eReaders vs Dead Trees

[Eileen]

One feature I've come to like on my kindle is the ability for it to give definitions of words used in the book. I believe I have an extensive vocabulary, but sometimes there are words that I have never heard before - like "byrnie" or "Kynegion". Of course, even kindle doesn't have all the definitions out there, but at least I don't feel so stupid if its dictionary doesn't know what the word means!

[Darcy]

Terri wrote: "Although, I would probably read a cookbook in ebook form if I didn't have to buy it. But I would never actually buy a cookbook in ebook."

Depending on the formatting, e-book cookbooks are a pain in the posterior. The recipes are so small, and, at least all the ones I have, cannot be resized (including the font). So, yeah, don't buy them that way you won't have felt as though you'd wasted your money and throw the kobo across the flat, forgetting there's an open window... not that I speak from experience.

[Simona]

Forgive me, because I know that I repeat myself, but even if I understand the fascination of a paper book, and I appreciate a good edition, the smell of paper, and finding letters and pressed flowers between the pages, I love books. Period. Ebooks, paper books.
I would read the wrapping of vegetables, if a book would have been print on it.
I'm no snob in this regard. :)

[C.]

Really, I have 53 Kindle cookbooks,all FREEBIES,and I love each one that I have looked through so far, which is admittedly not many yet.

[Dawn]

Honestly, it would never occur to me to get cookbooks in any form. That's what takeout is for. ;)

[Dawn]

I have a question for the ereader travelers.
Have you ever had a problem with not being able to recharge and then being SOL for reading?
This is one of the things I worry about. What if I don't have time or forget to charge the thing and then I don't have a book to read. That would possibly ruin my day.
Do you take a paper book as backup??

[Eileen]

Dawn wrote: "I have a question for the ereader travelers.
Have you ever had a problem with not being able to recharge and then being SOL for reading?
This is one of the things I worry about. What if I don't ha..."

Ha! I always have back up reading material, even if it is just something in the seat pocket. The big issue is takeoffs and landings with an e-book you can't read. And heck, after this week, I don't want to be thinking about the take offs and landings.

[Dawn]

Oh, good point. I didn't think of that. Good thing I was planning on backup anyway. I like to leave them behind when I'm finished and I can't do that with a digital book.

[Bobby]

Dawn wrote: "I have a question for the ereader travelers.
Have you ever had a problem with not being able to recharge and then being SOL for reading?
This is one of the things I worry about. What if I don't ha..."

My phone charger works on my phone as well as the Kindle....never leave home without it. And fully charge before I leave.

[Eileen]

My kindle also uses my phone charger. Oddly enough, my kindle almost never seems to need recharging, even when I am using it a lot. I was told that would be the case if I turned off the wi fi feature unless I needed to download a book, and it has worked fine that way. But when it does need recharging, it takes a lot longer than the phone does.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Darcy wrote: "

Depending on the formatting, e-book cookbook..."

I wonder how different they are on my tablet. Which has the bigger screen. I get digital magazines and they come up nicely, but yes, I do have to 'reverse pinch' the screen to make the recipes larger sometimes. :)

[Dawn]

Is that what it's called?? Reverse pinch?? I kinda find that amusing. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I don't know the technical term. hahaha! I always say reverse pinch to zoom in, pinch to zoom out. :D

[Darcy]

Maybe it's just because I have old cookbooks on there and they may not be we'll formatted for e-readers. Zooming doesn't work.

Reverse pinch is far better than my description that goes something like "you know the finger thing" and then I demonstrate, which is even less helpful when typing. I like it - reverse pinch

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

haha. It was the only way I could describe it when talking to people. I guess the technical term is zoom in gesture and zoom out gesture, but nobody would know what I was talking about unless they had a touchscreen device that they knew well.

[Dawn]

As far as I can tell there is no other way to describe it. It's just called zoom/pinch, no matter which way you're doing it.
It is much simpler to say reverse pinch!

[Crystal]

Terri wrote: "haha. It was the only way I could describe it when talking to people. I guess the technical term is zoom in gesture and zoom out gesture, but nobody would know what I was talking about unless they ..."

I call it stretch, pinch and stretch! sounds like an exercise. lol

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

lol. It does!

[C.P.]

I love real books and read them whenever I can, but I also enjoy reading on my iPad (and on my phone, if I happen to be in, say, a dentist's office with a few—or not so few—minutes to wait). Books on the iPad are often cheaper, and I can download samples before committing my cash. I can also take a whole bunch of them with me when I travel (although I can't necessarily read them on a plane!).

Paper books can be lent to friends and read anywhere. I also find it easier to get caught up in a paper book (fewer distractions). But they do take up a lot of space. Compared to a whole new set of bookshelves, the iPad doesn't look so expensive, especially since it doubles as a laptop. Kindles are much cheaper but also much less versatile.

There's also the environmental argument, but I'm not sure which side that comes down on. Paper can be recycled, but used e-readers?

Isn't it great that we don't have to choose?

[[deleted user]]

Thank goodness we don't have to choose. I'm technologically challenged.

[Dawn]

Somewhere in this thread is a big discussion on the environmental considerations and I don't think we argued one or the other into a better position. :)

[Jean-luc]

C.P. wrote: "I love real books and read them whenever I can, but I also enjoy reading on my iPad (and on my phone, if I happen to be in, say, a dentist's office with a few—or not so few—minutes to wait). Books ..."

You know that some ebooks can also be lent once. Both Amazon and BN allow you to lend your ebooks for 14 days to someone else. However, some books are restricted and cannot be lent - don't know if it's the author or editor's choice.

[C.]

I'm pretty sure that I read whether an ebook is lendable is up to the Publisher.

