does anyone here have a kindle?

ryan1835 · **on:** January 15, 2011, 12:14:00 AM

I have to say before seeing one i was very skeptical of them. However yesterday I saw one in the flesh and was shocked the screen looks just like a page of a book I even did a double take at first but no it was a kindle and not a book

Any body have any impressions of them?

Pacu · **Reply #1 on:** January 15, 2011, 01:23:27 AM

I got one in trade from a member here and i love it. I have it filled up with all of Tolkien, Potter, and magazines. Seems like the Kindle kicked the Nooks butt in sales at my work over the holidays. We had tons of Nooks in stock but ran out of Kindles...even the big ole DX model.

I recommend one. Amazon has a pretty good selection and if they don't have what you want you can always covert the file format to Kindles.

Sazabi · **Reply #2 on:** January 15, 2011, 02:07:43 AM

While I have handled one or two of them, and find them extremely neat, I wouldn't see myself buying one, or even using one. In short, the digital copies of books are about the same as the print versions due to part of the eBook cost being associated with servers and redundant backups and the novelty of reading from an electronic device; the copies you "buy" are not yours, cannot be resold; and if your Amazon account is deleted or bricked, so is your device. Furthermore, real paper books do not run out of battery, can be flipped through to a glossary, are not messed up in format (unlike some books that have footnotes), and actually feel and smell like real books. :/

With that said, let it be known that I own about a dozen eBooks that are not available in print versions. While I like them, overall, I'd rather have a professionally printed paperback (or hardcover, in a pinch) version.

Pacu · **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2011, 02:33:49 AM

I have backups of everything on my Kindle in two different places. If i loose my Kindle i can transfer everything on the next. There is all kinds of software to convert Epub/PDF files to Mobi and AZW Kindle formats. Trolling the internet one can find just about anything to read.

Anything i buy from Amazon is mine...i just strip away the DRM and keep it duplicated in a safe place.

I would agree that a nice leatherbound copy of The Hobbit beats a Kindle anyday but the convenience of the whole collection in one little package is hard to beat.

2xTap · **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2011, 04:56:10 PM

Just this past Christmas I bought my wife a Kindle, the 6" screen version with 3G and Wi-Fi and all that stuff. It'll store up to 3,500 books. Got her a nice case for it and a screen protector as well. She was wanting the Nook originally and had been hinting at one months before Christmas.....then she changed her mind after handling both at work, one of her staff at work has both.

She loves to read and she burns through a novel every two days or so. She was making trips to our local Barnes & Noble at least once a week. Now she gets her books almost instantly without having to leave the house. She loves the thing, and she hasn't put it down since she got it.

I am actually thinking of getting me one. I like to read but seldom do, the convenience of it would allow me to read more.

2xTap

ari6126 · **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2011, 05:33:19 PM

I use the Kindle app on my Android phone. A great advantage of the Kindle that some out of copyright books are completely free. In a bookstore, these books would be cheap, but not free. So if you want to read the classics, the Kindle is the way to go.

Sean · **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2011, 05:40:38 PM

I don't have one but my Father the Bookman & Author loves his.

ryan1835 · **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2011, 07:20:50 PM

so can you surf the net on them or is it just wikipedia?

glorn · **Reply #8 on:** January 15, 2011, 07:55:43 PM

Got one. They are fantastic. Anyone who travels or likes/needs to have more than one book with them, it is a real winner. On longer trips, I have packed five books in the past. One Kindle blows that away. Add in newspapers, magazines, and the ability to nab a new book from nearly anywhere at anytime.. Can't beat that.

Will I replace my home library? No. But do I need to own paper copies of every novel I read? No.

I still buy hard cover reference books and classics. I buy editions of favorite books, or used books when I see one I want.

It's like digital music.. I still have plenty of records, and I still collect vinyl. But an iPod means thousands of songs anywhere. Can't do that with my turntable. The two supplement each other.

