Amazon's Kindle

[Haunted]

Friend told me about this yesterday. You download books from AMAZON--prices vary from $5 to 10. Costs $359.
Does anyone know about this product? Pros and Cons?

[Moderator]

Steve loves his.

[Haunted]

Thanks...that says a lot.

[brownmouse]

I'm a little too old fashioned for that. :smile2:

[IfSoGirl]

if you go to G4tv.com and do a search on there, there's a show called attack of the show, and they've reviewed it. they're very honest about it. i personally however prefer to hold a real book. the smell, the feel, everything.

[Blacksunday666]

I looked into it but as brownmouse said, I'm a little too old fashioned for that. I love my library and the books lining the walls throughout.

[Haunted]

I have been told if you do a lot of travelling having a KINDLE is great. I have read that working the keys (to turn a page for instance) can be tricky.
But will check out G4tv.com for further info, thanks for the hint.


I will have to admit that holding a book in my hands, balanced on my knees, reading it while it is laying on the kitchen counter, oh, and turning those pages... all those motions that comprise my love for the written word I think I would miss.

[Luli]

I just love to hold a book in my hands and read, it's a great feeling. But I do think that a kindle is handy when you have to travel and don't want a really thick and heavy book to carry around.

[tempest]

Hey this is an interesting device :smile2:. I would like to have one but it would be a 'luxury' item on my budget. It would be great for traveling which I do quite a bit. Nice gift for someone else too, especially if they need large print.

[marew1]

I like my books, hard cover and paperback. Kindle may be good for traveling but I'd rather stick with books.

[hipmamajen]

But how would I dogear the pages? ;)

That looks really neat. But, somewhere in the back of my head, I'm hearing "Betamax." I think that whole "VHS or Beta" thing scarred me, and I've been afraid to try any new gizmo until it's pretty sure to stick around.

That said, I can really see the benefit of it. It looks like you can order books right to it from wherever you are. After all the times I've finished up a book and had to read some stupid parenting magazine while waiting on a doctor, that right there might be enough to take the plunge!

Hmmmm, thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm going to keep my eyes on it.

[Cowboy]

Sorry, I have to feel the book in my hands.

[Peanut Queen]

I like the real thing too.

Nothing much smells better to me than walking into a library!

:smile2:

[kisun]

Books are a very intimate experience for me. I don't know if I would be able to use one, but I could see the reasons why someone else might prefer it.

But this service is great for new authors because you can publish your work on Amazon, and charge whatever you want for it, as long as it is over a dollar.

[GravemakersAndGunslingers]

The Kindle will be old news to you all there in the US, but i'm in the UK waiting to hear if Amazon is ever going to release the kindle here, so does anyone here own one? I think it would be amazing to be able to have novels sent straight to you with a few clicks of a button and with the kindle able to hold around 200 books you could have all sai King's books on there with plenty of space left over!

Also being able to subscribe to newspapers and blogs is pretty cool too - imagine if sai King did something similar to 'The Plant' and you could get it wirelessly everytime - endless possibilites.

If anyone owns one I'd be interested to hear what it's like and how it compares to just reading the old fashioned paperback, thanks.

[Haunted]

I originally posted a query along this line a few weeks ago...it's in here SOMEWHERE. Ms. Mod relayed that Mr. King has one and likes it a lot.

[GravemakersAndGunslingers]

Well if Mr. King has one then I'm totally sold! Just wish they would release them in the UK.

[tattoobradley]

I have one, and posted about it sometime back. Here's the link (http://www.stephenking.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5544), some of the others chimed in a bit. I bought mine a couple of weeks or so after that post. I absolutely love it. I've been catching up on classic SK reading that I've been meaning to do for years. I read Carrie and Salem's Lot (oh man, Salem's Lot is one of my favorites now. It was just_so_dark!!) last week while I was on vacation. (What a vacation if for nothing but getting time to read those two!!) Anyway, I've also read The Mist and I'm thinking of buying The Shining on it next. The Kindle Store's been doing a pretty good job of getting SK stuff at a regular rate (they added The Stand (uncut) a few weeks ago, but I read that in hardback earlier this year.) I feel for those outside the CONUS. I have a buddy in Canada who wants one so badly... I hope they get to the rest of the civilized world as they're a real treat. :love:

[tattoobradley]

But how would I dogear the pages? ;)


There's actually a way to do this. lol

[GravemakersAndGunslingers]

Thanks for that link! The Kindle is top of my wishlist, I like to travel so it would be ideal. You would think they would sort it for the rest of the world or they will be missing a trick and letting Sony's Reader grab a lot of the market, oh well here's hoping for a UK release...

[hipmamajen]

There's actually a way to do this. lol

No way, really? Well, now I'm just that much closer to getting one ;)

Actually, I've been thinking about this a lot since I read this thread a while back. Every so often something comes along that makes you feel like you're in the future, and this feels like that to me. (I felt the same way when we got our DVR and I could rewind TV, I'm a dork, I know...)

[rjt65]

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2AFXOTHVSF3ZN/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2AFXOTHVSF3ZN

good critical review. I would wait for vers 2.0. Usually work the bugs put and at a lower cost (Iphone anyone?) but if you want to be an Early Adopter, go for it!

[hipmamajen]

Has anyone picked one up since this discussion? What do you think about it?

