I have a 3G Kindle and only very rarely connect it with Wi-Fi. I can use collections just fine, so have a go.
What is the Point of Kindle/eBooks?
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I have a 3G Kindle and only very rarely connect it with Wi-Fi. I can use collections just fine, so have a go.
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The Fire does do cover art, and in full color. It has been marketed for use with children's books, though I haven't bought any yet.
If there were a way for me to get the physical book and the ebook without paying twice, I would buy an ebook reader in a second. I would like the ebooks for when I'm travelling, but I still want the real book.
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I love my Kindle, actually. The e-ink screen is easy on the eyes and the adjustable font means I can set the size to suit a variety of lighting and reading conditions. I can have a new book on it in just a couple of seconds without leaving the house and I currently have 1500+ books and a few games for the kids on it. I read and deleted about 500 this year, so had I been working with print, my shelves would be very cluttered.
Like B&N, books purchased through Amazon are backed up online so if there is a problem with the Kindle or you buy a new one, you can reload or send your book to a new device. Books purchased off-Amazon I keep backed up on my computer until I've read them.
Ebooks also have an advantage for us as writers. Print books have a limited shelf-life for the average writer. This is because book stores have limited shelf space. Their goal is to get books off of the shelves, and if it isn't purchased, the book will likely be stripped and pulped. No sale and no money earned. Ebooks can be 'shelved' longer because no physical warehouse or shelf space is needed for them. Instead of a few weeks on the shelf, you have a years on the website.
Ebooks aren't perfect for all applications. For research, where I would need to reference pages or study images, I would need a print book, and for 'keeper' books I want a hard-copy book on a shelf. Ebooks are great for people like me who read a lot but don't want to keep every book we read.
Like B&N, books purchased through Amazon are backed up online so if there is a problem with the Kindle or you buy a new one, you can reload or send your book to a new device. Books purchased off-Amazon I keep backed up on my computer until I've read them.
Ebooks also have an advantage for us as writers. Print books have a limited shelf-life for the average writer. This is because book stores have limited shelf space. Their goal is to get books off of the shelves, and if it isn't purchased, the book will likely be stripped and pulped. No sale and no money earned. Ebooks can be 'shelved' longer because no physical warehouse or shelf space is needed for them. Instead of a few weeks on the shelf, you have a years on the website.
Ebooks aren't perfect for all applications. For research, where I would need to reference pages or study images, I would need a print book, and for 'keeper' books I want a hard-copy book on a shelf. Ebooks are great for people like me who read a lot but don't want to keep every book we read.
What's the battery life like on the Kindle?
I've discovered that my problem with the Sony was a common one. After a few months, it would refuse to charge -- the red 'charging' light wouldn't come on. I could leave it plugged in to the laptop for hours, and when I unplugged it, the battery bar would show as half full, and the ereader lost what remained of its charge within ten minutes.
Sony aren't interested in helping me out because they're not making ereaders any more, so who cares?
I've discovered that my problem with the Sony was a common one. After a few months, it would refuse to charge -- the red 'charging' light wouldn't come on. I could leave it plugged in to the laptop for hours, and when I unplugged it, the battery bar would show as half full, and the ereader lost what remained of its charge within ten minutes.
Sony aren't interested in helping me out because they're not making ereaders any more, so who cares?
I'm going to wade into this because I'm an ebook convert.
Between us, hubby and I have two e-readers. Theoretically the Sony e-reader is mine and the Kindle is his, but some e-books are only available in epub format or Kindle format, so having the two devices means we have a broader range of e-books available to us (yes, I know there's conversion software out there. Haven't gone down that route).
The Sony is the pocket version, about two years old. It came with a cover that makes it look more like a traditional book. I like the e-ink. I can take it on holiday and sit by the pool in blazing sunshine, and still see the screen. I think the Sony is more aesthetically pleasing than the Kindle. However, epub e-books in general are more expensive than Kindle books. Though this is why my royalties from Kindle sales are far less than those from epub sales...
My Sony will not 'annotate'. The Kindle will. You can put as many notes and marks as you like on Kindle versions.