Hard to find fault with a device that enables convenient reading. And I still carry a paperback here and there.

ryan1835 · **Reply #9 on:** January 20, 2011, 07:33:08 PM

im going to have to have a big think about one when i get paid, i travel alot from work and i think even with one of these i could just get it out on lunch breaks etc. Another thing i can never keep a book nice when its in my bag im hoping with these you can get a nice case to keep them like new

still tempted by one

Pacu · **Reply #10 on:** January 20, 2011, 08:11:40 PM

At work we carry several styles of covers..like the one i have in my above posts to full on leather grain covers. There is even a handy light that works with the cover for those low light situations.

think i've even seen an otter-like box for extreme protection

ryan1835 · **Reply #11 on:** January 20, 2011, 10:01:03 PM

it would be great if you could rent one for a fortnight to see how you like it

glorn · **Reply #12 on:** January 21, 2011, 07:19:24 PM

I could advise this: if you rented it, you would buy one.

Zat help?

ryan1835 · **Reply #13 on:** January 25, 2011, 11:25:20 PM

if i do get one im blaming you guys

Whoey · **Reply #14 on:** January 28, 2011, 11:14:56 AM

We bought the 6inch wifi (generation 3) version this past week. Took 3 days to arrive from the states... about 144eur, including shipping and duties.

An E-book reader is something I've wanted for ages... so this was only a matter of time, and then which one... Kindle seemed the most reasonable, however we didn't research that much. One of my wife's students got one, and she thought it was great, so that pushed us.

There are loads of legit free books online, just read further into the kindle info page. For us over here in Europe it seems that most of the "free" books on amazon.com (the only place we're ALLOWED to buy our kindle, amazon.co.uk will not deliver outside the UK

) are $2.30 for us.

In Ubuntu I installed an ebook reader manager/program called Calibre, seems I can convert most formats to kindle/mobi which is fantastic. This means if I find books in other formats such as Microsoft Reader, I can still convert and use all the text sizing etc (apart from images... which seems some PDF books are entirely).

It seems you can search the web and browse semi normally, even if the screen is monochrome.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2011, 03:00:25 AM

I have a Kindle and I like it very much. I went with 3G for the convience, and I've not tried to connect it to an internet wireless network yet. The nook is being heavily advertised right now and color can be nice. The iPad would also be nice. However, the ebook is not just a device it's part of a system and Amazon is just too far ahead here in the US. The latest nooks were not available when I got mine, but it would not have have made any difference to me. I got mine with the burt-orange cover with built-in light, which is very nice. It would be better if the light was built into the kindle, but their power-usage design is so awesome I can see why maybe they did not want to mess with that right now. Highly Recommended.

pss... it was suppose to get me back to reading more, and it has not really done that yet... but I'm sure it will one day.

thebullfrog · **Reply #16 on:** February 02, 2011, 01:27:02 AM

I'm strongly considering getting a Kindle 3. So much so in fact that I have Amazon open in another tab right now. I love to read, but haven't been able as much lately because I haven't been able to get to the store, pick up a book, lug the book around with me, etc. A Kindle would make it a lot easier to keep up on my reading. I already have a ton of E-books on my laptop that I never read because I decided reading that much on a computer kinda sucks lol, so loading all that onto a Kindle would help me get caught up without all the eye strain. In fact, between that and all the books available (legally) for free, it would be a long time before I'd have to pay for another book. Of course, we won't even get into the whole "torrent" thing. My biggest problem is justifying the cost with the way things are right now, but I do know I would use it and get my money's worth out of it fairly quickly. If I hadn't just spent a couple hundred $ of my tax return on other stuff instead (granted, it was stuff I kinda needed) I wouldn't be so hesitant. I guess what it comes down to is whether the convenience and "reading experience" is really worth it.

thebullfrog · **Reply #17 on:** February 02, 2011, 04:55:49 AM

Well, I just went ahead and ordered one. I mulled over it for most of the day, and decided since I have my tax return, and it will likely save me money in the long run, not to mention helping me get caught up on a lot of reading, that it's worth it. I'm actually really excited, been wanting one for a long time and I think the price is finally reasonable enough to take the plunge. It'll make a nice addition to my EDC bag

