Anybody here have a Kindle?

[Super T.I.B]

And if so, is it worth my while to purchase said Kindle?

I'm a bit of a book nut and was wondering if this is the way to go or a passing fad?

[El Matador]

And if so, is it worth my while to purchase said Kindle?

I'm a bit of a book nut and was wondering if this is the way to go or a passing fad?

get an Iphone and get the 2.99 ebook reader app 

[Buckethead]

I have several friends who travel extensively and have them. They rave.

I've played with one on a couple of occasions. At this point, its not worth it to me, but with a deployment coming up, that might change very quickly.

[Super T.I.B]

Hmmm, interesting.

They haven't been made available in Australia but that will change in about two weeks time. Looking at how much they charge for a downloaded book compared to how much paperbacks are is a big difference. $8 compared to a $25 paperback and even more for a hardback and not having to lug around books on a trip in your luggage. 

get an Iphone and get the 2.99 ebook reader app 

Stop making so much sense. I have a phone and an ipod already. What's one more bit of technology to carry around gonna hurt?   

[Triple J]

I have a Kindle...it rocks!  Very easy to use, text is large enough, and buying books from Amazon is super quick and easy. They often give a discounted price to Kindle users as well. If you're into reading I think it is definitely worth it. Amazon even has the quirky books I like for the Kindle...not just the NYT best seller list. 

The I-Phone screen would be too small for me, and it would be super annoying if I had to scroll all the time to read a single page. I don't know how it works though...besides, I'd have to buy an I-Phone. 

[Popeye the Sailor]

Have any of you read about the mess where Amazon "Sold" some books they didn't have rights to, then consequently deleted them from the Kindles of people who had bought them? The whole thing was done pretty messily, IMO.


Just remember, using a Kindle, you never actually own that book. I don't know about you, but if I paid money for it, it's mine, and I don't want it to only be mine as long as certain major corporations keep their servers running.

[DesmoLu]

get an Iphone and get the 2.99 ebook reader app 

The ereader app is free for iphones 

you have to not mind the small screen, but i love it. will never replace books for me (I love just the smell of them, the feel of turning the pages, ahhhh) but anyway, its great to have when you wouldn't have normally thought to bring a book.

most of the classics are available for free through Project Gutenberg. If I were the type to read modern books, then it would probably get expensive, but I don't ever read popular books so it works great for me. The best part is the ability to turn any PDF into an ereader file which means, with macs print to pdf function, everything on the internet is a free ebook!

[redxblack]

There's a lot of books I've read in the last few months where I considered an e-book version, but it wasn't available. One book was about 19th century Polish nationalism. It was $75. The entire state library system had 3 copies. I was lucky enough to get one. Until more esoteric and "scholarly" non-fiction is available, it wouldn't do me much good.

[somegirl]

Have any of you read about the mess where Amazon "Sold" some books they didn't have rights to, then consequently deleted them from the Kindles of people who had bought them? The whole thing was done pretty messily, IMO.


Just remember, using a Kindle, you never actually own that book. I don't know about you, but if I paid money for it, it's mine, and I don't want it to only be mine as long as certain major corporations keep their servers running.

http://www.examiner.com/x-12973-Long-Island-Books-Examiner~y2009m10d2-AmazonKindle-reach-settlement-in-Orwell-nuking

[il d00d]

Yeah that Orwell thing.  I thought that was a joke when I first read it.  What is that word?  Orwelly?  Orwelliscious?

Another caveat for the emptor:
"And, here's the kicker folks, once you reach the cap you need to repurchase the book if you want to download it again."

I am not a big fan of reading things for pleasure on a screen.  If I could print out the internet I would.  I also don't like the way DRM is implemented in many cases, so the kindle would be a "no" for me.

If no one is bothered by this, both my mom and sister have them, and love them.  My mom is a bit of a luddite so take that as an endorsement and a triumph of technology over a hatred of technology.

[il d00d]

Pretty cool - 18k free books just posted on Amazon.  Google has many more, but this is good news for Kindle owners.
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/12/amazon-adds-over-18-000-free-public-domain-titles-to-kindle-stor/

[Speedbag]

Just remember, using a Kindle, you never actually own that book. I don't know about you, but if I paid money for it, it's mine, and I don't want it to only be mine as long as certain major corporations keep their servers running.

+1

Part of the coolness of reading (for me anyway) is having the copy of each book on the shelf when you're done, whether you ever read it again or not.

Same goes for CDs. Gotta have the cover art and liner notes. 

[hihhs]

My SO bought a Kindle for me for Christmas when they first came out.
LOVE IT!
I also have the Kindle app for my iphone.
The iphone app and the Kindle synchronize so that each device stays current. Say you read to page 212 on your Iphone, when you open the same book on your kindle. The Kindle will synch to the that page also.
For anyone that reads a lot, I highly recommend it.

[Triple J]

Part of the coolness of reading (for me anyway) is having the copy of each book on the shelf when you're done, whether you ever read it again or not.

Same goes for CDs. Gotta have the cover art and liner notes. 

I agree with CDs...books not so much for me. I usually end up donating them after I'm finished.

[JEFF_H]

the kindle (and the sony one) are easier to stare at than a regular computer screen.

i average a book a week or so.
i go to the library now.
take all the money i save from buying books and spend it on wine to drink while i read.
win/win.