BOOK-A-HOLICS discussion

If you are an eReader owner, what kind of a consumer are you? Do you want your eReader to do everything, or are you happy with it just being like a regular paperback book, only more convenient?

I have a Nook and I really just use it to read books and occasionally play games when traveling. I don't need another multifunction tech device. I already have a smart phone and a laptop. I really just want my Nook to be book-like, with the added advantage of holding multiple books without the weight and clutter.

I received a Kindle for Christmas and have finished my first e-book. It works beautifully but I miss holding a book and the smell of a new book. I am sure I will love the convience when I travel.

I love my books but I don't love packing them when I'm trying to pack lightly. And I was thrilled to find that you can read magazines on the Kobo too -- how cool!

I never leave home without... my Nookcolor!!!

I fall into the second category. I just want to be able to read "on-the-go".

I love my nook. Since I read a book a day much like a smoker. It is nice not to have to buy more book shelves.

I like that my Nookcolor has a few extra bells and whistles. The wi-fi internet is pretty cool and so is the Pandora application which streams music.

I received a Kindle for Christmas and so far I love it. I love that I can take multiple books everywhere I go. I may actually be able to pack clothes in my suitcase on my next trip since there won't be any books in it! ;)

I am a total ereader addict. I use a SONY PRS950 for newspapers, a SONY PRS350 for books and an iPad for magazines. It's all so functional it's disfunctional.

I was very skeptical about ebook readers. I bought the first one to carry around my library of academic PDFs. But when I bought the first ebook, I was hooked. Ease of purchase, light devices, handy dictionary, the ability to resize text, built-in lights (well, almost... in the covers....). And so many free classics... I am totally hooked!

I am asking for a Kindle for Christmas. I want the new Kindle Touch. The reason being is I feel that I will like that feature more than the original. But I don't want all the extra stuff that comes along with it. I want it just for books and reading. I don't want games and songs on it because hey that is what my ipod is for.

I've had a Kindle since they were introduced and can't imagine not having one now. I don't even pick up 'real' books anymore.

I've ordered the new Kindle Fire and I'm anxious to see if I like it after living with the e-ink design for so long. I don't know if I'll use all the extra functionality of the device, but its nice to have the options if/when I'm looking for them.

I don't want the distracts on knowing they are there with all the extra functions. The only thing that would be cool is a goodreads extra function that connects you to the site. But everything else I could pass up.

Does anyone own one of the Kindles with advertising attached?

I'm wondering if the ads are a nuisance or invisible.

Is it worth the extra money to get one without the ads?

Al wrote: "Does anyone own one of the Kindles with advertising attached?

I'm wondering if the ads are a nuisance or invisible.

Is it worth the extra money to get one without the ads?"

Which one has ads?

The new $79 unit "Wi-Fi, 6inch"
$99 Touch
$149 Touch 3G
$99 Kindle Keyboard
$139 Kindle Keyboard 3G

They all cost $40 more without "special offers" (ads).

The new "Fire" doesn't seem to have a "special offers" discounted version, but then it's more than just an eReader.

Go here for a rundown of all the Kindles: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005...

Being a cheap SOB, I'm interested in the $79 unit, but don’t want to get stuck with a reader I won’t like.

Al wrote: "The new $79 unit "Wi-Fi, 6inch"
$99 Touch
$149 Touch 3G
$99 Kindle Keyboard
$139 Kindle Keyboard 3G

They all cost $40 more without "special offers" (ads).

The new "Fire" doesn't seem to have a "s..."

Yeah I see what you are saying. I must have miss the ad part before when I researched about Kindles. I was thinking of asking for the new Touch for Christmas. Now I am concerned about the ads as well. Glad you asked this question and hopefully someone will share.

I don't have the one with the ads, but my mother in law does and she loves it - she's actually used the ads , too. (Her favorite so far has been the $20 Amazon gift card for only $10.)

The ads pop up in place of the screen savers (usually author photos for the regular Kindles) when you're not actively reading - they do not interfere with your reading experience at all.

IUHoosier wrote: "I don't have the one with the ads, but my mother in law does and she loves it - she's actually used the ads , too. (Her favorite so far has been the $20 Amazon gift card for only $10.)

The ads ..."

oh great that would not be irritating at all.

IUHoosier wrote: "I don't have the one with the ads, but my mother in law does and she loves it - she's actually used the ads , too. (Her favorite so far has been the $20 Amazon gift card for only $10.)

The ads ..."

Thanks IU,

Just one ad? Or do they rotate and eat up battery? (Digital ink only uses battery when it changes a page.) How about when the wireless communications are turned off?

Al wrote: "Thanks IU,

Just one ad? Or do they rotate and eat up battery? (Digital ink only uses battery when it changes a page.) How about when the wireless communications are turned off?..."

Just like the regular ones, it only shows one ad at a time unless you purposefully scroll thru them. I don't know about the wireless being off, I would assume it would just scroll thru the same ads each time you go to sleep mode, until it was reconnected to wireless.

IUHoosier wrote: "Just like the regular ones, it only shows one ad at a time unless you purposefully scroll thru them. I don't know about the wireless being off, I would assume it would just scroll thru the same ads each time you go to sleep mode, until it was reconnected to wireless...."

That's what I was wondering about. If it constantly scrolls through a list of ads when you're not using it, that will wear down the battery pretty fast, since the only time it draws power is when it's painting a new page. You only have 15 average hours of reading time on a battery charge if the radios are off.

That would be annoying if you'd taken your Kindle camping for a week in the woods and expected it to last long enough for your recreational reading.

Now, if you only use it while riding a bus to/from work, on your lunch hour, and in the evening before bed, it's no problem.

The "Best eBook of 2011" contest is now open for voting until the end of the month.

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/59...

Well it looks like I ended up getting the Fire instead of just the touch. But I am sticking with my plan of just using it for reading.

Al wrote: "The "Best eBook of 2011" contest is now open for voting until the end of the month.

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/59..."

The contest ends Tuesday night, so get your vote in before then. You can add your favorite book at the end as long as it was first published in 2011 or Dec. 2010.

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/59...

I am so conflicted I have spent so much time being anti Kindle but now that I know longer own a used bookstore I am beginning to like the idea. I don't know if I will ever get used to reading on it but with my tax returns coming soon I have really felt the need to get a kindle Fire.
UGH I am ready for you to criticize me now.

No criticizing, just gentle pushing - DO IT!!

OK, so maybe that wasn't so gentle....:) You'll love it once you get your hands on one. And if you don't, you can always return it for a full refund within 30 days!

Wes, it depends on what you want to do on it. If you just want a Kindle to read books, don't waste your money on the Fire. Once you get past the cover, it's all black and white anyway -- and the digital ink Kindle will last longer on a battery charge.

If you crave a tablet computer, then it might be worth looking at. Beware the shoulder pain that comes of using a tablet (just heard it on the news this morning).

My dad bought a condo at the beach and now I will have a place to stay when I visit. It would be nice to have something like this to take out there. I have a netflix membership also so it would benefit me to have the Fire to watch some movies if I am riding shotgun traveling with my brother.

Just got my Kindle Fire they have a sale at Walmart this week I bought it for $199 and got a $50 Walmart gift card in return.

Wes wrote: "Just got my Kindle Fire they have a sale at Walmart this week I bought it for $199 and got a $50 Walmart gift card in return."

Congratulations! Keep us posted on how you like it.

i got a kindle touch i love it every single day i find something new and the experamentals are an added bonus (you can all laugh at me right now it took me 2 days to figure out where the home button was ha ha ha)lol

I love my Nook Color BUT it's just not the same as a regular book. It is nice not having to hold a heavy book but my nook seems to go crazy sometimes flipping pages on its own skipping 20-30 pages withing a minute. I've sent it off to get repaired and now I have to go to the library to get the books I've already bought if I want to read it because there is no time frame on when I'll get my nook back :/
Frustrating.

I have both the Kindle Fire and the Sony and I like both of them actually. They are very different from each other but both have advantages. I still like regular books too, tho. I guess as long as I get the printed word in some form I'm happy ;)

Flora wrote: "I have both the Kindle Fire and the Sony and I like both of them actually. They are very different from each other but both have advantages. I still like regular books too, tho. I guess as long as ..."

When you get comfortable with both machines, we'd like to hear about the strengths and weaknesses of them.

A short history of my trials in ereader land:
I started with a Toshiba- I don't remember what you call it but it's like a Palm Pilot. I bought it for $25 on ebay. I like it quite a bit but I could only read books in lit format which when I got the Toshiba thingee Microsoft had already stopped supporting that format so getting books in that format was tough. Thank goodness for Calibre. Dang Barnes and Noble for their DRM protection.
Then I went to a Sony touch. That was great. It could read a bunch of different formats but I read a lot in bed so I missed the back lighting and the nice colors.
Then I tried a velocity cruz- piece of sh*t total waste of $300. I didn't even have the nerve to try to resell it on ebay. Of course we all know what happened to Borders a couple years later.
Then I went to a Nookcolor. I loved it! The wi fi with the few extra applications was icing on the cake. The only problem- I read in bed and I tend to sleep with my ereader. I kept breaking the data cable. The point where the cable connects to the tablet is a weak point and it kept breaking- Like about once a month or so. They're proprietary which means you can only replace them which a Barnes and Noble product. You can't just go anywhere and buy a new cheapo data cable. You have to go to Barnes and Noble. I even tried Best Buy because they sell Nooks and they're a little cheaper than Barnes and Noble- No luck. Those things are $30 at the store. If you shop around online, you can find them for about $15. After I bought five or so of these things. I was ANGRY! I thought Dang! I have spent more buying cables than the gadget cost in the first place.
So then I went to a Samsung Galaxy Tab. I love it! I haven't had to replace the data cable ever. I love the wi fi. I even activated the 3G. I read tons of books, check my email and bid on ebay with this thing. The only thing it doesn't do is feed my cats and the clean the litter box in the morning but I'm hoping to find an app for that. : )

the last comment was funny. the kindle fire has a goodreads app I am using it now. I love the kindle fire so far.

I had (still have for backup and epub formats) a Sony 650 with touch screen. I enjoyed it, except for the face that I frequently accidentally "turned the page" without meaning to, when I moved my fingers or it fell against my chest or something. Not sur how exactly it kept happening, but it did.
Then I was totally lured in by Amazon and the wide range of pretty affordable books in english. It was always a lot of hunting with the Sony to get the book I wanted in English. When I had the Kindle I just fell in love. The way it shows the letters is way better, sharper and just better to read, plus no accidental page turning AND I can get samples so damn easily and then decide whether it is a book for me or not.
I don't like Amazon's policies about the format and there are other reasons to dislike them... but their easy access to practically any book I want as a digital copy or printed edition just wins me over.
Between Christmas and New Year my beloved kindle (mid-book of course) just stopped working! The screen kinda froze. I called and had the a replacement model 2 days later. So their warranty policy and customer service is really a plus.
I have only tried two Sony models and the kindle keyboard and of those, mostly for the really good image of the letters, I would favour the kindle.

5.3% was the old total % of people who voted who like a regular book in hand from 2 years ago. Now the results so far show 26.8% like eBooks this is not a trend that can be ignored. In only two years the public opinion says that a 500% increase in the type of media (ebooks) people prefer to read. No wonder my bookstore went out of business :( . We are saving trees in the long run I guess and publishers are making a ton of money since they don't have to provide a physical product. Is this the future of books? Old Star Trek episodes would imply that and the current trend says this based on our small poll. I figure thought that even our micro poll on a larger scale would show close to the same results.
Happy Reading
Wes

Wes, so sorry that your bookstore went out of business. I own a cafe. In an ideal world I'd make it a cafe / bookstore / library! Re eBooks versus books I bought a Kindle (non-keyboard) with some Christmas money. I do love it, it's easy to carry around & super quick for those spontaneous purchases - you like the sound of a novel & want to start reading it straight away. But it won't stop me from buying / reading books / using my library here in the UK. I prefer to hold a book to the Kindle & I am also a member of a Book Club with some friends so we borrow books from the library then meet to discuss. Hope this helps the discussion!

i was wondering if anyone was having problems with the mp3 player on the kindle touch sometimes its works sometimes it doesnt i dont get it????? someone help me out and yes they're all mp3s not any other type

if it is the same file working and then not working then i'm not sure but if the same file has never worked it could be a drm issue or Digital Rights Management problem.

thanks for the suggestion but i went and complained to kindle and it turns out all i had to do was restart it, i have a slight fear of breaking things it happens alot to me so i panic sometimes and go overboard like right now...lol well thanks again!!!!

I have a nook and I loce it

The thing I think people have to keep in mind is Change is not easy. I am a fan of the independent bookstore, but anymore for them to be successful they need to be so much more than just a bookstore. The days of walking off the ship and strolling into a hole in the wall used bookstore to pick up the next read that will keep u going for a few days is over. Bookstores are becoming showrooms, and to be successful in the E Books Business, u need the money to make the initial web investment. We are basically getting to watch a re run of what went down in the music industry. Books (paper copy) are going to become the new obscure hobby/collectible, like how DJs love vinyl.
I have a Sony Pocket e reader, the first version. I want my reader to be just that, a reader. I am going to hold back from the touch screen things as long as possible.

you would be missing out the touch screen is really nice and easier to navigate. the kindle is one of the nicest things i have ever gotten!!!