ICanFixThat · **Reply #18 on:** February 12, 2011, 06:08:57 PM

Exciting! I think you'll be happy. I like mine more than I thought I would. That's rare with electronic devices these days which usually are a disapointment for me.

thebullfrog · **Reply #19 on:** February 12, 2011, 06:14:23 PM

I already have it (posted it in another thread) and LOVE it. In only a couple days I've already read Starship Troopers and will be finishing Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy within the hour. I was really impressed with how well the device does what it's meant to do. Exceptionally well designed and built, I wish more consumer electronics had that level of proper engineering in them.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #20 on:** February 12, 2011, 06:44:34 PM

Great to hear. "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" nice!!! pure genius that.

thebullfrog · **Reply #21 on:** February 12, 2011, 08:18:53 PM

Just finished it a bit ago. was pretty amusing, though I had a hard time finishing it. I think because the movie actually followed most of the book fairly well (but the few changes they made were oddly massive) I kept feeling like "yeah, I already know what happens here..." but it was certainly nice to finally read the real thing. I also just read Rime of the Ancient Mariner because I've never gotten a chance to read the whole thing. Not sure what's next on my list yet. I'm considering Steven King's "The Stand", or possibly George RR Martins "Song of Ice and Fire" series.

Whoey · **Reply #22 on:** February 12, 2011, 09:33:40 PM

there are 6 parts(books) in the HHGTTG Trilogy... the movie was decent ish even though a lot of stuff pulled from different books and omitted, I think the BBC miniseries was closer to the first book. I have both on DVD

And the books are on my kindle as well...

thebullfrog · **Reply #23 on:** February 13, 2011, 12:12:24 AM

I'm aware there's 6 parts just no interest in reading them all right now just yet. And yeah it did pull from the other books as well, but in general they stayed closer to the story of the book than I was expecting.

Sazabi · **Reply #24 on:** February 13, 2011, 12:37:20 AM

I'm on waitlist to check out one of my University's 30+ Kindles (ranging from the first model to the third model and DX version, too); it's much quicker to wait as the fifth person, as opposed to waiting at the local library's 130+ people for a copy of The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

I think the next time I'm by the library, I'll try out a MacBook Pro or one of their iPod Touches, too. They really have a bit of everything.

Pacu · **Reply #25 on:** February 13, 2011, 12:50:15 AM

Quote from: Sazabi on February 13, 2011, 12:37:20 AM

I'm on waitlist to check out one of my University's 30+ Kindles (ranging from the first model to the third model and DX version, too); it's much quicker to wait as the fifth person, as opposed to waiting at the local library's 130+ people for a copy of The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

I think the next time I'm by the library, I'll try out a MacBook Pro or one of their iPod Touches, too. They really have a bit of everything.

i didn't know you could check out electronics at school. Check out the DX. It's sweet.

Sazabi · **Reply #26 on:** February 16, 2011, 02:44:20 AM

Well, I've been using the first-generation Kindle for about four hours now. It's ok. I'm not that big a fan of it. :/

Sazabi · **Reply #27 on:** February 17, 2011, 01:37:52 AM

Quote from: Sazabi on February 16, 2011, 02:44:20 AM

Well, I've been using the first-generation Kindle for about four hours now. It's ok. I'm not that big a fan of it. :/

Well my time with this device is over; it bricked on me today; I need to take it back to the library (with the box this time; I took it over within two hours of it bricking, but they couldn't do anything except make a note in my file that it was having issues) to hopefully exchange it.

Books don't brick on you randomly; it's also easier to find your place again. I just know I was somewhere in chapter six. :/

Whoey · **Reply #28 on:** February 17, 2011, 07:27:37 PM

I'm still rather pleased with our Generation 3 Kindle.

I do wish it had some other sort of lighting system apart from the amazon cover with built in light...

otherwise, fantastic... and sites like http://www.gutenberg.org rule!

thebullfrog · **Reply #29 on:** February 17, 2011, 08:48:53 PM

Sounds more to me like what happens when a several year old consumer electronic item gets abused by countless people over the years who are only borrowing it and treat it with utter crap.

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does anyone here have a kindle?

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