Should I buy a Kindle?

[Mistral]

I like the smell of a new book, the scent of the printed page. It's like an old friend. I would stick with paper-while you can't read in the dark if you get glare on electronic screens they can become unusable. Riding a bus or just reading in the park could become a chore. Besides, the proliferation of information in electronic-only formats leaves a window of vulnerability in our society that can't be fixed in the event of the unthinkable. One good EMP burst and that information is gone for good. You have to set fire to a book to destroy it( or pour a grape soda on it-long story for another time) but electronic mediums are very fragile. I say, boycott electronic books-just in case.

 

[Colonel Green]

I'll stick with the library. It's free and has more books available than Kindle.

 

[SeerSGB]

The biggest benefit I can see for me, right now, would be it'd likely be cheaper and easier to keep my reference texts on a Kindle over the stacks of books on the shelves.

That being said, I'd probably miss the action of flipping through pages and the physicality of looking up something in a real book.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I have one, and I like it quite a bit. People talk about it as if it'll replace regular books, with comments about their smell, etc., but it doesn't replace them at all. If there's a Kindle version of a book I want to buy, then I go that route, but I have a pretty good backlog of paper books to read, and if I find a used o discounted paperback that's cheaper than a Kindle edition, I buy that.

It's nice to be able to carry around so many books at once, and I like the option of getting to read a chapter before buying. Another benefit that I rarely see mentioned is the "Save for Later" option. If you're browsing the Kindle store on it, and you see a book you want, you can add it to your "Save for Later" list. I used to go to book stores and see a book I'd want, and I'd be tempted to pick it up before it sells out or goes out of print. But Kindle books don't do either of those things, so you can add them to your saved list and wait to buy until you're ready to read it.

I have 40+ books on my saved list that I might have been tempted to buy in stores or Amazon ("only two more in stock! order soon!"). So it's saved me money and space in that way.

You can also put most public domain books on there for free. It's not much different from other e-readers in that way, though a lot of them are offered in the Kindle store for free by various organizations, which makes finding and downloading them easy. Take Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, for example.

Also, there are promotions on there all the time, especially if you read genre fiction. When a new Dexter book comes out, for example, they'll give away the first novel for free, to get you hooked.

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville, Manifold: Time by Stephen Baxter and The Briar King by Greg Keyes are three current examples. Amazon makes these offers fairly often.

 

[Arrqh]

I would stick with paper-while you can't read in the dark if you get glare on electronic screens they can become unusable. Riding a bus or just reading in the park could become a chore.

Actually the screen of the Kindle, and many other eBook readers, is not an LCD but in fact what's called "electronic paper"... there is no backlight and very little glare problems. Pretty much any situation where paper is readable a Kindle should be.

 

[Miss Chicken]

My parents use them quite often. My father very much likes it because he can control the font size as he has a very hard time reading normal books with some vision problems that he has.

This is one of the main reasons I have been thinking about buying a Kindle. My eyesight is not as good as it used to be and I am having trouble with books in which the font is too small or too feint.

I have been looking though my Amazon wish list and many of the books are not available on Kindle. I can understand that because many of my books on my list are illustrated in colour. However I am a bit disappointed that none of the mystery novels written by Scandanavian authors are available (such as Karin Fossum and Arnaldur Indridason) nor are any novels written by Nobel Prize winner Halldor Laxness.

However most of the Icelandic Sagas are available, as are Agatha Christie books. Though most of the Agatha Christie's books cost $6.79 some are as cheaper $2.99. I have already read most Agatha Christie but I wouldn't mind reading them again and I only own a couple, the rest I borrowed from my sister.

I think I will make a list to see if I can find 50-100 or so books that I know I will read and than compare the prices between buying them in print and buying them on Kindle.

 

[bluedana]

I got my Kindle as a Mothers Day gift and I quite like it. It's nice having (so far) about 25 books that are completely portable in my purse. The non-glare screen is very comfortable, and being able to change the font size is nice. As Spiff said, the Save for Later feature is great, as is the "sample" feature. One aspect I don't use but wish I could is the daily newspaper delivery. I just don't have the time to keep up with newspapers and blogs, but if i did, I'd use it.

Books are wonderful, of course, but I don't have time to get to the library (I work the same hours it's open) or worry about what's due when. I can read my Kindle with one hand, and if I fall asleep it shuts itself off. I keep the wireless off, so the battery lasts for a whole novel usually without recharging. And it's pretty cool to hear about a book on NPR on the drive to work, and be able to shop for it, download it, and start reading it when I get home that night. And I don't have to worry about bringing enough books to last me through a vacation.

