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What kind of E-reader?
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James
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Jun 09, 2012 09:27AM
I asked after the hangout last time, but I was wondering what all e-readers everybody has? I'm thinking of getting one. Everybody seems to say the kindle with buttons(the $79 one)is the way to go(kudos for the one person who pointed out that the touch version is hard to use in a ziplock bag from the tub), but the rebel in me wants to go with the nook because everybody else wants the kindle. The geek in me wants the better one. I CAN'T DECIDE!!! Opinions?
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I like my Kindle Touch but my Sony eReader is easier to manage with Calibre from my PC. Both Kindle and Nook will have software to encourage you to use their cloud and make it less easy to organize your books on a PC and transfer with your own folders or "shelves" without connecting to the Internet for their tabulations. Also I haven't tried pdf files with the Nook, but the way Kindle Touch handles them is awful. For some reason I can change the pdf file font size in the Sony eReader and not on the Kindle (you can shrink or enlarge the entire page, but it;s hard to read a text book that way). You can convert files with Calibre if there is no DRM, but that's a pain and there is some garbage in the process.
I got a regular Kindle with buttons, since it was last years Xmas gift at work (kind of shocking, not just getting gifts, but actually useful ones).The buttons to navigate aren't really that great, but I'm happy with battery life and love the display. Whatever you get, I would advice to stay away from regular LCD displays if you intend to spend a lot of time reading on it.
I don't know the nook, but from quickly going over the description, there doesn't seem to be a huge difference. But as a happy and slightly excessive Amazon customer, I'd probably go with the Kindle again.
A simple help to decide might be this: what are books you will most likely get for it? Are any of them only available on one or the other?
I was gifted with the nook touch w/ glowlight, and its pretty spiffy.As a librarian I have to say please please don't go with a Kindle. If you EVER want to do anything with library ebooks Amazon has yet to play nicely with any of the vendors trying to offer library ebook services. And when it does you ultimately have to go through your Amazon account which means messages asking if you want to buy your library book.
While I own a nook I have yet to purchase any ebooks from B&N, though I have stripped a few library ebooks simply so I could read them after I got through my current pile of books to read and didn't have the option of waiting since I was on a hold list. Calibre is honestly super easy to use for this purpose, and you can use it to pretty much convert/strip ebooks from any source. However on the bright side more publishers are looking at DRM-free titles (at least in the Scifi/fantasy genre)
Tangled - what nook software are you referring to? None of the nooks I've worked with had any software that you had to use.
I found Sony's software a little annoying to use. I personally prefer to access my ereader as a drive on my computer and mess around with files there, so I have utterly no use for Sony's software, and the limits on being able to access your account and what books are on it frustrate me. I've heard good stuff about the Kobo and the iRiver, played around a little with my friend's but was still limited exposure.
Btw, if anyone wants it:
http://epubee.com/remove-drm-from-epu...
I've used calibre before and read books on my phone using aldiko for epub and cool reader for mobi.(I like the parchment background). Just getting tired of looking at the tiny screen.
I have both a Nook Touch and a basic Kindle and far, far prefer the Touch, although the Kindle has some very nice features. Navigation on the Kindle is ridiculous and since I review a lot, I need an easy way to do bookmarks and notes. The Touch also has a nicer feel to it.In terms of customer service Amazon is far superior, no question, but they're really slimy in many areas, so I try not to buy from them much.
I'm on my third Sony Reader (currently the PRS T-1) and I love Sony. I like that because it uses .epub files, I'm not forced to shop through only one bookstore. Also, living in Norway, I'm not allowed to buy e-books from Barnes and Noble, even if I wanted to, so a Nook has never even been an option for me. I also like that the Sony has red e-readers. I only ever use Calibre to manage it and my e-book library, and I've also added plug-ins into Calibre to remove the DRM of the books I purchase.
Tegan wrote: "I was gifted with the nook touch w/ glowlight, and its pretty spiffy.As a librarian I have to say please please don't go with a Kindle. If you EVER want to do anything with library ebooks Amazon..."
