Amazon Kindle discussion
Why more people don't buy kindles.
I've run into similar comments in the past. I use my Kindle at work quite a bit, and people have walked by while I'm eating lunch and commented on how "neat" the Kindle is, but wouldn't buy one because they want to hold a book or that they are ruining bookstores.
To be honest, I had the same comments when my mom got a Kindle, but after playing with it a bit I found I really liked it, not to mention the sheer volume of books that I could have on the Kindle at any given time, it seems like a no-brainer.
But, whatever floats your boat, I say. :-)
To be honest, I had the same comments when my mom got a Kindle, but after playing with it a bit I found I really liked it, not to mention the sheer volume of books that I could have on the Kindle at any given time, it seems like a no-brainer.
But, whatever floats your boat, I say. :-)
Oh yes definitely. I never ask for gifts and asked my daughters and ex to put together to get me a combination Mother's Day/Birthday present of an e-book. It turns out my daughter and ex are dead set against e-books. He shared in an interview something about reading aloud and "you just can't get that with a Kindle." But in the last interview my daughter was asked and said "I don't know I have never read on a Kindle." So she might be becoming more open, especially as she sees Kindle versions of the book increase her sales. But I do like paper books too. I don't see why someone has to be pro one and against the other.
My biggest problem has been authors who haven't really taken the time to edit and proofread before putting their e-book on Smashwords or Amazon. I am much more picky now about the "free" e-books I ca get from ereaderiq. It's one reason I am glad that Goodreads only does paper books in their giveaways. I think it's harder to find your mistakes in an e-book if you are going to edit. I also like the ease of a paper book when you need to go back for some information where you might be confused. (although I did manage quite well with that last night) I am sure that once I am more familar with the Kindle I will be able to do that. I have said on a few groups ... I read paper books during the day and e-books at night because of my eyesight at night.
But it was nice to clean out my bookshelves and give away things I knew I wasn't going to go back and read.
I love having all of the classics that I downloaded onto my Kindle. There is no way I could have a collection like that in my apartment.
Oh and e-books never get that musty damp smell that makes me sneeze.
Well, I have been wondering what's going to happen to bookstores if everyone would only use an e-reader, and I do like paper books, I love bookstores, and for quite a while I myself was convinced that reading on an ereader wouldn't be the same as reading from a paper book. And I'm quite technologically minded so that's not the problem. But I have a Kindle now and I love it to pieces (well not literally please!). I'm probably going to sell some of my paper books so I can buy some more ebooks, but definitely not all of them, though I'm not sure how much paper reading I will be doing. I agree it's nonsense to not like both, you don't have to be against paper books to like ebooks.
From the perspective of destroying things though, you could claim that paper books destroy trees! I'm from the Netherlands but read in English mostly so libraries don't do me much good, which means I will have to buy, and I'm not very good at parting with things so I probably wouldn't sell them quickly when I'm done reading (though I think I will be selling some books now that I have them on the Kindle) so that's quite a waste of paper. Not to mention the books I tried to bookcross that probably ended up in the garbage :(
Karin- I am with you that books kill trees. Thats once of the main reasons I love the Kindle. About the book stores. Bookstores will eventually go away for the most part. The will become online book stores like Barnes and Nobel is starting to do. If they are smart they will change over, if they are not, then they will go away like Borders. It is not about killing bookstores, it's about new technology. I think of it like CD's vs. MP3s. There are still stores who sell CD's if you really want them, but the technology is changing and that is necessary in any society.Karen B- I am with you on the frustration of grammer problems with self published authors on the kindle. As a self-published author I can say though that a lot of the problems are not the authors faul. Amazon is so new to this, that they are having problems with formatting. For example, there is no Amazon formating software for the Mac, which is what I use, so i have problems all the time. My book The Crecian Experiance is doing extremely well on the kindle but some people are complaining that when my sci-fi characters speak thru telekinesis, it is confusing. Well that is because when I uploaded it, I had that all done thru italics. My editor went thru and painstakingly changed all of it to italics so it would flow better, but unfortunately it is not showing up that way on Amazon and no one in headquarters seems to know why. So there lies the rub!
Elle
ellelapraim.com
My Kindle was a gift from my family and when I asked for it, I knew that whilst I would love it, I still love books too much to give them up totally. I now have more TBR on my Kindle than I do on my bookshelves but tend to alternate my reading so I get the best of both worlds.None of my friends have been against the Kindle - two immediately bought their own when I showed them mine, a couple already used the free Kindle app which they said they were happy with so they didn't need to buy the Kindle itself.
Others said they wouldn't get one as they like to share their books with friends and family.
That's my only little gripe I guess, that I can't share an ebook I've bought.
yes you can share most books. check amazon kindle pg and it tells u step by step how to do this.
Karen B: i guess the inventors of kindle and the Nook wanted or hoped to engage teens on reading more. I'm a tech-freak. I love my computer and read it more than books these days. When I saw my first ereader, I fell in love with it, but I still love a printed book. there is something you can't do with an e-book.
sign it.
to have an autographed copy of a book: priceless.
I feel like this is appropriate:"Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators." - Stephen Fry
Actually Sonya, there is a way to get your e-books signed. I've read of two ways. One is where the signer uses something like I guess a notepad with a pen, I'm not sure of that technology and then it gets sent to your e-book and shows up in the front of the e-book. But it's still not quite the same is it? I guess too it depends on how much you really like the book. I have a few paper books that I treasure even though they are getting older. Then there are a few "classics" where I have notes written along the sides.
From my experience, you are against it until you try it. Paper books will eventually go the way of vinyl records....they (and book shops) will still be around but they will be niche and expensive. I much admire Stephen Fry but on this one he is wrong.......as elevators are very expensive versions of stairs, whilst kindles/e-books will eventually always be cheaper than paper books as the production cost per unit is so much cheaper and consequently the profit margin potentially higher.
All I ever say when people say they prefer paper over kindle is, to each their own - i'm not going to try and convince them one way or another...if I have mine with me, i'll offer to let them test it out because a lot of people still think that its backlit...I did convert a die-hard ipad fan to kindle at work one night (12 hours of talking about those, and he bought a kindle the next day) - but my feeling is that as long as people are reading, why should we be concerned about format...that being said, love my kindle...I bought it right before a deployment to cut down on space - before that I used to carry a bag of books, and would end up leaving them places as I finished them because I couldn't carry them any more - so the kindle was a life-saver, money-saver for me - I think the deployment before that I gave away over $1k worth of books because I had no room.
I bought my mom a kindle for christmas a couple of years ago and its linked to my account - which seems to work well (although having her ask me to send her the latest erotic romance isn't something I want to think about ;) )
G.C.,I was curious about beach use of Kindle as well. I have read of several people who use Ziplock bags; use the Kindle right through the bag. I took mine in a Ziplock when I knew I was going to be using the whirlpool on my feet and I didn't really have a problem. But someone on one of the lists instead recommended camping bags which have a much stronger seal. I think if I were going to the beach and wanted to try to take the Kindle I would get one of those.
from experience in the desert - with as much sand - my kindle was fine with just a heave duty cover - I have the M-edge one...and it went in a bag/pocket if I had to stop reading - my K1 worked fine for the 2 years I used it
I can see both sides of the argument. It is a shame that bookstores are closing but then so are other major retailers, aren't they?I know in the UK at least 5 high street chain stores have closed in the last year.
I love my kindle and think it's the best device ever invented but I also love the smell and feel of proper paperbacks in my hand.
I think the kindle or e-readers are definitely here to stay though, no matter how much people rebel against them. ;-)
Mel wrote: "I can see both sides of the argument. It is a shame that bookstores are closing but then so are other major retailers, aren't they?I know in the UK at least 5 high street chain stores have closed..."
Yes I agree that they're here to stay.Though I'm fond of my Kindle I still love my paperbacks too.But it's depressing that book stores are shutting down,really it is!Soon they'll all be extinct,a thing of the past and it's sad especially when I know that e-books are the one that's killing them out.
