Books on the Nightstand discussion
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E-Readers
Mod
I still haven't played with a Nook in person.
I plan on going this weekend. I'm definitely leaning (based on what I've read) towards the Nook.
I've played with the Sony at Borders and Best Buy. I don't like the size of the screen or how slowly the pages "turn". I've never touched a Kindle or a Nook, but the Nook has received some pretty negative reviews. For me, the technology isn't quite where I want it to be yet. I read pretty quickly and that fluttery page turn would drive me nuts. I do like that you can adjust the text size though.
I'm waiting for the 2nd or 3rd generation of the iPad. That gadget looks so cool, but it's so expensive. However, it does do more than books too. I just refuse to be a first adopter.
I bought the first Kindle 1-1/2 years ago. I love it, but I still buy DTBs. I know Amazon has made improvements in the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX, but the Kindle 1 works for me and I'll use it as long as it lasts. I like the fact that the Kindle 1 has a replacement battery and also an SD card. But I still love the feel and covers of books.
I tried to use a nook at the display in a local store. The sales person knew nothing about it other than how to turn it on. I asked if it supported other formats like the sony e-reader and after about 4 min of watching her look through some papers she looked at me and said, "You can find all the info you need on the internet." That one experience made up my mind.
I've owned the Sony Pocket Edition for a while now, I bought it when it first came out.Like Sandi said, when you turn the page it takes a little while to refresh, but after reading it for a while I really don't notice that. I just tend to push the advance button while I'm still about a line from the end of the page, and it refreshes just as I finish. After 10 or 20 page turns this just becomes second nature and is not difficult. It's still quicker than turning the page on a dead tree book.
I bought the smaller Sony for one reason: price. The pocket edition was one of the least expensive readers available on the market, $199 when I bought it. I think the market is young and the devices are going to improve and get cheaper over the next few years, so I thought it better to get one of the less expensive readers for now. I'm sure they'll have color versions coming out soon, so buying a $500 black and white reader now didn't make a lot of sense to me.
As for the iPad, I really can't see that as a serious reading device. I can't comfortably read books on my laptop because the back-lit screen kills my eyes and gives me a headache after only an hour or so. The iPad is the same right? It's the e-paper technology that makes the Sony, Kindle and Nook devices so awesome for reading.
I bought the Sony E-reader almost a year ago and I loved it. However, the software has stopped working and technical support with Sony and Adobe(which you must have as well) has been terrible. Now I have an e-reader with no capability to download any more books. I still prefer the feel of an actual book, but the e-reader was very convenient when I was traveling. I've been looking at the Kindle because I absolutely will not buy a Sony e-reader again.
Shona wrote: "I bought the Sony E-reader almost a year ago and I loved it. However, the software has stopped working and technical support with Sony and Adobe(which you must have as well) has been terrible. No..."That's a bummer Shona. I'm fond of my Sony, and while I've had a few problems with the Reader Library software (problems I caused), there hasn't been anything too serious. What went wrong, if you don't mind my asking?
Mod
Linda
Liam wrote: "Shona wrote: "I bought the Sony E-reader almost a year ago and I loved it. However, the software has stopped working and technical support with Sony and Adobe(which you must have as well) has been..."I wish I knew what went wrong - my husband is a computer engineer and he couldn't even figure it out and the customer service guys certainly couldn't help. Could no longer download books once they switched to the epub format and nothing Sony or Adobe did fixed the problem. I'm so disappointed that I can't use it anymore. I am going to see about another type of e-reader
Well, I bought a nook today. The lady at B&N was very helpful. i got to play with it at the store and she had read it and used it many times and was able to help me figure it out. There is a lag in page turning, but it isn't horrible and according to her can be used on any wireless, not just at the store.I'll be setting it up tonight and I have some books on my macBook so I'm hoping to be able to load them.
Thanks for everyone's help and opinion on this. It's been very helpful.
I purchased a Sony E-reader yesterday and am very excited. I feel as if I am cheating on bookstores but my husband made a valid point on saving money and purchased it for my Valentine's gift and Wedding Anniversary. I have only been able to put a couple books on it so far. Does anyone know if you can put ebooks purchased from Borders or Barnes and Noble if I can put them on my E-reader? I have gift card money left over from Christmas that I would like to use on ebooks.
Shona wrote: "I bought the Sony E-reader almost a year ago and I loved it. However, the software has stopped working and technical support with Sony and Adobe(which you must have as well) has been terrible. No..."In our ereader group on Ravelry several people had this problem...several were helped by Sony customer service but had to send their unit in for a free "upgrade". I'm sorry I don't have more helpful information to help you solve the problem but keep trying!! I'll keep looking also to see if I come up with anything more helpful!!
Shona wrote: "Liam wrote: "Shona wrote: "I bought the Sony E-reader almost a year ago and I loved it. However, the software has stopped working and technical support with Sony and Adobe(which you must have as w..."Whoopsee forgot to ask which ereader...but I DID find this info on the PRS500 (hope it helps) http://ebooks.custhelp.com/app/answer...
Shona wrote: "I bought the Sony E-reader almost a year ago and I loved it. However, the software has stopped working and technical support with Sony and Adobe(which you must have as well) has been terrible. No..."Hey Shona,
you likely have the Sony PRS-500? I have one as well. Sony will update your hardware for free on that model. Just email customer service at Sonystyle.com and they will send you a UPS tag. It took me 4 days to get my reader back. The good news is the new format allows you much greater access to free classics on google.com and inter-library loan. I still love this reader! Good luck!
Liam wrote: "I've owned the Sony Pocket Edition for a while now, I bought it when it first came out.
Like Sandi said, when you turn the page it takes a little while to refresh, but after reading it for a while..."
Eric wrote: "I tried to use a nook at the display in a local store. The sales person knew nothing about it other than how to turn it on. I asked if it supported other formats like the sony e-reader and after ab..."Eric, I had the same experience with the Nook. What also bugged me was that using it's interface felt much more complicated than the Kindle. Basically, you have to remember a series of clicks or something like that to get from screen to screen - and it didn't seem to have any logic behind it. After 15-20 minutes I still hadn't figured it out and gave up. That said, my friend bought one for her mother who loves it... so I may not have given it a fair shot.
Advice for anyone out shopping - whichever e-reader you choose I really recommend testing it out (if possible) before you put down any money. Things like page load time and ease of browsing/shopping when using the device and when using your computer matter more than you think... and its something you don't get a feel for until you actually do it.
Personally, I don't recommend to iPad because, well, its not really an e-reader - it lacks the digital ink. It's just a bigger version of the iTouch. In my mind, I might as well read off my iPhone or laptop for the same experience.
I got a Kindle for Christmas & I absolutely adore the thing. I considered it, along with the Sony & the Nook. My b/f is a big techie guy & he made what I thought was a very good point about the Kindle. Amazon has staked so much the success of the product, so it's very likely they will stand behind it. It seems like B&N just jumped into the e-reader biz to compete with the Kindle. What happens if they decide it's not something they want to support down the road? You have an e-reader that you can't use. They had pulled the product over the holiday to work on some of the glitches, so they actually helped make my decision easier- there were no Nooks on the market anyway.As for the people who make the argument that they like to hold, feel, smell a traditional book... I thought that also. But I got over it in no time. Holding my Kindle feels just perfect & the convenience of having oodles of my books in that little device, along with the ability to download a new one from just about anywhere in less than 45 seconds is huge to me. Plus, it's green. No trees died to make my book... yes, I know you can make the argument of the ecological impact of the manufacturing process of e-readers, but over time, I think it's less of an impact than the paper publishing industry. Embrace the future of reading! E-Readers are it.
even if B&N decided that they didn't want to support the nook anymore, it takes most formats that ebooks come in. I don't have to get e-books exclusively from B&N. That was one of the things that helped me pick the Nook over the Kindle. That and I wasn't considering the Kindle at all.As for whether I think e-readers are the future, I'm not sure about that. I like it, but I prefer to have the book. I just wanted to have the e-reader as an option.
Mod
Now, if we could reduce the price of college texts…
Linda
Lmj wrote: "What about e-readers and libraries? I can't afford to keep myself in books, so I really very heavily on several libraries in my area. I have even fought recently to help them keep their state fundi..."Sony E-reader allows you to get books from libraries and that's why I choose an e-reader from them.
Lmj wrote: "What about e-readers and libraries? I can't afford to keep myself in books, so I really very heavily on several libraries in my area. I have even fought recently to help them keep their state fundi..."The nook also allows you to get books from the library. Another reason why I chose it.
I've had a Kindle for about 8 months and I really love it. I never thought I'd want an e-reader, but having all my books in my purse is great. I also never appreciated the one handed reading I can now do with kindle. It's also surprisingly great at the beach in a gallon sized ziploc bag. You can turn pages and it's totally protected. Beautiful!
Lil wrote: "I've had a Kindle for about 8 months and I really love it. I never thought I'd want an e-reader, but having all my books in my purse is great. I also never appreciated the one handed reading I can ..."I got the Kindle 1 a year ago this coming July. I bought it for traveling - not needing to deal with the issues of what books I will want to read and not having something to read on the trip home. I love it and use it even when not traveling. I also love the for real books and will continue to use the library as I've always done and pay cash money for books (kindle editions too)when the occasion rises.
If you have an iphone or itouch there is a kindle (free) app for it. You can see what it is like to read with an back lit screen versus the kindle which is like a book. The itouch will sync with my kindle so I can use both for the same book.
The iPhone app is how I got started with the kindle. One nice thing about the app is that you can put the app on multiple phones in your close circle and share the books. They all have to be on the same account. I hope they develop a real lending program like b&n is doing.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Kindle.... remember, you have 30 days to try it out and can return it if you don't like it. My friend was really curious after watching me take my Kindle everywhere I go, and tried out the 30-days trial. She loved it and kept it, but really liked having that "insurance" just in case it didn't work for her...
I recently broke down and got a Kindle after doing some research. I felt like Amazon had been in the business for a while and therefore the product would be left standing once the ereader dust settled. I liked that I could browse text-only sites with it as Amazon pays the wireless (for now. They stress this won't necessarily be available in perpetuity.) I chose it over the Sony because of wireless delivery although I think Sony might have introduced this option recently as well. I also felt like the Amazon format was likely to last although since Sony is using a pdf format that is universal, I kind of regret not supporting that rather than another vendor proprietary exclusive format. The Nook was just too new and untested for me and didn't have internet access although I did like the color screen. Plus I had heard that despite all the press about their sharing option, very few publishers have agreed to participate. So far I do like my Kindle. It's very easy to use, ships fast and comes pre-loaded with your Amazon account info (there are instructions to change that if this is a gift for someone else.) I subscribed to the NYT and love the wireless delivery and the fact that I'm not wasting all that paper which then overflows in my recycle bin. I do wish they had an option other than 7 days a week. There is no way I can read the Times cover to cover every day if I want to have a hope of reading anything else. The paper is easy to browse and despite complaints in the review section on Amazon, it does seem to be the complete Times--at least, comparing the online "Today's Paper" version with the Kindle version. There are slight delays when returning to the Table of Contents but that would be the same if you were flipping thru the paper. You can pull up a list of all the articles in a section so you can still browse as you would with the physical edition. I really also like having the Oxford English Dictionary incorporated into the display as the Times writers have a much wider vocabulary than mine :)
I still prefer reading physical books. I downloaded a free book from Amazon to test reading out and I lost patience fairly quickly. Then again, the book in question was a Harlequin novel which isn't really my reading milieu. But I don't see ereaders replacing the tactile experience of a book ever for me. Plus the fun of shopping for one.
I don't like that you have to specifically tell the Kindle to turn off the wireless after syncing (downloading today's paper/magazine/etc.) and the keyboard is needlessly clunky. My tiny Blackberry keyboard is easier to operate so the ergonomic deficiency here is puzzling. I haven't actually tried the internet yet which is funny as that's part of the reason I got it. The Amazon site is still easier to navigate from my laptop than the Kindle. The search api for Kindle-specific products is not as effective as just searching specifically for what you want and seeing if it's available in Kindle version. All relatively minor complaints.