Tegan, I was going by second hand information. By software, I mean the Nook OS and how it organizes books after they are loaded on the Nook. Can I organize books on my PC and transfer over folders that show up on the Nook without connecting to the Internet and having Nook organize my "shelves" (or whatever they call the categories)?
As an librarian you may appreciate that if you already have over a thousand eBooks on a hard drive, and they are organized and tagged, it's easier to organize those book on an eReader while the eReader is connected to the PC than it is to drop them all on the E Reader, then disconnect the eReader, wait for the OS to index all the new books, and then go book by book to establish categories you want them sorted into (that's what I have to do with the Kindle). I already have a sizable collection organized on my PC with Calibre software, and so far, only Sony plays nice with Calibre (though Calibre has plugin to help with all the major eReaders).
PS I just caught on that you think I mean the software that connects you to Sony's store. I never used that. :)
willaful wrote: "I have both a Nook Touch and a basic Kindle and far, far prefer the Touch, although the Kindle has some very nice features. Navigation on the Kindle is ridiculous and since I review a lot, I need a..."Kindle has better customer service, but at times they get aggressive. I once mentioned my displeasure with the way the Kindle Touch handles PDF files in an Amazon forum, and they called me at home to explain how the Touch works with PDF files (missing the point that scrolling back and forth as well as up and down every single page is annoying). Some people may say that is proactive and responsive CS, but I found it a bit too much--I hadn't asked for help, I just stated an opinion. YMMV.
Mod
@Tangled's musings on .pdf - Just to add to the data there, I am able to resize the text of .pdfs on my Nook.
I don't know if anyone can attest to this, because I just heard about it... but apparently the $79 Kindle has advertisments built in? That seems ridiculous. Anyway...
When I was looking at eReaders it was between the Kindle Touch and the Nook Simple Touch - physically speaking there's not much difference and it really comes down to preference (if you want the buttons, for instance). I, however, can't stand Amazon's DRM nonsense, so I went with the Nook.
If I didn't currently have an eReader I would hands down buy the new GlowLight Nook. Sure you can get the little clip on lights, but they suck. That feature alone is going to make a killing for B&N in the Nook vs. Kindle department.
@ Vicky, all the Kindles are about $20.00 cheaper if you allow the ads. They are not very intrusive (they don't show up as you are reading an open book), but you are correct--it is odd.
I have a Kindle Fire and I LOVE it. I didn't think I would but I do. Our local library offers Kindle books so I can get a lot of books through my library straight to the kindle. It works really well with PDFs, and I can treat them like the ebooks, but it took me a while to figure out how to work it. I've tried the Nook, and I just didn't like the format. The battery life is pretty good as well, as long as you don't have the screen on the brightest setting (I only use the bright when outside). I love my Kindle, and I know that the Fire is a bit expensive, but I think it's well worth it.
Fallon wrote: "I have a Kindle Fire and I LOVE it. I didn't think I would but I do. Our local library offers Kindle books so I can get a lot of books through my library straight to the kindle. It works really wel..."I've heard that the Fire allows you to change the font in pdf files (as the Sony does). Be warned: the Kindle Touch does not. It just lets you change the size of the entire page.
I have a Kobo Vox, and it's pretty awesome. My first one had a hardware malfunction, which kind of sucked, but Kobo was pretty amazing about sending me a replacement. It's an Android OS, so it can run some Android apps, which I like (but other people may not care about in an e-reader). The only thing I don't like is that there's no way to access all my books in one place - I have to go through one app for Amazon books, one app for my pdfs, one app for the books I have through Kobo.
I have a Nook Color. I find that it is very user friendly. I also love that I can go to Barnes and Noble and sit and read any ebook they have fr free for up to 2 hours a day, as well as free wifi.I do have issues reading pdfs since it like the Kindle won't allow the adjustment of font.
But with the epubs I love being able to highlight sections, put in notes, and constantly look up any words or reference I don't understand.
I have a sony PRS-650 and love it. It has some excellent features: Collections, PDF resizing, Bookmarking and it is very user friendly. I love the fast that I am not restricted from buying from one particular retailer and although sometimes the Sony software can be difficult you can bypass this if you have have an SD card. I just put my books on an SD card and plug them in to the ereader. One of my friends has a kobo and I find the front display quite messy. You also can only read PDF in Vertical. There are some excellent reviews online that caan help you decide which ereader is for you. I spent 2 months deciding which one I wanted and was not dissapointed.