Where I stand:Right in the middle,both e-books and normal paper books.
I stand in the middle too, although I try to avoid paperback books (especially Mass Paperback) Trade paperbacks are not so bad. I have problems with the small print which is one reason I decided to go with the Kindle. The library does not carry as many Large Print books as they used to, and LPs are becoming more expensive. I am probably repeating myself but I like paper books in the day, Kindle in the evening. One of the big advantages for me is that I have something wrong with my left shoulder and it is a little more difficult for me to hold a book up without propping it on some pillows or something. Forgive me if I am reposting what I've said before.
Karin wrote: "From the perspective of destroying things though, you could claim that paper books destroy trees! "Printing books kills trees in the same way baking bread kills wheat.
Which is to say, it's a farmed product produced to meet demand. Not the same as killing a park to put up a minimall across the street from another minimall.
Don't take this to mean I'm against recycling. It keeps first-use sources down, so we don't press the boundaries of what can be farmed. Plus recycling helps on the other side of reducing waste products and being ecological.
All that said, I would be curious to know the carbon footprint of producing a paper book (down to things like shipping it to a store) vs reading it on a kindle.
I wish I knew where the article was that I read several weeks ago but it said that the manufacturing of the e-reader used a tremendous amount of natural resources and increased air pollution. This was a reliable source and it seemed to equate the paper book with an e-book in terms of ecological effect. Remember too that a paper book can be recycled.
Karen B: I was curious when I read your message and googled a bit, found four articles (well really three because two where practically identical), two claiming you would need to read about 20 books on the ereader to break even, the other claims something between 40 and 100 books. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/books...
http://www.ecobuzzla.com/is-the-kindl...
http://smartair.biz/content/blogs/ite...
http://danielgoleman.info/2010/04/04/...
Something quite similar is said about the Toyota Prius and other hybrid cars, in order to make the batteries apparently they make such an environmental impact that a landrover comes out more ecological, and it all depends on who you ask. Because the opinions are always so spread I try to make the right choice for my situation - I know at least I'm not going to be buying as many paper books as I would without the Kindle and I read more.
Karen B wrote: "I wish I knew where the article was that I read several weeks ago but it said that the manufacturing of the e-reader used a tremendous amount of natural resources and increased air pollution. This..."AFAIK, rechargeable batteries are actually not saving anything in the environment - yes, that even goes for hybrid cars believe it or not, though hybrid cars do a good job of lessening the specific draw on gasoline and in favor of possibly more ecological sources at production time. Anyways, so the Kindle being mostly battery (like so many other modern small devices) means that, yes, it's potentially a trash hazard. Though I'm not sure people go through e-readers at the same rate as cell phones.
However, a Kindle can be recycled. Or at least disposed of properly. Though I'm not sure what Amazon's strategy is for that - I'm sure they have a stack of dead parts when they refurbish or replace units. I'm surprised they don't have a policy to help recycle older models. (Though no more surprised than about someone like Apple lacks a recycling system.)
I do have to say, I don't know a lot of people who recycle paperbacks in the traditional sense of the word. I tend to recycle them into the hands of new owners :) The inability to do that with eBooks still bothers me.
Mel wrote: "I know in the UK at least 5 high street chain stores have closed in the last year."This might not just be attributed to Kindles/ereaders only however,but maybe just the state of the economy, of retail in particular.
Lots of big high street clothes shops have shut down/are shutting down - the reason is just that people are being a bit tighter with their cash in the high street, be it spending on books or clothes.
i sometimes call this the best buy/circuit city phenomena...for those of us in the US - how often did you see a best buy and then just down the road a circuit city...or a Borders and just down the road a B&N (or similar)...most economies cannot sustain businesses like that, and one is going to lose
At first I was against kindle. And I usually buy traditional published books at regular bookstores still, and self-published for kindle.
