E-Readers and Kindles

How many people use them?

I've been contemplating, but I really like the feeling of having a book in my hand. I like collecting them. My favourite scene in Beauty and the Beast is when Belle is gifted with the library full of books. When I saw that as a child, even then it was the best gift I could possibly imagine.

What are the benefits of using something like an E-reader? I've used iBooks, which I don't really like just because my screen is too small, and the brightness bothers me after awhile. I can't stare at screens for long periods of times. Would it be worth it to get a Kindle or something of the like?

Discuss.

I have a B&N Nook. I like it a lot, although I still love the feeling of a real book in my hands. The brightness is not an issue because E-readers are not like computers; they are not lit up from the back. You need room light to read them and they can be read in bright sunlight.

The advantage is obvious. I downloaded the complete works of George Bernard Shaw (plays, short stories, and essays) in under one minute. It is over 3,000 pages. It cost $3.99. I can carry it all with me anywhere I go.

Since I live in a small apartment with seven bookshelves, all full or overflowing, that advantage is even greater for me.

There are so many pros to having them but I just can't make myself read books off a screen, it feel fundamentally wrong. As annoying as it is to drag around a book, as impractical and expensive as they are, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have a Kindle. I was a major skeptic when they first came out, but when I saw one I was amazed by how much it looked like actual paper on the screen. Got one for my birthday, and it's great because a lot of books are cheaper to download than they are to buy as a paperback, and there are quite a few free books too. To give you an idea, I got all the Sherlock Holmes books for under a pound. And when you want a book, you can download it instantly. I really do forget that I'm not reading an actual book, you get absorbed in it in the same way you would with a real book. So whilst I'll probably always opt to re-read my all time favourite books on paper, I'm definitely converted to the advantages of owning a kindle for casual reading. Though if you do buy a Kindle in particular, I'd definitely recommend getting the case with the built-in light, it lights the screen up perfectly and conveniently when you need it, which is ideal for reading at night when you only have a lamp on.

BlackestLily said:

I've got the app to read kindle books installed on my work ipad. And it's pretty cool. I haven't bought any books, but they do supply a nice set of the classics totally for free. Check http://www.gutenberg.org/ for thousands upon thousands of freebies.

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Yes, lots of famous authors have been dead long enough for their complete works to be in the public domain. Great link.

I just got my Kindle Fire yesterday. I'll dive into these free books soon!

I love my Kindle Fire. At first, I was reluctant to consider one, for various reasons. I love the smell of bookstores, from the paper to the fancy-schmancy coffee and pastries, and I knew that e-readers would signal the eventual death knell of brick and mortar bookstores, taking that pleasant feeling away (perhaps a while down the road, but it'll happen, much like with record stores.). As much as that makes me sad, I can't help but admire the benefits of books written in electronic format. The books tend to be cheaper (I just purchased three textbooks for school, all in Kindle format, and saved roughly half the cost! ). I know the pleasant feeling of holding a book, but if you get a case for your Kindle, it covers it much like a Moleskine cover, so it feels like you're holding a book, and it also doubles as a stand if you use it to watch a movie or video. I also like how I don't have to deal with a new book's tight binding, and accidentally flipping my pages closed if I didn't have a bookmark in it. Amazon gives Kindle users a month free of Amazon Prime when you register your Kindle (Also, they do NOT automatically renew when it expires, if you're not interested in that!), and they offer a daily app for free that normally costs money.

My only complaints about the Kindle Fire are that it's not so much an e-reader as a low-cost tablet. As such, you don't get the benefit of the paper-like Kindle screen (unless you buy a non-glare screen protector, like I did.). Also, I don't like the "carousel" setup. I wish the desktop was more customizable, like my phone, instead of mandating that the carousel of most recently-used apps sits in the center of the screen, and there's no wallpaper customization, or anything. Otherwise, I'm very happy with it, and I think it was definitely worth the money!

Guy that sits next to me in ap stats always has his out when we're learning new stuff. He's got calvin and hobbes on it which is enough to make me want to buy one for myself.