An electronic book that works? - Page 5

Alex · 02-25-2009, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moonliner

What I'm wondering is how good of a student tool this could be.

Access to all the books, wiki and other sites is a good start. If I could custom build a web site that worked with the Kindle for taking notes, class schedules, IM'ing, etc... it might be a very nice tool.

The rumors are that the next Kindle release will be a larger screen version specifically intended for better display of large textbooks.

That said, I would say that the Kindle is not the appropriate tool for the things you describe. It is intended almost entirely as a reading device and it is pretty good at that. The web capability is just a byproduct of the need to wirelessly get the books from Amazon to your Kindle and is not a particular area of support (and as the comic alludes in the hover text is not a guaranteed feature over time).

Text entry into the Kindle is extremely slow. You can not type quickly on it and so wouldn't really be appropriate for live note taking, IMing, or anything requiring lengthy or formatted text entry (all text entry is of a single line. You can't do even paragraph and certainly know complex formatting).

Plus, the Kindle has great battery life when used as a reading device. The e-ink display takes almost no energy and minimal processor use; just pushing a single button every minute or so while reading a book means the battery lasts for days when you're just reading. But do anything that requires a lot of processing time (such as web browsing) or constant refreshing of the e-ink display (such as a lot of text entry) and battery life isn't great.

Alex · 02-25-2009, 10:17 AM

Posted from my Kindle. Not too bad with specific task in mind but definitely would not surf here as recreation.

Alex · 11-16-2009, 03:21 PM

Be aware that the Nook lending feature is a publisher opt in feature so not every book may have it (and based on the number that disable the Kindle's "read to me" feature I'd say that's a safe bet). And you can only lend a book for 14 days, and to people who also have Nooks or accepted reading clients. And, unless the announcement coverage was wrong, you can only lend a title once.

If you're lending is most likely to be people in the same household (lending is something I would like to have but recognize I'd never actually use) then keep in mind that up to four Kindles can be put on the same account giving each machine rights to a book with just one purchase.

Moonliner · 12-25-2009, 09:10 PM

Merry Christmas everyone.

It was a Kindle Christmas for me. It might wind up being to most expensive present (for me) I've ever received. I've already started loading it up with Computer books, Light Reading, and a selection of free classics I never got around to reading.

That should keep me busy for some time....

Alex · 12-26-2009, 09:04 AM

A recommendation: The Kindle Download Guide has proven a wonderful tool for public domain ebooks.

It is a "book" you can download to your Kindle and is essentially just a set of links to public domain ebooks allowing direct download.

http://www.feedbooks.com/help/kindle#guide

scaeagles · 12-29-2009, 09:14 AM

Wife got a Sony Reader for Christmas and is happy with it. Problem is that you can only use books from the Sony EReader site. That sucks. Other than that she likes it.

Alex · 12-29-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Wife got a Sony Reader for Christmas and is happy with it. Problem is that you can only use books from the Sony EReader site. That sucks. Other than that she likes it.

Are you sure that's correct? One of the plusses I've seen touted for the Sony Readers is their support of DRM-ed ePub format allowing purchases from third-party sites. And non-DRM ePub support should mean that it is possible to read public domain books from all the sites that provide them (Gutenberg, etc.).

But since I'm happy with my Kindle I haven't paid a lot of attention to the Sony Reader line of products (no wireless book purchasing means they don't meet my minimal requirements, though I'm open to moving away from Kindle).

ETA: This message board thread has people talking about getting books onto their Reader from non-Sony stores.

alphabassettgrrl · 12-29-2009, 10:23 AM

Husband has a Kindle and he loves it. I'm not sold, but that's ok. He officially got it to keep technical manuals handy for his job, but he has a few recreational books on it, too.

Strangler Lewis · 12-29-2009, 10:55 AM

The desire to get a Kindle or something similar has me focused on clearing out my huge backlog of unread books.

Alex · 12-29-2009, 10:58 AM

That might be a good plan. My huge backlog of unread paper books remains in my nightstand getting dustier, untouched since I got my Kindle 18 months ago.

Every once in a while I look at the pile and actually think "I do want to read that, maybe I should buy it on Kindle" before deciding that ludicrous and I should just read the book. But the thought of actually lugging books around with me seems vaguely unpleasant to me at this point. How can it possibly be true that I ever read thick hardcover books one-handed standing on BART? How is it I subjected myself to the silent scrutiny of others by so ostentatiously displaying exactly what I'm reading and how far along I am in public places? Oh the horrors of my pre-technological past.

02-25-2009, 10:17 AM	#2
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Posted from my Kindle. Not too bad with specific task in mind but definitely would not surf here as recreation.
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11-16-2009, 03:21 PM	#3
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Be aware that the Nook lending feature is a publisher opt in feature so not every book may have it (and based on the number that disable the Kindle's "read to me" feature I'd say that's a safe bet). And you can only lend a book for 14 days, and to people who also have Nooks or accepted reading clients. And, unless the announcement coverage was wrong, you can only lend a title once. If you're lending is most likely to be people in the same household (lending is something I would like to have but recognize I'd never actually use) then keep in mind that up to four Kindles can be put on the same account giving each machine rights to a book with just one purchase.
	Submit to Quotes

12-25-2009, 09:10 PM	#4
Moonliner 8/30/14 - Disneyland -10k or Bust. Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 9,022	Merry Christmas everyone. It was a Kindle Christmas for me. It might wind up being to most expensive present (for me) I've ever received. I've already started loading it up with Computer books, Light Reading, and a selection of free classics I never got around to reading. That should keep me busy for some time.... __________________ - Taking it one step at a time.
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12-26-2009, 09:04 AM	#5
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	A recommendation: The Kindle Download Guide has proven a wonderful tool for public domain ebooks. It is a "book" you can download to your Kindle and is essentially just a set of links to public domain ebooks allowing direct download. http://www.feedbooks.com/help/kindle#guide
	Submit to Quotes

12-29-2009, 09:14 AM	#6
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	Wife got a Sony Reader for Christmas and is happy with it. Problem is that you can only use books from the Sony EReader site. That sucks. Other than that she likes it.
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12-29-2009, 10:23 AM	#8
alphabassettgrrl Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,978	Husband has a Kindle and he loves it. I'm not sold, but that's ok. He officially got it to keep technical manuals handy for his job, but he has a few recreational books on it, too. __________________ Why cycling? Anything [sport] that had to do with a ball, I wasn't very good at. -Lance Armstrong
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12-29-2009, 10:55 AM	#9
Strangler Lewis Doing The Job Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In a state Posts: 3,956	The desire to get a Kindle or something similar has me focused on clearing out my huge backlog of unread books. __________________ Live now-pay later. Diner's Club!
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12-29-2009, 10:58 AM	#10
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	That might be a good plan. My huge backlog of unread paper books remains in my nightstand getting dustier, untouched since I got my Kindle 18 months ago. Every once in a while I look at the pile and actually think "I do want to read that, maybe I should buy it on Kindle" before deciding that ludicrous and I should just read the book. But the thought of actually lugging books around with me seems vaguely unpleasant to me at this point. How can it possibly be true that I ever read thick hardcover books one-handed standing on BART? How is it I subjected myself to the silent scrutiny of others by so ostentatiously displaying exactly what I'm reading and how far along I am in public places? Oh the horrors of my pre-technological past.
	Submit to Quotes