Scott W Posted January 10, 2013 eReaders. What is everyone's opinion on them. Do you enjoy them? Which one do you use? Also, if you don't use one, how come? I'll start off that I own a Kindle 2 and use to read it on the train. I loved how convenient it was to read on public transit (easy to hold in one hand, can carry multiple books with me, etc). However, I've just recently in the last few months made the switch back to paper and I think I've settled on physical books again. One of the things that made me switch back to physical was the Kindle 2's screen resolution wasn't that great IMO, especially when you compare to a real book. Plus, there's just something about reading an actual, physical book in my hands. Also I missed perusing my local bookstore, especially the used & recommendation section, for cool finds. I don't know, maybe the newer Kindles or iPad Mini are better than my 3+ year old Kindle 2. They have a higher resolution, plus a backlight, etc. However, I'm happy now to have made the switch back to physical books. Plus I got a sweet stack of the Idle Book Club books for Xmas! (Evidence of Things Unseen + Telegraph Ave) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Orv Posted January 10, 2013 I have a Nook HD, it stores a large amount of books in a portable format and is easy on the eyes for extended reading. Which is about where my discussion on e-readers starts and stops. They work, they're quite good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gregbrown Posted January 10, 2013 Having tried a Kindle, I just find it harder to become engaged in the book itself. Plus this is really dumb, but I love having a bookshelf with all the books I've read and want to read; it really helps with remembering what I've read, and persuading myself to tackle another book. I am also a huge stickler for trade paperbacks, and love the way it feels to read them. My wife is the polar opposite, and loves impulse-buying books on her Kindle—which is really annoying because it totally torpedoes our ability to share books. My fault, but urgh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Argobot Posted January 10, 2013 When I lived abroad, I bought a Nook so I bring books with me without weighing down my luggage. I think I read two books before the stupid thing broke completely. That was my first and last real experience with ebooks. My wife is the polar opposite, and loves impulse-buying books on her Kindle—which is really annoying because it totally torpedoes our ability to share books. My fault, but urgh. It's actually completely reversed with my BF and myself. He's a big believer in ebooks and I prefer physical ones (which is fine because our apt does not have the space to contain all those books). Personally I like being able to physically see what my progression is when I'm reading a book and I actual prefer the weight of a physical book versus a kindle/nook/iPad. I do envy the ability to impulse buy books though. Although, maybe it's better for me that I don't have the ability to instantly purchase whatever book I want. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thyroid Posted January 10, 2013 I'd like one, but I can't buy the damn eBooks. I can't even accept gifts. It is annoying. I know I like them, though, because that's how I read the classics. My wife is the polar opposite, and loves impulse-buying books on her Kindle—which is really annoying because it totally torpedoes our ability to share books. My fault, but urgh. Or, you know, hers. I'm sure she can grab a paperback and skim it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tegan Posted January 11, 2013 I know that a Chinese manufacturer developed colour e-ink last year and right now I'm waiting to see where that technology goes before I make a commitment, since I like comics and illustrations as well as prose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLastBaron Posted January 11, 2013 I have a Kindle which I use to read 90% of the books I read these days, and a Nexus 7 tablet which I use almost only for reading comics. I like both and prefer both over physical books, though in some cases there are certain books I think work better in book form, mostly things that require flipping back and forth like something with an appendix that matters, but I haven't read a book like that in some time and it would still be easy enough to do since with a Kindle you can just search for things or put a bookmark at the appendix or something. As for the having a physical collection aspect, I can definitely understand it, but personally am fine with digital copies in most cases. With comics especially I much prefer having a digital library as opposed to a stack, but I also still buy paper editions of certain books that I know I'll want to have hard copies of to look at or share or whatever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nappi Posted January 11, 2013 I have mixed feelings about eReaders. I like physical books and I enjoy watching them take more and more space in my bookshelf. However, some time ago I ruined the skin of my fingers a bit with a shampoo that I was allergic to, a now handling paper for extended periods tends to dry my skin quite a bit, which is very irritating. Moreover, I often read during my short commute between home and work and have troubles keeping my paperbacks, especially the thicker ones, in good shape. For these reasons, I have been eyeing Kindle Paperwhite which unfortunately is still not available for delivery to Finland. I think I would still buy physical books regularly, though, especially if they look beautiful. The ideal situation for me would be a Book + Digital copy bundle similar to those Bluray + DVD + Digital copy things for movies. Does anyone know if these exist? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TychoCelchuuu Posted January 11, 2013 I like books much better than eReaders, although I own a Kindle because I use it for reading PDFs. When it comes time to buy a book, though, unless it's much cheaper digitally, I always buy a hard copy. It's going to be a pain in the ass when I move but books own. This despite my realization that it's bad for the environment to print this stuff on dead trees. I just prefer holding a bulkier softer thing in my hand as opposed to my thin little plastic/rubber Kindle. It's also nice to be able to flip pages really fast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott W Posted January 11, 2013 The ideal situation for me would be a Book + Digital copy bundle similar to those Bluray + DVD + Digital copy things for movies. Does anyone know if these exist? Yeah I hope the publishers eventually begin to move towards what the movie & music industry have already been doing the past few years w/ the Bluray + DVD + Digital combo packs. I own a vinyl player and even when you buy a newly released record, they usually include a download code to own the music digitally. It just makes sense, especially when you think about how little it costs the publishers to distribute an individual digital book. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craymen Edge Posted January 11, 2013 I do like physical books for the feel, for the way they look on my shelves, for the feel of the paper, the covers etc. but I'm reading more and more ebooks these days for purely practical reasons. It's easier to carry a an eReader around with me all the time, and storing or getting rid of books responsibly (whether by selling, giving away, recycling) is getting to be a pain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seamus2389 Posted January 12, 2013 I do like physical books for the feel, for the way they look on my shelves, for the feel of the paper, the covers etc. but I'm reading more and more ebooks these days for purely practical reasons. It's easier to carry a an eReader around with me all the time, and storing or getting rid of books responsibly (whether by selling, giving away, recycling) is getting to be a pain. I bought a Kindle for the same reasons. The only thing I would miss is being able to look at all the books organised on the shelves/bookcase and have the impulse to randomly read a bit of one. Also agree about how much of a pain getting rid of books can be. Sold about 250 with another 150 to go, gonna be happy to no longer have to lug bags of them to the 2nd hand bookstore. I plan to keep onto some physical books - LOTR cause they were the first books I ever bought and a few other books that have some meaning beyond the story themselves. Hope to get it to about 20 books and however many comics/books I can't get digitally. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeremywc Posted January 12, 2013 I like the aesthetic of a physical book, especially nicely bound hard covers with quality type setting. But I find that it takes me longer to finish physical books because when I try to carry one with me between work or home, I frequently leave it where ever I'm not. Cloud syncing on Kindle and Google Books is just too convenient to pass up, so most of my book purchases are eBooks these days, unless it's a book I'm especially looking forward to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vorlonesque Posted January 12, 2013 I've been using my tablet (a Toshiba Excite and a Thrive before that) as an e-Reader lately and its very nice. I love books, but they take up a lot of space and one thing I lack is space (lack of space is the thing that keeps me from ordering one of those crazy Analogue Interactive hand made wooden NeoGeo MVS consoles...though I may just bite the bullet on that anyway...because I've always wanted a NeoGeo and those things are soooo cool being made out of wood and all (at least to me...but I sometimes have weird tastes)...hell I'd have a Sony PVM CRT broadcast monitor just for old consoles and shit (and then I could hook up said NeoGeo MVS to it)). Using the kindle and nook apps on my tablet (along with comic book apps like the Dark Horse app and others) I can save a ton of space that would be filled by both books I will read and books I mean to read but never will for lack of time. Its like Steam...I wouldn't have that many games if I had to physically store them somewhere...but since I don't I can buy whatever I want (now Amazon and B&N just need to embrace the whole crazy Steam sale model). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brkl Posted January 12, 2013 I've got a kindle. I've got no problems with the actual e-ink display. Reading it is fine. However, the interface needs work and unfortunately reading PDFs is a chore. It would be _so useful_ to me if PDFs worked better, because I've got a ton of articles and a couple of books on PDF, but unfortunately it doesn't work well enough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted January 12, 2013 Apart from the inevitable piracy of books (which was incredibly rare before eReaders were invented) I still think they're a pretty good idea, especially if you're travelling. Being able to take a stack of books and movies in one device (my iPad) is great -- plus I can read PDFs and things on it. That said, I used to read quite regularly on my iPad, but now I've started to find myself playing games instead. Bah! Not what I intended. Plus, it's a little too big for public transport, and it's very heavy to hold for any good length of time, too. In all, it's not great for reading books. I'd consider selling it and switching to an iPad Mini, but the screen looks really blocky by comparison. I see other people holding their Kindle's with one hand, enjoying their books, and I'm a bit jealous. Lately, I've found myself missing being able to literally flip through a book. Especially reference books, which I need sometimes. Hum! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nachimir Posted January 13, 2013 I have a Kindle 4, and find I'm more inclined to actually get all the way through a book on it. I have all kinds of half-read paper books lying around, but if I start something on the kindle I usually finish it. I also like that it's so thin and hence easy to pack. If you travel or commute a lot, Kindle > paper. I did try reading a PDF on it before, stared at it slack jawed for a few seconds, then quietly closed it and went back to a formatted ebook. That and searching really do kind of suck on it, but reading and marking pages work well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stash Posted January 13, 2013 I have been using a Kindle for a few years and I generally really like it. Sometimes .mobi formats display the pages in percentage instead of page numbers, which is pretty annoying when reading a long book and having to flip 12 "screens" for a percentage to go up. Also I don't find a kindle especially ergonomic for long periods at a time... I bought the leather book-like case and it is very comfortable to hold with the right hand, but not so much for me being left handed and tending to hold a book open with my left. Other than that I have no complaints, I enjoy the screen brightness, contrast, etc. So I probably read 3 or 4 digital for every 1 paper...and having just moved it was pretty cool to only have to move 2 bins of books as opposed to 4 or 5 if my kindle library was physical. . Also I missed perusing my local bookstore, especially the used & recommendation section, for cool finds. This alone will keep me reading a few paper books a year, as I enjoy going to the discount bookstore knowing I refuse to leave until finding something new to read. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tanukitsune Posted January 27, 2013 Since I don't have any room for physical books, I really needed an eReader, I got a tablet for my birthday and it's pretty great, I just add the Kindle app and it's like having a Kindle with a smaller battery life, it's specially great since I got a cover that can be used as a hands free stand, so when you're feeling sick or lazy you just have to flick to pass the pages. My father got an actual Kindle, which was pretty neat since it's a bit more versatile than the Kindle app, since it sees how fast you read and predicts how long it will take you to finish the book. He only uses to read public domain books. ThunderPeel is right about the reference books, it's always easier to find a page in a real book than in a digital one, unless the book is formatted very well and let's you skip from the index to a certain section by clicking on it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Astro Creep Posted January 28, 2013 I'm in pretty much the same situation. A small apartment means shelf space is precious, so I just have a single shelf for my favorite books. Everything else goes on my Kindle Keyboard. I love love love it, though the lack of a backlight makes reading on night walks or before bed troublesome. With as much as I use the Keyboard, there's really no excuse for me to not have a Paperwhite. I just hope PDF support goes beyond just basic compatibility in the coming years. The scaling options have been atrocious on every device I've used. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tanukitsune Posted January 29, 2013 I just read pdf comic on my tablet and it looked great, all I had to do was swipe to pass the page. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theBobert Posted February 10, 2013 While I can certainly see the benefits to using an eReader, they really aren't for me. I just can't justify switching over to one when between work, internet, and gaming, I'm already spending a ridiculous chunk of my life staring at screens of various shapes and sizes. I feel now more than ever, having a good book in my hand is a great escape from everyday life. Plus it's always nice to have some tactile feedback from the weight and page turning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LazerBeast Posted February 13, 2013 I have a Kindle Fire which I like a lot. I still do most of my reading via actual books but I like being able to convert a lot of zines and what not with Calibre to the Kindle format and having them on there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BenLuke Posted February 15, 2013 I own a Kindle, but still buy most of my books in paper form (Used bookstores are heaven on earth.). I still use it to read public-domain stuff, considering "Absolutely Free" is a price that's hard to beat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
malkav11 Posted March 16, 2013 I completely poo-pooed the idea back when the original Kindle came out, bought a Kindle 2 for reasons that I still don't entirely understand, and never looked back. The only reason I buy physical books anymore (and pretty much never new) is to have something I can hand to friends or family and go "read this". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites