I love my Kindle. I live in a town that's never been able to support a specialist bookshop, so for anything other than bestsellers it's been the public library, charity shops or mail order. It's fabulous to be able to choose a book, download it and start reading in minutes. My reading has been much more eclectic since I got the device. I've been catching up on 19th century novels, much easier to read in ebook format without either weighty volumes or tiny print to deal with and often they can be downloaded for free. The portability is fantastic, so easy to carry a Kindle with a vast choice of reading matter on it.
I still have a houseful of books and the Kindle isn't ideal for everything - if you want to read something with illustrations and footnotes, you're probably better off waiting for the paperback - but for fiction the Kindle is perfect. I wouldn't be without mine now.
if you read to help you to get to sleep, doesn't the kindle throw too much backlight as an electronic device? I find if I use my mac before I go to bed it keeps me awake.
The Kindle doesn't have a back light and if you don't turn a page for about 10 minutes it goes to sleep itself so saves your battery!
Maybe you should wear a badge. Or stop leaving your house.
It isn't me that should stop leaving the house. It is the care in the community mentalists who think it is acceptable to just start talking to me because of the book I am reading. Like I want to hear anything somebody that desperate has to say.
It isn't me that should stop leaving the house. It is the care in the community mentalists who think it is acceptable to just start talking to me because of the book I am reading. Like I want to hear anything somebody that desperate has to say.
I'm sure not everyone who strikes up a conversation with you is barmy. Living alone in London, home of the terminally antisocial, I'm quite happy to chat about what I'm reading with strangers as long as they're not hostile, begging or drooling out of the corner of their mouths.
I'm sure you're not as rude and peevish as your post implies.
One plus point about real books is it's a break away from technology. We spend so much time staring at electronic screens now that it's nice to take a break from it and read a book. I know Kindle screens are very good on the eyes though (fantastic technology). I will probably purchase an e-reader eventually (I have the Kindle app on my HTC Desire) - by then they may have ones that resemble real books and paper in feel.
I think books will never die completely. Purists will still want the feel of a book just like some people prefer vinyls/CDs to MP3s, so a much smaller market will still always be around. The second hand market will still continue. Plus, like I said books are a break away from modern tech.
Another thing, I'd hate to not have any books in print. If everything is in cyberspace so to speak, it's under threat from being permanently deleted. You never know, our governments of the future may become more authoritarian and I'd hate for them to have simple control over something that's a huge foundation of free speech - the written word. It would be far simpler than a book burning to delete stuff. That's a nightmare scenario though.
Tried the kindle and various ebook readers i quite like the new kindle, but for £111, i can buy alot of books for that so until the price becomes much lower i wouldnt even consider buying it.
I dont actually spend that much money on books, mostly i borrow books off friends that they reccomend or pick them up cheap on sale and borrow or give them away when ive read them. Ive already read 6 books this year of which ive paid for none as they have all been borrowed to me by friends, they would have cost just over £40 on the kindle.
The kindle looks good, £111 and then pay to put books on it is too a big purchase in my opinion, you lose the option of borrowing them to friends and talking about them as you've read them which is part of the pleasure of reading.
They will be reminded of the Orwell till the end of time So they won't sell certain books and friends of incest everywhere are livid. I think any bookshop can decide what books they sell.
If Kindles had been around for forty years my house would be a lot tidier. Real books are great until you run out of shelves.
This is the main reason I finally gave in, and bought a Kindle. After being an avid reader for most of my life, and feeling unable to dispose of almost any book once I'd read it, I found that I was running out of space to keep them all!
I'm also a climber and backpacker, and from a practical point of view, it's far easier to carry a Kindle rather than half a dozen paperbacks on an extended trip.
I did think that I'd miss having an actual, physical copy of a book, but I've found that once I become immersed in a book, it doesn't really matter how it's presented.
I've only had the Kindle for three weeks so far, but already I find that I'm reading more...and it's become my favourite device.
I have to say that I love books, as the OP has stated I love the touch and smell of the books as I read them, however Christmas just gone my parents got me the Kindle and I absolutely love it. You forget that you are reading on a "Gadget", you forget that this isn't a "real" book.
I don't think it has to be an either or type situation, I think tree books and ebooks can live side by side and don't see why either type of media should suffer.
I would be interested to find out that how many of the posters have actually used an ebook reader and read a whole book on one...
I think we are at the beginning of a huge change in reading habits and this is just the tip of the iceberg..
Over the next few years more & more people will adapt to Kindle type technology - rather like almost everyone now uses digital camera's (in the mainstream - day to day sense) and almost everyone owns a mobile phone.. I sincerely believe that anyone who is a relatively frequent reader will soon be using 'ereading' in one form or the other..
I think there is still a place for hardbacks, picture books & general coffee table type stuff but for paperback fiction etc it's going to be 'ereading' all the all way.
The thing with the Kindle for example, as soon as you use it any nostalgic thoughts for holding paper just disappear!
To demonstrate how fast it's moving: There was a thread on here - no more than 2 years ago when someone asked if ebooks marked the beginning of the end for paper books and almost everyone completely dismissed the idea as nonsense..
I think in the future paper books will become more of a collectors item bought more for their covers like the artwork on them or beautifully tooled leather ones.
Also I think in the future there may only be a limited amount of a books printed and maybe signed by authors for collectors. These will be sold in specialist shops - a bit like antique shops.
For people who just want the contents of mass produced books it's going to be the e-reader in the future as there won't be the cost of shops, paper etc. and we'll get more choice.
Read through this thread very carefully and it seems the people who don't like Kindle don't actually own one. Some have said they have tried it briefly and not for them. I didn't think I would like it but got one for Christmas and love it! I actually find myself absorbed in the story and even try to turn the page without thinking.
The person who said he only borrows books, well then it is obviously not for you. BUT if you have a friend with a kindle you can swap all you like through your laptop.
It does not need to be a choice of one or the other.
Whilst I love books I also love my Kindle. It is easier to read than a new book as the reflection off the white on a new book is more glaring than the kindle screen, especially in any form of sharp light.
But was still in Waterstones at lunch taking a look around.
Why choose one or the other? Given a preference I would put a book onto my Kindle out of convenience. Having had to sell off lots of books twice due to moving/space problems the Kindle even gets rid of that problem.
I haven't tried a kindle, I keep thinking about getting one as I love reading, but something puts me off.
On one hand it would be easier taking a Kindle to work to read at lunchtime, and to appointments etc, but on the other hand, I love books and love browsing for books, and lending out books etc etc.
I think the only way in my mind I would be happy to buy a Kindle is if I could buy the book, and get a CD with the e-book format, or a voucher code type thing, and I wouldn't grudge paying an extra couple quid. (kinda like some Disney DVD's where you get the Blu Ray and DVD in one pack). That way I get the Ebook for when I am out and about, but the tree book for when I am at home. Can't see them ever doing that though.........
For me personally, it's not a question of one or the other. I got a Kindle for Christmas this year and I love both and alternate between depending on what I fancy reading.
Over the past five years I've moved around quite a bit, spending time living abroad in Germany and France, moving back to Yorkshire for Uni and then graduating and moving to London. As a result, it's meant I've to either leave books or give them away. A Kindle at that point would've saved me a lot of space and money as I've rebought some books that I've had left behind somewhere.
I've also found that it's opened up my reading quite a lot. I've never walk into WH Smiths and think of picking up Pride and Prejudice and start reading but with the free Kindle books, I've found myself enjoying the classics.
Price-wise, if a book I want to buy is cheaper on the Kindle, I'll buy it on Kindle, if the real version is cheaper, I'll buy the real book.
Also, as I only have a rented room in a house share, space is limited and I have to think, is this a book I want on my shelf or is it something I will only want to read once or not sure if I'm going to enjoy/want to keep? If so, a Kindle download it is.
I also like the fact that I can go online and find a book and start reading almost straight away (limited I know because not all books are available in e format), which suits my impatientness!
And, it really isn't like reading from a computer screen. The e-ink screens are fantastic. I have no problems with my eyes adjusting to it, or problems with reading from a piece of technology. At the end of day, real book or ebook..... it is as previous posters have said, the content that matters.
I haven't tried a kindle, I keep thinking about getting one as I love reading, but something puts me off.
On one hand it would be easier taking a Kindle to work to read at lunchtime, and to appointments etc, but on the other hand, I love books and love browsing for books, and lending out books etc etc.
I think the only way in my mind I would be happy to buy a Kindle is if I could buy the book, and get a CD with the e-book format, or a voucher code type thing, and I wouldn't grudge paying an extra couple quid. (kinda like some Disney DVD's where you get the Blu Ray and DVD in one pack). That way I get the Ebook for when I am out and about, but the tree book for when I am at home. Can't see them ever doing that though.........
There's no law says it has to be one or the other. Many novels simply aren't available in eBook form and some may never be. Last week I bought, via Amazon, an ancient, long out of print paperback of Wally Ferris' "Across 100th" after seeing the movie version. Its chances of appearing as an eBook are probably slim to none.
I haven't tried a kindle, I keep thinking about getting one as I love reading, but something puts me off.
On one hand it would be easier taking a Kindle to work to read at lunchtime, and to appointments etc, but on the other hand, I love books and love browsing for books, and lending out books etc etc.
I think the only way in my mind I would be happy to buy a Kindle is if I could buy the book, and get a CD with the e-book format, or a voucher code type thing, and I wouldn't grudge paying an extra couple quid. (kinda like some Disney DVD's where you get the Blu Ray and DVD in one pack). That way I get the Ebook for when I am out and about, but the tree book for when I am at home. Can't see them ever doing that though.........
I came up with that idea long ago - I actually said it in a post on DS months ago. I thought it would have been a great idea (even wrote to the Gadget Show to get them to do a campaign on it ) but I don't think it will ever happen unfortunately.
Pre Kindle days I used to pack at least 4 paperbacks whenever I went on holiday and sometimes more! Now I can take my whole library with me. I can also take audiobboks with me and my music, all on one gadget....great I wouldn't be without it.
One thing that does annoy me though is the price fixing of some Kindle editions on Amazon by certain publishers.
In relation to the above post - i have just started reading the Wheel of Time series. For some reason they are all available on Kindle UK except the 2nd one in the series! This is really annoying and led me to look on the torrent sites, where is was surprisingly easy to download it in .lit format and convert to .mobi
I wouldn't normally do this type of thing but in this case it was either do what i did or switch to paper for one book, which kind of defeats the object..
I can see piracy being a huge deal now in books but then possibly the minimal production costs for ebooks and the large numbers of people paying legitimately will counter this..
To demonstrate how fast it's moving: There was a thread on here - no more than 2 years ago when someone asked if ebooks marked the beginning of the end for paper books and almost everyone completely dismissed the idea as nonsense..
I was probably one of the people dismissing it. I ~love~ books, and I wasn't up for the idea of ebooks at all. But I like tech too, and books are taking over my flat, so a few months ago I bought a Kindle after I saw a colleague's.
And it's AMAZING. I love it. I still buy a lot of "real" books, especially by authors I "collect", but if it's a book I don't think I'll re-read, an ebook is fine. You can use it as a reference library (just download half of Gutenberg onto it); a work/ gaming accessory (it takes pdfs); a way of reading newspapers and academic journals.
I have noticed myself getting annoyed when I'm reading "real" books now, because I can't highlight, bookmark or make notes about certain parts without, you know, actually highlighting the book
I was probably one of the people dismissing it. I ~love~ books, and I wasn't up for the idea of ebooks at all. But I like tech too, and books are taking over my flat, so a few months ago I bought a Kindle after I saw a colleague's.
And it's AMAZING. I love it. I still buy a lot of "real" books, especially by authors I "collect", but if it's a book I don't think I'll re-read, an ebook is fine. You can use it as a reference library (just download half of Gutenberg onto it); a work/ gaming accessory (it takes pdfs); a way of reading newspapers and academic journals.
I have noticed myself getting annoyed when I'm reading "real" books now, because I can't highlight, bookmark or make notes about certain parts without, you know, actually highlighting the book
I still buy hardback books - biogs, music books and so on. I love having these on display so you can pick them up and thumb through whenever the mood takes you. But for the 'bread & butter' books that i read day to day - namely crime fiction and fantasy paperbacks the kindle is unbeatable imo
As strange as this may sound after my previous posts, I bought a Kindle this weekend from Currys. I spend most of my time travelling around the country with work and as I had some money left over from Christmas I thought "what the hell" and bought a Kindle wifi + 3G, and a leather cover with light. I also bought the Kindle version of the 800 page hardback I'm currently reading, the plan being that I'll read the Kindle version while I'm on my travels (like now) and the hardback when I'm at home.
