Originally Posted by Herb (Post 172792)

Do you have any experience with Amazons electronic book. I am interested and would like to hear about it. Thank you, Herb

Originally Posted by dblwyr (Post 291466)

THe Sony requires a computer to transfer the book to the reading device, as does the Nook from Barnes and Noble.

Originally Posted by K9-Lovers (Post 297146)

Took a look at the Nook (poetry, ahhh), last week at Barnes & Noble and you no longer need a computer. It has 3G technology now. All library books are free. I'm a gonna get one!!!

Originally Posted by jblum8156 (Post 307799)

price of a downloaded Kindle ebook is about $9 - $10

Originally Posted by dominick (Post 241196)

Not that it means anything, but the latest issue of Money Magazine rated the Barnes and Noble Nook over the Amazon Kindle and the Sony ebook versions.
I guess that I'm "Old School" in this respect. I read a lot, and I really enjoy going down to Barnes and Noble to spend some time and buy a book. I know that I could browse the books using the ebooks, but I suspect that I wouldn't like it as much. I like the "feel" of skulking around B & N and picking out a new book.
One question though, and this could easily change my entire perception of book buying---(always looking for a deal) I read mostly non-fiction new releases and best sellers. I'm in the B & N club and receive 30% to 40% discounts on most purchases that I make, plus regular coupons for an additional 15%. This brings down the out of pocket price for a newly released book from $28 to $15 - $16 (including tax). What would be the price of a similar book using the ebook devices???

Originally Posted by brostholder (Post 313604)

Google just announced that they will be offering ebooks to compete with Amazon. I have owned a kindle for about a year now, and I love it. But Google's ebooks will be able to be downloaded on iPads, iPhones, and the Barnes and Nobel Nook, but not on my kindle. I think that if I had to do it all over again, I would just get an iPad. Again, I have been very happy with my kindle but would also like to have access to all the books that google has scanned into their database.

Originally Posted by BBQMan (Post 175583)

I have been using my Kindle since it came out last year. It is a wonderful device that despite being expensive 'out of the box' will save you money on books, newspapers and magazines. It also means a lot less to lug around with you. You can store about 200 books on a Kindle in this nice slim 10 oz package. Most NYT best sellers are $9.95 and the classic books cost only a dollar or two. You will never lose your place in a book again and you will be spared the drudgery of moving boxes of books!

I urge anyone who is interested to go to Amazon.com and then click over to Kindle. The product has been very well thought out and is a breeze to use. BTW Font sizes are easily changed but the color is B&W only. I'll check back if someone has questions.

Originally Posted by BBQMan (Post 315792)

IIMHO, Google has made serious mistakes getting into the ereader market. The Alex is nearly three times the price of the entry Kindle ereader - Kindle 3. They use the same technology for reading, E ink, though Kindle has a newer and better generation. Alex has the same size-reading screen as Kindle 3 and B&N nook - 6". The critical difference is that Alex and Nook they have the same battery life, 6 hours. Kindle 3 has a battery life of 28 DAYS.

Alex also tried to compete with Apple's iPad. The iPad is nearly the equal of a laptop and easier to carry than any laptop including the Mac Air. Failing to use full capable MS applications is its greatest shortfall. Alex falls so far short of this that it is no contest. Again, Alex has a 6 hour battery life and iPad has a ten hour life (I have verified that for the iPad).

Google tried to find a 'sweet spot' between Kindle and iPad - they discovered by trying to be all things too all people, they failed and the result was an ereader that did nothing particularly well and fell short in all too many areas.

If you want a reader - get Kindle. If you want a multipurpose tablet, get the iPad. Sony, Barnes & Noble, Google, etc. are similar to Commodore and Radio Shack in the early days of personal computers.

As for the libraries, Kindle books can be read on computers, iPads, iPhones and Android phones and readers. Google, for some reason, has chosen not to make its books unavailable to Kindle owners. Making your books unavailable to more than 75% of the market makes no sense to me.