I was just wondering how long a charge lasts? It would stink to be out somewhere and have to quit reading because your book "died."

Man, I really, really want one of these... Just keepin' it on the list.

[bopropadop]

Has anyone picked one up since this discussion? What do you think about it?

I was just wondering how long a charge lasts? It would stink to be out somewhere and have to quit reading because your book "died."

Man, I really, really want one of these... Just keepin' it on the list.

I have one and love it. Charge lasts a loooong time. I can read four days in a row (3 to 4 hours a pop) before having to recharge... So, say about 15 hours between charges.

[hipmamajen]

Thank you, that is good to know! :)

[kingfanalaska09]

I have to agree Kindle is nice but its nice to hold the book

[Mr Nobody]

I've talked about this with others, and the consensus is...why?
I can see the appeal for short stories and poems, things are generally quick and easy to read, and they may well provide an expanded market for those forms. But reading a novel off a screen would annoy me, and frankly, having to recharge at all when reading a novel would grate. So after 3-4 hours, I have to stop reading and recharge, or the screen might suddenly go blank mid-page near the climax?
Er...that won't happen with a book.
And the environmental argument doesn't stand up, either. Books need paper, true. They cost resources to print, bind, transport and sell. Also true.
But the Kindle (and Sony Reader) also require resources. Tin, silicon, oil (for petrochemicals used to make plastics), rubber. Then there is the cost in terms of production, which will equal or surpass that required for books (which you can always POD anyway). Plus, they require recharging on a regular basis, while the book, once bought, will create no more environmental impact. Indeed, a book, if left outside, would quickly degrade and rot away. A Kindle will take a couple of hundred years.
The green solution? I think not.

On another topic, we have to be careful as consumers about giving Amazon too much power in the market. They're already demanding ever deeper discounts, and forcing indie publishers to use their way or face having the 'Buy' button for their products deactivated on the site.
If smaller and some larger publishers are forced into mergers or deals with ultimately drive them under, authors will have to go direct to Amazon. They then start squeezing the author, in the name of providing books as cheaply as possible. The author may get a penny per sale, when the cost to the consumer is $2 - and likely more if or when they could gain any kind of monopoly. Think of what the supermarkets did: undercut and undercut, driving other traders out of business, and then smacking the prices up because there was no competition. The attitude was 'What you gonna do? Starve? He-he' and it'll be more of the same this time around.

[bopropadop]

I've talked about this with others, and the consensus is...why?
I can see the appeal for short stories and poems, things are generally quick and easy to read, and they may well provide an expanded market for those forms. But reading a novel off a screen would annoy me, and frankly, having to recharge at all when reading a novel would grate. So after 3-4 hours, I have to stop reading and recharge, or the screen might suddenly go blank mid-page near the climax?
Er...that won't happen with a book.
And the environmental argument doesn't stand up, either. Books need paper, true. They cost resources to print, bind, transport and sell. Also true.
But the Kindle (and Sony Reader) also require resources. Tin, silicon, oil (for petrochemicals used to make plastics), rubber. Then there is the cost in terms of production, which will equal or surpass that required for books (which you can always POD anyway). Plus, they require recharging on a regular basis, while the book, once bought, will create no more environmental impact. Indeed, a book, if left outside, would quickly degrade and rot away. A Kindle will take a couple of hundred years.
The green solution? I think not.

On another topic, we have to be careful as consumers about giving Amazon too much power in the market. They're already demanding ever deeper discounts, and forcing indie publishers to use their way or face having the 'Buy' button for their products deactivated on the site.
If smaller and some larger publishers are forced into mergers or deals with ultimately drive them under, authors will have to go direct to Amazon. They then start squeezing the author, in the name of providing books as cheaply as possible. The author may get a penny per sale, when the cost to the consumer is $2 - and likely more if or when they could gain any kind of monopoly. Think of what the supermarkets did: undercut and undercut, driving other traders out of business, and then smacking the prices up because there was no competition. The attitude was 'What you gonna do? Starve? He-he' and it'll be more of the same this time around.

Hi! Thanks for your post. I'm a Kindle (version 1) owner (in addition to a couple of bookshelves full of traditional books) and just wanted to offer a couple of points.

The battery lasts about 15 hours or so. I understand the Kindle 2 lasts even longer. Easy enough to charge overnight (re-charge takes about an hour) after three days of reading exclusively on the Kindle.

And I've found that the biggest advantage is using the Kindle on travel. I recently travelled to Florida and was able to take 40 books with me. Not that I had time to read them all (LOL) but it was nice knowing they were at my disposal. I had the entire DT series which came in handy as I was reading several short stories connected to DT. I couldn't have taken all those books otherwise.

When I'm home, I usually prefer the old try and true method of having a book in my lap. But it's hard to beat the Kindle's convenience. All IMHO.

[Susan]

I have a kindle 1 and really like it. I like the dictionary lookup in it. The only thing that gets frustrating is I'll accidently press a button and then I suddenly lose my page that I was on and then have trouble getting back to it. Other than that I really enjoy it and the low cost of books is really cool.

[tillyn]

i've bought a couple of SK's audio stories on itunes. Not cheap. I honestly enjoy reading instead. I can for some reason imagine the characters better when i read. A brain thing? Hearing and reading the story is a whole new ball game. Who knows when my eyes go bad i just might have to use audio books. Got bifocals as it is.

[Samantha_]

I have one and it's great for travel. My suitcase is lighter without all the books weighing it down :)

[Terry B]

My hubby's newest idea - buy 2 Kindles and get rid of all of our books - that means my King collection too. Unfortunately for me, he's very serious about this.

[Sundrop]

I see how the Kindle is great for lots of folks. I personally don't have one, and don't really have plans to get one. Change is not something that comes easy to me, though-- I took me 25 years to try using a computer. So, the day may come when I decide to try out the Kindle. Of course, by then they will probably have the option of having it embedded in your fingernail! LOL :)

[Matticus]

I understand they have a contact lens now that will play TV right in front of your eye!

Also, a GPS chip in the football it can always know where it is. :laugh:

[Balrog21]

well, not too much of a fan here for the kindle. I was 'HOPING' the price would come down for v.2 yeah it did.. a whole whopping 40 bucks...*rolls eyes*. i wont be getting one. WAY to pricey for me atm, and the feel of a good book will NEVER be replaced. I can see its advantages though for people who travel, but being an up and starting writer like i am i have no need for it. so I wait till the other version of 'UR' comes along...a pdf work nicely on my laptop. :smile2:

[SixPins]

$359?! That's roughly 51 books as I get my hardbacks for about $7 from a nifty book store near me.

*roundhouses the Kindle into Beta and HD DVD hell*

Hasn't anyone here ever read Brave New World!?

[cwalrus]

Even though I can't afford it right now, I just wanted to see if there was any feedback about the Amazon Kindle, which SK just wrote an exclusive story "Ur" for. Right now, it's too rich for my blood even though I would like to read "Ur."

Is it something worth saving up for? or is it better to just stick to physical books? Is all of SK's catalogue available for it?

[Moderator]

Even though I can't afford it right now, I just wanted to see if there was any feedback about the Amazon Kindle, which SK just wrote an exclusive story "Ur" for. Right now, it's too rich for my blood even though I would like to read "Ur."

Is it something worth saving up for? or is it better to just stick to physical books? Is all of SK's catalogue available for it?


This thread already existed, so I moved your post here rather than beginning a new thread. Please do use the Search or Check if Already Posted options. :smile2:

[Haunted]

My hubby's newest idea - buy 2 Kindles and get rid of all of our books - that means my King collection too. Unfortunately for me, he's very serious about this.

Quick, box 'em up and entrust them to someone you trust implicitly!!!!! GET RID....NO..NO..NO. That's like Kristal Night!!! AGH!!!!!!!!

[JohnDalglish]

Quick, box 'em up and entrust them to someone you trust implicitly!!!!! GET RID....NO..NO..NO. That's like Kristal Night!!! AGH!!!!!!!!

Hi,

Or Fahrenheit $359?

Long days and pleasant nights

[Q'smum]

Kindle is a great travel option. I borrow my friend's (I surely can't afford one) when he is home, because we both do books at home. But I get to take his when I travel. I love being able to pick a book to read when I travel, rather than being stuck with the 1 or 2 I threw in the suitcase (even if they are my favorites - sometimes they just don't do the daily reading dosage trick). If you are reading on PDF on your computer, you better not pick up a kindle.... it's like the difference between atari and wii as far as digitized literature. It is really easy to read. I don't think it will go the way of beta... I think the Sony reader is already doing that!

[Kim L.]

hi,

or fahrenheit $359?

Long days and pleasant nights

roflmao!!

[Mr Nobody]

My hubby's newest idea - buy 2 Kindles and get rid of all of our books - that means my King collection too. Unfortunately for me, he's very serious about this.

Simple: Just say 'No'. :biggrin2:

I can imagine the headline now: 'Kindle Couple's Bitter Divorce'.

[waterlilyjaguar]

I am definately old school too and even if I could afford one of those I treasure
real books too much. I like the feel of them and the work of a well bound book is
hard to come by.
But to each his own and I could see where traveling it would be useful.

[TheWalkinDude]

Here's a thought ...

A somnambulistic line of people, winding back for endless miles, as each one in turn, looks down at thier expensive 'Kindle' and then casts it into an immense bonfire.

Haven't humans given up enough of thier lives to technology ... I will never give up books.

[Harley Wench]

Price too much for me...as for traveling...I'd rather "listen" to a book..definately a luxury item..

[Terry B]

Hi,

Or Fahrenheit $359?

Long days and pleasant nights

:rofl:

[tillyn]

I'd like to hear Steve read one of his story's , i just rather buy the book first. It is already pricey to get his stuff, buying downloads is a luxury . I did buy Stationary bike and Gingerbread girl. I enjoyed Mare W. voice.

[Dragoro]

I love having my kindle. Reading it is just as good as reading a paper book, and the convenience of being able to carry all my books with me, the dictionary, and being able to buy a new book anytime and anywhere is awesome.

[kingfanalaska09]

Earlier I stated of just prefer holding a book but IO reconsider getting a Kindle 2 it saves trees and it has a text-to-speech feature they are pricey but you can get a reasonable deal on eBay

[jack12k8]

I was hard-core book person...until now. I got my kindle 2 on Tuesday, and it has truly surpassed my expectations. Reading the text( you can pick out of 5 size fonts) is nothing like reading from a computer screen.

[boogerb53]

Simple: Just say 'No'. :biggrin2:

I can imagine the headline now: 'Kindle Couple's Bitter Divorce'.

Or, more likely WIFE KILLS HUSBAND: JURY SEZ JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE!:glare:

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

If you have two Kindles, do you have to buy the same story twice if you both want to read it?

Long days and pleasant nights

[tillyn]

Looks cool but that's a lot of cash.

[bopropadop]

Hi,

If you have two Kindles, do you have to buy the same story twice if you both want to read it?

Long days and pleasant nights

I would think so, John. Sharing might be a cheaper option...

[bopropadop]

Hi,

If you have two Kindles, do you have to buy the same story twice if you both want to read it?

Long days and pleasant nights

And continuing my thought... That's one of the BIG downsides to the Kindle IMHO. Makes it next to impossible to swap books with a friend, without giving them my Kindle to read it.

[jenboxer77]

I have a friend who is letting me borrow her Kindle 2 for the week! What a great friend! She downloaded Stephen's UR just for me! I could almost cry! I am afraid I will get hooked and have to buy one! I will let you guys know what I think of the Kindle and the story.

[Sms231]

Hi,

If you have two Kindles, do you have to buy the same story twice if you both want to read it?

Long days and pleasant nights

If you have two Kindles, you do not have to buy the same story twice, as long as your Kindles are registered to the same account. Amazon.com allows user accounts to have up to six Kindles on one account, and all titles purchased for one Kindle are available to all.

This also works if a family member has an iPhone or iPod touch and has the Kindle App for iPhone/iPod touch. They can access the entire library of purchased books, as long as the device is registered with the account that purchased the titles.

I do this for my mom, who wanted to read some books by Jane Austen. She has an iPod touch, so I downloaded the application to her device and she is able to read both the books I purchased for her, as well as the books that I have purchased as well.

The only caveat is that she now has the ability to purchase books from my account without my permission using the one-click feature (which can be disabled, but I need to have it active for when I buy books via my Kindle). A negligible issue when I have sufficient funds, but with me living paycheck to paycheck, every dollar counts.

[Spooky]

While it would never replace my love for sitting down and reading an actual book, it's definitely something I'd be interested in. I think it would help out a lot for when I travel. Books tend to way a lot, especially if they are hardcover ;). Having a Kindle would definitely ease having to carry around all the books I'd like to read while driving/flying for several hours. The $300+ price tag is a little unsettling, but I'm sure it's expensive for a reason.

[poisonbat]

I've talked about this with others, and the consensus is...why?
I can see the appeal for short stories and poems, things are generally quick and easy to read, and they may well provide an expanded market for those forms. But reading a novel off a screen would annoy me, and frankly, having to recharge at all when reading a novel would grate. So after 3-4 hours, I have to stop reading and recharge, or the screen might suddenly go blank mid-page near the climax?
Er...that won't happen with a book.
And the environmental argument doesn't stand up, either. Books need paper, true. They cost resources to print, bind, transport and sell. Also true.
But the Kindle (and Sony Reader) also require resources. Tin, silicon, oil (for petrochemicals used to make plastics), rubber. Then there is the cost in terms of production, which will equal or surpass that required for books (which you can always POD anyway). Plus, they require recharging on a regular basis, while the book, once bought, will create no more environmental impact. Indeed, a book, if left outside, would quickly degrade and rot away. A Kindle will take a couple of hundred years.
The green solution? I think not.

On another topic, we have to be careful as consumers about giving Amazon too much power in the market. They're already demanding ever deeper discounts, and forcing indie publishers to use their way or face having the 'Buy' button for their products deactivated on the site.
If smaller and some larger publishers are forced into mergers or deals with ultimately drive them under, authors will have to go direct to Amazon. They then start squeezing the author, in the name of providing books as cheaply as possible. The author may get a penny per sale, when the cost to the consumer is $2 - and likely more if or when they could gain any kind of monopoly. Think of what the supermarkets did: undercut and undercut, driving other traders out of business, and then smacking the prices up because there was no competition. The attitude was 'What you gonna do? Starve? He-he' and it'll be more of the same this time around.

Seriously, have you heard the phrase Googlezon? It is a merger that is supposed to take place in the next couple of years. Truly a monopoly. :bat:

[poisonbat]

No Kindle for this poor girl. I love my books and don't find it inconvenient to take a paperback with me when I am out. HMMM :bat:

[Dragoro]

Seriously, have you heard the phrase Googlezon? It is a merger that is supposed to take place in the next couple of years. Truly a monopoly. :bat:

The kindle lasts around 2 weeks on one charge. The likelihood of running out of power while you're reading is next to nothing.

[tillyn]

I was on Amazon.com the other day and the downloaded books are quite cheap. Almost 400.$ for the Kindle though. This would be great for someone who has trouble reading.

[Sms231]

That's one of the great things about the Kindle - the price for Kindle books in comparison to their printed counterparts. :-)

That being said, I do have a question that hopefully Ms. Mod will be able to answer. I've recently begun to acquire SK novels for my Kindle, with the goal of reading all of his work chronologically. However, after I read "The Stand", there are no other Kindle books available (with the exception of The Dark Tower series, The Talisman, and The Running Man) from the publication date period of 1979 (Beginning with The Dead Zone) through 1996 (Ending with Desperation). While I look forward to reading The Dark Tower series, it does defeat my goal of reading all of SK's work chronologically.

I've been clicking the link on Amazon.com saying "Tell the Publisher 'I'd like to read this book on Kindle'", but I'm not the most patient person in the world. Is there any word from Mr. King's publishers, or even Mr. King himself, that these titles (which include such great novels as "It", "Misery", and "The Green Mile"), will eventually be available for the Kindle within a reasonable amount of time?

[Moderator]

I'm sure Steve would be in favor of it as he's a fan of the Kindle but it may have something to do with terms in the current contractual agreements or they may be in the process of formatting them for Kindle but not to the point that they're available for purchase.

[bopropadop]

That's one of the great things about the Kindle - the price for Kindle books in comparison to their printed counterparts. :-)

That being said, I do have a question that hopefully Ms. Mod will be able to answer. I've recently begun to acquire SK novels for my Kindle, with the goal of reading all of his work chronologically. However, after I read "The Stand", there are no other Kindle books available (with the exception of The Dark Tower series, The Talisman, and The Running Man) from the publication date period of 1979 (Beginning with The Dead Zone) through 1996 (Ending with Desperation). While I look forward to reading The Dark Tower series, it does defeat my goal of reading all of SK's work chronologically.

I've been clicking the link on Amazon.com saying "Tell the Publisher 'I'd like to read this book on Kindle'", but I'm not the most patient person in the world. Is there any word from Mr. King's publishers, or even Mr. King himself, that these titles (which include such great novels as "It", "Misery", and "The Green Mile"), will eventually be available for the Kindle within a reasonable amount of time?

Well, that's at least two of us clicking on "Tell the Publisher..." for those books that aren't available... Unfortunately, if there's little demand, there's little incentive for the publishers to offer it. Time will tell.

That said, I have about 25 SK books on my Kindle. Not a bad selection as is.

[busy91]

I love my Kindle, I have never read so much in my life, and I read a lot before. I think it really depends on the person. For someone like me, who is on the subways all the time and has to commute on mass transit to work, something like the Kindle is great because I don't have to lug huge books around (2 or 3). The Kindle weighs about as much as a paperback, and I can carry several books with me. I have not given up on the paper books though, but I am using the Kindle more.

[jenboxer77]

I was able to borrow a friends Kindle 2 this week! I have to say that I was very impressed. It is light-weight and easy on the eyes, no headaches. The dictionary feature is great! A trick I learned was that you can turn the text-to-speech feature on and find your reading speed, then turn the volume down and the pages turn for you! I thought that was cool! I also like the hush feature. When your Kindle 2 is in sleep mode it has photos that come up. Pictures of Jane Austen, John Steinbeck and more I was always waiting to see what the next picture would be. It looks like a fancy etch-a-sketch drawing! Fabulous! You can log on to the web and browse amazon to buy books.

My rationalizing the purchase is that it will pay for itself. I like to read and I spend a lot of money on books. This would save money in the long run and space. (I have books all over my house!)

So, I will be saving the money to buy one of my very own! And I gotta be as cool as Steve. I can see why he loves his...

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

The more I hear from people with firsthand experience of the device, the more attractive it becomes, you got me salivating!

But experience has taught me never to buy the first generation machines (Betamax, HD DVD etc), but to wait until there are realistic competitors on the market, resulting in price and format wars, so I'm decided to wait a while yet, as I'm convinced that prices will crash as specs rise. I've heard rumours of Sony bringing out a rival device, anyone else know anything about that?

Anyone had experience of reading on a Nintendo DS, or i-phone?

Long days and pleasant nights

[Moderator]

I found this piece (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/ebook-faceoff/amazon-kindle-vs-sony-reader-sizemodo-and-interface-comparison-gallery-326590.php) that compares the Sony reader and the Kindle. It's from 2007, though, so not sure if it's really the latest Kindle they're comparing.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

Thankee for that, Ms Mod, very informative, even though the comparisons may well be obsolete. Interesting that the Sony was $100 cheaper, that's exactly what I meant.

If I may make a comparision; Microsoft and Sony introduced similar games machines in the X-box and PS3 and my son went for the X-box, despite having had to have his previous generation X-box repaired or replaced several times. He did this because he felt trapped in the X-box format by his previous game collection.

The current machine has broken down and been replaced seven times, and I was talking to the guy who collects and delivers the machines and he was telling me that his company has three 3-ton vans doing nothing but exchanging defective X-boxes in the Glasgow city area alone.

But I've never heard of a defective PS3 (or 2 or 1, for that matter)

Amazon has a lot of experience in selling books, just as Microsoft has a lot of experience in shipping defective operating systems, but neither has anything like the experience and quality control of Sony in shipping electronic gee-gaws, and that would affect my thoughts.

Long days and pleasant nights

[bopropadop]

Anyone had experience of reading on a Nintendo DS, or i-phone?

I have the Kindle app installed on my iPhone, John. It gives me access to my entire Kindle library which is housed on Amazon's servers. I wouldn't want to spend long periods of time reading on it because of the screen size, but it satisfies my itch if I have ten or 15 minutes to kill standing in line somewhere or waiting patiently for Mrs. Bop to shop.

