag around, etc). I have a friend who was looking at a tablet for the same reason. He ultimately went with an ipad2 because he wanted the larger screen and to obviously use it for other things.
On December 12 2011 01:16 Irrational_Animal wrote: I`ve got a question: I`m intersted in buying an e-reader in order to read scientific articles (for my PHD-Thesis). I`m kinda tired of copying/printing the papers every time and I don`t want to carry 200 sheets of paper (plus additional books/notebook etc) every time I go to the library. On the other hand I do not want to read the articles on the notebook because I`m kinda inattentive when I read my stuff there. I was intersted in buying a Kindle but apparently only books that are bought from Amazon run there. As I´m a pretty big newb when it comes down to electronic devices it is greatly appreciated if someone has an useful alternative for me (the articles are mostly PDF).
they have an app that reads your amazon account and lets you read those books. You can copy epubs/mobi/pdfs onto the internal memory with a USB cable (micro usb) and read it with another app. I prefer aldiko for reading the epub/mobi formats, and just stick with adobe reader for when i need to read academic papers which all come in PDF. Pinch scaling is available as well, so if you have to look at a lot of graphs like me then its no problem. if portrait is too narrow for you, you can also view it in landscape so it should comfortably fit any scientific article you have in mind.
To all those who have purchased an e-reader of some sort, how much time and, more importantly, money do you spend on acquiring new titles to read? I returned a gifted e-reader because I didn't want to deal with looking at still another 'computer' screen and the perceived inconvenience of having to buy, or re-buy, many electronic versions of books. For all those saying they can now read 10 books a year, do you just purchase the 10 and that's it? Or has anyone spent a lot on filling their e-reader?
I don't buy books at all to be honest. Its easy to find electronic versions of everything nowaday. I even have the textbooks to my university classes which saves me so much money. I have around 50 books on my kindle, I mainly got it to save money ^_^. I wouldn't mind spending money on books at all, I still buy physical books occasionally, I just don't feel like its worth it spending money on a etext.
How much control do you have in deciding what goes on your e-reader? Kindle Fire included. I was watching some video reviews and it sounded like you are forced to get all your content from Amazon.
On December 12 2011 02:16 ballasdontcry wrote: how are e-readers on the eyes? i spend enough time on the computer at school as is (take notes, etc), dunno if I want to add any more eye strain...
ebook readers are made specifically with e-ink which is supposed to simulate the text in a real book. this means there's no glare and contrast lighting and etc. so you generally don't get really strained eyes that you would from staring at a computer screen for a long time.
On December 12 2011 02:11 procyonlotor wrote: How much control do you have in deciding what goes on your e-reader? Kindle Fire included. I was watching some video reviews and it sounded like you are forced to get all your content from Amazon.
you have tons of control. you have the option of buying your stuff from amazon but it doesn't mean that you have to. if you buy your ebooks from elsewhere you just have to convert it or buy it in a format that the kindle can read. there are some universal formats and some specific ones.
there are also tons of websites that offer free out of copyright books so you can add those to the kindle as well. you would add books to it the same way you'd add books to a USB drive or memory card. plus in with a cable and then add it in. so as long as the kindle can read that format you're good to go.
On December 12 2011 02:16 ballasdontcry wrote: how are e-readers on the eyes? i spend enough time on the computer at school as is (take notes, etc), dunno if I want to add any more eye strain...
I doesn't hurt the eyes at all. It pretty much looks excactly like paper and is just as easy to read (Kindle 3).
On December 12 2011 01:16 Irrational_Animal wrote: I`ve got a question: I`m intersted in buying an e-reader in order to read scientific articles (for my PHD-Thesis). I`m kinda tired of copying/printing the papers every time and I don`t want to carry 200 sheets of paper (plus additional books/notebook etc) every time I go to the library. On the other hand I do not want to read the articles on the notebook because I`m kinda inattentive when I read my stuff there. I was intersted in buying a Kindle but apparently only books that are bought from Amazon run there. As I´m a pretty big newb when it comes down to electronic devices it is greatly appreciated if someone has an useful alternative for me (the articles are mostly PDF).
Based on the research I've done, most ereaders are pretty bad at reading PDF files. They can load them but because the screen is so small you have to zoom in and move the screen around as you read the document. Also, due to the nature of e-Ink, scrolling around the page is slow. Look for some youtube demos. Based on what I saw it looked uncomfortable.
A normal LCD-screen tablet would probably be better for PDF's. Of course, that would be tougher on eyes if you plan on reading for a very long time.
On December 12 2011 01:16 Irrational_Animal wrote: I`ve got a question: I`m intersted in buying an e-reader in order to read scientific articles (for my PHD-Thesis). I`m kinda tired of copying/printing the papers every time and I don`t want to carry 200 sheets of paper (plus additional books/notebook etc) every time I go to the library. On the other hand I do not want to read the articles on the notebook because I`m kinda inattentive when I read my stuff there. I was intersted in buying a Kindle but apparently only books that are bought from Amazon run there. As I´m a pretty big newb when it comes down to electronic devices it is greatly appreciated if someone has an useful alternative for me (the articles are mostly PDF).
Based on the research I've done, most ereaders are pretty bad at reading PDF files. They can load them but because the screen is so small you have to zoom in and move the screen around as you read the document. Also, due to the nature of e-Ink, scrolling around the page is slow. Look for some youtube demos. Based on what I saw it looked uncomfortable.
A normal LCD-screen tablet would probably be better for PDF's. Of course, that would be tougher on eyes if you plan on reading for a very long time.
Unfortunately, Divergence is right. I was hoping to get a Kindle to read journal pdfs as well, but after looking at my friend's, it's not that great.
You can opt for the large screen Kindle, which is more expensive... but still won't be that great.
I own an Amazon Kindle and I absolutely love it. The price itself is quite steep, but if you read a lot of books it will pay for itself. A lot of the books on the kindle cost close to 50% the store bought price, so EVENTUALLY it will meet it's worth. It is also extremely convenient to be able to download a new book right after finishing a previous one.
I would suggest getting the Amazon Kindle, but not the Kindle 2. If your looking for a book, the original will be quite sufficient.
Unlike the feature addition of the Nook Color update, Amazon’s update for the Kindle Fire is more reparative in nature. Responding to the host of concerns and issues that users have been reporting since the new tablet began reaching consumers, Amazon announced that the upcoming update will include a number of performance fixes.
According to a New York Times report, this will include performance and navigation improvements, as well as greater user control over usage history.
I am thinking about buying a Kindle Fire since I will be spending 2 weeks of winter vacation at home and I plan to do a lot of reading. I have some questions though: As I am not in the US, will I be able to use the Amazon cloud storage? Will I be able to buy stuff from Amazon app stores. I'd like to buy some music as well as ebook and some android games.
Absolutely worth it. Not only does the device itself save you a bit of money on each book you buy (Cause almost every book is cheaper than the copy), it allows you to have an entire library at your fingertips. Not to mention the fact that it's also got internet capability, as well as MP3 usage as well. The only problem I always had with it was the battery life, which I ran through quite easily.
The new Kindle (4) is quite nice. A friend of mine has one and I really like it. I find it still overpriced because it does nothing more than presenting books but as soon as it drops to a resonable price I will buy one. Especially in europe there is not enough competition so hardware prices are still absurdly high compared to the US.
I don't really believe the Website's article title as it almost March and we've would have certainly heard something, especially in the U.S.
Following the huge success of the Kindle Fire tablet/E-reader is the Kindle 2, the next-generation tab that’s been rumored to sport a larger 10-inch display. We’ve been waiting all this time for Amazon to announce a follow-up to the fiery Kindle Fire. Thankfully, the well-established Taiwanese China Times has recently released a publication citing Foxconn as Amazon’s newly nominated ODM to manufacture the Kindle 2.
This makes Foxconn the second major ODM next to Quanta – the sole developer of the original Kindle Fire. It’s also important to note that Amazon has a good list of manufacturers up its sleeve. Among them are ACES, Prime View, CviLux, Singatron and of course the aforementioned Quanta and Foxconn. The China Times also added that Amazon is now the one handling the selection and certification of components in order to cut the overall manufacturing cost.
There are speculations that the 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet will hit a new low price of just $149, or $50 less than what the device is currently selling at, when Amazon debuts a new Kindle Fire 2 tablet with a 1280 X 800-pixel resolution HD display in a few months. The company will sell both tablets side by side, with last year’s model being discounted to offer consumers an easier way to buy into the Amazon ecosystem and the low price will make the Kindle Fire an easier purchase for customers to make.
Rumors of a price drop is originating from DigiTimes:
To expand its market share, the sources believe that Amazon has a high chance of adopting a similar product strategy to Apple, in addition to a new iPad product, Apple continues to sell its previous model at a cheaper price to expand market share into the lower-end segment.
If these rumors are true, this would mean two things. First, it follows Apple’s new iPad pricing strategy where last year’s iPad 2 is selling at a $100 discount compared to the current third-generation iPad. With the launch of the third-generation iPad, for the first time Apple is selling the current model alongside last year’s model, and the new more affordable entry-level pricing is speculated to help Apple compete with low-cost Android tablets.
I bought a Kindle Touch with the black leather cover and generally I'm quite satisfied with it. No more heavy books to carry around, no more forgetting bookmarks or page numbers. E-Ink display is superior for reading compared to an LCD. Tried out the plain Kindle as well, I definitely prefer the Touch, feels much more natural, both selecting text and the virtual keyboard is faster and more comfortable than pushing buttons. Can hold it perfectly while on the bus or lying on the bed, it is sometimes impossible to do the same with books. Pretty good for PDFs as well, if the text is small you can zoom, or better, you can read it in landscape mode.
However there is still room for improvement, I found its software side severely lacking: - The way it flattens the directory structure of books is a joke. Come on, how hard is it to make a hierarchical directory traversal interface? - It would be perfect for taking text notes like todo lists, shopping lists, except it does not ship with a notepad app out of the box (notes attached to documents won't do), and there isn't even a proper notepad app for it. - Calendar with appointments would be nice but okay, it's an e-book reader, not a PDA. - Browser is a crap, and there is no landscape mode but okay, it's an e-book reader, not a tablet or a PC: - Severe lack of continuous PDF reading, or at least proper positioning of the bottom of the page when divided into more screens, so there is no confusion where did the last screen end and where does the reader need to continue.
These all would be easy fix or implement, and would increase consumer experience greatly.
The Kindle seems really handy, although I'm having trouble justifying its cost.
I'd be reading probably a book a month depending on how busy I am with university, but the thing is, I go to the library, and every single person I know goes to the library to get a book to read opposed to buying it. So in the end, it's a nice luxury, but doesn't justify the $200 base price tag + $5-$20 extra for every book you read. Yeah you don't get to keep the book, but I usually read a book, analyse it, and after that never look at it again...
The Nook is in deep shit if Barnes and Noble can't counter this. Heck Amazon unveiled the Papewhite and that is shot right at lower end Nooks. That and eight weeks battery life even with the light on.
That new Fire looks gorgeous. Feels weird thinking that I have the "old Fire" since I only bought it ~a year ago? I'm happy Amazon is stepping everything up though.
I have the original black and white kindle. If all you want it for is reading books then it's perfect and cheap. Of course I have an ipad2 as well so I don't need my kindle for anything but books.
Amazon needs to address the pricing questions i.e. For the 4G: after one year then what is the price? Besides the 4G there really isn't a reason to not buy the $299.00 version.
On September 07 2012 05:53 Vessel wrote: I have the original black and white kindle. If all you want it for is reading books then it's perfect and cheap. Of course I have an ipad2 as well so I don't need my kindle for anything but books.
e-ink is like the best thing you can get for reading, because it's not like staring at a screen. So if you want the kindle mainly (in this case only) for reading it's still the way to go imo.
Amazon (AMZN) decided not to discuss it at Thursday’s press event, but all three of Amazon’s new Kindle Fires — the new 7-inch tablet, 7-inch HD tablet and 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD — will come with “Special Offers” a.k.a. advertisements on their lock screens, The Verge reports. Previously reserved only for select Kindle eReader models and removable for a $30 fee, the promotions and ads on the new Fire tablets will be unavoidable for the time being. Amazon has historically used Special Offer devices to subsidize its Kindle devices and the new Fires will no different. While the “Special Offers” could upset some users, there’s no denying that Amazon’s $299 price point for the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD could make it worthwhile for users to deal with the ads. The Kindle Paperwhite eReader will be ad-supported as well according to Amazon.
Personally, I bought a Kindle Fire last December and have never had a problem. The KF 2 will be pretty exciting I feel, but nothing much for current KF owners.
edit: and I use mine 99% for reading. Never had a problem, although e-ink is pretty nice.
First and foremost, that means Apple: the biggest company in tech, the dominant player in the tablet and media player space, and probably Amazon's only competitor that can boast similar clout in retail and media sales. Make no mistake: when Amazon titles its Kindle Fire press release "Amazon Takes on the High-End," it's Apple that's being called out.
Amazon's challenge to Apple is both direct and indirect. First, Amazon wants to prove that like Apple, it's a serious, innovative technology company. This is why, even as Bezos disdained "gadgets," he was also willing to take a long detour through the minutiae of MIMO Wi-Fi technology already common on laptops and routers sold today.
This whole pedantic performance was Bezos underlining repeatedly: We're not booksellers dabbling in hardware. We're inventors. We're pioneers. We demand to be taken seriously. If this also lets Amazon throw up a chart showing that it has at least one technical feature that Apple's iPad and Google's Nexus 7 don't, so much the better.
At the same time, Amazon gets to have it both ways, touting hardware not for its own sake, but as a "critical," "essential" part of the Kindle Fire HD "service." Improved Wi-Fi just happens to let you stream higher-definition movies without lag or buffering; Dolby stereo sound makes video and games a more immersive experience.
Amazon must be desperately hoping that the Kindle Fire HD's technical promises actually pay off, unlike last year's similarly-touted cloud-accelerated Silk web browser, which failed to deliver on those promises. (No word at all about Silk in this year's event.) Still, it serves the same purpose: proving Amazon's high-tech bona fides, and positioning the company and its products closer in consumers' minds to Apple's.
So... what do you guys think about the Kindle paperwhite? I currently have the 3rd generation ipad but I'm thinking about selling it because I only mostly read on it. Also want to get a new smartphone but besides the bigger screen the functions between a smartphone and tablet are largely the same so I'm a little hesitant.
Don't know if the 4G speed will really make that much of an impact. (Then again, I also own a Nook Tablet and can get 4G LTE connection via WiFi from my phone without any issues... and I generally only read on it.) Still, the pricing is better than the iPad, but maybe it's partially Amazon leveraging their size and also their advertising networks.
I still don't see this killing off the Nook - I mean, even the iPad hasn't killed off the proliferation of Asus/Samsung/generic 7-10" tablets that have been around for longer. Did they mention if they are still avoiding having any kind of SD slot?
I really wish they would make an attempt to release this in Canada, several other companies have made long strides in accessing content here (netflix, apple, google). I would buy one instantly if they did.
Amazon Prime has been around for a while, theres no reason why they shouldnt expand it to Canada
Hi guys, I was planning to get the kindle e-ink because i thought the e-books would be cheaper than the paperback books . But when i went to amazon and check the prices, the difference for the best selling books seem to don't justify to purchase a kindle. Am I looking at the wrong place??
On September 23 2012 10:30 kaihangkk wrote: Hi guys, I was planning to get the kindle e-ink because i thought the e-books would be cheaper than the paperback books . But when i went to amazon and check the prices, the difference for the best selling books seem to don't justify to purchase a kindle. Am I looking at the wrong place??
Thanks
Well for one, you can always pirate. Also there are tons of free classics.
On September 23 2012 10:30 kaihangkk wrote: Hi guys, I was planning to get the kindle e-ink because i thought the e-books would be cheaper than the paperback books . But when i went to amazon and check the prices, the difference for the best selling books seem to don't justify to purchase a kindle. Am I looking at the wrong place??
Thanks
Some time earlier this year all the publishers got together and pretty much told Amazon that they either have to charge higher prices, or the publishers won't allow them to sell their books. Some publishers still go for the $9.99 price but they are few and far between.
Their argument is that the cost of the book isn't the book itself, but the marketing costs, the editing costs and not least the recompense that needs to be paid to the author. While I personally do buy some of that, because I follow what the authors go through, it is a tougher pill to swallow and certainly there should be maybe some discounted price at least.
At the moment the only (sans other methods of obtaining ebooks...) convenience of getting an ebook is the speed and efficiency and the lack of a need for storage space (which is convenient for me as a travelling student).
This 8'9 is massive. Love the new keyboard look but the UI takes getting used to. I predict Amazon will address weight concerns with the third generation Kindles.
Well it is HD, and there is the 8'9 and the 4G version which is $300 cheaper than the iPad. I know this generation has hardware improvements as they are no longer making the first generation for obvious reasons.
On November 20 2012 06:16 {CC}StealthBlue wrote: Well it is HD, and there is the 8'9 and the 4G version which is $300 cheaper than the iPad. I know this generation has hardware improvements as they are no longer making the first generation for obvious reasons.
man I wish they would offer this stuff In Canada, they are virtually the only company that doesnt, and I love Amazon services and kindles ><
Hmm. Looking at the color offerings, I think I'd still rather go with a Nook HD or HD+ (just for the miniSD) and then put the Kindle app on it from the Google Play store.
The HDX is actually two tablets: a 7-inch model and an 8.9-inch version, just like the Kindle Fire HD before them. Both are still relatively inconspicuously designed, with virtually no flair — they're just black. Both models feel solid and well made when you’re holding them. The company has made a big deal about the reduction in size and weight, and there is some noticeable fat trimmed, particularly on the 8.9-inch model. As before Amazon is using a soft-touch material around the backs of the tablets, but it’s dotting the edges of that surface with angular, raised plastic edges that jut out at surprisingly funky angles.
They come with a feature that Amazon hopes will draw the Martha Stewarts of the world to its camp: the Mayday button, which connects anyone with a problem at any time directly to a customer service rep. And it's free.
When pressed, the Mayday button connects you via live video to a so-called "Amazon Tech Advisor" -- headset-clad and ready to answer questions or walk you through issues you may be having with your tablet. Although a box appears with video showing the Kindle expert, Amazon was quick to point out in a new ad that the person can only hear you -- he or she can't actually see you. The one-way video is designed to make people more comfortable with the feature and also rule out any Chat Roulette-like shenanigans that could lead to inappropriate exchanges. (Amazon also has a disclaimer that the Mayday sessions may be recorded.)
The tech support person can see your screen, draw blue and yellow arrows and circles on it to show you what to do, and even control it. These presumably very, very patient and cheerful folks are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and Amazon says that most calls will be answered within 15 seconds.
I've used Mayday seven times since receiving a review model of the Kindle Fire HDX, and I was very impressed. Six of the seven times, my call was answered within 15 seconds. The one time I did have to wait, it was only slightly longer. Two times I called, I couldn't hear the person on the other end, but that was because I was wearing headphones that don't have a microphone on them. Amazon said that's a bug it's working to fix.
I bought the Paperwhite 2 in Japan yesterday, which is discounted heavily (~$99). And I gotta say that I love it.
For my concerns, I'll point out that epub can be converted easily to azw by Calibre and there doesn't seem to be any loss in quality. I used to read epub through Mantano Reader on the Kindle Fire but it's MUCH more pleasant to read it in e-ink.
PDF is still a bit iffy. It's fine for all-text documents, but if you're reading something like a scientific paper where the standard is two column text, it's too small and you're better off with a 7" or bigger tablet. There is sometimes some loss of quality. It's not as bad as it was on my old Kindle 3, which was definitely a crap shoot, but it's not perfect. I haven't tried converting them yet in Calibre so maybe they can be made cleaner too.
The shopping experience is great if you like Amazon's shop. The Paperwhite 2 is hard to compare to the old Kindle 3, it is worlds better but I feel you have to expect that when comparing a 4 year old machine.
The overall feel is really good. I'm a little disappointed the actual reading size isn't bigger than it was on the old Kindle 3 but the machine is smaller and easier to handle in one hand. That and the lit screen is wonderful since I like to read in bed. The whole thing felt snappier and cleaner than the Kobo Aura or the Nook HD, which were the two other options I considered.
Just got the HDX and this thing is not slim at all. Like walking around with a square, literally. I'm surprised the Engineers/Designers didn't try and take a page from Google and make it longer with less width like the new Nexus.
Amazon unveiled a significant licensing agreement with HBO on Wednesday that brings popular programs from the premier cable channel to its Prime Instant Video service and puts the HBO Go app on its Fire TV media-streaming box.
Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, so it's unclear how much Amazon is coughing up for the privilege of being the first subscription streaming service to offer HBO.
It's the phone as you see it around the 41 second mark.
Amazon is finally ready to unveil their Android phone, and they announced this by plastering a huge invite on their homepage for the whole world to take part in.
For the most part, Amazon has been successful with their Fire-branded Android devices. The Fire TV is super cool and crazy powerful, the Kindle Fire devices have carved a significant niche out for the company in the tablet market, and all they need is a phone in order to complete the digital trifecta of awesome. We’ve seen the leaks, heard the rumors, and now there’s a press even on the 18th of June. The cool thing about this event is that you’re invited.
So which kindle version should i get on impulse buy when I have money? It's main purpose will be easier posture when reading on bed and downloading content that my library doesn't provide.
Price and features. The downside is that Amazon, for some reason, won't use full stock Android but sticks to it's own version which means no play store, maps etc. You think Amazon would allow such features even after all this while they still haven't unveiled their own full unique OS.
That and the UI is awful and dire need of an update.
On July 14 2014 06:53 EngrishTeacher wrote: Could someone explain to me succinctly why anyone would choose a kindle over a tablet? (higher price, inferior hardware for the kindle)
Does it have to do with the screen or something? Although personally I can read for hours on my iPad just fine.
An e-ink display has paper like properties. You really cannot compare it to LCD displays. I suggest to have a look at an e-ink display in person.
+great viewing angles +pretty much only draws power when turning pages +supposedly no eyestrain(some people find it irritating to read on LCD displays)
-slow refresh rate -small screen size -only black and white
On July 14 2014 06:53 EngrishTeacher wrote: Could someone explain to me succinctly why anyone would choose a kindle over a tablet? (higher price, inferior hardware for the kindle)
Does it have to do with the screen or something? Although personally I can read for hours on my iPad just fine.
An e-ink display has paper like properties. You really cannot compare it to LCD displays. I suggest to have a look at an e-ink display in person.
+great viewing angles +pretty much only draws power when turning pages +supposedly no eyestrain(some people find it irritating to read on LCD displays)
-slow refresh rate -small screen size -only black and white
You can also read outside with it. A lot of people like to read outside on vacation, which doesn't suit LCD screens very well. The best are legible, but not easy and you'll kill your battery at max brightness.
Amazon’s consumption-first approach works on tablets, for watching and reading and shopping. But tablets are for fun. Smartphones are for work, for life. They’re not toys, they’re tools. Amazon doesn’t understand that, and the Fire Phone doesn’t reflect it. Amazon’s first smartphone is a series of interesting ideas in a package that is somehow much less than the sum of its parts.
Amazon's streaming-media box, Fire TV, added support Monday for Spotify, the on-demand music service with more than 20 million songs and -- at 10 million premium subscribers -- more paying members than any of its rivals.
According to a Spotify blog post, premium US members can use and control Spotify on Amazon Fire TV with mobile phones or tablets as remotes through an offering called Spotify Connect. The Amazon Fire TV allows a member to control music using the Spotify app on a mobile device, so music streams can switch from mobile to the TV seamlessly and phones are free to make calls, open other smartphone apps and go out of Wi-Fi range, without interrupting the music playing.
Amazon.com is providing more bang-for-the-buck with four new Fire tablets, with prices starting as low as $99 for a Fire HD with a 6-inch screen.
The company also announced a 7-inch Fire tablet for $139, and a refreshed 8.9-inch Fire HDX 8.9, which is priced at $379 for a Wi-Fi version and $479 for an LTE version. A thinner, lighter Kindle Paperwhite successor—the Kindle Voyage—was also announced.
Amazon has extended its tablet offerings as it tries to offer a range of devices through which customers can buy more products and services from its online store. Amazon already sells the Fire Phone and the Fire TV streaming media player.
Amazon is planning to expand its hardware operations in some new ways: Internet-connected household products and wearables, according to a report.
Hiring will increase by 27% over the next five years at Lab126, Amazon's secretive hardware unit in Silicon Valley responsible for the company's e-readers, Reuters reports. The number of full-time employees is projected to grow from 3,000 to 3,757 people by 2019.
Reuters discovered a vaguely defined, "little-known" government document that details Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' plan to beef up hardware development. The report describes the document as an "agreement reached with California in June that would give Amazon $1.2 million in tax breaks."
Some of the projects being considered (according to nameless sources) are a Wi-Fi device that "could be placed in the kitchen or a closet, allowing customers to order products like detergent by pressing a button," as well as wearables.
The news comes on the heels of the much-discussed Apple Watch and the growth of the two key trends: smart home and the Internet of Things.
Amazon’s Fire phone has been an indisputable flop. CEO Jeff Bezos doesn’t care.
Bezos said on Tuesday at Business Insider’s conference in New York that “it’s going to take several iterations” before he’ll be able to judge the Fire phone, the device that led to Amazon taking a $170 million write-down.
“Ask me in some number of years,” he told interviewer Henry Blodget, CEO of Business Insider, in which Bezos is an investor.
Bezos wouldn’t call Fire a failure. Instead, he made a point of mentioning all the initiatives that have taken time at Amazon. Bezos cited Amazon’s early auctions business and Zshops listings business as ideas that did not work but led to the creation of the third-party marketplace that now comprises 40 percent of Amazon’s overall revenue.
When Blodget pressed Bezos for what mistakes the company might have made with the phone, Bezos again took a trip down memory lane instead of answering the question. Along the way, he stressed the importance of encouraging risk-taking at Amazon.
“I have made billions of dollars of failures at Amazon.com … literally,” Bezos said. “You might remember Pets.com or Kozmo.”
So I just got the Fire HDX 8.9 through the deal that Amazon is pushing to pay in monthly installments. And I love it great sound, picture, and the firefly feature is pretty cool. But...
Amazon's main push is multimedia right? But their Silk Browser doesn't support flash, thus they no longer have a YouTube App. I mean the fuck? What the hell is ProTube...?
In recent months, a string of departures and managerial changes has hit Amazon’s Lab126, the company’s Silicon Valley-based R&D group that has developed its most high-profile consumer products, including the Fire Phone, the Siri-like Echo device, and the Kindle hardware. According to multiple sources familiar with the reshuffling at Lab126, the changes were long overdue, a response to an organizational structure that some contend had grown "bloated" if not "inexplicable," as one former high-level employee describes it.
The insights were garnered during reporting for Fast Company’s new cover story on Amazon and its CEO, Jeff Bezos, which goes online tomorrow and hits newsstands next week. The feature is an inside look at the troubled development of the Fire Phone at Lab126, which has evolved from a small skunkworks subsidiary started years ago by Amazon into a hardware maker with nearly 3,000 employees. As the secretive operation grew, so too did redundancies and inefficiencies in its organizational structure. But while some argue the recent executive departures and organizational restructuring are a result of poor company performance or the Fire Phone debacle, others paint a picture that is more nuanced. They say the re-org actually represents a doubling down by Bezos on his company’s efforts in the consumer electronics space—a vote of confidence in the R&D group's direction—and serves as a sign that Lab126 is maturing as it takes on Apple and Google in more and more areas.
The hardware re-org stemmed from executives recognizing that Lab126 had reached a point of maturity where it could no longer run like a startup, or multiple separate startups. As a slew of sources explain, a different skill set is required to build version 1.0 of a product versus version 4.0, which is why the re-org included two separate groups: one for longer-term skunkworks innovation (organized under David Foster), and the other for shipping new iterations of existing products at high volumes (led by Lindo St. Angel). Additionally, the re-org established a clear engineering lead for each program, and pulled all functional groups into a relevant vertical. Before, for example, there were audio engineers across four different groups, including on the Echo and Fire TV teams. Now, they’re all organized functionally into one audio engineering team, under one leader.
The re-org, insiders argue, will allow Lab126 to scale more efficiently, better harness resources, and move faster. Foster’s group, for instance, is already at work on three entirely new product categories, all utilizing the same head count as before.
In other words, the re-org is not happening because of the Fire Phone flop, but in spite of it, these sources say. Bezos believes in his company’s future in consumer electronics. Amazon plans to invest $55 million in its Lab126 operations in Silicon Valley, and ramp up hiring to at least 3,757 employees by 2019, according to a recent report.
Amazon announced this morning that its streaming media players Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV stick will be soon receiving a software update that will deliver a series of new features, including support for expandable USB storage and wireless Bluetooth headphones on the Fire TV, the ability to watch via Wi-Fi that requires authentication on both devices, and more. Additionally, the company says that the Fire TV Stick is now available in two new markets, the U.K., Germany and Austria.
The devices will be available in those new countries for pre-order today, and will begin shipping on April 15.
Captive portal support will make the two devices the first streaming media players which offer the ability for users to watch via Wi-Fi that needs you to authenticate, Amazon notes. That includes places like hotels, airports or even college dorms, in some cases.
An FCC filing for a new media streaming device that is likely the next generation Amazon Fire TV has just surfaced. Huge thanks to Dave Zatz from ZatzNotFunny, who has a keen eye for uncovering FCC filings, for bringing this to my attention. The mystery device, which has a good chance of being the next generation Fire TV first seen in leaked benchmarks a couple months ago, features 4K streaming capabilities. Other improvements over the current generation Fire TV include a MicroSD card slot, 802.11ac wireless, and Bluetooth 4.1. You’ll be happy to hear that the device also still includes an RJ-45 ethernet port and a USB port which appears to support expandable storage via a USB flash drive.
We won’t know for sure if this device is in fact the next generation Fire TV until the device is officially announced, but several reassuring indications are present. We have been expecting a new Fire TV ever since the existing model became no longer available through Amazon’s site. The beefed up specs in the leaked benchmarks, which reveal a device at least twice as powerful as the existing Fire TV, would indicate the new device comes with 4K video support.
The new Fire TV’s 4K resolution is one of its most exciting features, but I think its support for Amazon’s cloud-based voice service, Alexa, is equally as important. As I said in my review of the Echo, anyone who buys an Echo will want to buy more for other rooms of their home. Put a Fire TV in your home theater, and that’s one room you won’t need to add an Echo to.
Going back to the 4K resolution, there’s little point in delivering that feature if there’s no content to go with it. To that end, Amazon’s Director, Fire TV, Tim Twerdahl said in a briefing yesterday that every one of Amazon’s original TV shows will be available in that resolution, and that all of Netflix’s 4K content will be available on the Fire TV as well.
I can find a place in my life for a $50 tablet. If only for watching videos and streams, $50 is an acceptable price for a device for media consumption.
Just noticed that 10 inch tablet has a lower ppi than all the other tablets, even the 50 dollar tablet has a higher res. Guessing than Amazon is working on a HDX model.
Amazon’s new Fire TV could have used a little more time in the oven.
The Seattle Web giant’s new set-top box, launched this week, is getting complaints about glitch-ridden software, an uncooperative remote control — and a notable lack of functionality with third-party apps from rivals like Netflix.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, the new 4K version of the Fire TV had drawn 174 critical reviews on Amazon’s site following its Monday launch, versus 93 positive reviews, giving it an overall rating of 2.8 stars out of five.
That’s well short of the 4.2-out-of-five rating won during the past year by the previous version of the Fire TV.
The bumpy rollout came just days after Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos banned sales of the upcoming Apple TV from Amazon’s site — a move that was blasted by critics as consumer unfriendly.
“They should have named this product Amazon Glitch TV,” reviewer Zachary Farley wrote Wednesday of the new Fire TV, complaining that its picture cut out repeatedly and the remote wouldn’t stay connected. “It’s not ready for prime time.”
Other reviewers griped that the newly designed remote control’s battery case was difficult to open. Another common complaint: Dolby surround sound was available on Amazon’s Prime video-streaming service, but not on rival apps such as Netflix and Hulu.
“We have identified the issue and will be releasing a software update to resolve it” by Oct. 22, Amazon said of the surround-sound issue.
Amazon officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for further comment.
Amazon.com is introducing two devices designed to amplify the role its voice-controlled assistant Alexa plays in people's homes and lives.
The products unveiled Thursday are echoes of Amazon's Echo, a cylinder-shaped speaker with Internet-connected microphones that became Alexa's first major showcase when it debuted in late 2014. Set these gadgets up and they'll listen for your voice and respond to commands — for instance, to read the morning's headlines.
Both new devices, called the Amazon Tap and Echo Dot, cost less than the $180 Echo and offer slightly different features in an attempt to plant Amazon's Internet-connected microphones in more homes and other places.
In doing so, Amazon hopes to out maneuver rivals Google and Apple in their battle to build hubs in "smart" homes that are being furnished with appliances, electronics and other accoutrements that connect to the Internet.
Bloomberg believes that Amazon is considering buying the rights to a variety of live sporting events as a way of bringing more people into Prime. According to the site's anonymous sources, the firm has made discreet enquiries about picking up licenses for global sports including tennis, golf, soccer and car racing. The company is believed to have a beady eye on domestic sports like baseball and basketball, although knows that traditional broadcasters have that sewn up for the next few years.
The report explains that Amazon hired a former Sports Illustrated executive, James DeLorenzo, to head up a sports division earlier this year. In addition, the company poached a former YouTube executive, Charlie Neiman, to look into partnering with sports companies and build new business opportunities. Amazon has refused to make a public comment, but these preliminary negotiations could be the start of a whole new broadcasting platform.
One of the existential problems that both Amazon and Netflix suffer from is that their audience has to make an effort to reach them. If you're not that interested in highbrow dramas about the modern family, classical music or the political machinery in a bizarro-world White House, you won't bother signing up. Netflix and Amazon have taken two very different routes to broaden their appeal beyond a hardcore audience -- since both are believed to have around 50 million subscribers.
Netflix, for instance, is going for pure populism, and has broadened its outreach beyond blue-chip consumers who enjoy shows like Orange is the New Black. Shows like Fuller House and the deal it signed with Adam Sandler demonstrate how Netflix is attempting to move beyond its traditional customer base. Amazon, meanwhile, is hoping that bundling its own platform with Prime means that its retail customers are, invariably, going to want to check out its more populist original shows.
The rights to live sports broadcasts are likely to be the most lucrative, and expensive, things that broadcasters can buy. For instance, each of the big three networks spends around a billion dollars each year for the right to air NFL Games. In return for that outlay, they can expect audiences of between 18 and 21 million, which would be eye-gougingly high for a company like Amazon.
is there anything I can do to fix it? It seems all pages are just images and does not respond to any font settings etc. Tried with different kindle apps (android, windows) with the same resut :/
The battle over voice assistants is heating up. For the first time, Amazon's digital assistant Alexa will come preinstalled on a smartphone, challenging Apple's Siri and Google Assistant on the turf they've carved out. What's more, it'll come on an Android phone.
Today, China's biggest smartphone maker, Huawei, will deliver an over-the-air update, pushing the Huawei Alexa app to Mate 9 customers in the United States, as promised at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in January.
The large screen Android Mate 9 has been well reviewed, but hasn't really cracked the U.S. market, as none of the big U.S. carriers are selling it yet.
Still, it's a significant move for Amazon as Alexa moves beyond the home and into mobile. Earlier this week, its virtual assistant became available on Apple's iPhone through the Amazon app. Amazon is also in negotiations to integrate Alexa in some Motorola smartphones.
Amazon isn't the only one pushing its digital assistant -- Google recently started pushing its Google Assistant to millions of Android phones running recent operating systems (Marshmallow and Nougat), and Samsung is launching its own assistant, Bixby, on its next flagship smartphone later this month (also an Android).
While Huawei doesn't have much of a presence in the US yet (according to The Information, that could change soon), the Chinese company is the world's third largest smartphone maker. This partnership could give Alexa a foothold in China, a market that Amazon is moving deeper into with its launch of a version of its Prime membership last year.
The software update rolls out on the Mate 9 today at noon PT.