 

[stoneroses]

Just buy a book, cheaper

Here, here. It will never break no matter how many times you drop it and not much chance of some scum bag on the tube mugging you at knife point for it.

 

[Joshua Howard]

I'd say no to the Kindle. Lit digital screens tend to foster Theta brainwaves; in other words, mesmorize and put the viewer in a trance. If you want the whole book-reading experience, turn off the computers and phones, and find a place where you can't easily reach any tech gadgets.

Notice that Captain Picard replicates his tea, and in the 24th century the concept of pen and ink seems mostly obselete for practical purposes, but he still reads normal people style books. So should you.

Personally, I don't read very much.

 

[Miss Chicken]

As Arrqh pointed out

Actually the screen of the Kindle, and many other eBook readers, is not an LCD but in fact what's called "electronic paper"... there is no backlight and very little glare problems. Pretty much any situation where paper is readable a Kindle should be.

And I would don't be only reading Kindle, I would still buy printed books.

Has anyone with a Kindle had any problem downloading books? Have the speeds been as good as they say? Are you disappointed in the range of books available for the Kindle? If you have a lot of books on your Kindle can you easily browse through to select one? This are the sort of questions I really want answered.

 

[Sakrysta]

the thing with Kindle is that Amazon has the ability to remove them from your collection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindle#Remote_content_removal
though I doubt they'll ever do it again

If you're ok with the fact that the books are locked in to Kindle and there's the off chance Amazon can reach in and delete your books, go for it. Different people's mileage may vary as the liklihood of them being effected by that stuff in any way really varies.

I'm not quite there yet, as though other media has gone that way, I'm not willing to give up "I paid for this so I own this book now and can do whatever I want with it" as far as books are concerned.

The Amazon Kindle is amazing, but the way I see it is that with any new technology it will be obsolete very soon. If you can wait 2-3 years you can probably get an e-reader that is far better (better screen, coloured screen, more features, etc.) for the same or even less money.

Personally I prefer to avoid bleeding-edge technology and wait for the superior and cheaper mainstream models to come out. But if you don't mind spending the money I say go for it. You would probably enjoy it.

This is pretty much my main hesitation. I am waiting for that elusive all-in-one gadget that the iPhone almost is and will eventually exist - camera, phone, browser, computer. Basically, when they make a PADD, I'll take the plunge. Seriously, in the not-too-distant future, availability and accessibility will improve to the point that the little specialty devices like Kindle & other e-readers will be obsolete. I'm content with regular books until then.

Major cons:

• Amazon controls your files. I'm willing to deal with that for their Video on Demand service because it works with my computer (no extra equipment to buy) and there are things available there I haven't found anywhere else (cancelled shows). And even there, I can download the files to my machine, load them on my media player, and they're there until I delete them. From what I understand, Kindle books only work on the Kindle.
• The Kindle costs way too much. I'd rather just download to my netbook, which is almost as portable and can do a lot more. Bring the price point down below $50, and then you'll have a reasonable purchase.
• The BOOKS cost way too much. The marketers haven't found that magical price point yet. I don't care how much more "convenient" an e-book is - if it costs nearly as much as the physical book, I'm not paying for it. The e-version of a standard MMPB shouldn't break the $2.99 level. New releases should be about $5.99. For something I cannot HOLD, shelve, store, be assured that it will not disappear with the first upgrade or electrical surge, I will not pay anywhere close to the same price as a real book.

I think that sounds like a rant. Sorry. I know lots of people love e-readers. Maybe someday I'll be convinced. But as things stand right now, I just can't see the value versus the cost.

 

[T'Bonz]

I love my Kindle. Just took it on a trip and used it on the plane. It's nice to bring several books for a trip and not have to schlepp them in a suitcase or carryon. Of course, one can't read until one can turn on electronic devices, but I carry a puzzle book at all times.

Some books I prefer to buy and keep, some I prefer to buy via Kindle. So it doesn't replace regular books.

I do not regret in any way having got this. It's fantastic for travel and reasonably easy to use.

 

[Jan]

Has anyone with a Kindle had any problem downloading books?

I had one book (bought from a publisher, not via Amazon) not download properly but I was able to load it to my computer and copy it to the Kindle with no trouble.

Have the speeds been as good as they say?

Yes. The only time it took more than a minute I was in a 'dead zone' at work where no wireless or phones work at all.

Are you disappointed in the range of books available for the Kindle?