The way to enjoy lots of free Kindle books,besides your library is to lend[may only lend each title one time] and borrow through booklending.com Be sure to list several titles that you would be willing to lend and several that you wish to borrow for better chances of getting the ones you want.I have loaned and borrowed titles here with no problems. :]

The book's Amazon page tells if it's lendable or not.

[Jean-luc]

Christine wrote: "I'm pretty sure that I read whether an ebook is lendable is up to the Publisher.

The way to enjoy lots of free Kindle books,besides your library is to lend[may only lend each title one time] and b..."

ebookfling.com also seems to have a decent site.

[C.P.]

It is up to the publisher—or the author, if the book is self-published. A lot of authors don't realize that when they upload a self-pubbed book to Kindle, it's automatically added to the Lending program. That caused a big brouhaha last year when a bunch of authors discovered a lending site (whose name I have forgotten) that was "pirating" their books, as in listing them for potential borrowers. I heard they protested to the point where the site shut down. So I'm glad to hear there are alternatives.

Also, at least at Amazon.com, Prime members can borrow books for free, but you have to own an actual Kindle, not a Kindle app, to participate.

Libraries also lend e-books, although I have yet to figure out quite how it works. Still, it's not quite like chucking a paperback in a backpack and handing it off to a friend.

[Dawn]

C.P. wrote: "Still, it's not quite like chucking a paperback in a backpack and handing it off to a friend.
"

I agree. Definitely on the paper side for lending and having a personal library. I think I'll go with both options to get maximum use. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Have another bookshelf is no problem for me. The more bookshelves and books the better. :-) Bookshelves filled with books are a beautiful thing.
Of course I don't have space problems, if I had space problems I would be concerned.

[Eileen]

Terri wrote: "Have another bookshelf is no problem for me. The more bookshelves and books the better. :-) Bookshelves filled with books are a beautiful thing.
Of course I don't have space problems, if I had spa..."

You are fortunate. If there wasn't a public library, I would have to move out of my house, leaving it as full of books as the library!

[Anne]

Eileen wrote: "Terri wrote: "Have another bookshelf is no problem for me. The more bookshelves and books the better. :-) Bookshelves filled with books are a beautiful thing.
Of course I don't have space problems..."

Me too, Eileen. If I bought books,my place would be like one of those they put on the TV show "Hoarders" LOL. Definitely the library and my kindle are a blessing.

[Jane]

If I've bought a book, read it, and don't like it or don't think I'll ever reread it, I just donate it to the public library. They can either add it to their collection or someone can buy it at one of their book sales. In any case, someone else will get enjoyment out of the book.

[C.]

Jane wrote: "If I've bought a book, read it, and don't like it or don't think I'll ever reread it, I just donate it to the public library. They can either add it to their collection or someone can buy it at on..."

Same here,exactly!Been a faithful library patron since childhood.So glad that both of my parents were readers and library patrons too.It is awesome that I am able to have my own library at my fingertips on my Kindle Touch!

[[deleted user]]

I prefer books.
This is going to sound strange but, I love the smell of books and the feel of them.
I don't get the same experince with an ereader.

[[deleted user]]

Catherine wrote: "I prefer books.
This is going to sound strange but, I love the smell of books and the feel of them.
I don't get the same experince with an ereader."

Doesn't sound strange at all. Not to me anyway. I'm the same way. I don't even own an e-reader. I'll probably have to break down & buy one eventually though.

[Simona]

yes, Derek, come to the Dark Side :)

[[deleted user]]

Simona Vader is trying to corrupt me.:) Seriously though, when I do buy one, I'm coming to you for advice. I'm completely ignorant about e-readers. I would have access to many more books if I had one. The Dark Side is starting to pull me in.

[Mark]

Derek wrote: "Simona Vader is trying to corrupt me.:) Seriously though, when I do buy one, I'm coming to you for advice. I'm completely ignorant about e-readers. I would have access to many more books if I had o..."

Try kobo or a Sony ereader

[[deleted user]]

OK. Thanks Mark :) I certainly need the advice. What's the price range?

[Mark]

http://www.sony.co.uk/product/rd-read...

http://www.kobo.com/ereaders?__utma=3...

[[deleted user]]

Thanks Mark!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Catherine wrote: "I prefer books.
This is going to sound strange but, I love the smell of books and the feel of them.
I don't get the same experince with an ereader."

Heck no. That's not strange. That's why I love books. The smell and feel does it for me too.

[[deleted user]]

See, only fellow book-a-holics would understand that.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Too true. :-)

[Julia]

I am totally blind. This means, in order to read a print book, I scanned it page by page into my computer using special software. I have done this for over 12 years, but now, with the availability of the Kindle app, it is much easier to just read the book.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

The digital book definitely has its positives. That's for sure.

[Richard]

This subject seems to do the round of most forums sooner or later. Both sides have their zealots but I never really see the big deal. Ebooks and physical books both have pros and cons and I use and enjoy both. I have hundreds if books at home - especially historical non fiction and love opening an old book but is also great to go on holiday in a couple of weeks time an carry as many books with me as I want and not worry about weight because they are all on the kindle. I don't think they needs to be a choice really.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

No-one here is saying there should be a choice though. It is just a thread asking people what their preference is.
As far as I can recall we have never had one single zealot commenting in regards to one or the other.
Just people expressing their opinion on which they prefer and explaining why.

[Jane]

Agreed!
Why should there be any "versus" in the first place? Maybe an = ? :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Well vs is still okay. Lol.
Fairly innocuous. Like saying. Walnuts vs Macadamias. Which do you prefer? :-)

[Jane]

Touché!! :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

;)