We pass paper books around too, when I was at work, my other friends, family, etc. My husband buys a lot of used paperbacks. When the pages of a paperback start falling out, it's usually time to go and we have a recycle bin down my row just for paper trash.Colby, I have to laugh because I was all gung ho for the self-published books until I started getting so much stuff that either had no point, or was full of grammar/usage error. Now I am a little more picky about what I choose that is offered free. One of the great things though about the Kindle (or any e-reader) is being able to have a library of classics at my fingertips. Sometimes I buy the 99 cent ones that are by more contemporary writers. I just wish more self-published authors would realize that they need professional editing before offering their books for review. It's a pet peeve of mine lately.
I tend to alternate between my own books, library books, and e-books. I usually also have an audiobook going on my little mp3 player. I think what is important is that people are reading and enjoying a good story. The format doesn't matter. I know that some people will buy books in paper even if they have it as an ebook. I have some authors who I collect and I always buy my cookbooks or anything with a lot of pictures in paper. They are a pain in e-book form.
I have 2 ereaders and an mp3 player that I use for books and audiobooks but even still I will never completely stop buying paper books. I don't think it has to be one or the other. I also love thrift stores and used book stores for books. And don't forget the free/discard racks at the library! :) I am a bit of a gadget nerd and also find it easier to hold the ereader or listen to a book than to hold a big paper book.
Weenie said. This might not just be attributed to Kindles/ereaders only however,but maybe just the state of the economy, of retail in particular.Sorry, that was my point it is because the state of the economy, not just because of the kindle. ;-)
I love my kindle! But I still enjoy reading a book with real pages. I find that kindle is better for reading on the go and makes nightly reads in bed much more comfortable. I really don't believe that e-readers are going to destroy the book industry, but I do believe they are here to stay.
Mel wrote: "Sorry, that was my point it is because the state of the economy, not just because of the kindle. ;-) " My bad, for some reason, I read at the time that you were just talking about the demise of bookshops!
Years ago when I first read about e-readers I thought it was the craziest thing I had ever heard of and could not possibly imagine using one. Fast forward to the advent of the Kindle and my boss had one and he let me see it and from then on I was hooked! I was tired of tracking down books at the bookstore and I was literally running out of room for my books so the Kindle was a perfect solution. Now,if I happen to check out a book at the library I find that I wish it were on my Kindle since it is so much easier to read and I have also found that I prefer the lighter Kindle to a heavier book! I do think that book stores may suffer a bit but nothing that some creative marketing could not remedy because there will always be folks who do like the physical aspect of their own book for their own library.
I don't think I have had much negativity regarding my Kindle. For me, I am physically disabled and often have to remark to people, "Sorry, I only have one hand." (I don't, but I need a cane to stand and walk, so I only use one hand at a time.) The Kindle affords me the ability to read wherever I am without having to deal with flipping, or loosing, pages. It's the perfect item for those of us with certain disabilities. In fact, a friend of mine had a double stroke and is lucky to be alive. The audible reader is a huge benefit to him. Maybe people need to see the Kindle as a tool, not the enemy. BTW, how many of these stalwarts still use a typewriter exclusively? I find the anti-Kindle movement quite odd.
I work in a software company so in general my coworkers like the gadgets.After received my kindle for Christmas, my coworkers stopped me to ask about it. I think there is a lot of myths around the e-readers. That stop people to buy it.
But after taking one on his hands and listen a person what can and what can't do with it. They go for it..
It is simple practical. I like the printed books but my reality is I can't store my books. Actually I am having problems to storing my already owned ones.
Other problem I have with printed books is because I live in small city so there is not a lot of libraries here. But now with he kindle I can bought books that can't be easily found here.
Tom wrote: "I don't think I have had much negativity regarding my Kindle. For me, I am physically disabled and often have to remark to people, "Sorry, I only have one hand." (I don't, but I need a cane to sta..."Thats great Tom! So glad to hear it. I have a learning disability and I feel the kindle has ready helped me in that area. I feel the same way about typewriters to.
Elle
ellelapraim.com
I posted this thread a few days ago because it was something we were talking about on my facebook page a lot. I have over 1,100 followers so we get a wide rang of ideas.Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elle-La...
But I loved seeing what you guys all had to say. It has been interesting to see how many of you use both the kindle as well as regular books. I am the same way, though when I read all my paperbacks I think I will be exclusively Kindle, except for cook books.
How many of you just use a Knidle, or like me, intend to one day?
I'm about 90% Kindle at this point, it's just easier in a lot of ways ... switch to a new book right away, also, I can hold the kindle in one hand and still turn pages, leaving the other hand free for my coffee.
About 90% for me, too, or maybe more. I have lots of paper books still to read and I tell myself I will get to them one day. But even the ones I really want to read keep getting put aside because the Kindle is so much easier. In a few cases, I actually bought the Kindle edition in addition to the paper one, just because I'd rather read on the Kindle. I'm trying not to do that too much -- too expensive -- but you can see what my preference are.
I bought my kindle 3 years ago and there isn't a day that has gone by where I haven't read it. I still pick up a book on a rare occasion but seriously have a hard time reading one as the kindle makes reading so much easier! I get comments like everyone else has but the funny thing is - almost everyone that reads at my workplace has bought a kindle since I got mine and they love it. I'm sure if people gave it a try they would like it also...I really think people are afraid of new technology. They don't realize just how easy they are to use!
I have a Kindle and love it... I went through all the arguments (with myself!) about how I love the feel of a paper book, but as soon as I'd had a play with a Kindle I knew it was for me. However, I still buy paperbacks and always will. Although it seems a natural progression that paper books will eventually disappear, I'm not so sure. The strength of the paperback is they are so recyclable... who ever throws them away? Just look at all the charity shops. The beginning of the end will be if publishers decide they are no longer financially viable (which will be a very sad day), but even then they'll be around for years - I've got books over 50 years old, and I mean the original copies not reprints. As for the comments about destroying trees, like many other things trees are used and replanted continuously. Products from trees are used in lots of ways - work for any reasonably large company and you'll see how much paper is wasted. I'm definitely in the "Save the Earth" camp, but as long as we do what we can to minimise waste and recycle, I don't think any of us should feel guilty about buying a few paperbacks. The Kindle is an amazing way to read, but still I say, "Long Live Paper Books!"
The closing of bookstores around here isn't a problem for me. Live in a medium sized city, yet there is only one bookstore here, Barnes & Noble. And their prices are horrible. I assume that's because thy KNOW they are the only game in town. So if I need a paper book, I go on to Amazon anyway.Speaking of which, why is the Kindle and other e-readers being blamed for the death of bookstores anyway? I have been a customer of Amazon's since year one because I was a poor college student at the time and needed cheap books. They had the prices AND the inventory at a time when I had my choice of multiple bookstores. Amazon was still the best choice. My view isn't that ereaders are destroying the brick & mortar stores, the internet did (past tense).
As far as why more people don't buy Kindles, they haven't used it for more than 5 minutes yet. If there was a way to lend the devices out for a month, I'd bet more people would change their mind. But as with any other new technology, it will just take time for the general population to catch on. Give it time.
I can tell you why my sister and brother-in-law, and their two kids, don't get Kindles. They are Applephiles. Technology for them doesn't exist unless it's made by Apple. In all fairness, they've both been too busy working to read much, but now they've decided to get an iPad and use that for reading when they have time. I'm not saying anything. For some things -- magazines, childrens books -- an iPad may be better.
I'm with Elie, I've been using Amazon for over 10 years, and it's because I could find books there that I couldn't find anywhere else and also because of their prices. The main bookshop in mmy town is WH Smith (a UK chain) and they only sold books at full price at the time. Over the years, they have relented and have more offers, but Amazon are still cheaper and have a far greater range. It is unfortunate that specialist bookshops are disappearing, but retailers are there to give the customers what they want... and if they can't, the customers will go elsewhere.
Technology intimidates me. I have yet to figure out the blue tooth phone in my car so I'm afraid if I buy a Kindle it will sit on my shelf. I have been trying to learn by lurking in Kindle forums where people discuss problems they are having, wrong buttons pushed, screens going blank...typical things I see myself doing and I'm just not sure If I can master it. I still do my bookkeeping by hand because I couldn't master quick books.
S.D. wrote: "Technology intimidates me. I have yet to figure out the blue tooth phone in my car so I'm afraid if I buy a Kindle it will sit on my shelf. I have been trying to learn by lurking in Kindle forums..."I had someone help me set up my quickbooks and then a consultation here and there on using it fully to my benefit. I think that if you had a fellow Kindle user go over it with you, show you and then have you do it right then you could feel more at ease! It is worth it!
Betsy wrote: "I can tell you why my sister and brother-in-law, and their two kids, don't get Kindles. They are Applephiles. Technology for them doesn't exist unless it's made by Apple. In all fairness, they'v..."I personally have an iPad and while it is great for reading some things like PDFs and such, but I just prefer my paper magazines. I do use the Kindle app on it, and love the big screen and ability to read at night without a light, but the backlit screen can be tiring on the eyes, especially when reading at night. I also find I flip pages a bit too easily when reading on my iPad. So, that's why I'm buying myself a Kindle.
The iPad and the Kindle perform different functions as far as I'm concerned. I think of the Kindle as an electronic paperback of sorts - I can carry it around, put it in my purse, read it in bright sun, and it's light and slim. I do love the ability to sync between the Kindle app and the Kindle itself so when I do get my Kindle I'll be able to transfer all my progresses to it easily.
So, not all Apple people are anti-Kindle.
Beth wrote: "...not all Apple people are anti-Kindle."Glad to hear it, and I'm sure there are many open-minded Apple afficionados. It's just that my sister and her husband love to fight with me about Apple vs. Windows and somehow Kindle gets lumped in with Microsoft. I don't know why ... maybe because they are both in Seattle? Anyway, it's a friendly debate.
Betsy wrote: "Glad to hear it, and I'm sure there are many open-minded Apple afficionados. It's just that my sister and her husband love to fight with me ..."I think color is a contributor also, oddly enough. Most Apple products are in the silver/white color range, and most PC products are gray/black. It's like seeing a red cola and thinking Coke and a blue cola and thinking Pepsi.
The graphite of the Kindle slightly bothered me too. I'm still not sure whether I want to pony up the extra to get the 3G just to have white, but I'm actually leaning towards it! Silly, I know, but pretty is a factor! :)
S.D.: as technology goes the Kindle is very simple. Amazon made it so that it is there for reading books first and foremost, and made that simple to do. I think you'll find you can use it, especially if you find someone to show you around as suggested.As for apple v kindle, my best friend showed me her Kindle which pushed me over the edge of doubt and made me get one, she has the original iphone, the iphone 3 and an ipad and likes all of them but loves her kindle, she even told me she's surprised at how she's still so thrilled with it, as she's used to getting a gadget and have the novelty wear off after a while, which I understand completely and I feel the same way. My Kindle has gotten me back into reading and I love it.
Beth: I actually wanted to get the white but it wasn't available for international, now I think I'm glad I have the graphite, I think it may be easier on the eyes when reading in the sun and I wonder if the white device might make the screen look more gray....
Karin wrote: "Beth: I actually wanted to get the white but it wasn't available for international, now I think I'm glad I have the graphite, I think it may be easier on the eyes when reading in the sun and I wonder if the white device might make the screen look more gray.... "Good point! Thanks!
I also wondered if the white would be distracting when reading at night as one would notice the border more - the graphite might just fade into the darkness. Hopefully that makes sense!
I happen to think the graphite improves the perception of contrast on the screen, but my only standard of comparison is the K1 which does not have the higher contrast screen of the k3. Actually on either of the devices, I tend to focus only on the display area, not on the edges at all.
I bet if there was an apple logo slapped onto the back of the kindle more people would buy it.
Amazon Kindle
Books mentioned in this topic
Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style (other topics)The Crecian Experience (other topics)
I was amazed to see how many people were against the kindle. People said things like: It's destroying book stores, there is nothing like the feel of the page in your fingers, Kindles are just a fad. Things like that.
Has anyone else experienced such a back lash? and if so, what do you say to it?
Elle
P.s if you want to check out my facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elle-La...