Wow, this was long. Sorry for the rambling post but hopefully this will help sway anyone on the Kindle fence one way or the other.
So, the Kindle is the 2nd e-book reader I've owned. I purchased a RocketBook back in 1999. I still have it, but haven't used it in years. I (used to) travel a lot and I (still) read a lot. When I go on vacation, I will typically take 1 book per day of vacation and read about 3/4 of them. That can get very heavy and very bulky very quickly!My biggest complaints with the RocketBook were the limited selection of reading material and the prices which I thought were too high. If I am reading a book that is out in paperback on an e-book reader, I expect to pay less than the paperback price for that book -- the publisher does not have to pay for printing, shipping, or merchandising. The RocketBook books were priced higher than the physical book.
When Amazon came out with the Kindle, I jumped on the bandwagon almost immediately. I wrote a review of my 1st gen Kindle for Ask Metafilter over a year ago and it is still valid.
Advantages of Kindle:
- Readability is quite good, battery life is excellent, and it is fairly rugged. (I have taken it on a 4-day backpacking trip in the Sierras and on a camping trip to the Oregon coast).
- You can have 200 books with you at one time in a form factor the size and weight of one paperback. If you like to read a lot (I do), you read fast (I do), and you travel a lot (I used to), the Kindle is awesome because you have 200 books in the size/weight of one. IMHO, this is Kindle's biggest advantage.
- Selection of books is wider than other e-books such as Sony's reader or the 1st gen e-book I still own. You can go browse the Kindle store on Amazon to see if the books you like are available on Kindle.
- Price of books is less than other e-books and generally cheaper than hardcover. This is in contrast to my 1st gen e-book where the books were more expensive than hardcover. However, this is not as true (anymore) for paperbacks. You can check prices on amazon when you check availability and decide if the price of a book is acceptable or not for you.
- You can preview books for free by downloading a section of the book -- how much depends on the book -- in some cases it is multiple chapters. This has kept me from buying books that look interesting but that I find I don't really like :).
- Your books are always available from Amazon -- if you want to delete them from the Kindle for a while.
- You can add flash memory if the on-board memory isn't enough.
- You can surf the web for free -- it's slow and clunky, but if you're stuck somewhere with just the Kindle, you can access the Internet.
- It has a built-in dictionary so if you come across a word you don't know, you can look it up.
- It has a built-in clock so you know when it is time to shut down the Kindle and go to sleep :).
- You can change font size quickly -- increase font size in a dark tent, decrease it in normal light :).
- I found myself reading faster with a Kindle than with a physical book.
Disadvantages of the Kindle:
- Prices of content have increased -- you are looking at paying around $10 for a book only available in hard-cover and the new, undiscounted, paper-back price for a book available in paper-back. (This is the biggest downside for me).
- You don't really own the book so when you get done reading it, you cannot sell it back to your local used bookstore to fund more reading.
- The form factor is kind of ugly/clunky.
- Not all books that I want to read are available on Kindle.
To this, I would add that I use both the iPhone application and also the PC application (on my desktop at work). It is awesome to have a lot of books available to me on my iPhone for those boring moments in line in the grocery store, etc...
Sorry for the length, but hopefully it is useful to someone considering a Kindle or other type of e-reader.
Just one other point and then I'll stop :)...I find a Kindle (or iPhone or some other reader) a lot more comfortable for reading big, thick books especially in bed which is where a lot of my reading occurs. I checked out Anathem from my public library and just the thought of trying to hold that 960 page hardcover up (for 960 pages!) made me go and spend $8 on the Kindle version.
Mod
Linda
I got a Kindle 2 for my birthday in June, so I've had it now for almost 9 months. I love it and I definitely am reading more since I got it. I think Elaine's review of the pros and cons are very accurate so I would just like to add a feature that I really enjoy which is being able to download a sample of a book prior to purchase. The first time I listened to BOTN was the 2009 favorite books so I made a list of the ones that sounded interesting and I dowloaded samples of a number of them. I continue to do this whenever I hear of a book that sounds interesting. That way I don't forget the recommendations and I get a chance to try before I buy.
Sheryl, that is a great idea!I am using the library these days for most of my reading and my library has a cool online request a hold capability, but my list of holds is rapidly outstripping my ability to read :). At the same time, when I hear about an interesting book on BOTN or elsewhere, I don't want to forget about it. I can get a sample of the book from Amazon & have a queue of books I might want to read w/o necessarily loading up my hold list.
BTW, anyone can do that Kindle or not, as long as you have an iPhone or a Windows PC to download the Kindle app for your platform...
Two other factors to consider:-With the Nook, you can replace the battery yourself. Not so with Kindle 2. You have to ship it back to Amazon
-The Nook supports the library lending model and Kindle does not.
I don't know where Sony stands on either of these issues.
So, I joined the iPad crowd yesterday -- mostly to provide an easy web-surfing experience for my non-techie partner. But, being the book/gadget person I am, I couldn't help downloading the free iBooks application. With all due respect to Mr. Jobs, I don't think the iPad makes a better e-reader than the Kindle. Here's the downsides:
- price (cheapest iPad is $499, cheapest Kindle is $259)
- book price (Cod, one of the recent BOTN books, is $12.99 in the iBook store, $9.99 in the Kindle store)
- ability to browse bookstore (you need to have an iPad with the iBooks app in order to browse the iPad bookstore; to browse the Kindle bookstore, all you need is a web browser)
- weight (1.5 lbs for iPad versus 10.2 oz for Kindle)
- battery life (10 hrs for iPad, days for Kindle)
- accessibility to your books (iPad books only can be read on the iPad as far as I know; there are Kindle apps for every type of device including Mac computers, iPhone and iPad)
- page turning (a personal preference, but I don't like the animated page turning on the iPad; the Kindle just switches to the next page)
- the iBookstore uses the same UI as iTunes which I find clumsier than the Kindle bookstore
Upsides:
- doesn't require a separate light source
- illustrations are gorgeous versus being almost unreadable on my 1st gen Kindle with 4 shades of grey (the new Kindle has 16 shades of grey)
- the bookshelf is pretty
- you can choose from 5 different fonts
Same:
- text size can be changed on the fly
Of course, the iPad does a lot more than a Kindle. I watched a TV show on my iPad yesterday via the streaming NetFlix application. The websurfing experience is far superior on the iPad. But, as an e-book, the Kindle is the better device, IMHO.
Mod
The pricing issue is interesting; things are still shaking out a lot, and I think you'll see some changes and instability for awhile yet.
I'm only slightly tempted by the iPad. If I didn't have an iPhone, I would likely be lusting after the iPad, but I'm just not sure it offers enough extras for me to spend the money, especially since it costs so much more to get 3G (between the device and the monthly fees). I still think the Whispernet wireless on the Kindle is the feature that makes it so great.
Don't forget The Kobo reader is coming and will be priced at $150. Also if you guys don't know about Inkmesh.com it's a good place to find free books on all the different sites, SO many books so little time. Karen
I have owned a Sony reader for about three years. Just got a new one for Christmas. Love it...love it...love it! Free classics (all you recommend through Beowulf on the Beach), good pricing and I don't feel the clutter from bringing home too many books (is there truly such a thing?) as much. I often travel for work and really enjoy the size of the Sony and that I can haul 200+ books in the size of a trade paperback. This particular reader allows you to read a book and be stuck in an airport and load another book. I really like the "Inter-Library" loan and the ability to add audio files so I can listen to a book if I am in that mood. I must be addicted to e-reading because I also saved up for the Ipad...I gotta say, it is outstanding in many ways. It does have a backlight but you can adjust the brightness so it does not hurt your eyes like a laptop. In certain settings it works fantastic when you prefer a backlight (late at night when I cannot sleep) rather than turning on a light. Itunes does not have the selection of books yet that I can find on the Sony but it is a welcome addition to my house.
I prefer the smell and feel of a real book but if I am traveling for a week at a time, it makes it much easier to take along a library.
Happy Reading! By the way I really enjoy the discussions on this group though I have not been as active in writing as in reading all of your great recommendations. Thanks!
Mod
Hello Ann,I would recommend you go to the Reader Store site from Sony and go to the "free classics from Google" site. Honestly almost every classic you would ever want to read for free.
Happy Reading!
Mod
Thanks! Somehow I missed this post from a week or more ago. Meanwhile, my Sony Reader has died, but I have a new one on the way. I will take a look at the free stuff then.
Thanks!
Ann
I just bought the Nook about two weeks ago. I really love it. There were apparently some issues when it came out but version 1.3 of the OS is much more solid. The page turning is fine although I have experienced some slowness with navigation at times in their menus. They have phone support but how helpful it is sometimes depends on how much that particular CSR knows. The people in my B+N have been knowledgeable. I do really like that it's Android based...I think that gives it a lot of room for growth. I looked at the Sony e-reader at my local Target and was unimpressed. Between Nook and the sony I'd go Nook without question.Rita wrote: "I hope you guys don't mind that I started this topic, but your episode on e-readers came at a great time as I have been recently debating getting one. I refuse to buy a Kindle from Amazon for a va..."
Mod
That's interesting Linda. Most people who tried both prefer an ebook reader over iPad for long form reading and feel iPad is best for media (internet, videos, etc.) The big issue they have is glare. But honestly, if Mossberg prefers it then that's the device for him. I'm looking at the iPad or similar device as something I'll get when my netbook gives up the ghost or is obsolete.
Both the Nook and the Sony have access to the free Google books. The challenge with the Google books is the formatting - it's not always great. BN has puts out weekly free books and daily free content. Also, their BN classics are released at $1.99.
I tracked the content available for the Kindle and the Nook to see which one had a better selection, and I really didn't find any difference. The prices track the same.
I have a Nook and I love it. I've tried the iPad, and while it's an interesting device, I find it too heavy for an eReader. And because it is back-lit, it's not really great for reading outdoors.
One other great thing - the ability to resize the text to a larger size has made reading pleasurable again for my older eyes.
Mod
Here's what appealed to me: It is (almost) device-independent. You can buy your books from any participating retailer, or from Google itself. Your books are stored in "the cloud" but you can also download them in ANY FORMAT except Kindle. If you change devices, you do not have to repurchase the book.
So if you have a Sony Reader today and buy a book, and it dies tomorrow, you can download that book to the new Nook you buy next week, without having to buy it again. That's huge.
Of course, it's all just 'vaporware' right now, so we'll see how it really works when it's released.
Ann, thank you for that information. I have the first edition of Kindle and don't know how long the life is. So I'm storing information to figure out what to get next. Right now I'm still on the Kindle bandwagon but will definitely look at the new google version.As for Kindle books, you can have them sent to your computer as well and then I would presume you could upload them to any device??????
Mod
My big complaint with the current realities of ebooks is that buy purchasing a dedicated e-reader device, you are locked in to buying from a specific retailer. And if something happens to your device, you have to re-purchase those books for your new device if you switch platforms. Those two items are non-starters for me. If I didn't have a Sony Reader for work, I would not own an e-reader at this point. As it is, I have yet to purchase a book for my Sony Reader -- I use it only for reading manuscripts that I get through work.
I have paid for my kindle already in savings on kindle prices. I chose kindle over Sony because it was backed by Amazon - a book seller. But I am open to new gadgets when the time comes.
Mod
Your so right Ann! It's unclear where this is going in the long run. All I know is the big publishers, like your and Mike's employer need to be thinking long and hard about where they're going in this new world. Will your current customers even exist 10 years from now? Look what happened in newspapers. Papers are begging for a bailout even though they're becoming obsolete. One exception is the WSJ which saw where things were going and started an online subscription service that they made worth the price several years ago. Google Editions sounds intriguing. I wasn't sure if you'd be able to download the books but from what you said I'll be able to put them strait on Nook. If it's Nook but not Kindle compatible it's another reason I'm glad I bought Nook. (One reason I did it was because of the open format.)
Ann wrote: "Things are changing so fast; it will be an interesting 12-18 months in the ebook world, I think!"
I've been looking at the Nook, the E-Reader and of course (being an Apple geek) the new iPad. The iPad uses an LCD screen and I'm worried about the the effect that it would have on my eyes.
Does anyone have a preference for Sony over Nook? Pros or Cons?