I've used every generation of Kindle as well as recent generations of iPhones and iPads. I take my iPhone and iPad nearly everywhere I go. I take my Kindle 3 when I need something smaller than the iPad and want to travel light. It is lighter, fits into the side pocket of my blazer and never needs a charger during the trip. Just my input to the discussion.

Originally Posted by Pturner (Post 315955)

I agree with your assessment about the ereaders. I haven't sprung for an iPad. I've used one, but I can't get passed it being just a bigger iPhone without the phone and camera. As a mini-computer, a netbook is more versatile, assuming you already have all those cool iPad/ iPhone apps on your iPhone. Guess I'm in the minority on that one! :duck:

Originally Posted by iandwk (Post 315807)

After looking at the Kindle at Staples and the Nook at B&N, we decided to splurge and buy an ipad. You can get free apps for the Kindle and the Nook, plus ipad has their own store for books. I have a very difficult time trying to type on the keyboards that come with the Kindle and the Nook, but can type very well on the ipad. Plus the ipad does a lot of the things that I customarily do with a desktop. Also, since my wife and I both bought one (our Christmas gift to one another), we can both download the same book at the Kindle store since we are using the same Amazon account. You pay a bit more but you get a lot more imho.

One great advantage we have found with an e-reader is the use of the Bible. It's free, it's searchable, and has many other unexpected features. Great for taking to church. Often during a sermon or Bible class something is said that reminds me of a passage, and I seldom can remember where it is. No problem with an e-reader. Just type in a couple of the words and all passages with that combination of words comes up. I think the same feature works with other books, also.

I still like to sit with a book in my lap, but I love the ipad.

Originally Posted by Pturner (Post 238805)

Go for it!

Hoping it will help you decide, here are exerpts from the review I posted on Amazon around May 2008, shortly after purchasing the Kindle 1:

Oh for the love of Kindle! In the month I've owned it, I've spent at least an hour a day (often more), dog at my side, cat in my lap, Kindle in hand, lost in a good read. It has exceeded my expectations because:

* It's easy to read on Kindle. I hate reading text on a computer screen. Reading Kindle is in some ways easier on the eye than reading a print book. For example, pick the size type you want. I read Kindle with its cover on, so it feels like holding a book-- except lighter.

* Need to look up a word in the dictionary? You're a scroll and two clicks away. One more click returns you to your place in the book. As a result, I look up more words that I'm unsure of than I used to.

* Want to read an endnote? Again, you're a scroll and click away--and another click returns you to where you were.

* You can bookmark pages, highlight text and take notes. These are all saved for easy retrieval. Want to search for something in the book you didn't highlight, bookmark or make a note about? No Problem. You can type in a search.

* There's no need to bookmark the page you stopped on. No matter how many different items (books, magazines, blogs, newspapers) you might be reading, when you open an item, it opens to the page you left off.

* With these and other capabilities you would think there would be a learning curve. Not. It is remarkably intuitive and easy to use immediately.

* Kindle is easy to carry in my purse. Waiting at the doctor's office or standing in a long line is no longer irritating. I just turn on Kindle, select content-- and feel content. Wow.

* Wirelessly downloading content is a breeze. It's amazingly easy to find what you are looking for. You can read reviews or download just the first chapter for free before deciding whether to buy. You can save items to buy later, then return to your saved items easily.

* Subscriptions are delivered before you wake up in the morning. Wake up, get coffee, start reading the morning paper. To think you used to have to throw on something decent and go to the end of the driveway!

* It takes two hours to charge and the charge lasts a week even with a lot of reading. Battery life is less when you download content.

Kindle was worth every penny I paid. Let me be the first to make it a verb it: I Kindle daily.

Originally Posted by BeeGee (Post 316559)

I, too, like the idea of taking the Kindle w/me to Church. I've read some reviews, however, about the "print" wearing off the keys on the Kindle. Has anyone experienced this? Thanks

Originally Posted by BeeGee (Post 316571)

Anyone have any trouble w/keys wearing off?

Originally Posted by mrbillmidlo (Post 316612)

Agree with logdog. We bought the Nook because the local library had lots and lots of free downloadable books. Liked the Kindle, but the best buy for us is the Nook. Too bad Sumter library does not do digital books.