I just used this feature a few days ago to read a section of Cell. It worked as advertised.

iPhone also has other free applications to access eBook readers with a nice selection of books. Some of the books are free - typically the classics. I haven't checked prices on other providers because I rely exclusively on my Kindle library.

Hope this helps.

[Moderator]

I have a lot of Sony products in my house for that reason, too, but being a long-time Mac user, their Windows-only platform would have me going for the Kindle.

[Dragoro]

Hi,

Thankee for that, Ms Mod, very informative, even though the comparisons may well be obsolete. Interesting that the Sony was $100 cheaper, that's exactly what I meant.

If I may make a comparision; Microsoft and Sony introduced similar games machines in the X-box and PS3 and my son went for the X-box, despite having had to have his previous generation X-box repaired or replaced several times. He did this because he felt trapped in the X-box format by his previous game collection.

The current machine has broken down and been replaced seven times, and I was talking to the guy who collects and delivers the machines and he was telling me that his company has three 3-ton vans doing nothing but exchanging defective X-boxes in the Glasgow city area alone.

But I've never heard of a defective PS3 (or 2 or 1, for that matter)

Amazon has a lot of experience in selling books, just as Microsoft has a lot of experience in shipping defective operating systems, but neither has anything like the experience and quality control of Sony in shipping electronic gee-gaws, and that would affect my thoughts.

Long days and pleasant nights

Sony has one of the worst customer service programs out there. As for the kindle, they have been going way above par with thier customer service. 1 If you have a prob with the kindle, they send you a new one before you have to send the problem kindle back. 2 Even though they werent required to, they have been replacing kindle 1s that people have dropped and broke, well after the 1 year warranty expired, which the warranty never even covered. You wont have any worries with the kindle.

[cunninghamair]

Love mine. Don't get me started............Do you know how many of those thick SK books you can get on one of those things? ALL OF THEM.

[boogerb53]

OMG! When I was home, I borrowed my nephew's Kindle and was instantly hooked. I downloaded a sample of UR and Jim offered to let me buy it but I was afraid, even though one ur said it took him 90 min to read it, I would not find the down time for it. It was OFF THE HOOK!!!! I fell in love with it instantly and would give anything if I could afford one of my own.

[danfan]

I bought a Kindle a couple of months ago with my tax rebate. I am a cheapskate usually, never buy myself anything that's not a necessity and $359 was a huge deal for me. But it was the best thing I ever bought! I LOVE it, and it goes everywhere with me.

I read while I am cooking, at the bus stop waiting for my kids, text-to-speech while I am driving or gardening, in line at the supermarket - and wonderfully, when I finish a book in the evening, I have so many more just waiting for me - I don't even have to get out of bed, let alone go to the bookstore.

I am discovering new authors I'd never even heard of; sampling chapters of books for free before I spend any money. The e-ink makes it easy to read - Nothing like reading on a laptop or other device. And I've saved money on books - downloading many books for free or for under $1.00; reading books that are not available in paper format (indie authors for example).

I thought I'd miss the feel of a book and the smell of a book, but I don't at all. I've made the switch so easily that reading a 600 page hardback seems cumbersome now!

[danfan]

Oh, I meant to mention 2 other fantastic features of the kindle that have made reading even MORE exciting:

The dictionary - I didn't think this would be so great but lately I've been reading a lot of historical fiction with so many archaic words I've never even heard of. Just click the little 5 way lever to the word and the definition pops up. Brilliant!

Note taking and highlighting - again, I didn't think I would use this at all, but I use it all the time. Highlighting great quotes is one good thing, but the note taking is super! I have copious notes and questions I have made with the little keyboard & I can refer back to them whenever I want -such as, questions about time lines or plots, notes about what I think is interesting or important etc. I can bookmark pages I think are worthy of re-reading, or I might come back to when I get an answer later in the book.

I used to read a lot anyway - every day without fail, but the Kindle has opened up my mind completely, not only in WHAT I read, but also HOW I read it.

[Amasa]

What's people's take on the fact that the text to speech on SKs book was removed? I can't say I was impressed. The Author's guild is crazy to think that it's copyright infringement or will ever compete with audio books to use a feature like that.

[danfan]

What's people's take on the fact that the text to speech on SKs book was removed? I can't say I was impressed. The Author's guild is crazy to think that it's copyright infringement or will ever compete with audio books to use a feature like that.

Is that true for all of SK's books? I only saw the note on The Stand, which has been removed anyway.

I'd be disappointed about it. Text to Speech has definite advantages, but as you say, it will never compete with audiobooks - it is merely a convenience in some circumstances, but if we wanted to really hear a book read, audiobooks are far superior than the TTS option. Of course, with Kindles you can still add an audiobook, but for me I like to just have the TTS option when I need it. I still prefer to read than listen.

[Sms231]

Is that true for all of SK's books? I only saw the note on The Stand, which has been removed anyway. ...

I just checked Amazon.com and The Stand IS available for the Kindle again, albeit with Text-to-speech disabled.

As for the Text-to-speech being disabled on some books, I have mixed feelings about this. As a person who was born with a disability (I have moderate hearing loss in both ears), I'm all for anything that makes books more accessible to people with disabilities. To have a device that can read books to you by default is a huge step forward for making the printed word more accessible to those people with visual impairments, that may not want to sit down with a huge braille copy of The Stand (if it's over 1,000 pages in its printed form, I can't imagine how long The Stand would be in braille!!!).

