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e reader questions

For discussion about electronic reading devices and related issues (pricing, formatting, accessories, comparisons, etc.)
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Kveto from Prague
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 921
Joined: September 2008
Location: Prague, Bohemia

e reader questions

Post by Kveto from Prague » Sat August 28th, 2010, 8:12 pm

the e reader discussions got me thinking, would an e reader be a good choice for me? Im in a bit of a different situation than many others on this site. So any advice is appreciated. Ive never even seen an e reader so i really know nothing about them.

just some info:

I reckon i read about 20 books a year. I dont have a lot of time to read. but recently im in a situation where ill have more "time to kill".

I never buy books from local bookshops. the selection of English books is poor and overpriced. I also dont have time to visit the library often so thats not an option.

I live in Central Europe. Would that affect the e reader in any way? Signals, etc?

I only buy books from websites nowadays, shipped from the UK. The shipping is quite high so i can only afford a few batches a year.

Reading too long on the computer can hurt my eyes. ive tried to read books on the computer and dislike it. Are the e books in a similar style?

I basically only read older books. I read very few books written in the last 20 years. I never read new books or bestsellers.

I had a look at the website on alvins thread with a list a free e books. My mouth watered. With a quick glance i saw a number of books ive wanted to read. with an e reader can you read those for free? no charge?

I read historical non-fiction a lot too. Is an e reader good for non-fiction?

Can an e reader be read in bed without waking the wife with a light?



I may think of a few other points. Id especially like to hear from those with e readers, or who know people with e reader experience. Feel free to say anything as i really know absolutely nothing about e readers. I wouldnt be able to purchase one for awhile anyway so im just gathering info for the future.

thanks
K

G. Alvin Simons
Reader
Posts: 70
Joined: November 2009
Location: Florida

Answers

Post by G. Alvin Simons » Sat August 28th, 2010, 8:51 pm

Kenny,
Shop around & compare features. I went with the Kindle because it's dominating the market & I've done business with Amazon for years & have never had a bad experience. If anything, they've gone above & beyond when responding to my questions. I've had no regrets since buying mine & I've definitely saved money. I'd suggest that you watch the Kindle video on Amazon for more info.
Yes, the books on http://www.manybooks.net can be read on the Kindle. I downloaded 2 books this morning which takes seconds over DSL. The site's books are compatible to all types of readers. If you'll check, you'll notice there's a pulldown menu for the format desired. Kindle is an .azw file type & is listed as Kindle on the free site. For Kindle what you'll have to do is save the desired book to your computer, hook a USB cable between your Kindle & computer, & transfer the book. I don't know how to do this on any other type but I'm guessing it's similar. If you do decide to purchase a Kindle & would like a step-by-step guide to saving free books & transferring them, don't hesitate to send me a Private Message on this site & I'll be glad to help or answer any other questions that I can.
As for your location, if you'd like, try & save one of the books from manybooks.net. If you can, I see no reason why you couldn't then transfer the file to a reader. While Kindle comes with free Whispernet coverage that allows wireless transfers of book bought from Amazon, I'm not sure how that would work in Central Europe. For me in Florida, it takes about 5 minutes for a book to download. There's tons of info & answers,though, at Amazon & certainly someone could let you know.
The Kindle screen is easy on the eyes but is not backlit. You need light to read it. This save battery life. I've read mine for hours at a time with no problems. Kindle features an adjustable FONT size feature that allows the user to select a size they like.
Fiction or non-fiction doesn't matter. I would caution, however, about buying books of photographs. While the images are reproduced & you can see the pictures, it's not the same.
I think that I answered most of your questions. Feel free to PM me if there's something else that I might can explain for you.

I hope that this helps,
Alvin

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Kveto from Prague
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 921
Joined: September 2008
Location: Prague, Bohemia

Post by Kveto from Prague » Tue August 31st, 2010, 6:35 pm

thanks Alvin. Ill write you.

Anybody else got e-book experience? positive or negative?

