So as many of you know there is a new piece of technology that allows you to read multiple books and buy them for usually around $10. This technology is called the Amazon Kindle (and I believe there's one by Barnes and Noble called the Nook) and it's wonderful! Books these days cost a lot of money and take up a lot of space, and where I live it usually takes forever for libraries to get the latest novel or chapter of well known books if they get them at all.

Now there is some controversy about whether or not the Kindle is really a good thing or not. A lot of people are traditionalists and believe that a book is something you have to hold in your hand and turn the actual paper pages rather than clicking a button. And there are some that worry about the fact that the Kindle is a piece of computer rechnology and is just too hard to use or it will eventually succumb to viruses and other glitches that would take all the good use right out of it.

I, Alchemist of Anarchy am a huge "bookie" and speed reader and when I get a new book it is usually read within the week and then sits on my shelf and takes up space because I have no idea what to do with it, mainly because it cost so much to obtain I just don't feel right just giving it away. So the Kindle is a great thing in my eyes and I just wondered what you all thought of it.

Now I apologise if this appears to be in the wrong section or forum. And please feel free to move it as you see fit. But I figured that this is essentially a book thing. And it would fit the best in this category.

My mom is absolutely in love with her kindle. It's also available on the iPhone.

I however, don't think I'd like it. I enjoy reading the actual book, and the book is part of the whole reading experience. Furthermore, I get easily distracted when I have technology and other stuff I need to deal with.

I love books, just books in general, and love my collection. It's small, only nearlly maybe 100 books, but I hope for it to grow larger as I get older. I'm only 20, so I guess the fact I own personally circa 100 books is already quite a feat, considering how my peers don't maybe own a tenth of that? I'm also not counting books that are in books, like my complete works of Shakespeare, the Riverside Chaucer or my Norton Anthologies.

But I'll buy a book even if I read it, just so I own it. But I'm one day hoping to own a library full of thousands upon thousands of books.

Ah see you have around 100 books, whereas if I were to have kept my entire collection I would have well over 1000. But seeing as I am only 21 and have minimal space that means that all the books that I didn't absolutely love or thought that I would ever read again where either sold or given to my local library. So it's kind of nice to actually have something that is roughly a centimeter thick and the size of a small paperback to actually read off of. At first I was worried that the glare or backlight that I use on occasion would be as bad for my eyes as looking through my microscope all day (I'm a biology major... I'm surprised I haven't gone blind yet... although I'm pretty close) and that brings up another point you can now download the data to have it read the books to you if you really can't stand to look at the page anymore (I got that all the time in my books, I was dying to keep reading but my eyes were too tired and couldn't take it anymore.)

To be honest, I would love to get my hands on one of these, but they are still too expensive for me to afford spending the extra cash on yet.

I am also concerned with how quickly the Kindle is going to make the traditional paperback book obsolete. I love the feeling of holding a book in my hands, the distinct smells of new and old books, the pride of having a fully stocked book shelf and the solitude of a book store full of potential knowledge. I don't want any of these things to disappear. Many a solemn night have I spent in a book store relieving my stresses with a cup of hot cocoa from the cafe and a historical romance fresh from the shelf. Let's face it. Kindle will make these things disappear all to quickly. A cyber cafe full of people reading Kindles does not a book store make.

I would love to be able to carry around hundreds of books at once, though, without worrying about having to store them or break my back trying to haul them for that matter.

I just wish that this instant gratification world could save a little of the old whilst bringing in the new. I somehow doubt the probability of that. *Sigh*

I would dearly like one for commuting and traveling! Books are such a hassle on public transportation, and then you have to lug them back once you've finished reading them--I try to keep new audiobooks on my ipod, but it's nice to be able to read at my own pace, look busy and unapproachable, etc. ._.

I don't think devices like the Kindle will be threatening meatspace book stores for a long, long time, if ever: I'm sure most people share the sentimental connection to paper books (I sure do), and as I'm given to understand it the technology isn't quite up to replacing them except for casual reading--no color pictures, no random page flipping, no taking a great book and pressing it on a friend to read.

I also expect that it'll be a while before they're not restricted to the relatively wealthy. As it is, although you may have to wait longer for new releases, you can read for free at a library. I imagine the Kindle's initial cost is going to be widely prohibitive, and after that you have to buy everything that's not in the public domain. (And if you don't also have a computer to back them up on, you've got to trust Amazon's servers with all your books, all of the time.)