On Sunday I boarded the train to London and settled down to give the Kindle a proper go, rather than a few minutes in John Lewis. First of all the good...
- It's very dinky. With the cover on it weighs about the same as a paperback (a fairly thick paperback) and with the cover closed it feels not unlike carrying a thin hardback book. It also fits in my coat pocket.
- It feels reasonably well made. I'm concerned that the page turn buttons will fall off at some point as they seem a little flimsy, but it's a study little thing.
- The screen is reasonably easy to read from. The background is a little darker than I'd like (I'm not asking for backlighting, just a screen that isn't a murky grey colour) and it is a bit too reflective, so the overhead lights on the train were a bit annoying from time to time, but by and large it is quite readable. It is also good that the font and text size can be changed.
Now the bad...
- I actually find it incredibly boring to read from. I'm loving the book I'm reading, but the physical experience of reading is completely missing. It's a tiny, tiny thing, but with the Kindle my head is fixed in place, always looking down at the Kindle, whereas with a book I'll turn slightly to look at the left page, then to the right, then to the left... and as I turn the pages I'll move my hands to turn the paper, smooth it down, and so on. With this I'm pretty stiff, only my thumb moving every so often. I found myself getting a stiff neck and shoulders.
- Again a tiny thing, but seeing that I'm 12% of the way through a book is no match for reaching the point when I turn past page 100, or later on when I realise I've got less than 100 to go. A percentage is a poor substitute - as is a progress bar compared to seeing a bookmark somewhere in the pages. Sad, I know.
- As I said before, the books I want to read (literary fiction mainly) just aren't available on the Kindle yet.
- Books just don't look as appealing. A title displayed on a screen isn't as nice as seeing a colourful cover on my shelf.
- The screen. It's a little dark - certainly darker than a page in a book - and just looks dull. It's also more reflective than a page, so if there is a light above you the screen, although matt, reflects the light. This can be frustrating. I've no concerns about the screen not being backlit as frankly if it is dark I'll put a light on.
So I'm definitely not a convert. Yes it's handy, and yes I'll take it on my travels provided there are books I want to read, but I'll end up buying many titles twice - a physical copy for on my shelf and for reading at home (plus when I'm on my travels and the book isn't overly big) and a Kindle edition for big books when I'm on the move. More spending for me, more money for the author (and the publisher) but at least I still get a real book.
For what it's worth I also hate music downloads - give me a CD any day, which I can play, put on my shelves, read the booklet...
The Office of Fair Trading has launched an investigation into agency pricing, following a "significant" number of complaints.
The OFT said the investigation is "into whether arrangements that certain publishers have put in place with some retailers for the sale of e-books may breach competition rules".
However, it added: "The investigation is at an early stage and it should not be assumed that the parties involved have breached competition law."
Comments
I still have a houseful of books and the Kindle isn't ideal for everything - if you want to read something with illustrations and footnotes, you're probably better off waiting for the paperback - but for fiction the Kindle is perfect. I wouldn't be without mine now.
It isn't me that should stop leaving the house. It is the care in the community mentalists who think it is acceptable to just start talking to me because of the book I am reading. Like I want to hear anything somebody that desperate has to say.
I'm sure not everyone who strikes up a conversation with you is barmy. Living alone in London, home of the terminally antisocial, I'm quite happy to chat about what I'm reading with strangers as long as they're not hostile, begging or drooling out of the corner of their mouths.
I'm sure you're not as rude and peevish as your post implies.
I think books will never die completely. Purists will still want the feel of a book just like some people prefer vinyls/CDs to MP3s, so a much smaller market will still always be around. The second hand market will still continue. Plus, like I said books are a break away from modern tech.
Another thing, I'd hate to not have any books in print. If everything is in cyberspace so to speak, it's under threat from being permanently deleted. You never know, our governments of the future may become more authoritarian and I'd hate for them to have simple control over something that's a huge foundation of free speech - the written word. It would be far simpler than a book burning to delete stuff. That's a nightmare scenario though.
I dont actually spend that much money on books, mostly i borrow books off friends that they reccomend or pick them up cheap on sale and borrow or give them away when ive read them. Ive already read 6 books this year of which ive paid for none as they have all been borrowed to me by friends, they would have cost just over £40 on the kindle.
The kindle looks good, £111 and then pay to put books on it is too a big purchase in my opinion, you lose the option of borrowing them to friends and talking about them as you've read them which is part of the pleasure of reading.
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101215/02571612282/another-reminder-that-you-dont-own-your-ebooks-amazon-removing-more-ebooks-you-bought-archives.shtml
This is a problem that low-tech books don't have!
They will be reminded of the Orwell till the end of time
This is the main reason I finally gave in, and bought a Kindle. After being an avid reader for most of my life, and feeling unable to dispose of almost any book once I'd read it, I found that I was running out of space to keep them all!
I'm also a climber and backpacker, and from a practical point of view, it's far easier to carry a Kindle rather than half a dozen paperbacks on an extended trip.
I did think that I'd miss having an actual, physical copy of a book, but I've found that once I become immersed in a book, it doesn't really matter how it's presented.
I've only had the Kindle for three weeks so far, but already I find that I'm reading more...and it's become my favourite device.
I think we are at the beginning of a huge change in reading habits and this is just the tip of the iceberg..
Over the next few years more & more people will adapt to Kindle type technology - rather like almost everyone now uses digital camera's (in the mainstream - day to day sense) and almost everyone owns a mobile phone.. I sincerely believe that anyone who is a relatively frequent reader will soon be using 'ereading' in one form or the other..
I think there is still a place for hardbacks, picture books & general coffee table type stuff but for paperback fiction etc it's going to be 'ereading' all the all way.
The thing with the Kindle for example, as soon as you use it any nostalgic thoughts for holding paper just disappear!
To demonstrate how fast it's moving: There was a thread on here - no more than 2 years ago when someone asked if ebooks marked the beginning of the end for paper books and almost everyone completely dismissed the idea as nonsense..
Also I think in the future there may only be a limited amount of a books printed and maybe signed by authors for collectors. These will be sold in specialist shops - a bit like antique shops.
For people who just want the contents of mass produced books it's going to be the e-reader in the future as there won't be the cost of shops, paper etc. and we'll get more choice.
The person who said he only borrows books, well then it is obviously not for you. BUT if you have a friend with a kindle you can swap all you like through your laptop.
Whilst I love books I also love my Kindle. It is easier to read than a new book as the reflection off the white on a new book is more glaring than the kindle screen, especially in any form of sharp light.
But was still in Waterstones at lunch taking a look around.
Why choose one or the other? Given a preference I would put a book onto my Kindle out of convenience. Having had to sell off lots of books twice due to moving/space problems the Kindle even gets rid of that problem.
On one hand it would be easier taking a Kindle to work to read at lunchtime, and to appointments etc, but on the other hand, I love books and love browsing for books, and lending out books etc etc.
I think the only way in my mind I would be happy to buy a Kindle is if I could buy the book, and get a CD with the e-book format, or a voucher code type thing, and I wouldn't grudge paying an extra couple quid. (kinda like some Disney DVD's where you get the Blu Ray and DVD in one pack). That way I get the Ebook for when I am out and about, but the tree book for when I am at home. Can't see them ever doing that though.........
Over the past five years I've moved around quite a bit, spending time living abroad in Germany and France, moving back to Yorkshire for Uni and then graduating and moving to London. As a result, it's meant I've to either leave books or give them away. A Kindle at that point would've saved me a lot of space and money as I've rebought some books that I've had left behind somewhere.
I've also found that it's opened up my reading quite a lot. I've never walk into WH Smiths and think of picking up Pride and Prejudice and start reading but with the free Kindle books, I've found myself enjoying the classics.
Price-wise, if a book I want to buy is cheaper on the Kindle, I'll buy it on Kindle, if the real version is cheaper, I'll buy the real book.
Also, as I only have a rented room in a house share, space is limited and I have to think, is this a book I want on my shelf or is it something I will only want to read once or not sure if I'm going to enjoy/want to keep? If so, a Kindle download it is.
I also like the fact that I can go online and find a book and start reading almost straight away (limited I know because not all books are available in e format), which suits my impatientness!
And, it really isn't like reading from a computer screen. The e-ink screens are fantastic. I have no problems with my eyes adjusting to it, or problems with reading from a piece of technology. At the end of day, real book or ebook..... it is as previous posters have said, the content that matters.
