LSMSA discussion

I downloaded Kindle for PC to my netbook today to try it out. I thought hard about a Kindle, but I really can't bear the thought of buying something else that has to be plugged in. It seems pretty good so far.

If you don't know someone with a Kindle who can let you try it out for yourself, there are some videos on YouTube to demo it. I really like the Kindle app for my iPhone & Mac, but now that the iPad is coming out, I'm going to head down that path instead. My typography-obsessed daughter is excited about being able to change the font of book you're reading. I'm curious to see what the DRM protection rules will be for the iPad bookstore since you can't loan out Kindle books but you can loan out your books for a 2-week period on the Barnes & Noble's Nook reader.

Yeah, the iPad looks pretty cool, especially with the add-on keyboard. I really like the fact that there's no boot-up time. I just bought a netbook a few months ago, so I can't really justify another electronic device, but you'll have to let me know how your iPad experience goes. I might be in the market in a couple of years for the 3rd gen version in a few years.

Vy - According to my Kindle for PC, I'm 67% through "Made to Stick." I think you'd really like this one. It's Gladwellesque - in fact, the authors identify Malcom G. as their favorite writer in the beginning of the book. I'm seriously considering using the ideas in this book to write a journal article explaining why the Army's doctrinal manuala are so horribly boring to read.

Jason wrote: "Vy - According to my Kindle for PC, I'm 67% through "Made to Stick." I think you'd really like this one. It's Gladwellesque - in fact, the authors identify Malcom G. as their favorite writer in t..."

Thanks, Jason. I added it to my queue!

Vy,

I've been following the ebook industry closely for a while, and I decided to take the plunge and buy a refurbished Kindle DX U.S. Amazon was selling them for $249, which is quite a bit lower than than the $379 they're asking for the new DX. I can't really see spending $400 on an e-reader - that's more than my laptop - but I'm willing to give it a try for $250. The device is only a year old, so I figure it's worth a try. There's so much change in this field right now (Google Editions, the nook, publishing formats, possible color devices in the near future) that I really don't want to get heavily invested at this point.

I pretty much ruled out the Kindle 2 because I need to read a lot of PDFs for work, and PDFs just don't work well on the small screen. I'll let you know what I think once I get it and play around with it. I have 30 days to return it if it's not all that.

I checked out the iPad at the store the other day, and I was surprised at how heavy it is. Have you done much e-book reading with it? Does the weight bother you at all when you're reading on it?

Yes, it is definitely heavier and unlike the Kindle, you can't hold it easily on one hand. But yes, I read on it just about every night as I'm waiting for the kids to fall asleep. I usually read in bed and it's either on my lap or lapdesk, or if I'm lying down, I'm on my side and one corner of it rests on the bed (you can lock the orientation so it doesn't spin around as you shift). It doesn't bother me.