Amazon's Kindle, E-Readers, and E-Books

[MaiTai]

Nightingayle, I feel the same about my Nook! I've read 4 books in 2 weeks, and am currently most of the way through Anna Karenina. I've told my husband repeatedly that it's the best gift I've ever gotten.

[Dara]

We just came home from playing with various Sony Readers and I'm getting one soon (we're going to use gift cards from our credit card points so I just have to wait for the cards to come in the mail). I think I'm in love. I don't know why, but the e-reader is so much easier on my eyes. I like being able to adjust the font, but even the smallest was not bad. I'm probably getting the lowest end model, since I actually liked using it better than the next level up, but I read that the others have a built-in dictionary. If that means looking up words as you go, it might be worth an extra hundred bucks. I sometimes keep a Post-It note in the front of books and jot down words I want to look up. I'm going to check out a few more things, but will probably get the most basic one. Either way, I should have a reader in a few weeks.

What spurred me to action is that my local library system is getting e-books Monday, and Boston Public Library already has them. Between those sources, public domain books and dirt-cheap ones, I think I'll find plenty to read. I'm already downloading some free books and am so excited that I'll be able to carry them with me without breaking my back.

Thank you all so much for the input. I had a much better idea of what to look for and what I needed than I would have had. I was just baffled before.

[Sara]

In the end, I've decided against the Kindle. The book prices are climbing from 9.99 to 13 and 15 dollars. For that much money, I want an actual book. And that's on top of the cost of the Kindle itself. So I am back to Half-Price books and schlepping.

[Dara]

Before I buy, I'm waiting to see the ASUS reader that's coming out.

[Geo]

I have a question for all of the Kindle owners out there: Is the standard Kindle sufficient, or should I go for the DX? From the basic stats, I don't see any big difference other than the screen size, and the extra cost takes it into the realm of something that I'll have to save up for (especially since I think I'm going to be rushing out and getting the new iPhone as soon as Apple puts it out there, so I'm already looking at an expensive summer, gadget-wise.)

[Pineworth]

I have a standard-sized Kindle, and it's just fine. It fits nicely into a purse.

[Herkimer]

The only reason I've thought of for a DX is if you think you might be reading PDFs on yours. I find PDFs problematic on the standard-sized Kindle. You can convert them to doc so that they flow better, but then you lose the formatting, links to footnotes, etc. Or you can read them as PDFs but then they don't flow and that means, for a scientific article, that it's extremely irritating to read down to the bottom of a column, then scroll back up the same page, etc. etc.

I don't know if PDFs would work better on a DX but I think they must due to the larger screen size.

[julie r]

I knew there was a thread about e-readers, but I didn't think to look for it in books -doh.

Anyway, I think you've already answered my question Herkimer. I would love to reduce the number of scientific paper's I print out, but I haven't found a satisfactory/comfortable way to read them on a computer. From, your comments, Herk, it looks like a Kindle is not a great option? Or maybe it is with a DX? Does anyone else have experience with reading journal articles on a Kindle or any of the other e-readers?

[Herkimer]

julie, I'd love to see commentary from someone with a DX on PDFs.

I'd also be happy to re-test PDF reading on my Kindle to double-check if I've missed anything. I haven't tried it in the past month or two and for my own uses it would be good to make sure I'm right about everything.

The iPad did look like a great PDF-reading option (it's backlit, of course, but very sharp and clear; I have happily used the Kindle app to read for long periods on my Touch) but there the problem is getting the PDFs on there. I went to the local Apple outlet to check it out because I was considering getting an iPad solely to download and read scientific literature. But it is strangely difficult to download a document to the iPad. You can't just go to, say, PubMed and download an article to the iPad. You can download articles to a Mac and then transfer them over to the iPad (tedious, especially because often you're sort of reading a bit, then downloading some more, then reading a bit again). Or you can read the article "live" on your iPad (right off the website)(doesn't allow you to mark your place or return to the material later for reference). Also, the word processing software is quite minimal, more like Notepad than like Word, so if you want to copy and paste bits of the articles and make notes about them, it's not going to be really easy or look very good.

I was really disappointed about all that, especially about the inability to just download something directly to the iPad. WTF?

I was talking with my mother about the weird lack of e-reader solutions for people wanting to read scientific literature. Okay, maybe it's not a huge market, but it must be decent-sized, and the e-reader should be perfect for people storing and reviewing scientific literature. Maybe this is a place where one of the smaller-market e-readers would do better? If anyone figures it out, please let me know.

[Geo]

Thanks for the advice, all. Just as I was about to push the button, some little nerdy part of my brain went "WAIT! This isn't the latest and greatest model!" Since I lost my ability to browse journals from a .edu domain, I don't read a lot of things (and especially not papers) in PDF form anymore, so I think that I'm good as far as those go.

(Now, if only I could get over the part of me that likes to over-think and insists I bought on a whim and didn't think about it long enough. I wait ages between wanting something and deciding to get it while considering my options, then buy quickly once I made my decision.)

[Herkimer]

Seriously, Geo, it's so worth the money. Have fun with it!

[capsizing]

I've had a Kindle DX for almost a year, and one of the main reasons I bought it was to read the many journal articles I have to get through as a grad student. Most of the articles I read have lots of mathematical notation, so not having to convert them to documents was important. The screen is large enough to read most articles (even those in two columns) in portrait orientation and you can always turn it to landscape to make it bigger. There's also a new firmware update coming that will let you zoom in on parts of PDFs. You can bookmark pages of a PDF and the device remembers what page you were on, but you can't highlight or take notes on a PDF like you can on a book. You also have to transfer PDFs to the device through your computer, but it attaches like a thumb drive and saving to the Kindle is no more difficult than saving to my computer.

I still occasionally print an article if it's something I'm carefully reviewing and I want to take notes in the margins, but I always tended to write my notes on the computer so I wouldn't lose them. I wish more of the academic books I need were available on the Kindle, because highlighting and then being able to look through a page of highlighted notes makes it much easier to find information I need than flagging quotes in a book with post-its and then having to search through for the quote I need.

My first e-book reader was an iRex iLiad, which had a built-in Wacom tablet that let you use it as a notepad and take notes on top of the PDF. The downsides of the device were that page turning button stopped working correctly after about a year and the thing would randomly advance my PDFs by 3 or 6 pages, and the battery only lasted about 14 hours, rather than a week with the Kindle. Also, the device cost about $700, which makes the price of the Kindle seem quite reasonable.

Oh, and if you ever have a problem with your Kindle, Amazon customer service is incredible. One of the buttons on mine cracked a couple of months ago, and I called them at 5 p.m. on a Friday. They had a new Kindle at my door before 10 a.m. the next day at no cost to me and with no arguments about how I must have done something to void the warranty.

[spygirl]

I was really disappointed about all that, especially about the inability to just download something directly to the iPad. WTF?

That actually is pretty common across mobile operating systems -- iPhone OS, Android, Kindle, etc. To preserve battery life and security and a number of other reasons, only certain apps have write access to the device's file system. There are certainly PDF reader apps out there, though few for either platform support direct download. But given the App Store and the Android Market I'd say it's much more likely that one will pop up for those platforms than for Kindle, but I could be wrong -- you're absolutely right there is a huge education/academic niche for a textbook reader and journal reader with either good mobile storage support or direct device access.

Google is doing its level best to get cloud storage going so you don't need local access, you can download a PDF to your Google Docs account or the like -- which is lovely but I think they're a few steps ahead of where they need to be, which is allowing mobile editing on Google Docs. It's annoying not to be able to edit on my phone; it would be an absolute dealbreaker on an Android tablet.

Overall I get the sense that Kindle is becoming the dominant e-book format although the device itself may never be the dominant reader. I cannot WAIT for the Kindle for Android app to be released, since I like the iPhone app quite a lot and every current e-reader app for Android sucks out loud.

[Geo]

And now Kindles will be available at Target, starting Sunday (June 6), at the same $259 price as on the web.

However, if I do my math right, it's still going to be more expensive to go to Target and pay sales tax (which people in Texas don't pay to Amazon) than it would have been to get overnight shipping.

[Dara]

I mentioned waiting to see what ASUS came out with. Apparently, they've released a tablet (as well as their version of I-pad) that serves as a reader. But for some reason they did an LCD screen instead of e-ink or whatever you call it that every other decent reader uses and it's vastly inferior. I can't find one damn reader that works for me, but the mid-level Sony is looking good for a Christmas gift (the prices keep dropping and I've got such a huge backlog of books that I want to wait).

Meanwhile, I keep adding e-books to my wishlists at both library systems. They add books every month or so. By the time I get the reader, I'll have a nice long list of books to check out.

[Vladimir Estragon]

Big e-reader price cuts, folks. Kindle is now $189 and Nook is $149 for the Wifi-only version. I'm getting close.

[Eli]

Dude. I just saw that. I don't know about shipping yet, but that means a Kindle is now about $215 AUD.

If I don't have a Kindle by Xmas, I'll be very much surprised.

[Dara]

I feel stupid because I don't quite get what "Wifi only" means. Ok, I get that it has wifi, but what doesn't it have? It still has a USB port to charge and download, right?

Borders is also coming out with their ereader, Kobo. Actually, it's out in some countries and can be pre-ordered in the US. I like the backing on it and can 't wait to go play with one. It has fewer file formats than the Sony, but I don't know how important that is. Would I really miss txt and rtf?

Every time I get ready to buy a reader, there's some little thing that stops me. I wanted the Sony Pocket, but the screen is so small that I'd be constantly turning pages, however, its screen clarity has spoiled me for every other reader. The Sony Touch has features I love, but the screen is too glare-y. I keep holding out.

[Herkimer]

I think $189 is a really good price for the Kindle, given what it is and does. I was sad to see the DX is still the same price since I have a growing interest in it (thanks to one of you guys) but I think they know early adopters are their market and will pay for it if they want it enough.

Dara, the Kindle uses the cell phone network so that, no matter where you are, you can download books and samples (and, actually, surf the web in a limited way). So although I don't know as much about the Nook I would guess that one version does the same. Another only offers wi-fi, so you'd have to be around a (usable) wi-fi connection to look up books, get more books, etc.

Personally I would find that limiting, as public wi-fi is not as plentiful as one might hope, and one of my favorite things about the Kindle is the total accessibility of literature whenever you happen to think about something you might like. Even though I'm at home with good wi-fi more often than not.

[jenniferh]

Dara, I worried about the screen size and "turning pages" too frequently on my Sony eReader as well, but honestly, I got used to it in a very short time. I didn't even notice after awhile, and I could time it so that the screen would change at precisely the right moment so as not to interrupt my reading.

[Dara]

Herk, thank you for the explanation. Since I posted, I popped into a Barnes and Noble and joined the crowd (really, there was a crowd, probably thanks to the price cut) watching a demo of the Nook. The salesperson took us through everything and answered a billion questions. And, yep, you explained it perfectly; the Wifi only lacks 3G (I didn't know how it worked) so you have to be in a WiFi location to download books. I'm mulling if it's worth 50 bucks for 3G. I am mostly home, and I'll be primarily downloading books from the library at home anyway.

Oh, and during the demonstration, I absolutely fell in love with the Nook. It was a combination of a salesperson who really knew how to showcase the product, improvements they've made since last I tried one, and the ability to sit with the thing for a good half hour, trying every feature. I still might wait to try the Kobo, but damn, I love the Nook. I almost bought one then and there, but I wanted to check for accessories (I really want a cheapie case, and I'd like to get that before I get the Nook).

Jennifer, which Sony do you have? (I'll go back through the thread). It's good to know you get accustomed to the page-changing.

[Vladimir Estragon]

The original Nook, which is now $199, has 3G for anywhere access to the B&N ebook store, just as the Kindle does to Amazon. I'm now considering the Nook because I have hundreds of books in PDB format, which Kindle doesn't support. I'm also not committing myself to any proprietary formats.

Incidently, if you're researching the Nook, make sure you look at reviews that reflect the changes made by the late April firmware update. The improvements are many, apparently.

Also, there appears to be a bit of a price war going on here between Amazon and B&N. Some people are predicting that these things will be $99 by Christmas.

[Herkimer]

Vladimir E., it sounds like the Kindle wouldn't work for you for other reasons, but you might be able to convert PDB format books to Kindle's format using Calibre. I know conversion is an imperfect process, though, and if Amazon's proprietary approach offends you there's no getting around that.

[Dara]

I'm probably going to get a Nook in the near future (or worst case scenario, for Christmas). Any suggestions for cases/covers? I want to make sure it's well-protected, as it will mostly be in my backpack and will be jostled around with a bunch of other stuff. I was thinking of something zippered, so nothing can get between the cover and reader and crack the screen. But every time I have to take it in and out of a cover, there's a good chance I'll drop it. And covers seem expensive. What do you all do?

[Coleen]

Dara, my aunt has the Pride & Prejudice cover and loves it. We just got my dad one for Father's Day too, and I don't remember which cover we got him. Both of them are completely enamored with the Nook. They are both big B&N patrons anyway, so getting the Kindle wouldn't have made any sense. They like the fact that they can go to a B&N for any service issues and talk to someone in person rather than wait to hear from someone about the Kindle. (This is what I was told, not what I know.)

[MissAmy]

Wheee I have a Kindle! Not a lot to add, just that I luuurrve it. I also love the iPhone app so that I always have something to read.

[Herkimer]

Dara, I have this for my Kindle and I'm very happy with it--specifically, the design, which is easel-like instead of book-cover-like. This allows you to prop it up on a table or other surface while you're reading, or lean it up against your legs if you're sitting in bed, or lay it flat, and I think it's also maybe a little nicer for holding, especially one-handed. I haven't had any issues with dirt or grunge getting in the sides, even though I am the kind of person who always has crumbs in the bottom of her purse. It's easy to remove the Kindle when I want a little less bulk (it's always kind of a revelation when I take it out and realize how thin and light it is).

The other thing I would recommend is a skin, as it keeps the device itself free from fingerprints and coffee splashes and the like. They're very cheap.

[Dara]

Coleen, thanks. Taking the unit to the store if I need help is something I hadn't even thought of. For me, it's mostly been about what reader lets me take books out of the library. It's weird; I'm not seeing that cover on the website, but I swear I saw it at the store I'll be getting the Nook from, so I'll check it out.

Herk, ooh, that cover is nice. And the colors! I love the green so much. The only sticking point for me is the price. The Kindle one is a lot cheaper than the Nook one (44.99 vs. 29.99). But I found a similar design in the B&N covers (I love the easel option), but it only comes in black and is only five bucks cheaper. I really want to spend less than thirty, but I do want something that closes or keeps the cover closed, and is fairly sturdy.

This is really helping me figure out what to buy, so thank you!

[Dara]

My local B&N doesn't have the WiFi only Nook in so since I'd have to order it, I called Borders. My local one has a Kobo for customers to try. I figure it can't hurt to go there tomorrow and try it. I played with the Nook a little today, so its features are fresh in my mind.

[Dara]

I am the slaphappy and impatient (for it to charge so I can start taking books out of the library) owner of a nook. I got the WiFi only to save cash and because I am mostly at home, where we have basically no cell phone service. I got this cover, because it's hard and has a closure.

While we were in the store, this little old woman came in to return hers, and a clerk worked with her to learn it. She left as enthusiastic as I was about mine. Which is very. My store even has a nook training class once a week, and they urged me to come back if I have any issues. But I did so much research and spent so many hours just reading on one that I hope I can handle it myself.

Wheeeeee. And thanks to all for the help.

[Geo]

I've been without Internet at home for a few days, and found that the web browser is good for text-heavy browsing like blogs and messagebiards...

[Dara]

Wow, that's clear!

I am still loving my Nook, though it can be slow sometimes (to turn on and off, etc...page turns are fine). I've taken books out of the library and downloaded free books. I probably won't buy many, but if I do, I want to know how I can store them somewhere other than my nook, both the amount of memory and in case it's lost or stolen, or eventually replaced. What do you all do with the books you buy?

Yesterday, my ophthalmologist explained that my eyes have trouble moving side to side, which is one reason reading got so much harder for me. The narrower page of text is something that makes ereading so much easier. I'm so thrilled to have my nook.

[Vladimir Estragon]

There's a slot for a memory card under the back cover, Dara. Doesn't it let you copy your files there?

[Sara]

Vladmir, that is incredibly cool.

[Dara]

There's a slot for a memory card under the back cover, Dara. Doesn't it let you copy your files there?

I know it has a memory slot. I just didn't realize that's why you used a memory card. That makes so much sense.

So I just have to get a memory card? And take it out after I store books on it?

I also know that with Barnes and Noble you can archive books you buy from them and download them later.