Does anyone know what you're allowed to do with the books you buy? Do they become yours to download, convert and read on other devices as you wish, or are they for Kindle only?

You know I have been worried about one thing with my kindle, and that's how well it will show diagrams and pictures. I mean this in the sense that I am a biology major in college and I have been thinking about buying my textbooks for next semester on my kindle if they have it. That way I won't have to wait for it to be shipped and worry about the condition it is in. But the kindle is in black and white which would make it hard to read certain captions and measures on any pictures with in the textbook.

So while I may use my kindle for all my other leisure book needs I may still end up buying the actual paper form textbooks until I find out if it will work for me or not.

Yes... I guess it would depend heavily on how much you use the book, and how integral figures are to the way you learn?

Grayscale figures in general I think are readable, but much more taxing to look at.
If you'll forgive the terrible resolution:

Which is assuming that the Kindle displays images as well as a computer screen.

However, I love electronic textbooks in general: I think the one I have is the only book I've actually used after the class ended. If not on the Kindle I'd definitely opt for a book on CD or even online, if you can be certain you'll have reliable access, rather than buying a paper textbook.

[/weirdo with too much spare time]

Well you see the only book that I need for my next semester in order to graduate is a geography book. And there are only so many shades of gray you can make. Not to mention that all the names are in black and white. So I went ahead and bought all my textbooks for that class in the actual paper form. But I love reading regular black and white text books on my kindle.

I heard that it's very good and my brother wants to buy it, but I wouldn't. It's not because I don't like the idea - it's because it's just not a book. The book's about flipping the pages, hearing the sound of it. You can't do that when you're reading on a Kindle.

Ah, maps never crossed my mind. n_n;;
Just out of curiosity, how often do you find that assigned textbooks are available on the Kindle?

Originally Posted by Robard

Ah, maps never crossed my mind. n_n;;
Just out of curiosity, how often do you find that assigned textbooks are available on the Kindle?

Actually I found out that there are quite a few textbooks on the Kindle. I searched geography textbook and came up with a lot of different books including the one that I needed. Luckily, the kindle allows you to download a sample of the book (usually about 100 pages or so depending on the book) and I found that I couldn't read the graphics easily. So I bought the actual book instead.

But I also found out that there is an experimental section on the Kindle that allows you to test out new applications that the staff are working on and then give feedback. Right now they are toying with the idea of putting web surfing, MP3, and visual to audio (taking the written words and reading it to you) capabilities on it. And I'll admit that the programs so far are pretty good... it won't replace my MacBook or Ipod but it's still pretty good.

The Kindle is not my thing. The hate reading long stories on my computer and doubt a Kindle would be much different. I have to say though it's a good idea and if it helps people have greater access to books then I'm all for it. For myself though I prefer a paperback book. I don't care if they take a lot of room or are heavy. I LOVE books. Maybe it's an odd quirk but I enjoy owning the actual book. Holding the book and flipping the pages and even the scent. I will be sad if the Kindle kills traditional books.

Well I am not in favor of the Kindle at all. I wear contacts and when I have to read lots of text on a screen my eyes get horribly dry and hurt. When I have to do computer research for school, I print my stuff off the internet just so I can read it and highlight the important things. When I try to do that online, the words just swim before my eyes and I lose track of what line I am on. I think I will always buy books in a bookstore. Plus people have to pay alot to buy the kindle, then still buy the cheaper digital copies, where I can just go and get a new book for 8 dollars and sell it back for 5 at a used book store.

I was thinking about getting one because I loved the idea of getting books cheaper but I found out the books really aren't that much cheaper. And I do love to have a copy of a book. I reread books so often that it isn't a waste of space. My main problem is that there is only so much room on these devices before their full. It wouldn't take me long to get to that point and have to start deleting things. And that would just kill me.

I've never owned a Kindle but I've used one before, and I have to say it resembles a computer screen too much than a paper-ink book. I know they advertise it as just like a book, but it's not, it still feels like you're reading from a screen (which you really are) and I imagine you get the same radiation and eye strain from reading something long on computers. I mean I can read like 200 pages of a book in a setting, but 200 pages from a screen I'd have to take at least two breaks, and Kindle is like that to me. So I don't think I'll ever adapt the Kindle thing until/unless they make it better.

this is like the cute avatar thread!

haahhhhhh, kindle. >_>
(i work for barnes & noble)
anyway, the nook was quite nifty when i got the chance to play with it.
i don't know what that other person was saying about the e-ink not being like book pages. it has the matte feel of pages as well as being dark text on a neutral tan background. maybe the kindle is a little different in that aspect?

anyway, i'd love an e-reader for some things, like textbooks and whatnot, but i do still have an affinity for traditional books. it's always fun to see people's reactions to you toting around a 1000-page novel. :3
i don't think i could really give up my 500 plus books. ._.;

Everyone's getting kindles and nooks and whatever, so i was wondering if any of you guys have any experience reading on these devices.

personally if i need to read something on a screen i just go to google books.

so... reading electronically: love it, hate it?

I don't mind it. My iPod has book applications which I use to read a book that I own at night or to read something I don't own because it seems interesting. I still prefer real books but ebooks are not bad either.

I love my kindle.
One reason it is so convenient for me is because i'm studying abroad, and I could download lots of books before I came (I can't download books outside of the country), and now have enough books without having to take a bunch of actual books with me and have them be a lot to carry.
Real books are good too, in case you're on a plane or train or a car for long enough for the kindle to run out of batteries. But i was recently able to finish the entirety of East of Eden without having to recharge. That's how long the battery lasts.

Those of you who are worried that kindle and other such devices will make actual books nonexistent, don't worry. Even if all books were available on kindle (which they are not), that would never happen.

Also, it doesn't feel at all like reading off of a screen. It really does feel the same as reading off of a page. Reading off of a screen bothers my eyes, and reading off of kindle doesn't harm my eyes at all. This just being the input of someone who actually owns one and uses it on a regular basis.

Another thing that was brought up earlier on this thread is not being enough room on the kindle. The truth is that you can have an infinite number of books on it and not have to delete stuff.

As for cheapness of books, it depends on the book. I have been able to find books on kindle for only $4 when the actual paperback copy costs $10.

Carry Your Library: Holds up to 1,500 books

That comes right off of amazon's info for the $259 Kindle. So there is a limit to how many can be on the device. You can store the books online.

My problem with that is I already own that many books. So if I wanted to get a fraction of my books on this device then buy more it would take no time to fill the Kindle. Then I would have to store them online. And I know that if I did that I would never read them. I find it too much of a hassle to have to take some books off the Kindle to online then taking some off the internet to the Kindle.

I'm also not that happy with the selection of books yet. Many of my favorite authors don't have any kindle books. So if I was to get one I would at least wait a while.

I will be waiting to purchase my eReader, whatever model I opt for, because the technology is improving every day. I'd like an eReader that I can play a couple games on, write notes or files on, and listen to music on, and considering how far along the iPhone has come, all that will likely be possible and available when I am ready to start seriously shopping.

I love that Amazon has decided to pay a larger percentage of the profits to the authors of eBooks, too, and I'm all for suppporting a paper-free reading marketplace.

What excites me the most about the kindle is that you can get free books! And they're not "b books" either. I'm talking classics and other well renowned authors!

There is one thing I think the kindle should have but doesn't. You can't custom sort your books. You can only sort them either alphabetically by title or author, or put the ones you most recently read first. I wish I could sort them the way I want to. I imagine that if I get more books on here at some point, it could get really annoying trying to find them if i can't sort them the way I want.

Originally Posted by tirethminet

[color=#668800]haahhhhhh, kindle. >_>
(i work for barnes & noble)
anyway, the nook was quite nifty when i got the chance to play with it.
i don't know what that other person was saying about the e-ink not being like book pages. it has the matte feel of pages as well as being dark text on a neutral tan background. maybe the kindle is a little different in that aspect?[color]

Yeah the kindle is like a nook in that aspect, but I think a kindle is a little bigger when it comes to screen size. I also like the fact that you can make the font bigger or smaller, and make the screen rotate so it's easier to read. (meaning I can have the screen turn the text sideways so I have a better handle on it since one size is longer that the other since the kindle has a full keyboard on it.)

I nearly got a nook, but never actually got the chance to look at one. Although I work in a library and one of my fellow librarians said that on a nook you can loan a book to another nook user. This idea excites me! And I wish they would do that for the kindle as well!