Perhaps a little, but then what I'm mostly trying to get is old favorites rather than new books. I don't really expect books that I bought 20 years ago to be available yet. I've been pleased at how many classics are free.

If you have a lot of books on your Kindle can you easily browse through to select one?

Mine is set to show the titles alphabetically so it's no trouble at all. I just page through (6 pages, ten per page, so far) until I find something I want to read. I can also have them displayed by the most recent additions or by author.

Perhaps what made me really fall in love with it when I first got it was realizing that no matter how many books I'm reading, it always keeps my place for me in each. That makes picking up the Kindle no more trouble than picking up a dead tree book.

I don't know if this is an issue with new books but the older books have rather obviously been scanned in so there are sometimes some OCR errors. Also, if there are quotes or the like at the top of a chapter, those don't display (again, in these older books) any differently from the actual text so if you're not already familiar with what you're reading it may take you a moment to understand what's going on.

One other thing I don't think anybody's mentioned is that you can send documents to Amazon for them to send to your Kindle. For instance, I had a long document that I refer to often that I sent to Amazon to 'Kindle-ize' for me. It came within a minute and it only cost 30 cents. The formatting was lost but that was less important than the data itself.

Hope this is helpful. Like I said, I love my Kindle.

Jan

 

[Colonel Green]

Books are wonderful, of course, but I don't have time to get to the library (I work the same hours it's open) or worry about what's due when.

Are you sure about that? Most libraries are open late at least a few days a week. As for the due dates, I just put them in my outlook calendar along with all my other appointments. If it comes up on a busy day, I just renew online, it takes mere seconds.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Can anyone tell me what the largest font size of the Kindle is.

 

[Sephiroth]

call me when you can Download Parasite Eve, Brave Story, the original DOOM novels (back in print now, BTW) and the translated version of Lust, Caution

 

[Bob The Skutter]

One thing to be aware of the price of the books are going to be more expensive for International users. Because they haven't actually entered in to any international agreements for the data, they've just partnered with AT&T, so you pay the cost of international roaming. So it may still be cheaper than paying international shipping fees but they will be more expensive than the prices you're seeing.

From The Guardian

When asked by the Guardian precisely how much downloads would cost, an Amazon.co.uk spokesman revealed that foreign customers - including those in Britain - would be paying $13.99 (£8.75) per book instead of the American price of $9.99 (£6.25). That amounts to a 40% premium for the same title.

...

Providing the wireless download service had proven a sticking point in the company's attempt to launch the Kindle outside America, after the retailer failed to come to an agreement with various mobile phone networks around the world. To push through the launch, the company instead chose to partner with American phone company AT&T, which already has its own international roaming deals around the world - including with British networks O2, Vodafone, Orange and 3.
The cost of receiving data over these roaming connections is notoriously high, however, with AT&T's ordinary mobile phone customers who use the service outside the United States paying just over a penny for each kilobyte of data they download. That means that an average book download would cost the equivalent of £14.39 if sent to a mobile phone.
It is not only customers in Britain and other non-US countries who will be paying extra for their Kindle purchases, however. American customers who take their Kindles outside the United States will have to pay a $2 surcharge on every download - putting the price at $11.98 (£7.49). That is still lower than the international price, however.

 

[BrotherBenny]

I'd say no to the Kindle. Lit digital screens tend to foster Theta brainwaves; in other words, mesmorize and put the viewer in a trance. If you want the whole book-reading experience, turn off the computers and phones, and find a place where you can't easily reach any tech gadgets.

Notice that Captain Picard replicates his tea, and in the 24th century the concept of pen and ink seems mostly obselete for practical purposes, but he still reads normal people style books. So should you.

Personally, I don't read very much.

Maybe you should switch off the computer then and go find a book to read.

The fact of the matter is that a Kindle, or any other eReader for that matter, is worth the money if you read a lot and want to have a large number of books available to read at a moment's notice without carrying a bag full of books with you all the time.

 

[SeerSGB]

As I said up thread, a Kindle would be a big bonus to me cause of not having to keep as many reference books on the shelf. Now if I can just find a way to write it off as a business expense

On a serious note: Kindle owners, how sturdy are the things? I can grab a Pocket-Ref and toss it in the bottom of my bag, and beat the crap out of the bag-- toss it in the trunk, on the floor, etc-- and the Pocket-Ref still works. What sort of pounding can a Kindle take?

 

[Kirby]

Can anyone tell me what the largest font size of the Kindle is.

This won't really help it doesn't say what the sizes are, but there are six differen't sizes. The largest is big and only has about 5 words or so per line.