Both devices let you put bookmarks in. So it possible to have a dozen books open at once, with your place marked in each. But you do have to remember to 'remove' the bookmark when you start reading again, or else it will still be holding your place there.
I like the fact that both devices are compact and light. I do most of my reading on my commute, and the e-reader is far easier to carry around than a book is. And if I finish a book on the way to work, I can just start the next one, without having to carry around a second book, just in case.
They are also much more convenient for taking on holiday. We used to pack a dozen books between the two of us for a 2-week break, which got rather heavy. Now we just take the two e-readers (and maybe a paperback each, just in case).
I like the fact I can lay the e-reader flat on the table when I read during my lunch hour. No more spilled soup because I'm trying to eat one-handed.
Buying books is very convenient, the Kindle more so than the Sony. The Kindle is literally one click. Go to amazon and click on the 'buy' button of the e-book you want. Next time you turn on your Kindle, the book is waiting for you. Or, if you have a wifi Kindle, you don't even need a computer - just go to the Amazon page on your Kindle, and buy books directly through the device.
The Sony's slightly more complicated, as you get 'reader library' software with it. To buy an epub book, you have to click on the book you buy to download it into your 'reader library', then plug the device into the PC through a USB port, and drag and drop the book from the reader to the device.
The reader serves as a backup, as all books stay there unless you delete them. With Kindle, your purchased books remain in cyberspace, on your Amazon account, so you never lose them.
Being mistrustful of technology, I also have other backups. All ebooks for both Kindle and Sony are backed up in files on our main home PC, and also on the external hard drive we have (just to be extra cautious). So what I tend to do when I've read a book is remove it from the device and keep it stored on the backup PC and external drive, just to avoid scrolling through hundreds of books for the one I want to read.
However, I will also say I haven't stopped buying print books. I'll go to a signing session and buy the signed copy. I'll browse through Waterstones and find three books in the 3-for-2 sale I think look good. Or, the e-book is more expensive than the print book (this is down to the publishers - some of them decide to price the e-book at the hard cover cost. I think this will change as the publishing industry becomes less suspicious of the digitial publishing age).
But space is a genuine issue. Our house is literally full of books and we are running out of space. The e-readers allow us to carry on buying all the books we want, without having to find space on one of the already-groaning book shelves (not counting the boxes of books in the attic).
Yes, buying e-books can be expensive. The books themselves are mostly cheaper than print, but you see so many books that are less than a pound, and they are so easy to buy, you end up taking chances on books that you probably wouldn't if you saw a paperback version priced at £6.99.
A lot of people dislike the concept of e-books, before they've actually tried them. Generally, when people discover the joys of e-readers, they realise they are not such evil things after all.
But in my view, there's still room in publishing for both print books and e-books.
Shara
Between us, hubby and I have two e-readers. Theoretically the Sony e-reader is mine and the Kindle is his, but some e-books are only available in epub format or Kindle format, so having the two devices means we have a broader range of e-books available to us (yes, I know there's conversion software out there. Haven't gone down that route).
The Sony is the pocket version, about two years old. It came with a cover that makes it look more like a traditional book. I like the e-ink. I can take it on holiday and sit by the pool in blazing sunshine, and still see the screen. I think the Sony is more aesthetically pleasing than the Kindle. However, epub e-books in general are more expensive than Kindle books. Though this is why my royalties from Kindle sales are far less than those from epub sales...
My Sony will not 'annotate'. The Kindle will. You can put as many notes and marks as you like on Kindle versions.
Both devices let you put bookmarks in. So it possible to have a dozen books open at once, with your place marked in each. But you do have to remember to 'remove' the bookmark when you start reading again, or else it will still be holding your place there.
I like the fact that both devices are compact and light. I do most of my reading on my commute, and the e-reader is far easier to carry around than a book is. And if I finish a book on the way to work, I can just start the next one, without having to carry around a second book, just in case.
They are also much more convenient for taking on holiday. We used to pack a dozen books between the two of us for a 2-week break, which got rather heavy. Now we just take the two e-readers (and maybe a paperback each, just in case).
I like the fact I can lay the e-reader flat on the table when I read during my lunch hour. No more spilled soup because I'm trying to eat one-handed.
Buying books is very convenient, the Kindle more so than the Sony. The Kindle is literally one click. Go to amazon and click on the 'buy' button of the e-book you want. Next time you turn on your Kindle, the book is waiting for you. Or, if you have a wifi Kindle, you don't even need a computer - just go to the Amazon page on your Kindle, and buy books directly through the device.
The Sony's slightly more complicated, as you get 'reader library' software with it. To buy an epub book, you have to click on the book you buy to download it into your 'reader library', then plug the device into the PC through a USB port, and drag and drop the book from the reader to the device.
The reader serves as a backup, as all books stay there unless you delete them. With Kindle, your purchased books remain in cyberspace, on your Amazon account, so you never lose them.
Being mistrustful of technology, I also have other backups. All ebooks for both Kindle and Sony are backed up in files on our main home PC, and also on the external hard drive we have (just to be extra cautious). So what I tend to do when I've read a book is remove it from the device and keep it stored on the backup PC and external drive, just to avoid scrolling through hundreds of books for the one I want to read.
However, I will also say I haven't stopped buying print books. I'll go to a signing session and buy the signed copy. I'll browse through Waterstones and find three books in the 3-for-2 sale I think look good. Or, the e-book is more expensive than the print book (this is down to the publishers - some of them decide to price the e-book at the hard cover cost. I think this will change as the publishing industry becomes less suspicious of the digitial publishing age).
But space is a genuine issue. Our house is literally full of books and we are running out of space. The e-readers allow us to carry on buying all the books we want, without having to find space on one of the already-groaning book shelves (not counting the boxes of books in the attic).
Yes, buying e-books can be expensive. The books themselves are mostly cheaper than print, but you see so many books that are less than a pound, and they are so easy to buy, you end up taking chances on books that you probably wouldn't if you saw a paperback version priced at £6.99.
A lot of people dislike the concept of e-books, before they've actually tried them. Generally, when people discover the joys of e-readers, they realise they are not such evil things after all.
But in my view, there's still room in publishing for both print books and e-books.
Shara
Ranges from one to two months between charges (with normal use), if you have any problems with your kindle for the first year Amazon will fix it without charge.
I've had no problems with the battery, neither has anyone else I know.
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I don't usually buy extended warranties but with a Kindle I will. I've been burned by Sony too badly to take the risk.
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fwiw, my Kindle experience tells me that backups etc are unnecessary because I can always "recall" a book I have deleted from my archive and have it sent by Amazon for me to enjoy again.
On my Kindle, with maybe an hour to two hours reading a day the battery lasts a week if the WiFi is left on and three weeks (even a little more) if the WiFi is off.
Amazon are very good about replacements. I think they just want everyone to have a Kindle, so in the first year especially they'll replace it with barely a quibble if something goes wrong. I'm on my second one after the first developed some kind of strange mark on screen, like the e-ink had been damaged. Possibly it had been knocked - though I don't know how, it's in a sturdy case and I'm very careful. But they replaced it with nary a whisper and I've heard others say the same thing about their experiences.
Geez, I sound like such a Kindle pimp in this thread. I don't work for Amazon, I promise! But I think Amazon have seriously thought through the whole thing, from the device to making it as easy as possible to manage. It's pretty idiot proof. And it's followed through with the customer service, which is great. (How often can you say that about customer service?) Like I said above, they really want people to have Kindles and tell their friends to get Kindles and buy the next Kindle, so they're working hard to make it happen. There is nothing half-assed about any part of the Kindle system. When it was first launched in the UK last year I read up all about it and said "this is going to blow the Sony and the rest out of the water." It was an incredibly strong entry into what was a very small market at that time in the UK.
Amazon are very good about replacements. I think they just want everyone to have a Kindle, so in the first year especially they'll replace it with barely a quibble if something goes wrong. I'm on my second one after the first developed some kind of strange mark on screen, like the e-ink had been damaged. Possibly it had been knocked - though I don't know how, it's in a sturdy case and I'm very careful. But they replaced it with nary a whisper and I've heard others say the same thing about their experiences.
Geez, I sound like such a Kindle pimp in this thread. I don't work for Amazon, I promise! But I think Amazon have seriously thought through the whole thing, from the device to making it as easy as possible to manage. It's pretty idiot proof. And it's followed through with the customer service, which is great. (How often can you say that about customer service?) Like I said above, they really want people to have Kindles and tell their friends to get Kindles and buy the next Kindle, so they're working hard to make it happen. There is nothing half-assed about any part of the Kindle system. When it was first launched in the UK last year I read up all about it and said "this is going to blow the Sony and the rest out of the water." It was an incredibly strong entry into what was a very small market at that time in the UK.
I think you are in the UK? Did you try taking it back to the store you bought it at (this includes online shops)? They would be legally responsible under the sale of goods act 1979 anyway, and would be required to replace it, repair it or refund it at your choice if it broke after 3 months.
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No they wouldn't -- it was out of warranty. Never mind the fact I'd had it repaired for the same fault twice while it was in warranty. Sony wanted £30 just to look at the damn thing.
So I'll write a letter of complaint, enclosing photocopies of all documentation, proving the fault first occurred less than six months after I bought it and if they had fixed it right back then, I wouldn't be in this position now.
£30 my arse. That's one third of a Kindle just to investigate the fault.
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My wife bought me a Kindle a couple years ago and, before that, I was negative about the concept. After my first 3-4 books, I was a total convert.
Sure, it didn't have color and a map or illustration may not appear exactly where it should, but, considering I had a 600 page history book in a device that weighs next to nothing, I was very happy to not lug around that heavy book while traveling.
Sooner or later, we'll go the tablet route, too, maybe the new "Fire," and bring color into our ebook experience. If the day ever came where I didn't have to pay a 30-40% premium to have a little apple logo on a device, I'd consider those, too.
Sure, it didn't have color and a map or illustration may not appear exactly where it should, but, considering I had a 600 page history book in a device that weighs next to nothing, I was very happy to not lug around that heavy book while traveling.
Sooner or later, we'll go the tablet route, too, maybe the new "Fire," and bring color into our ebook experience. If the day ever came where I didn't have to pay a 30-40% premium to have a little apple logo on a device, I'd consider those, too.
That's ridiculous. A new battery only costs £8-£12 from amazon.
Sounds like shockingly bad customer support.
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So, general opinion is, the Kindle shits on the Sony from a very great height, and if I order one, I won't regret it?
What premium? Competitor tablets haven't really been able to undercut the iPad yet. At least none of the ones with the comparable performance and user experience. The only ones that are much cheaper make compromises or only became cheaper when put on sale at a loss to clear out inventory after not selling.
I'd say you can count on better customer service from just about anyone other than Sony these days.
I don't much like Amazon (I'd get a Nook if I were interested in an eInk reader), but the Kindle is a good choice for those interested in the Amazon ecosystem.
Either will shit on Sony right now.
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They were all epub, but I mass-converted them to mobi and/or prc.
I don't think the Nook is available in this country anyway. It's B&N affiliated, and there are no B&N stores over here.
I don't think the Nook is available in this country anyway. It's B&N affiliated, and there are no B&N stores over here.
I've never had a second of buyer's remorse with mine. It doesn't replace paper books entirely, it's a complement to them, so it doesn't have to be an either/or thing.
The Kobo is available from WH Smiths now, but Kindle is by far the market leader in the UK. I am going out on a limb, I don't think you will have trouble with either of them, but I bought my mother a Kindle just last week because I think it is simple to use, and will last.
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Well, there you go. Get a Kindle. It'll shit on the Sony.
You still have to choose which Kindle, of course...
Here's a review of the new low-end one, here's a review of the eInk touchscreen one.
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I pretty much kept my Sony for my erotic romance books. Everything else I would buy in print. Course, with a Kindle it's so easy to go to the website and have a book sent to you immediately, so...
Yeah. My bank account weeps already, and I haven't even ordered the thing yet!
Yeah. My bank account weeps already, and I haven't even ordered the thing yet!
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