I really don't understand the argument that the Kindle will take away from Audiobook sales to be honest - I mean, who wants to listen to the "Microsoft Sam" voice for 72 hours (or however long it takes to listen to a reading of The Stand). I would go completely insane. I could feel that Publisher's arguments are justified if the voice on the Kindle was on par with that of an actual human being, but it's not.

P.S. - If you've never heard the Microsoft Sam voice before, and you have Windows XP, you can access the feature by going to Start --> Control Panel --> Speech, and click Preview Voice (It may be on a tab called Text to Speech). It's absolutely horrendous!

[Jax]

I really don't understand the argument that the Kindle will take away from Audiobook sales to be honest - I mean, who wants to listen to the "Microsoft Sam" voice for 72 hours (or however long it takes to listen to a reading of The Stand). I would go completely insane. I could feel that Publisher's arguments are justified if the voice on the Kindle was on par with that of an actual human being, but it's not.



I agree with you 100%!! There is no voice inflection. I'd go loopy. I just got my Kindle in April so it's new, and I was messing around with it and checking out different things when I came across the text to speech function. I thought it was neat that it could do it, but there is no way I could listen to that for a whole novel. I don't think I even lasted an entire paragraph to tell you the truth.

[danfan]

I just checked Amazon.com and The Stand IS available for the Kindle again, albeit with Text-to-speech disabled.


Hmmm.... I just went to look and it says "Not Yet Available" still.

[AngelZ]

Oh, I meant to mention 2 other fantastic features of the kindle that have made reading even MORE exciting:

The dictionary - I didn't think this would be so great but lately I've been reading a lot of historical fiction with so many archaic words I've never even heard of. Just click the little 5 way lever to the word and the definition pops up. Brilliant!

Note taking and highlighting - again, I didn't think I would use this at all, but I use it all the time. Highlighting great quotes is one good thing, but the note taking is super! I have copious notes and questions I have made with the little keyboard & I can refer back to them whenever I want -such as, questions about time lines or plots, notes about what I think is interesting or important etc. I can bookmark pages I think are worthy of re-reading, or I might come back to when I get an answer later in the book.

I used to read a lot anyway - every day without fail, but the Kindle has opened up my mind completely, not only in WHAT I read, but also HOW I read it.

I read some reviews on the Kindle DX and it sounds amazing with a 9.7 inch screen.

http://newsticker.welt.de/?module=smarthouse&id=884001

I'm assuming that with the highlighting feature that the highlighting is saved even after you are finished reading the book, no?

I like gadgets in general, but at $459, the Kindle DX seems pricey. I wonder if it will come down in price anytime soon.

[Terry B]

Hubby finally got his hands on a Kindle to check it out and he was not impressed. I guess this means I can keep my book collection. (Phew!)

[danfan]

I read some reviews on the Kindle DX and it sounds amazing with a 9.7 inch screen.

http://newsticker.welt.de/?module=smarthouse&id=884001

I'm assuming that with the highlighting feature that the highlighting is saved even after you are finished reading the book, no?

I like gadgets in general, but at $459, the Kindle DX seems pricey. I wonder if it will come down in price anytime soon.


The highlighting & any notes you make are all saved, on the book itself and in a clippings txt file that you can download to your computer and then use elsewhere.

Yeah the DX is pricey but I am happy with my K2 with the smaller screen, Really I find it perfect size and weight. I think the DX would be great for text books, heavily formatted pdfs, and newspapers & journals.

If you are tempted to try, Amazon has a forum where you look up who has a Kindle in your city and they let you have a look/ try. Or Amazon give up to 30 day money back so if you try and don't like it you can sent it back.

(Also you don't just have to get books from Amazon. You can get them from dozens of websites and I've also converted a fair few free pdf books & read them on my kindle.)

[phoenix1327]

man...i just saw this thread...i was just about to buy a K1 early in the year...i'd finally gotten tired of saying "i don't want to take it out of savings" and said I WANT IT!!!! (highest pitch 2 year old voice possible) and the day that I got on to make the order and wait the 5-7 weeks for it to be in stock they put out the press release for the K2, PLUS i saw that SK had UR for kindle only (frowns) and realised i HAD to get it...so I put it on preorder, and waited the 2+ weeks squirming and impatiently as i ever have and it came in, and i immediately went on a buying spree (citigroup probably loved me that month!!!)...i probably made my money back on the unit the very day that i powered it up. i have used it ever day (and i am no exagerating, i do mean EVERY!!!) and now i actually have more time to read whenever and wherever i want (so long as the boss doesn't catch me). I have already read like 40 books on the thing in the 3 months that i've had it which for me is a feat, with a husband and a preadolescent only child at home, i was lucky to finish one book a month. i love it, i don't care about the bigger one much...it wouldn't fit in my purse...the K2 is perfect for me and i'll love it forever or until i kill it completely from overuse!!! :) besides, with a kindle exclusive book from the MAN, what else could i do but fall hopelessly into debt (not really...i joke) just to read it!!! plus, i have my iSpy touch (iPod...i said iPod...i did) so i can also download the kindle software to it and get to my books from that when i can't take my purse along...that part is excellent!!! I suppose that's the best thing about my K2...i can just put it in my purse and it's there everywhere i go (or at least if i can keep the husband's hands off it---he's been trying to read through George Carlin's books and keeps using MY K2 to do it)...i just didn't imagine i'd love my K2 as much as I do, but now, i couldn't live without it, and it saves a LOT of wear and tear on my physical books, i love them, i love the smell of large groups of books crammed together as tightly as possible on wooden, dusty shelves...i can't replace them, but i can give them a richly deserved vacation :grinning:
i still can't believe that i fell for such a gimmick as an Ereader, but I have to admit, at least the kindle is VERY worth it to me :love:

