Pretty, Fizzy Paradise

I'm back! And reading! And maybe even blogging! No promises!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Opinion Query?

You know, I never really felt the need to have one of those nook or kindle things. I do enjoy ebooks on occasion (Project Gutenberg is a wonderful thing), but I usually just read them on the computer. However, now that my dad has one, I'm finding myself filled with envy. That thing is awesome.

But they're expensive and I don't really know of any place I would really be able to examine the options before I bought one. (My dad's is a Nook, for the record.) So I figured I'd do the next best thing and ask you guys.

If anyone has one of those ebook reader things and can spare a few minutes to tell me which one and how much they like/dislike it, that would be awesome. It'll be a while before I've saved up enough to purchase one anyway. I know I can go on the websites and get some reviews, but it never hurts to poll a familiar crowd. :-)

So, do you have one? Any opinions?

posted by kalinara @ 11:54 PM  

11 Comments:

  • At February 13, 2011 12:51 PM, Blogger SallyP said…

    I'm a luddite, so I'm probably not the best person to give an opinion. I like turning pages, and prefer not to have to plug things in.

    Sorry, feeling a little cranky today.

     

  • At February 13, 2011 3:33 PM, Blogger kalinara said…

    I like turning pages too. But you can bring a better selection of books with a reader. :-)

     

  • At February 13, 2011 3:57 PM, Blogger Unknown said…

    I love my kindle. I can carry it around holding most of my library. Then you have the search options to look for a phrase that you remember but don't know exactly where it is. Also you have the ability to start reading it in your kindle, continue it on your iPhone and finish it on your iPad, android phone, blackberry or computer :)
    Did I tell you how much I love my kindle? :)
    Love your blog by the way :)

     

  • At February 13, 2011 6:37 PM, Blogger LurkerWithout said…

    I've got a Kindle, but it was a gift. So I don't know if I'd have bought it on my own. Though I did ask for it specifically...

    I haven't spent enough time using it to work out all its capable of. But the couple books I downloaded for it were very easy to read...

    I'm not thrilled with the prices on some of the e-books. I paid like 7 or 8 bucks for Gaiman's "Interworld". And that is a very short book. Plus Amazon charges sales tax on e-books. Something I don't ever see on PHYSICAL product I buy from them. That annoys me a bit...

    Oh and I can't download stuff from Amazon UK. That annoyed me a lot...

     

  • At February 13, 2011 7:58 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    All I have is a Kindle, and I have to say that I mostly just play Scrabble and other word games on it, but that's because I just started working in a library and I've been catching up on my comics.

    I like it a lot, actually, but I have no idea how it rates against the Nook. I personally don't need color for my, you know, TEXT, but I haven't even held one of the things to know for sure if I'd prefer it.

    Still, I like the Kindle. I'm going to use it to catch up on my classics, since I don't enjoy reading long things on the laptop because of a back injury. The e-ink thing is UH-MAZE-ING. I THINK the Nook uses that but I'm not sure.

     

  • At February 13, 2011 9:11 PM, Blogger Matthew E said…

    I don't have one, but my wife reads a lot of e-books on her Blackberry, and she says that that's the way to go: not a dedicated e-reader, but a smartphone or something similar that can have e-reading software on it. You get more bang for your buck that way, and the small screen doesn't bother her. (And she's notoriously fussy about things like that, so I must conclude that it's really not bothersome.)

     

  • At February 13, 2011 9:48 PM, Blogger kalinara said…

    Heh, I refuse to have a phone that does more than be a phone. It's a principle thing. :-P

     

  • At February 14, 2011 7:34 PM, Blogger Brandon said…

    I like the Sony line. I have a PRS 350, which is the pocket version, but the 650 is essentially the same. It has an e-ink (easy on the eyes) touch screen and (the deal closer for me) it can read a bunch of different formats and is just the open DRM format through Adobe. However, it can't read Amazon and B&N devices without . . . other tools, so if you're not into that sort of thing . . .

    Btw, if you have a Best Buy around, they have the nook, the Kindle, and the Sony line, so you can look at them there.

    Generally silent here, but I just went through this decision, so I thought I'd share

     

  • At February 14, 2011 7:45 PM, Blogger kalinara said…

    Thank you! I appreciate the tips!

     

  • At February 15, 2011 2:46 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I have an iPad, but even before that I had all but given up hardcopy books for my iPhone's reader. I read primarily on lunch breaks, and the sheer convenience of having my whole library on a portable device has been well worth it.

    I plug the iPad in about twice a week; the battery is amazing. The other great thing with the iPad, that I can't say about the iPhone, is the Comixology app; I've been re-purchasing Gail Simone's Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman to reread when I feel like it.

    I consider the purchase well worth it.

    -- Jack of Spades

     

  • At February 19, 2011 1:38 PM, Blogger Saranga said…

    I have an amazon kindle and I love it. Here's why:
    The screen is amazing - not like using a laptop or pc screen at all. So easy on the eyes.
    The battery last for about 3 weeks.
    You can have thousands of books on there not taking up space on your booksheld
    You cna download lot sof out of copyright ones for free - meaning that I'm reading stuff I would never have picked up before.
    You can adjust the text size.
    It weighs far less than taking 5 books on a weekend break or 10 on a week long holiday.
    You can download sample chapters of books for free.
    The screen's a good size.
    The e books are cheaper than real books.

    Things I don't like:
    No comics, no colour.
    You can't read it in the bath.
    I'm ever so anxious about losing it or spilling something on it.
    You can only get a small proportion of books on it.
    A lot of e books may still be expensive - 8 quid for the e book equivalent of an 18 quid hardback.
    No comics. That really bugs me.

    I adore my kindle.

     

Post a Comment

<< Home