I believe the newest nook does PDF resizing, but I haven't messed with it on mine yet.What I tell people who come into my library is go to a store and play with a bunch. Don't get one without having handled any first.
Vicky wrote: "I have a Nook Simple Touch, sans glowlight. If only I had known what would be coming six months down the road. :(@Tangled's musings on .pdf - Just to add to the data there, I am able to resize th..."
Going to say, it is pretty spiffy. Expect the Kindle version in the Fall.
Fallon wrote: Our local library offers Kindle books so I can get a lot of books through my library straight to the kindle
The problem with library ebooks on Kindle is only a small fraction of the platforms work with Kindle at all (I know OverDrive does, most of the others do not) and then it is only the titles that Amazon also sells as ebook. As for delivering right to the Kindle that only works for certain publishers, some of them are battling with Amazon over various things and those you must download to a computer and side load to the Kindle.
If you library provides access to mulitple ebook platforms (for example 3M's ebook library) you may not be able to access all of them for your Kindle. One or two will work with the Kindle Fire (Freeding for example) but will not work with the other Kindle models.
(Guess what I do a lot of at my job)
I got my reader in 2009 when it first came out: the Sony Touch PRS-600. I got it in red. I love it. I refused to use anything with proprietary products, so the Kindle was out. The Nook wasn't out when I got my ereader.I don't use the software that comes with it. It's useless. I use Calibre to convert all of my books to epub or pdf. But I don't like how Calibre sets up the files when using the transfer feature, so I just drag and drop the actual epub into my ereader when I have it plugged in as a drive.
Wonder what versions the 'Ladies' have? I know from the chats that Veronica and Felicia have kindles. Little curious as to what kind they got. Regular or Touchscreen? Keyboard? Wireless or 3G and wireless? We all know Bonnie has the super high-tech ereader that looks exactly like a book. :)
No complaints so far with my Kindle Fire. I can drop my favorite "white noise" file in the music directory, and browse stacks of ebooks (I went all visigoth on Project Gutenburg, and what wasn't formatted yet, I formatted in Word, and even made custom covers for), and I am ready to lose the day, reading.As to Calibre - you know you have all sorts of options when doing the conversion, right? I use it when I am formatting my own .mobi's - I can set my own covers, download metadata on the book in general, etc.
Sarge wrote: "As to Calibre - you know you have all sorts of options when doing the conversion, right? I use it when I am formatting my own .mobi's - I can set my own covers, download metadata on the book in general, etc. ."Oh yes. I've converted many non DRM-ed ebooks to mobi for my Kindle Touch (which I like for actual reading). My problem was when I initially loaded my 1000+ books unto my Kindle the only option for organizing them on the device was to go book by book and assign it a category. You can use Calibre to convert and to transfer books to Kindle, but you can't keep categories and labels. More specifically, you can't just plug your Kindle into a PC, make a folder or something called "Fantasy" on the Kindle drive (or in documents), drag and drop books there and expect a Fantasy category with those books in it to appear when you go to your Kindle library on the device. Maybe it's just that I have no interest in using the Amazon account cloud and would rather be able to rout the whole thing through my PC. Or maybe I don't make sense. :) Thanks for trying to help me.
Tangled wrote: "More specifically, you can't just plug your Kindle into a PC, make a folder or something called "Fantasy" on the Kindle drive (or in documents), drag and drop books there and expect a Fantasy category with those books in it to appear when you go to your Kindle library on the device. Maybe it's just that I have no interest in using the Amazon account cloud and would rather be able to rout the whole thing through my PC."Ah, yeah, I don't tend to organize my ebooks
... when I want to read a book, I just look up the author or a partial title.
I have a 1st edition Nook, I got it RIGHT before they lowered the price and came out with the touch and then they stopped making it too.. It was an 'ugh, really!' moment.. LOL. It was a christmas gift, but I do feel alittle guilty because the price drop was HUGE..The 1st ed is pretty basic, you can shelf your books but have to do it on the device.. which can be a pain if your loading alot at once..