[danfan]

phoenix - I couldn't agree more. I think the amount of books I can get through has more than tripled. There's the ease of reading anywhere and everywhere, but I also find that it's actually easier to read and I simply reader faster on it. I read a 1100 page book in 4 days last week, that usually would have taken about 2 weeks in the past.

[tillyn]

I bought the Sony version E-book , i still have to pay US funds though which i believe is an injustice , when they didn't advertise it. It can hold 300 books, which i like, i only collect certain hard covers.(SK for sure) I don't mine paying around 11. not much more. Love the gadget.

[Sms231]

Amazon just announced today that they're cutting the price of the Amazon Kindle to $259 and it will be utilizing AT&T's 3G network for wireless downloads. They've also announced a version of the Kindle that can be used globally for $279 and will release on October 15th. Awesome news, especially if you were waiting for the Kindle to be available for use overseas!!!

[hipmamajen]

Amazon just announced today that they're cutting the price of the Amazon Kindle to $259 and it will be utilizing AT&T's 3G network for wireless downloads. They've also announced a version of the Kindle that can be used globally for $279 and will release on October 15th. Awesome news, especially if you were waiting for the Kindle to be available for use overseas!!!

I just saw that they dropped the price again. It may be within my reach now. I smell Christmas!!!! :love:

[Wayne C. Rogers]

Amazon.com has the Kindle on sale right now for $259.00. There are certainly pros and cons for using the Kindle, traveling being one of the main reasons that readers love it. Still, I love holding a book in my hands like many of the other readers here. There's something almost magical about it. I hope books never go out of style. I mean if I was rebuilding my Stephen King library on a Kindle, it wouldn't be half as much fun, nor could I take the book off the shelf and savor its feel, and then glance through it, stopping every now and then to read a few sentences. Of course, I also wouldn't need to buy another bookcase!

[Angeldrd]

I don't have a Kindle, but I do have an ipod, and I use it to read books alot. I absolutely love it. For one thing, it's not much bigger than a credit card, and I can bring my whole library with me wherever I go. Another good thing is that it's a lot easier to hold than a book. Especially a Stephen book, which tend to be very big, and it's easier to hold if you're laying down or if you have arthritis in your hands. The font can be made as big as you want, so it's not hard to see.

[nate_watkins]

Mine's a Sony, and it was given to me last year, so I didn't buy it. Not sure how the price is comparative to the Kindle, but I like mine pretty well.

[scrollworkdesigns]

I absolutely adore my Kindle. I had the first generation and my son stepped on it (and I didn't kill him, aren't you proud of me?) and I missed it so much that my lovely hubby bought me a second generation one for xmas. The battery on the 2nd gen is a thousand times better....I usually go a week or more between charging with daily reading as long as I have the wireless off, it recharges in 30 mins or so, and I've had absolutely no glitches with it. The layout of the buttons on the 2nd gen is a lot better too, no more accidentally pushing them with the new configuration. With the Kindle 1 the reading experience was a little...unorganic maybe? I was aware of it, how I held it, what buttons to push, etc but with the Kindle two I had none of that. It's as comfortable as a book to me and even more so for reading while eating (a requirement for me, a meal without a book? stop the madness!) or other occasions that require one handed reading. Anyway, highly recommended but definitely get the second generation.

[JulieD]

Really. That's interesting.

I guess I can see some benefits - but I still like real books. For one thing, I highlight and write all over them. And I never need to worry about batteries :)

[frisbee]

JulieD - on my Kindle you can type notes, make highlights and bookmark locations in books. All is done from the keyboard and doesn't harm the book :-)

[nate_watkins]

Really. That's interesting.

I guess I can see some benefits - but I still like real books. For one thing, I highlight and write all over them. And I never need to worry about batteries :)

That's a good point with the battery, mine only came with a USB charger and I can only charge it through the computer. I have to buy the wall charger separately, so that is one con... lol.

[scrollworkdesigns]

Really. That's interesting.

I guess I can see some benefits - but I still like real books. For one thing, I highlight and write all over them. And I never need to worry about batteries :)

You can also set bookmarks, highlights, and write notes with the Kindle.

I know I sound like I work for Amazon now lol and I'm not trying to push it on anybody, I understand the draw of a real book and never would have expected that I would love the Kindle the way I do, but I absolutely do love it to pieces so I thought I'd share.

[Gaz_Uk]

My wife has bought me the latest 3G version of the Kindle together with the leather cover.As my birthday is next month I was allowed a "little play" to make sure it was ok , very impressed also has a built in dictionary and many other features too.Have already ordered the ebook of The Stand.
Looking foward to next month.:smile2: