Amazon Kindle - ebooks & readers v "traditional"

[kenbuzz]

Not to argue with you drm, but can't one extend your arguments to "Do I need an electronic book reader? Hell no. Paper doesn't eat up batteries, and I can't read more than one book at a given moment anyway regardless of format. $250 can buy a shitload of a lot of books, an my standard paper books can't be deleted when a vendor's license changes."

Need is one thing.
Want is another.

[Suprmallet]

Also, you only need the 3G on when you're downloading and/or browsing books, so not very often. The LCD screen is also not as bright as they are on cell phones, again to save battery.

[Suprmallet]

Ruh-roh: http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/27/l...deo/#continued

[mhg83]

I received my Kindle today. After reading for an hour, I really like it. The design is okay but not 'Ugly as sin' as some have described it in past posts.

The keyboard function is hard to input buttons at times but I gues I'll get used to it eventually.

The screen itself is very easy on my eyes. We'll see what happens when I read for three hours.

Overall i really like the device and is well worth he $220 price.

Are there any sites where i can download free public domain e-books straight from my kindle?

[Ginwen]

Originally Posted by mhg83

I received my Kindle today. After reading for an hour, I really like it. The design is okay but not 'Ugly as sin' as some have described it in past posts.

The keyboard function is hard to input buttons at times but I gues I'll get used to it eventually.

The screen itself is very easy on my eyes. We'll see what happens when I read for three hours.

Overall i really like the device and is well worth he $220 price.

Are there any sites where i can download free public domain e-books straight from my kindle?

Go to moblileread.com. There are two "books" there (from mobileread and feedbooks) that you'll either have to download using the web browser, or just put on your computer and transfer via USB. Once you do it once, though, they each contain a link that alllows you to update the list by just clicking on it. Each of them has tons of public domain books. The feedbooks one is more nicely formatted, the mobileread one gets stuff quicker and has more. So I use both. These are probably the number one best thing to put on your kindle as they give you free easy wireless access to tons of free books, most are formatted really well too (better than books you buy a lot of times).

Here's the thread: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48492

Here's links to the two lists, you can either save these to your computer and transfer to the kindle, or just put the locations in on your kindle's web browser, and after a few minutes they'll show up on your main books list. One thing when you put these in your kindle web browser (either now or in the future)--there is a little progress tracking thing in the top left corner, wait until it's 100 percent before navigating away from the screen or the download may not complete--found that out the hard way)
Mobileread Kindle PD book list
Feedbooks Kindle PD book list

[mhg83]

Originally Posted by Ginwen

Here's links to the two lists, you can either save these to your computer and transfer to the kindle, or just put the locations in on your kindle's web browser, and after a few minutes they'll show up on your main books list. One thing when you put these in your kindle web browser (either now or in the future)--there is a little progress tracking thing in the top left corner, wait until it's 100 percent before navigating away from the screen or the download may not complete--found that out the hard way)
Mobileread Kindle PD book list
Feedbooks Kindle PD book list

Great links! Thanks for all the info and tips.

[Suprmallet]

Does anyone here use Fictionwise? The prices seem better than B&N (which is funny because it's owned by B&N) and they have a membership program that gives you 15% off any book's lowest price, even on top of other promotions or discounts (plus a free ebook up to $9.99 for every year of your membership). Plus, all files purchased from Fictionwise can be sideloaded on the Nook without any issues. I was strongly considering it, but before I plunked money down I wanted to see if anyone had any experience with it.

[Ginwen]

Originally Posted by Suprmallet

Does anyone here use Fictionwise? The prices seem better than B&N (which is funny because it's owned by B&N) and they have a membership program that gives you 15% off any book's lowest price, even on top of other promotions or discounts (plus a free ebook up to $9.99 for every year of your membership). Plus, all files purchased from Fictionwise can be sideloaded on the Nook without any issues. I was strongly considering it, but before I plunked money down I wanted to see if anyone had any experience with it.

I've bought multiformat stuff off there (Asimov's SF mag and Analog SF mag) for my Kindle. It works great, although I have to connect to my computer to get it instead of wireless. If you get the non-multi-format stuff you just have to make sure it works on your nook, for Kindle I'm pretty much limited to the non-copy-protected stuff on there (might be a way around it, but I haven't had the need to figure it out).

[Ranger]

I think Wired said BN offers a million ebooks while Amazon offers 350,000.

I have to admit I prefer the basic kindle look, don't really like the color nook dock thing unless that can be switched off while reading.

[Ginwen]

Originally Posted by Ranger

I think Wired said BN offers a million ebooks while Amazon offers 350,000.

I have to admit I prefer the basic kindle look, don't really like the color nook dock thing unless that can be switched off while reading.

That's counting google books.

I think people will have a much better idea once it comes out, I expect that, as it is with Sony and Amazon, most new books will come in both. So far there are very few exclusives (I only know of one specifically on the Kindle, a short story by Stephen King that's about a Kindle).

[Suprmallet]

Originally Posted by Ginwen

I've bought multiformat stuff off there (Asimov's SF mag and Analog SF mag) for my Kindle. It works great, although I have to connect to my computer to get it instead of wireless. If you get the non-multi-format stuff you just have to make sure it works on your nook, for Kindle I'm pretty much limited to the non-copy-protected stuff on there (might be a way around it, but I haven't had the need to figure it out).

The Nook will read any book from Fictionwise, as far as I've been able to suss out.

[Ginwen]

Originally Posted by Suprmallet

The Nook will read any book from Fictionwise, as far as I've been able to suss out.

Cool, well it's definitely reputable, and they have good deals sometimes. The fact that they do have so much multiformat is a plus too, because that stuff you'll be able to read no matter what reader you have.

[Suprmallet]

I don't know if anyone saw this article: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/03/s...marvells-arma/

This isn't the first write-up I've seen that indicates that 2010 should see significant advances in e-reader technology, from the refresh rates to color e-ink to better interfaces and so on. It's making me reconsider getting a Nook. Not in favor the Kindle, mind you, but in favor of one of these third party readers.

[Suprmallet]

I haven't stopped thinking about the potential explosion of better ereaders on the horizon, so I went ahead and canceled my nook order. I can always reorder if it looks like nothing better is forthcoming, but for $313, I can afford to wait to get the product I feel is the best value for the money.

[Ginwen]

No idea how well this will work but I haven't seen things like this for Kindle before so had to check it out (plus it's only a penny).

Interactive Sudoku for Kindle 2 and Kindle DX - Volume 1 (Mobi Games) (Kindle Edition)
Our best interactive Sudoku puzzles are now available for Kindle!

Whether you are a novice to Sudoku or an experienced player this collection will sharpen your mind.

Each Sudoku volume contains 20 different Sudoku puzzles: five puzzles for each difficulty level.

The objective a Sudoku game is to fill a 9X9 grid so that numbers 1 through 9 occur exactly once in each row, column, and 3X3 box.

With Mobi Sudoku you can:

Check your progress at any time. The number of wrong entries will be reported.
Remove errors. Use it if you feel you made too many mistakes and want to keep your correct entries but remove incorrect ones.
See the solution
Reset the puzzle if you want to start over.
Add a clue if you feel that you are stuck. A single number will be added to a randomly chosen empty cell.
Note: Whispernet wireless needs to be turned on when a new game is loaded. Once a game is loaded, wireless can be turned off to conserve battery power.

[darkside]

Originally Posted by Suprmallet

Does anyone here use Fictionwise? The prices seem better than B&N (which is funny because it's owned by B&N) and they have a membership program that gives you 15% off any book's lowest price, even on top of other promotions or discounts (plus a free ebook up to $9.99 for every year of your membership). Plus, all files purchased from Fictionwise can be sideloaded on the Nook without any issues. I was strongly considering it, but before I plunked money down I wanted to see if anyone had any experience with it.

I've bought a ton of books from there over the past 6-7 years. I love their site and even though B&N bought them out this year they have stayed the same. The membership is really worth it if you buy a lot of books. They are also doing rebates all the time where they give you 50 - 100% of the book price back to buy other books. The Nook will probably support ePub and eReader format so pretty much everything you buy there will work on the Nook and PC. Not to mention iPhone and many other devices. I'm holding off on buying a Nook. Too pricey and my iPod Touch and Netbook work well enough for me.

[meglet]

Kindle for PC (beta) is now available: link. Mac version is "coming soon."

I've downloaded and poked at it a bit, looks pretty nice. I'm really hoping it will make reading tech manuals and color stuff like photography books useful, then I can read those on my netbook or my 24" monitor, and read novels on my Kindle 2.

Hmm, it occurs to me to wonder if the PC app counts against the 6-device limit. Although I believe it's 6 devices per book (except specific publisher limitations,) not per account.

[Ranger]

I just tried the new Amazon software and was very disappointed, it's way too limited and I don't like the non-native GUI. IMO, the BN PC reader is far superior. Guess BN will be my ebook source.

[HE Pennypacker]

No browser on the Nook. Kills it for me.

[Sessa17]

I was literally about a click away from pre-ordering a Nook for myself when I found out a few things that have really turned me off to it if they are true.

No additional discounts for B&N members on ebooks as they consider ebook already discounted, despite being more expensive then most Kingle versions.

It has been confirmed that GC cannot be used on B&N ebooks b/c of the exclusive way they are downloaded to the Nook. This is mayeb the biggest turn off to me, they have to remedy this.

And this one, I don't know if it's true but it sounds awful, you have to login with your credit card number every single time you open up an ebook. Wheter you have already downloaded it or not. Someone told me this today, & if that is true that is attrocious.

This is a real shame b/c I have really grown to love the design of the nook more than the kindle.

[Suprmallet]

That last one can't possibly be true. The Nook would be borderline unusable if that were the case.

Either way, I'm content to wait till 2010 to get an e-reader. I feel things will get sorted out by Q2 or Q3 next year.

[Sessa17]

This is good news & makes me one step closer to going for the Nook

http://consumerist.com/5406136/

[Suprmallet]

Excellent. Now they just need to lower the pricing on their ebooks.

[Sessa17]

Originally Posted by Suprmallet

Excellent. Now they just need to lower the pricing on their ebooks.

Yeah, if they do that I'm getting one without a doubt. I compared about 20 books that would be my first downloads & literally every single one of them was cheaper for the Kindle.

I'm probably going to get a Nook anyway, b/c I think already announcing that they are switching to allowing GC use, shows they are listening to the complaints of the consumers & are willing to make adjustments.

[Ranger]

Originally Posted by Sessa17

This is good news & makes me one step closer to going for the Nook

http://consumerist.com/5406136/

Great news, mid-Dec isn't that far away, plenty of time for folks to get me BN gift cards for xmas.

I'm still not sure about the credit card encryption thing. My first thoughts were 1) what happens if you change your cc number and 2) will people be able to open their ebooks if their pc is offline at the moment? I've also wondered if itunes could play drm music offline.