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What's the Point, Kindle? (rant)

For discussion about electronic reading devices and related issues (pricing, formatting, accessories, comparisons, etc.)
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Rowan
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What's the Point, Kindle? (rant)

Post by Rowan » Tue May 24th, 2011, 5:14 pm

Okay, rather than spending money on Amazon's Kindle for my birthday this year, I decided to buy an iPad onto which I downloaded the Kindle app along with the Nook app and Kodo app. I thought it might be better to have a device that did a little more than just offer books to read.

But now I'm beginning wonder what the point is of even having an e-reader when the books I want to buy to store on my iPad/Kindle aren't even availble in this format. I know that on Amazon and Barnes & Noble you can request for the publisher to distribute the book you want in e-reader format, but how long does that take?

I mean if I'm the only person who wants, say, Ellis Peter's books in Kindle format, then her publisher isn't likely to bow to my wishes. So then I'm SOL.

Sorry to rant, but at this point I don't see myself ever getting an upgrade in the iPad (not really all that keen on touchpad technology). I'm just disheartened.

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Tue May 24th, 2011, 8:59 pm

I just bought myself an ereader which sucks caue the new touch screen nook is coming out in June. :rolleyes: Dumb. But typical of me.

I have been looking and most, not all the books I want are on some type of eformat(is that what you call it??)

I guess the question is what type of books are you trying to get? I mean obviously for us HF novels aren't on the top of the list when it comes to that type of format. Your bestsellers seem to be really hot.
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Rowan
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Post by Rowan » Tue May 24th, 2011, 9:34 pm

One of the authors I want - Ellis Peters - isn't available for Kindle. But Edith Pargeter's Welsh series has been combined into one and sold for Kindle. Same woman. Some of Anne Perry's books are available, but not all and I like only her Thomas Pitt series. The third author, whose name escapes me at the moment, writes kinda like Patricia Cornwell.

It was kinda goofy of me to get the iPad, because I was thinking that if, say, Amazon didn't have a book in ebook format, then Barnes & Noble might, but it's like every other bookstore. Everyone's got the same availability.
Last edited by Rowan on Tue May 24th, 2011, 9:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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cw gortner
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Post by cw gortner » Tue May 24th, 2011, 10:10 pm

If it's any consolation, I bought an ipad because I wanted to download apps that would let me buy e-books from Spain, as it's so expensive to ship the actual books here. Stores will only use DHL, so a $40 purchase turns into $80, with the extra $40 going to shipping. But, it turns out there is no current app (guess I should have checked) for that; only Kobo or Sony readers permit the Spanish e-book format and only if the book is bought in Europe. How they know is beyond me but they do.

So, I now have a rather snazzy and expensive device I'll probably not use very much, at least not for book reading. I did download some books recently before I went to travel and made myself leave all physical copies at home. Of course, the moment I ran across an airport book store I dove in like an addict and bought three books. I was literally in withdrawl.

Something about the glass, the lack of actual pages . . . I must be a freak but I just can't get immersed in the book itself with an e-reader. I'm too aware of the machine. Maybe it just takes practice but I'm an old dog and this particular new trick, for all its raging popularity, has failed to entice me thus far.

Guess I'll end up buried with my piles of tomes, like a bibliophilic pharoah.
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Brenna
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Post by Brenna » Tue May 24th, 2011, 10:36 pm

[quote=""cw gortner""]

Something about the glass, the lack of actual pages . . . I must be a freak but I just can't get immersed in the book itself with an e-reader. I'm too aware of the machine. Maybe it just takes practice but I'm an old dog and this particular new trick, for all its raging popularity, has failed to entice me thus far.

Guess I'll end up buried with my piles of tomes, like a bibliophilic pharoah.[/quote]

You are not a freak, I am the exact same way. My in-laws got me a Kindle for Christmas and I've used it only three times. I just can't seem to get into the book! The book addiction continues!
Brenna

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Wed May 25th, 2011, 1:21 am

I'm still looking at the ebook prices and almost every book I want I can get cheaper in book format. So I'm wondering why the hell I did this? :confused: I guess it will be OK when I use it for travel. I do want to travel more and I hate carrying around 3 books.
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Divia
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Post by Divia » Wed May 25th, 2011, 1:22 am

[quote=""Rowan""]It was kinda goofy of me to get the iPad, because I was thinking that if, say, Amazon didn't have a book in ebook format, then Barnes & Noble might, but it's like every other bookstore. Everyone's got the same availability.[/COLOR][/quote]

I haven't found that to be true. In fact a few books I want are on Kindle only and not the nook. I have to go to Kobo and download them and transfer them over. Not sure how to do that yet.
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SonjaMarie
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Post by SonjaMarie » Wed May 25th, 2011, 2:04 am

I want an Ipad but not for reading, I'm old fashioned, I want the physical book in my hand, though maybe for some of the really, really big door stopper books the Ipad w/Kindle would be good for that.

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Divia
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Post by Divia » Wed May 25th, 2011, 2:19 am

I can understand that. I'm not so sure that I'll like my nook. Its going to be more expensive in the long run if I use it. However it will save space in the house. I just have so many books.
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hfwriter
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Post by hfwriter » Wed May 25th, 2011, 2:26 am

[quote=""cw gortner""]I must be a freak but I just can't get immersed in the book itself with an e-reader. [/quote]

The irony. I'm completely immersed in The Confessions of Catherine de Medici on my Kindle.

Divia, you are so right, actual books are getting cheaper than the ebooks but it's so much easier to read in bed with the Kindle :)

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