gingerlemon Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Does anyone here use e-readers? What is you experience with them? Are they worth the money? Have you tried different ones and would you recommend a particular brand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petite Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 They are becoming more and more popular as time goes on. If you travel a lot or if you're a student a Kindle might be beneficial for you. I've never owned a Kindle myself only because I decided to get an iPad which allows me to have 3G and because I'm always on the go I don't need to carry my laptop everywhere, the good thing about it it's not a e-reader but provides applications such as iBooks and Kindle app that allow you to read books on the iPad. Of course it's a lot more pricey than the Kindle or other e-readers, but in the end worth it because it provides more and it's more versatile.With most readers you have to be prepared to purchase the books online and most books are anywhere from $7-$13 (amazon prices usually). The downside to this is that you don't have the physical book, it's all electronic and while it's easier to carry one item, I find myself buying books because I prefer to have them on my self rather than just electronically so it can be pricey if you buy a book electronically really enjoy it and then want the physical aspect of the book too. On the other hand there are many free books, and with the iPad if you JB (jail break) you can also download books from torrents and just transfer them via iTunes - albeit it's illegal to download Copyrighted material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonasWaingaro Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I have an iPad as well and love it. Though it's a lot more than an e-reader so overkill for a lot of folks. Not to mention they aren't cheap. But for me well worth the price. The iPad pretty much replaces my laptop most of the time. As a reader it's excellent and the typeface looks great. The new white iPad2 is gorgeous! I almost bought one 2 weeks ago. lol Yay self-discipline! I've never owned a kindle but see them a lot. They look good. More utilitarian but the typeface is very good. A friend just got a nook and really likes it. I think they're about the price as a kindle. There are a whole slue of new tablets/readers coming out so your options will increase. I will say that I still prefer books. I like the experience of holding a book, turning pages, the smell, etc. I'm also a big used book fan which you do not have with an e-reader. Anyhoo if you're a big reader then yes, they are totally worth getting. More options to read is a win-win! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerlemon Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 Thanks, guys! I was wondering about whether an iPad would a better investment. They are really expensive, though, I'd have to do a bit of saving first. Can I ask you what you actually use your iPads for? Because I could kind of see myself maybe getting one but then not actually using half of its potential = kind of wasting money... I really like the physical experience of a book, too, so I'd definitely miss that aspect. But I like the portability of an e-reader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonasWaingaro Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 I use mine to surf the net, email, IM sometimes, watching movies/TV (streaming and D/Led stuff), a few games, reading. I also dump my photo's onto mine so I can go through them, and show trip photos to people. Very nice for that. Music, it's an iPod as well. It's a fairly versatile device. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Asti_ Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I can't seem to bring myself to use my e-reader. I received it two Christmases ago, and think I read one book on it and hated the entire experience. I am a huge reader, and I think for me the biggest part is the whole experience. The feel of the cover, cracking open a new book, seeing the font, holding the book, etc. I was so annoyed with the reader [its the Sony Reader] my eyes become so strained and burned, found it had crappy battery life, etc. In fact, I don't even know where I have put it! Now my two cousins are huge readers, and go through books like crazy. Them and my aunt all have a Kindle, and love it! They take it everywhere, and love the ease of getting new books and filling them up. They find the ease and convenience a huge thing for them. I guess its a personal thing. But for me, its just a piece of technology I don't see the need for...or feel strongly about. I like a good old book in my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerlemon Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 Yes, I totally know what you mean about feeling the book in your hand. I feel the same way. I think I've gone a bit off the Kindle idea. One of the great pull factors for me was to be able to carry all my work related literature around, but having checked on amazon a lot of the literature I read/ need isn't available in a kindle format, and there also isn't that much money to save on the kindle version vis a vis the paper backs. I've also seen varied reviews on the pdf function (which was another feature I was attracted to, again so I could easily access work documents), so I think I'll put the kindle purchase on hold for now (or maybe save for an iPad instead, I like the versatility of it as Jonas said). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonasWaingaro Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Have you looked at the Nook? It gets fairly good reviews. Also looks like a few new ones are hitting the stores this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerlemon Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 I saw it briefly on the net when I was looking around some weeks back, but it seemed to be an American thing - I'm not sure if it works over here in Europe? But I'll have another look. I think part of the problem is that academic publishers just haven't really opened up to that bit of the market/ academics are too caught up in their physical books to request e readers versions of that kind of literature. Which is annoying. But I guess it will look quite different in a decade or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonasWaingaro Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Aaah, yeah. You are probably right as the Nook is through Barnes and Noble. Though since it's through the net ya never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petite Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 I use the iPad for travel, e-mail, office documents, taking to meetings instead of laptop, remotely connecting to computer, browsing, watching shows, movies if I am away, and reading books/magazines. It is a lot more pricey than the Kindle, however, offers a lot more too. Since the iPad 2 came out, the original iPad has gone down in price of course. So you might want to look for deals on Ebay or other places for either a brand new or second hand. People usually take care of Apple products so even if you were to get a second hand one, I doubt that it would be damaged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hers Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I will say that I still prefer books. I like the experience of holding a book, turning pages, the smell, etc. I'm also a big used book fan which you do not have with an e-reader. Anyhoo if you're a big reader then yes, they are totally worth getting. More options to read is a win-win! This is my opinion as well. We have a Kindle and while it's great, it doesn't beat holding a real book. I rarely read on the Kindle. My husband does all the time. It's great to travel with but I much prefer the books themselves, b/c I often look at the covers and read the book descriptions between chapters (a weird thing i do). I also like how some mass produced books have upcoming book covers and synopses in them, as well as letters from the author and author's bio and such. I haven't' found on the Kindle any that do that so far. So i like real books better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerlemon Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 I use the iPad for travel, e-mail, office documents, taking to meetings instead of laptop, remotely connecting to computer, browsing, watching shows, movies if I am away, and reading books/magazines. It is a lot more pricey than the Kindle, however, offers a lot more too. Since the iPad 2 came out, the original iPad has gone down in price of course. So you might want to look for deals on Ebay or other places for either a brand new or second hand. People usually take care of Apple products so even if you were to get a second hand one, I doubt that it would be damaged. Yes, I think this is a good idea - I'm going to start keeping an eye on ebay and see what comes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seymore Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 If you're looking simply for an e-reader, I'd strongly advise against an iPad. I tried to read one outdoors and due to glare it just wasn't happening. Plus reading on something with a backlit screen can tire your eyes. I love reading on my Kindle. The e-ink is very easy on the eyes and it's lightweight and affordable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerlemon Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share Posted July 6, 2011 Yes, I totally see what you mean about the iPad not being great for reading. What I've realised lately is that a lot of the literature I would like isn't actually available in a Kindle format yet. When it comes to fiction, I don't really feel a great need for a Kindle because I never read a novel more than once, and I tend to pass it on for someone else to read afterwards. So the main pull factor for me was to be able to carry lots of work related books and pdfs around with me. But the potential seems to be a bit limited for that. It will probably be much better in five to ten years, though. So I was thinking in the mean time, an iPad with more functions might be a better investment - but I see what you mean, it wouldn't really be a suitable e-reader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonasWaingaro Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I've had no issues with the backlighting. The backlight can be adjusted down. Glare isn't that bad - but then I live in a sunless environment. =p For me, the iPad is an excellent reader. It depends on the person as always. You would be able to read PDF's with an iPad. It's a pretty nifty device. I can understand it's not for everyone though. I got my mom one and she LOVES it. Kinda funny as she normally avoids computers at home like the plague - she works all day w/computers. Been a great investment for me and mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerlemon Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Oh, that sounds pretty good, then. I need to wait until the fall before I spend any larger chunks of money, but will keep an eye on ebay in the mean time. A friend of mine is lending me her Kindle to check it out for a few days (she got it as a present but never uses it), so I'm going to have a final look at that, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petite Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I seriously think the glare is not that much of a problem because the device makes up in other ways. I realize some people prefer Kindle and I can see why some people might like it but I wouldn't spent money on a device that only gives me the option of reading books or browse. iPad allows you to e-mail, skype, log in to your home computer/work, use as a recorder (I use iPad to record some things and transfer to my computer by logging to the home network. It's such a versatile device that really makes the glare not such a huge deal in my opinion. Seriously how much time do you think you ill be spending outside-in-the-sun reading a book? I usually prefer to take actual books with me to the beach or magazines because I'd rather lose a book or have that stolen than a phone/iPad etc. There are more and more students with iPad's now rather than laptops. I was at a lecture not long ago at my old uni and I think about 40% of the attendees came with an iPa instead a bulky laptop. It's such a great device, especially if you do a lot of typing, and there are office applications which you can get from the app store that will allow you to create documents etc. It's the only thing I now take to meetings. Ginger, one thing I will suggest, keep checking ebay, if you see a sale of second hand iPad, ask the seller for ACTUAL pictures. Like I said before many iPad owners are selling the 1st version because iPad 2 came out, not because they are faulty. Another thing I want to say, initially I bought the 64G 3G which is the most expensive iPad. I find that i do use the 3G but only if I'm not home or places I can get wi-fi, so if you feel the 3G isn't something you will find useful don't get an iPad with it. Also the size, 64GB is a lot. I have about 900 books in the iBook app, and probably around 200-250 in the Kindle app. Lots and lots of music, work docs, personal stuff, pictures, and I am not even half way to using the space. A lot of people decide that the 16GB or 32GB is better for them - at this point I think I'd stick with a smaller size too since I use an iTouch for music while exercising. I've read that some people use iPad to read while exercising - I think the exercise itself would be crappy if you're concentrating on reading and it's rather bulky to take to a gym, never mind a run. Oh, I almost forgot. If you're a student, you get a discount if you get from the Apple store - so that might be an option if you want the iPad 2 (which is a bit lighter, and has a camera). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerlemon Posted July 8, 2011 Author Share Posted July 8, 2011 Thanks for all that, Petite! That's really useful with your comments on size and 3G, because I've been wondering to what extent that would be worth the extra money relative to the kind of use I'd be doing. I might still consider the 3G as I currently can't check emails on my phone (it's one of those very old ones), but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't need anything larger than 32GB, and maybe 16GB would be fine as you say. I'd like to stick my music on there, but I don't store films and hardly ever take pictures so it would mainly be for music (not too much of that either) and documents/ books. And thanks for the tips about asking for real pictures from sellers, that's a really good point. I didn't realise that it was common to use iPads for taking extensive notes - is the 'keyboard' user friendly in terms of writing over longer periods of time (say, for example, taking notes throughout a full day seminar)? I'm used to touch typing pretty fast on my laptop. Can you do that on an iPad or is it very different to use in terms of typing? On taking stuff to read to the gym, I've done that quite often with real books, but only on certain exercise machines (like a bike or the cross country skiing ones), when you're not jumping up and down too much as you're going along. The trick is to take a book or a magazine that will stay open on the pages you're reading, so that they don't flip over without you holding them down, it's really annoying when that happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petite Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 To give you a rough estimate on the size. I have an iTouch 16GB (give 2Gb for the software or whatever it's called and I'm left with 14.5GB) 1051 songs; 19 pictures; 65 applications; and still have 9.1GB The iPad is 64GB but there are till 43GB free even though I've got got 81 applications; 150 pictures some music, some videos, and the iBooks and Amazon Kindle app hold together over 1000 books and a bunch of documents and stuff and thousands of emails. As far as size goes, I'd probably stick to a smaller size second time around unless I see that I really need the extra space. Well I think it depends where you live, just came back from New York and often saw people wit iPads, actually I was in a meeting there and a few managers came in with their iPads and all the necessary company info on the little device. I'm sure this isn't the case in all companies, but many people seem to really enjoy the iPad and it's versatility. The keyboard is rather good and whilst it isn't a physical keyboard it's very user friendly. I often compose work e-mails from the iPad and feel the speed is no different than on a physical keyboard, actually maybe even faster. The only downside is the backspace/delete button because it's a touch device if you make a mistake you need to move your finger to the mistake instead of using a mouse and clicking the place immediately - however, it isn't often a problem and you get used to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerlemon Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Wow - 16B should be plenty for me, then. Thanks a lot for that break down. And with the easy typing, I'm liking the thought of an iPad even more. Thanks for sharing all that, petite, very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petite Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 You are most welcome, gingerlemon. I wish you luck in finding a well priced iPad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drake89 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I'm a traditonal kind of person. My sister has a kindle and she buys a lot of e-books. I've used it once but it just doesn't feel the same as holding a true, hardcover book. Maybe I'm being to petty, but I much prefer holding a book in my hand than a kindle. And a bunch of stocked up files will never beat the beauty of an oak bookshelf brimming with novels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerlemon Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Yes, I still LOVE the feel of 'proper' books and newspapers, it's definitely a different reading experience for me. It's the mobility aspect that attracts me with the Kindle/iPad. I've moved so much and travel a fair bit with work, and being able to carry around tons of documents and books in one little device just seems so super practical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undertakers Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I saw it briefly on the net when I was looking around some weeks back, but it seemed to be an American thing - I'm not sure if it works over here in Europe? But I'll have another look. I think part of the problem is that academic publishers just haven't really opened up to that bit of the market/ academics are too caught up in their physical books to request e readers versions of that kind of literature. Which is annoying. But I guess it will look quite different in a decade or so. I've gone a bit off the Kindle idea. One of the great pull factors for me was to be able to carry all my work related literature around, but having checked on amazon a lot of the literature I read/ need isn't available in a kindle format, and there also isn't that much money to save on the kindle version vis a vis the paper backs. I've also seen varied reviews on the pdf function (which was another feature I was attracted to, again so I could easily access work documents), so I think I'll put the kindle purchase on hold for now (or maybe save for an iPad instead, I like the versatility of it as Jonas said). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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