User avatar
MLE (Emily Cotton)
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3566
Joined: August 2008
Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
Favourite HF book: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger
Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
Location: California Bay Area

Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Tue August 31st, 2010, 6:49 pm

By timely coincidence, this comparison of the various e-readers was just posted on the blog of Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.
http://michaelhyatt.com/the-kindle-nook ... pared.html
Last edited by MLE (Emily Cotton) on Tue August 31st, 2010, 10:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Telynor
Bibliophile
Posts: 1465
Joined: August 2008
Location: On the Banks of the Hudson

Post by Telynor » Tue August 31st, 2010, 7:17 pm

I've had a Nook (the barnes and Noble e reader) for about six months now, and i am very happy with it. What Ive discovered is that fiction reads just great on an e-reader, but nonfiction, if it has photos, drawings, maps or charts, isn't so good -- the picture turns out to be either very faint or very grainy or both, so it's pretty annoying. On the other hand, having an e reader is very nice if you're reading a large, heavy book. So far I haven't noticed any eyestrain from reading as I do with a computer. And the instant gratification factor -- oh, let's not go there, it would be real trouble.

enelya
Reader
Posts: 84
Joined: January 2009

Post by enelya » Wed September 1st, 2010, 8:33 am

I am thinking about buying an e reader as well, and I have found that here in the Netherlands we use a different kind of format, so I can't read all e books on all e readers, dutch books won't work on Kindle. Major frustration. The thing is, I read mainly english novels., so I don't know what to do.
Is an e reader cost efficient enough, are the books really cheaper?

G. Alvin Simons
Reader
Posts: 70
Joined: November 2009
Location: Florida

Enelya See My Answer Above

Post by G. Alvin Simons » Fri September 3rd, 2010, 9:31 pm

I'm not sure what you mean by "Dutch books won't work on Kindle." Do you mean the language or the type of format? Can you not purchase Kindle books from Amazon? The free site that I listed above http://www.manybooks.net offers a variety of formats. Perhaps they have one that is compatible with your e-reader.

I hope this helps,
Alvin

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Susan
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 3746
Joined: August 2008
Location: New Jersey, USA

Post by Susan » Sat September 4th, 2010, 12:32 am

[quote=""G. Alvin Simons""]For Kindle what you'll have to do is save the desired book to your computer, hook a USB cable between your Kindle & computer, & transfer the book.[/quote]

If you have the Kindle that has the free 3G connection, you can download books directly to your Kindle. You can also use the Internet with this type of Kindle. It works like a mobile device, but is a bit quirky (perhaps it's me who is a bit quirky as I don't have I don't use the Internet from my cell phone, so a mobile device is new to me). I especially like it when I am reading historical fiction and I want to look someone up on Wikipedia. I can do it right from my Kindle. I also figured out how to get my email on it.
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/

enelya
Reader
Posts: 84
Joined: January 2009

Post by enelya » Sun September 5th, 2010, 9:22 am

[quote=""G. Alvin Simons""]I'm not sure what you mean by "Dutch books won't work on Kindle." Do you mean the language or the type of format? Can you not purchase Kindle books from Amazon? The free site that I listed above http://www.manybooks.net offers a variety of formats. Perhaps they have one that is compatible with your e-reader.

I hope this helps,
Alvin[/quote]

It is the format we use here that;s the problem. But since posting I have decided to buy a kindle, since I mainly read English, and it is a good opprtunity to read all those classics.

SGM
Compulsive Reader
Posts: 700
Joined: March 2010

Post by SGM » Sun September 5th, 2010, 9:43 am

Having discovered Jonathan Neld's Guide to Historical Fiction online from (I think) Google Books and that many of the books mentioned in it are either OOP or out of copyright, I was able to locate many of them at Archive.net or Gutenberg. I can either download them as text or PDF and read them on my laptop. However, although I don't find any problem reading them on a computer, I can only do this at home and I do a lot of reading on public transport or sitting in cafes etc. I do have mobile phone with the ability to read PDFs but it doesn't really work well for me. I am, therefore, looking for an e-book reader but it has to be about the size of a paperback book to be of any use to me, ie so that I can fit it into my handbag the way a paperback book would.

I truly don't care if it is wi-fi or not as I can always (and am much more likely) to download via PC.

I have yet to make up my mind which I get but suspect that it may well be a Kindle.
Currently reading - Emergence of a Nation State by Alan Smith

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