I don't usually buy ebooks at B&N, I just don't like having to sign in my CCard# just to read the books on my nook.. I get signing in to your account(to check DRM) from your nook, but to have to type in your CC# too just to access your library... Crazy..
Mostly I use mine for library ebooks and DRM Free books.. I could get lost in Project Gutenburg!
I love my nook simple touch. I love that it has the look of a book page on a screen and that I can lend book and read for an hour for free when I am in a Barnes and noble before buying. I also have the app on my iPad so I use both and still read actual books ( depends on which is cheapest) lol
Calibre + Tablet for me. I have a Kindle app on it, but I mostly use CoolReader which I love :) I have considered getting a Kindle a few times, but already having a tablet I think it is unnecessary and a luxury I don't exactly need...
This is very useful as I am currently in the market for an eReader! Part of me wants to wait until Kindle releases the next gen, but the other part of me is super impatient. So there's that to consider. I kinda want E-Ink since it's so awesome, and I am sure my eyes could use the break from lcd screens, but I also have quite a collection of digital comics so that is kinda hard to do with E-Ink lol. (I buy my favs hardcopy and download the ones of lesser importance.)
So the Fire is really appealing on the whole app/music/internet/color aspect. It also cost's more money, and for a tablet I would want something closer to 9inches versus the 7... Blah.
I know I don't want Nook, for one because of price and two I have fear that B&N will go out of business and then I'll have a nice dusty paperweight. (Yes I know, Calibre but if I'm gonna do that might as well use kindle since it's cheaper and not going anywhere soon.)
My library doesn't have much in the way of e-book selection yet, so that isn't my biggest concern. But more or less I just want something easy and cheap. Which still goes to E-Ink. But the comics! (Hits head against wall)
Comics?Two links to help, maybe:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/co...
http://goodereader.com/blog/electroni...
I have a reader on my tablet called ACV which is supposed to be all kinds of awesome but I've yet to have the cash to buy comics to read in it... >.<
Chloe wrote: "I know I don't want Nook, for one because of price and two I have fear that B&N will go out of business and then I'll have a nice dusty paperweight."I have a Nook Color but I buy all my books from Kobo and sideload them. No Calibre involved, just Adobe Digital Editions - basically drag and drop. The only crappy part is the covers don't usually transfer through ADE, but the awesome part is my Kobo app on my phone, which lets me continue the book even if I forgot my ereader.
I was recently in the market for an eReading option since I found my phone was just too small (I'd go cross eyed and get a massive headache). I was almost sold to get a kindle Fire, because in the end I felt that a tablet would be a better value, and oddly enough the e-Ink hurts my eyes (couple of friends let me look at their kindles & Nooks)Then I went to big lots and found this: Polaroid 7" Internet Tablet Android 4.0 for $99 USD. After I read some reviews, I was sold. The Kindle app is great on sepia and the back light turned down low, the odd screen I think works great for the eReading. and it's not scratch friendly flush.
I get all my android apps and other eReader programs/shops/DRM Free books without a lot of hassle.
Battery life is about 1 FULL day of use. (I spent a sick day laying in bed reading for the whole day).
I have to say, while I think I'll always love paper more, I couldn't be happier about carrying that little puppy around in my purse so I always have several options to read on the spot or I can just surf the web.
I own a Kindle Keyboard and I love it. When it comes to chosing an ereader I think it's important to know what you want and need from it. I wanted a device only for reading and for that reason I decided to go with an e-ink device. No glare when the sun hits the screen, no backlit lcd screen, much better battery life and no distractions (internet, apps) like I'd find on a tablet. Also, no need to constantly wipe the fingerprints off my display -there was no touch version of the Kindle when I got mine.I chose Kindle because a. I read mostly in English and I'd save a lot of money downloading my books from Amazon and other sources and b. importing a kindle turned out to be cheaper than buying any ereader in my country at the time. There were some other factors but I don't think I need to list them all here ;-)
I've had my kindle for almost 2 years now and it's working out really well for me. And I definitely recommend Calibre, it's a great piece of software to use along with your ereader.
edit to add; there are a lot of reviews up on youtube for kindles, nooks and other ereaders. I found it very helpful to watch some of those while I was trying to decide what to get. I also browsed some of the independent user forums, that's where most of the ereader geeks are (and I use that term lovingly) so that helped me to learn the good, the bad, the ugly and the many lesser known options or tips and tricks.
Caitlin wrote: I have a Nook Color but I buy all my books from Kobo and sideload them. No Calibre involved, just Adobe Digital Editions - basically drag and dropI, also, buy books all the time from Kobo and side load them. Kobo has send out some great coupons.
There is no need to use the B&N store to buy books, that's a misconception many people have. It is easier to buy from them, because you don't need to connect to the computer, you can just connect to Wi-fi and download straight to the Nook.
I own 2 Sony Readers and 2 Nook readers and I won't buy a Kindle until they decide (which will be never) to use epub format. I like that I can put any book I buy, no matter who I bought it from, on which ever ereader I want to use. Once you have a Kindle you're stuck with a Kindle, unless you want to lose your books or circumvent the DRM protection and then convert your mobi files to a new format.
Fallon wrote: "I have a Kindle Fire and I LOVE it. I didn't think I would but I do. Our local library offers Kindle books so I can get a lot of books through my library straight to the kindle. It works really wel..."I got mine as a graduation present and I didn't think I would love it as much as I do... But I have been reading MORE since I got it, and I've spent LESS on books!
My library has a totally awesome e-book lending system, plus the Kindle Lending Library on Amazon, plus all the free downloads available... It's really great.
I do wish the battery lasted a bit longer but I just have to remember to charge it at night because I read WAY more than the average person I guess (When you read the part where it's one month or whatever of read time that's only figuring that you read 30min/day...)
I really liked the Nook (mostly for the fact that you can add a SD card) but I am too afraid that they'll go the route of Borders in the next few years and Amazon seems to be the e-reader that will win out in the end regardless of how we all feel about Amazon as a company. :-/
I have a nook simple touch, right before they released the glow :( I still really like it, pretty easy to use and works well with my library. I've also read that there are way to "unlock" it and make it similar to tablet--be able to access internet, check email and whatnot--but I haven't had the time or patience to sit down and do it.I do like my xkcd screensavers, though. They make me smile.
I was wondering, has anyone used an iPad to read books? I know the iPad is more of a tablet computer than an e-reader but I was wondering if the experiences using it is good. That's most likely the kind of tablet I will be using when I finally start reading e-books. It just makes more sense for me since I plan on designing for the iPad as well as I can put my entire portfolio on it (I'm a designer/illustrator) and I also plan to make a game and an app or two.
I have a Kindle Fire (and 1st edition, but that won't do you much good) and have a heap ton of experience with all of the nooks. nook pros: In store customer support and expandable memory. The Kindle Fire does not allow (as of this post, who knows what the next version will have) any sort of memory cards, and while you can archive stuff to the cloud, it's annoying.
Kindle pros: Direct downloading of movies and music (for the Fire), physical buttons (depending on the version).
A small reminder that if you *do* root your nook and turn it into an open tablet (which at this point is only useful if you want the regular android market... otherwise I have no idea why you'd want to), you void your warrenty. Which probably goes without saying.
I don't really like reading backlit things, so if I were purchasing something brand new right now with no previous history with any of the products... it'd be the nook GlowLight. I can game on my phone and do all that app stuff there. I prefer the personal service of B&N (though I'm a little biased). Since I started with the Kindle when it first came out though, I've stuck with it. In for a penny...
Amy wrote: "I was recently in the market for an eReading option since I found my phone was just too small (I'd go cross eyed and get a massive headache). I was almost sold to get a kindle Fire, because in the..."Just FYI.. the Kindle Fire does not have e-Ink. There is no color e-Ink available yet. e-Ink on Kindles is only available on their regular models or on the Kindle Touch. I know because this feature was very important to me. My eyes get tired and I can't read on a regular computer screen for long periods of time.
Nicki wrote: I tried reading an ebook on my iPad once when I was sick and my Kindle was on charge. I made it 40 minutes before I had such a headache that I gave up. I never get a headache reading from e-ink, even when I read all day. Your mileage may vary, but if you plan to read a lot of ebooks I'd seriously consider a dedicated e-ink reader rather than a backlit device.That's very interesting. I never thought of that. I never thought to actually get a dedicated e-reader because I thought the iPad can do it all and I do plan on reading a lot on it. I have a huge book list that I accumulated just for that very reason. I'll re-read everyone's comments on this and go and check out the nooks and make a purchase soon (since e-readers are SO much cheaper than the iPad). It's also the first time I've ever heard e-Ink...
Yeah, I'm gonna re-read what everyone wrote. I think that's best. ^_^;
Someone just mentioned that there are no color e-Ink readers yet and that bugs me. I know that the inside of books are usually black and white anyways but I also plan on getting magazines and comics and it would bother me a lot to read that in black and white. I guess I'm just going to have to dedicate a chunk of time to read on a colored nook to see if I my eyes will get tired or not.
I read Kindle books on a Kindle Fire, iPad, and iMac. I have a first gen Kindle...that was my gateway into eReaders. Of all, I love the first gen Kindle the best. The screen really is the most important feature and nothing I've tried beats the regular Kindle for readability in all environments. I say that, but I never use that device any more. Where iPad and Fire excel are in magazines and cookbooks. I just haven't found that ONE device that meets all the needs.On a related note, I read a recent Consumer Reports magazine that gave its highest rating to one of the Nooks. I like Kindle and Amazon, so I don't necessarily feel 'locked in', but I suspect the process of switching between platforms would be daunting, so I'm not pursuing the Nook.
Based on my experience, though, if you read books in different light (bedside to outside), consider the regular Kindle. The screen really is above par.
Kell
I have the Nook Color and love it. Font size, display colors, and lighting are all adjustable so with a little tweaking I can read for hours with no headaches or eyestrain. While I buy most of my books from B&N, I also buy a lot direct from publishers and other sources then load them to my Nook. My collection is huge (I've been known to read multiple books a day) so the expandable memory was and is a big selling point for me. Wifi connection, games, Hulu, Netflix, and other apps have me carrying it with me pretty much constantly. Oh and Evernote (I'm a writer too so having that for notes is wonderful). I've also had bad experiences with Amazon in the past so...
Saw the question about the iPad earlier. My brother has an iPad2 with the Nook app and the Kindle app downloaded to it and devours books like I do. He had to do some tweaking on the display but once he got the settings right had no issues with headaches and eyestrain since. He loves having everything in one place and has stopped hauling his Macbook with him everywhere.
I love my nook. I've had the original Nook as well as currently using the Nook Simple Touch. I haven't rooted it yet, but I like that it's an option I have. I also read on my iPad with the nook app from time to time but I prefer the eink display of the nook. I'd really like to upgrade to the Nook with GlowLight.The biggest reason I opted for the Nook was because the format of the books are opensource epub. I can get books from multiple places and not worry about it.
I'm a tad bias since other than the iPad, I haven't used any other ebook readers, but I'm happy with the Nook and plan on staying with it.
@Kelley - regarding switching devices, it's pretty easy if you use Calibre ebook manager which can convert lit (amazon books) to epub (nook) as well as many different formats.
Nicki wrote: "Austyn wrote: "@Kelley - regarding switching devices, it's pretty easy if you use Calibre ebook manager which can convert lit (amazon books) to epub (nook) as well as many different formats."Amaz..."
Ah, thanks for the correction, got my readers confused!
You're right though, as far as if you live outside the US Nook probably isn't a first choice. I made the assumption if he's in Indiana it's probably not a deciding factor. I travel internationally with my Nook with no problems since my bn.com account is a US account.
I keep on hearing about Calibre and Adobe Digital Editions. What exactly are these? Are they programs to use on your desktop computer? Can you use it with a mac? Or is it a program you can run on the tablet? I'm thinking of getting the Nook Simple Touch GlowLight right now, thanks to all of the comments I've seen so far on this post. Though I always thought you can just take ebooks from the internet and... i dunno do all this on the tablet in some way or the other. Sorry about the mindless post. Just a little confused about these programs. ^_^;
Oh! So can Calibre be used on a mac since you said that Adobe Digital Editions is software for the PC. Or what is the mac equivalent of those kinda programs?
I don't own or use a Mac, but Calibre is available on their website for OS X Leopard and higher http://calibre-ebook.com/download_osx
I have a kindle touch, from Amazon. Its great for me.
Keidy wrote: "I was wondering, has anyone used an iPad to read books? I know the iPad is more of a tablet computer than an e-reader but I was wondering if the experiences using it is good. That's most likely the..."I was wondering if anyone was going to talk about the iPad! I first started out on the iPod touch, and once you got used to the smaller screen, it was great. I use both the Kindle app and iBooks which are fantastic if you want to search for something throughout the whole book. Before that I used GoodReader, which supports many formats but I tend to just use PDF. But the book/author search and organisational options within GoodReader are the best! I love how you can change the brightness levels in all of these apps and change the background for day/night reading. Makes it easier to read late into the night in bed without my husband noticing! Actually, I prefer reading white text on a black background now anyway, but in GoodReader, I have picked a purple tone of type which is a lot of fun, with the background with just the tiniest hint of red in it. Bizarre I know, but if they give me the option of selecting my colours, I will!
It is very easy to buy books, and particularly with iBooks, I am not stuck with a international money conversion fee for buying a book in Australia as I would be if I was getting it from Amazon. And as out dollar is stronger at the moment, a lot of books are cheeper via iBooks. They just have no where near the range of Amazon though. I would never consider getting just an ereader.
Just another thing, it is so easy to get my books onto my iPad/iPod from my computer. If its just a few books, I just email it to myself and can select to open it in iBooks if its ePub, or if its PDF it gives me a choice of apps. Too easy. One negative, no app will read lit files anymore, but I can easily change what few books I had in that via epubbud.com on the computer and it will let me open it straight onto the iPad once I open the file in my email program on the iPad.
My husband just loves the fact that I am no longer buying books which take up space. After 6 book cases, and having to move 5 times in 4 years, he was getting rather cranky with me. I can spend as much money on books as I like, they are just not allowed to take up space. It is funny though, I was reading a 'paper' book for the first time in years, and I was pressing on a word on the page waiting for the definition option to pop up. I am such an idiot.
I have a Kindle keyboard (3rd edition) and I love it, but I was a huge skeptic at first. I didn't want to do the e-reader thing, and thought I'd prefer the Nook as well. But my parents went ahead and got me one for my birthday (before the Fire was released).I fell in love with it. I've since played with other e-readers out there, but I don't like them as much as I like the one I have. I have used the Touch version, and despise it. I just can't keep myself from accidentally touching the screen! Annoying.
I don't know what I'd have ended up buying on my own, but I'm very happy with the one I have :)
Kristen wrote: "I have a Kindle keyboard (3rd edition) and I love it, but I was a huge skeptic at first. I didn't want to do the e-reader thing, and thought I'd prefer the Nook as well. But my parents went ahead a..."I had the Kindle keyboard and my husband bought me a Kindle Touch for my birthday. I have to say that I like the keyboard a bit better in many ways. Primarily it's easier to go back pages. The Touch is picky about where you hit it for going backwards and it took me the longest time to get it right. Also I accidentally touch it all the time.
I have a Kobo (first gen) and an iPad2 (got it free from work ^_^) I read a lot on the road and both are great. You can use Calibre on both and have no problems. My husband has a Kindle classic and likes it a lot too.Over all it all comes down to what format you want to read in, and with the help of Calibre you shouldn't have any problems at all getting it. If you are looking at size of screen VS e-ink. I liked e-ink more but I have gotten use to a back lit screen like the iPad.
Tech wise, the back lit e-book readers are going to keep coming (with Apple coming out with the iPad Mini in a couple of months) you will have e-readers of all sizes. I like the 8-9 inch screens best, they fit nicely in a bag and don't take up to much space.
@ Keidy, You can get it on Mac no problem. Here is the site with the latest updated version, http://calibre-ebook.com/download
^_^