There's no law says it has to be one or the other. Many novels simply aren't available in eBook form and some may never be. Last week I bought, via Amazon, an ancient, long out of print paperback of Wally Ferris' "Across 100th" after seeing the movie version. Its chances of appearing as an eBook are probably slim to none.
I came up with that idea long ago - I actually said it in a post on DS months ago. I thought it would have been a great idea (even wrote to the Gadget Show to get them to do a campaign on it
One thing that does annoy me though is the price fixing of some Kindle editions on Amazon by certain publishers.
I wouldn't normally do this type of thing but in this case it was either do what i did or switch to paper for one book, which kind of defeats the object..
I can see piracy being a huge deal now in books but then possibly the minimal production costs for ebooks and the large numbers of people paying legitimately will counter this..
And it's AMAZING. I love it. I still buy a lot of "real" books, especially by authors I "collect", but if it's a book I don't think I'll re-read, an ebook is fine. You can use it as a reference library (just download half of Gutenberg onto it); a work/ gaming accessory (it takes pdfs); a way of reading newspapers and academic journals.
I have noticed myself getting annoyed when I'm reading "real" books now, because I can't highlight, bookmark or make notes about certain parts without, you know, actually highlighting the book
Definately.
My love of physical copies is outwieghed by my hatred of putting up shelves. Some authors still make it to the physical copy but not many.
I still buy hardback books - biogs, music books and so on. I love having these on display so you can pick them up and thumb through whenever the mood takes you. But for the 'bread & butter' books that i read day to day - namely crime fiction and fantasy paperbacks the kindle is unbeatable imo
On Sunday I boarded the train to London and settled down to give the Kindle a proper go, rather than a few minutes in John Lewis. First of all the good...
- It's very dinky. With the cover on it weighs about the same as a paperback (a fairly thick paperback) and with the cover closed it feels not unlike carrying a thin hardback book. It also fits in my coat pocket.
- It feels reasonably well made. I'm concerned that the page turn buttons will fall off at some point as they seem a little flimsy, but it's a study little thing.
- The screen is reasonably easy to read from. The background is a little darker than I'd like (I'm not asking for backlighting, just a screen that isn't a murky grey colour) and it is a bit too reflective, so the overhead lights on the train were a bit annoying from time to time, but by and large it is quite readable. It is also good that the font and text size can be changed.
Now the bad...
- I actually find it incredibly boring to read from. I'm loving the book I'm reading, but the physical experience of reading is completely missing. It's a tiny, tiny thing, but with the Kindle my head is fixed in place, always looking down at the Kindle, whereas with a book I'll turn slightly to look at the left page, then to the right, then to the left... and as I turn the pages I'll move my hands to turn the paper, smooth it down, and so on. With this I'm pretty stiff, only my thumb moving every so often. I found myself getting a stiff neck and shoulders.
- Again a tiny thing, but seeing that I'm 12% of the way through a book is no match for reaching the point when I turn past page 100, or later on when I realise I've got less than 100 to go. A percentage is a poor substitute - as is a progress bar compared to seeing a bookmark somewhere in the pages. Sad, I know.
- As I said before, the books I want to read (literary fiction mainly) just aren't available on the Kindle yet.
- Books just don't look as appealing. A title displayed on a screen isn't as nice as seeing a colourful cover on my shelf.
- The screen. It's a little dark - certainly darker than a page in a book - and just looks dull. It's also more reflective than a page, so if there is a light above you the screen, although matt, reflects the light. This can be frustrating. I've no concerns about the screen not being backlit as frankly if it is dark I'll put a light on.
So I'm definitely not a convert. Yes it's handy, and yes I'll take it on my travels provided there are books I want to read, but I'll end up buying many titles twice - a physical copy for on my shelf and for reading at home (plus when I'm on my travels and the book isn't overly big) and a Kindle edition for big books when I'm on the move. More spending for me, more money for the author (and the publisher) but at least I still get a real book.
For what it's worth I also hate music downloads - give me a CD any day, which I can play, put on my shelves, read the booklet...
Good news - probably - on this front. The Office of Fair Trading is investigating 'Agency Pricing' from today. Let's hope for a good outcome.
OFT launches investigation into agency pricing