Update: 14th November 2011
A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my query. It was a big question for me, especially at this time of year - and I really appreciate the info you all provided. I read all your comments with great interest and I think the only way forward is to go with a Amazon Kindle.
There is a library in my state that allows kindle loans (which is nice) and I like that the classics are free (well, quite a few by the sounds of things). Now I just have to decide on the type. Do I want colour? probably. Is it realistic to read magazines on a kindle? Not sure, but can't see why not.
I have recently had no choice but purchase my >>first<< digital magazine subscription (there's no room left in any quarter of my house, it was an option of last resort). Well, it's fine. So I think it's possible that the magazine option could be a real one for me as well as the books, kindle wise. I'm not sure why some kindles have keyboards with them, I don't want to check emails or do anything like that, just reading and browsing.
I might even convert my DD to the kindle idea too, she reads a lot of very large (and impossible to hold) manuals and that kind of thing and I was amazed that they are actually in kindle format too.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on it at the moment. I really appreciate and value your comments on this.
Yes, I will get a kindle. Just decidining which one now. Will definitely keep you posted on what I end up with this Christmas!
Please keep commenting if you have anything else to add, all information is gratefully received.
A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to my query. It was a big question for me, especially at this time of year - and I really appreciate the info you all provided. I read all your comments with great interest and I think the only way forward is to go with a Amazon Kindle.
There is a library in my state that allows kindle loans (which is nice) and I like that the classics are free (well, quite a few by the sounds of things). Now I just have to decide on the type. Do I want colour? probably. Is it realistic to read magazines on a kindle? Not sure, but can't see why not.
I have recently had no choice but purchase my >>first<< digital magazine subscription (there's no room left in any quarter of my house, it was an option of last resort). Well, it's fine. So I think it's possible that the magazine option could be a real one for me as well as the books, kindle wise. I'm not sure why some kindles have keyboards with them, I don't want to check emails or do anything like that, just reading and browsing.
I might even convert my DD to the kindle idea too, she reads a lot of very large (and impossible to hold) manuals and that kind of thing and I was amazed that they are actually in kindle format too.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on it at the moment. I really appreciate and value your comments on this.
Yes, I will get a kindle. Just decidining which one now. Will definitely keep you posted on what I end up with this Christmas!
Please keep commenting if you have anything else to add, all information is gratefully received.
That Is The Question.
When Kindle was first launched a few years ago, my DH offered to buy one, as much as a novelty as anything else. This was before they were even remotely popular and no one I knew had even heard of one. Back then, the idea of connecting books (which I love) to a computer of any kind (which I certainly don’t love and which always ends up in more work and frustration) was definitely not appealing.
But I may have changed my mind.
On this last trip I saw travelers reading kindle everywhere…and it just made sense. Do I think anything can compare to the pleasure of opening a book? No.
Can I fit a book in my handbag? Maybe. Can I fit enough to get me through a holiday? There isn’t enough bag space! There was an era when I would have travelled with a book and posted it back to myself. But times have changed and postage rates have drastically increased lately (has anyone else noticed this??) so that simply isn’t an option anymore.
If I get a kindle I will be purchasing it and I want to get the right one.
So I’d love any opinions from real users -
Do you have it?
Which one do you have?
Do you love it?
Was it worth it?
PS, I dont want to type anything(??) and I dont care about wi-fi or whatever.
?
OMGosh! I got a Kindle for my birthday and I'm totally addicted. I've read more books since June then I have in at least two years. I carry it with me everywhere and hubby's wondering if he should be jealous. I'd very highly recommend getting one.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have a Nook, which is almost the same thing. It is also an e-reader. I love it! It is SO nice to not have all of those paper-backs laying around the house after I am done reading them, and wondering what I am going to do with them after that. They just take up too much space.
ReplyDeleteHow appropriate a blog post i've been pondering this same thing myself for some time. I have 2 friends with them & they love them but i was still undecided until a recent trip away. I had come home & saw the ad on tv(again) & was instantly reminded that i was thinking of buying one & wishing like hell i had done so for my trip away. So i'm off to buy one. I still love having my paper books though. The kindle is just for trips as it will take up less space. Hugs,
ReplyDeleteWe have a Nook - an older one. They make newer ones now (and maybe Kindle does also) that are backlit like a computer screen. I like the old kind that isn't backlit. You do need light (like a normal book) to read it. The purpose of the backlit is that they can have color pictures. So you have to decide what you like better.
ReplyDeleteIt is great to go somewhere and take this thin item that has thousands of books on it. No more book bag.
P.S. One thing we read some theological books that are not available at least on the Nook. So you have to take into account if the ones you want are available.
Hi Esther! LOVE your blog.
ReplyDeleteI have had a 2nd generation Kindle since 2009. LOVE IT!!! Totally worth it!
I plan to purchase the new Kindle Touch 3G as soon as it's released because:
The keyboard on mine 2nd gen is not easy to use, so want to try the touch version.
Also, I love the 3G version as I can download from anywhere I am. I don't have to find a computer or wifi hotspot.
I read ALOT, and must admit to you that it took some time to get over traditional book reading. I just love books and still read them too, but now I'm so used to the convenience of just tucking it into my bag. So easy to pull out and catch a moment of reading while waiting in line or at a doctor's appt.
Hope this helps? Take care!!
I love my Kindle. I've had it for over a year and I've read 60 books -- but have over 500 (most of which were free) on it. I carry it everywhere and it's so convenient! My husband and I are fulltime RVers, so this was such a blessing to a book lover like me. I even get into it so much that there are times when I realize I've lifted my hand to turn the page! If you get one, you won't be sorry. :)
ReplyDeleteI have the older generation Kindle and really like it. I have a lot of free books on it and find it convenient for travel and for even daily reading.
ReplyDeleteI have ordered the Kindle Fire for many reasons...but I am a Kindle fan for sure.
I absolutely LOVE mine. There are so many good free books out there that you can be entertained without buying many books. I was a "slow" one to get mine too....didn't think I needed one. Well, my hubby gave me one for Valentine's Day last year and I'm enjoying it soooooo much! Now you have to promise you won't forget to post your wonderful BOM's though. (Smile)
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Gypsy
Wouldn't be without ours. Mostly I am addicted to playing a word game on it, but love it for reading too. Because I play the word games I've rubbed the numerals off the keypad on two. Next one will be a touch and will be 3G and not Wi-Fi. Don't download that often, but nice to be able to do so from anywhere, not to menton checking email in a pinch.
ReplyDeleteI have a nook. I ended up giving it to my son though. I will still use it when we go to the beach. The reason I gave it to my son - I have an iPad and have a nook app for it. I also have a kindle app, but I don't have anything on it. I really think with the dedicated readers, they are generally the same. the reason I chose nook over kindle is that at the time only nook was used to get library books.
ReplyDeleteThere are alot of choices in E-readers these days. I ended up buying a basic NOOK from Barnes & Nobel. I liked that I was able to go into a store and talk to someone knowledgable and able to ask my questions. Oh, and yes, I love my NOOK!
ReplyDeleteKindle has several versions out now. The cheapest one has ads on it. I have the older one that works just fine.
ReplyDeleteI also have a Nook Touch (new Nook) that I really like that's quick, fast and easy.
Both are great purchases so you won't go wrong. Prices have really gone down so it's the perfect time for a reader.
I didn't think I needed an eReader, but I was given a Kobo and I'm hooked! I recently read War & Peace, and was very glad I wasn't carrying that heavy book around with me to read on busses and trams. It is also great for reading in bed, because it is light (no aching wrists), and if I fall asleep and drop it, it remembers which page I'm up to.
ReplyDeleteA few libraries have eBooks you can borrow - I joined the Yarra Plenty Library because they have ebooks, and I've got a few from them. But I don't know if the ones you can borrow work on Kindles.
I am a hard core reader, book lover, and library supporter. And my answe is YES the Kindle is wonderful. I have the 2nd generation one. It has been easy to use and a real godsend for vacations and other travels where I might want more than one book. I love being able to download a book in a minute... We once got stuck for a day in an airport in one of those flight delay situations where they couldn't tell us when our flight would leave ... So I just kept reading, and didn't have to worry about finishing my book and having nothing to occupy me, or hunting through the airport for another book, or being away from the gate when they did call the flight. I no longer travel with the bottom of my suitcase lined with novels!
ReplyDeleteIf you're reading a big heavy book, the Kindle is light and easy to carry or slip in a handbag.
Will it replace books? No, I still read 80% of my reading from real books. It's not a Kindle or real books issue. You can and will still ready plenty of paper material.. But the Kindle is so easy and convenient for many circumstances.
There are many good books available for free or under $5. Classics, in particular, are very cheap.
I say go for it. You will not regret it.
Oh yes definitely kindle!! Well I have a tablet that has the kindle app on it and I absolutely LOVE it. I never thought I'd ever trade the feeling of a crispy collection of paper with printed words for bit and bytes, but I have and I'll have a hard time going back.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with what you said about being more work when you to something computerized. And I think that if you would have asked me 2 years ago I never would have made the change. But now, there is enough media available and the kindle store and others all have electronic books. Sometimes it pays to wait until the technology is mature enough to not be more work.
Libraries use even use it. I have quilt books on mine :)
So I'm going to be the one dissenter here. I've got a Kindle and have had it for a couple of years now.
ReplyDeleteAdvantages - it does store a lot of books and you can try out authors you aren't sure about at a cheaper price.
Disadvantages - no way can I read this in the tub. I bike to work and I'm too scared to throw it in my backpack even in a padded case. Can't just throw it down in the sand on the beach.
I fall in sleep while in bed and the kindle falls on the floor...
If I ruin a paperback I'm out a few bucks, a kindle much more expensive to replace.
I've been researching the same thing lately. I am going to get the base model Kindle as a Christmas present whilst I make up my mind.
ReplyDeleteKindle- against only works with Amazon, Amazon often charge more for ebooks than they sell the paperback for on their site.
For-Amazon has more books.
There is a Kindle Fire now out in the States but not available here yet. It's in colour! Great for non fiction books.
Archos and Asos bith do ereaders whic do so much more.
Kindle won't allow you to download free loan library books in the UK but does in the USA..maybe it does in Australia?
So as the price of the basic kindle has come down, I'll get one but keep my eyes open for another product.
I have the new small one. It doesn't replace books - there's always a space for a good book especially a non fiction, but my kindle is wonderful. I can hold it in one hand in bed and once you get used to the idea of reading from a small screen, you don't give it another thought. Downside is that it needs charging - but it does tell you in advance when to do it. I have downloaded all the classical fiction I can and most of that is free! Definitely go for it because you can carry a library in your handbag. It's not the same as books, it won't replace them, but it is just another convenience in life and a way of being able to read when and where you want to with ease.
ReplyDeleteI have a Nook, and just love it!!!! And trust me, you will not miss turning pages, lol.
ReplyDeleteI love my Kindle and have read so may different genres of books - some that I wouldn't normally choose, as the Kindle Store has so may free books.
ReplyDeleteAs to reading in the bath or on the beach - Zip lock bags work a treat!
I have the 3G version so I can download whereever I am.
I have two Kindles - one generation 2 and one generation 3 and love both of them! I commute a total of 4 hours every day and was having a hard time carrying books along with everything else I take with me. I have a sleeve that I zip my Kindle in when not using and I just throw it into my bag and go. Neither of mine are backlit, I spend my days looking at a computer screen so the e-paper without lighting is perfect and does not bother my eyes. I don't care for touchscreens in general so that onehas no appeal to me, but that's just me. The ads someone mentioned only show up when you start the Kindle and I believe are on the bottom of the home screens, but do not show up on the actual "book". You really need to try all the various readers before you make your decision. I love my Kindles, but I don't ask them to do anything more than a book would, so I don't need a lot of the other features that some readers offer.
ReplyDeleteI love my Kindle for reading fiction. I use it on trips and in bed. Only people who did not try an e-reader tell you a book cannot be replaced by an e-reader, because a real book feels so good..... You will have more space in your bookcase for non-fiction. Good luck with choosing the right e-reader for you, bur definitely buy one.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, it is SO worth it. I used to fill my suitcase with books when I travelled, now I have all my books with me at ALL times! It took me awhile to decide to forego the feel of a book, but I have not regretted getting one. Go for it:)
ReplyDeleteI have a color Nook. It's wonderful for my quilting magazines which I love to read when I travel. It actually works great next to my sewing machine as I construct them too. I can store photos on it, and the apps are great. I love the MaJongg game and the new puzzles are fun. And then there is the internet I can connect on. Oh yeah, I can actually read with them too. Personally, I think it's a great investment. My suggestion is to look at all the options, then choose the one that fits your needs best.
ReplyDeleteI have one and I'm not a fan of it. In fact, I hardly ever use it. I have had a Kindle Keyboard 3G for quite some time. What I don't like about it is:
ReplyDelete1. The user interface is not intuitive. I have an iphone, and i keep trying to tap the screen to do things, and it isn't a Touch.
2. The screen resolution is nice, but it's only black and white.
3. Perhaps the biggest one is that the books I like to read (mysteries) seem to cost MORE on the kindle than if I ordered the paperback from Amazon. And you can't lend them out freely like you can a paperback. (Although there is a very limited lending now, I think.)
4. It is not easily compatible with my library's electronic book lending format.
So, why not consider a Fire? Well, the battery life is much shorter. And I think I'm going to get one of the new tablets instead (probably a Toshiba Thrive when the prices go down for the holiday season) and use the kindle reader on that. (Yes, you can surf the web on the Fire, but I don't want to be limited to amazon's version of the honeycomb operating system.) (Yes, I am a geek.)
For me it was a waste of money....
Another way to go would be an Ipad.
ReplyDeleteYou can get all the books on it as a Kindle. The screen is larger and it also has internet, e-mail, you can put photos and get lots of apps. It could save put your books and computer into one.
I want a Kindle SO bad! About ten years ago, when the first ereaders came out, I had a Rocket Ebook and absolutely loved it until it got dropped just after they stopped selling them. :-(
ReplyDeleteI love books and paper, but being able to instantly download so many books (have you seen how many free titles there are at Amazon) and carry them around with me? I think I'll love that too!
I got a Kindle as soon as they came out and I loved it. It's easy to read on it, and I like the e-ink technology and it's my favorite e-reader (my work gives me an IPhone and iPad, and I have the Kindle app on everything).
ReplyDeleteI bought a Kindle second generation and I've had it for two years and I still love it. You can get a book in an instant. Your collection is in the cloud and you can easily read across all the apps.
It does depend on what you want your reading experience to be. I don't use it for heavy duty research things because I'm not doing any! It's a good reading experience. I seem to be in bookstores, thinking, let me check and see if there is a Kindle version.
As a matter of fact, I've been sort of annoyed when I can't get it on the Kindle.
Good luck and I hope you like whatever you choose.
I've had a Kindle since May and absolutely love it, I have the 3G kind which keeps me connected nearly anywhere in the world I want to go, meaning I can order a book from anywhere and it'll be there within a minute, but just the wi-fi kind is great to, you can always get the books you want ahead of time if you're going on a trip. I also have the i-Pad which I've had for over a year, I think you may want to look into the Kindle Fire, as it's an e-reader plus "everything" is in color, I purchase a German magazine from time to time, and it looks just like the real thing. Whichever Kindle you'll decide on you will love it, there is nothing like taking all the books you want to read with you in one little handy form. Kindle also has lots of "new" free books available all the time. Just check things out on the Kindle site, you can't go wrong. They'll send you specials via e-mails with titles you may be interested in and the cost is $1.99for 1 day, next day it's back to their regular cost, I've gotten a few books that way as well. You'll have lots of fun with it.
ReplyDeleteLove my Kindle. I still buy too many books but this thing is great. It travels well and when you finish a book you can just shop online and get another one. Especially if you like to read mysteries and lots of paperbacks this is the toy for you.
ReplyDeleteGood luck,
Sheli
Just a mention...maybe already said.
ReplyDeleteThe new kindle touch is wonderful, small and easy to use.
You would need the keyboard to search for books you specifically want while on the Amazon Kindle bookstore. I have the first gen. of Kindle.... wish it would break so I could buy the touch..smiling.... I love my Kindle.