I don't have enough smarts to give you any relevant details... I just like reading with mine. Books are easy to download, and I can change the font size for easier reading. The only thing I don't like about it, I can't carry it in my back pocket.
The apple systems are like nothing I've dealt with, I bought an iPod to use my tuner on the Mustang, I've figured it out but if you're not familiar with apple stuff, I wouldn't buy one......
I've been using them for quite a few years now. I would caution you that using a tablet or e-reader that uses LED instead of e-ink to display the words can cause eye strain and something called "dry eye". Don't read in a completely dark room and look away from the screen every so often. e-ink doesn't cause this as it is exactly like reading from paper. It depends upon outside light to see the screen, just like the page of a book. If the e reader uses e-ink but has a built in light to illuminate the screen, you must use the same cautions as with a back lit (LED) display. That said, I use my LED tablet display to read most often since it is a bigger screen than either of my e-readers. But always in a well lit area. I've become so used to using e-books that when I read a regular book I find myself pressing the right side of the page to make it turn pages. I read a lot, really a lot. At least 4 books a week plus Internet reading and magazines. I absolutely depend on e-books now and would have difficulty doing without one. Instant access to 10's of thousands of titles without getting up from the chair is a beautiful thing. One more thing: There are 3 primary formats for ebooks. Epub, MOBI, and PDF. Amazon Kindle uses ASW which is nothing more than a locked MOBI. Kindle's will not read EPUB which is the open source format and probably the most used. However, Amazon is a huge source of books and they have deals for freebies, so having a reader that won't read Kindle's format might be a minus. Good Luck!
I have two Nooks, one in a case with a swing-arm light, and the newer one is backlit. They download pics, but only in black and white. They're LCD screens, which make them easy to read in bright light. Books are downloaded in the same format as the dead tree books. The only drawback to the Nook is you're limited to Barnes and Noble books.
What ever your decision, look at this software for management of your library: http://calibre-ebook.com/ I use it on my Nook 1st edition to keep track of everything.
If you have anything that needs color, then you are SOL eReader wise. There is color e-ink technology, there is only one color e-ink reader and it costs $500. (http://www.jetbookk12.com/jetbookcolor/?refid=29532) I bet there is a Chinese company that will make one for you though.
Irish, I have a Kindle e-reader, and I really like it. As my eyes get worse, I can upsize the print size on it. I have everything on it from brain candy to classics to economics to history to math and science to military science, and have plenty of room left on it. If I had hard copies of all the books I have stored on my Kindle, they would weigh, probably, two to three hundred pounds. If you buy one, you will love it. Of course, I still like a real book to read, too.
I use Kindle. I read books using Kindle on my laptop and I-phone. The technology is handy, offers huge storage capabilities using Kindle Cloud, and it is portable. Still, I like books. I am old school I suppose.
I use Kindle. I read books using Kindle on my laptop and I-phone. The technology is handy, offers huge storage capabilities using Kindle Cloud, and it is portable. Still, I like books. I am old school I suppose.
The Kindle Fire is great - easy to use and navigate. A lot of books to download are free from Amazon. Others are a lot cheaper than the paperbacks or hardcovers. And it only takes seconds to download them. You can adjust the volume, mark the page when you leave off, make notes and even do a topic search when you want to look up something while you are reading. The only downside is it's hard to see the screen in bright sunlight.
Kindle 6" Paperwhite with wifi and 3g. And as other commenters said, I can increase the type size to whatever I need, and you can read the Kindle even in bright sunlight.
An android tablet will do many more things than a one function reader. It will do the reading and a lot of things a PC, a GPS, a Camera, a movie player, etc will do. I don't play video games much but cribbage once in a while, Mahjongg, chess, flight simulator stuff can be cool on a tablet with all the motion sensors it has. There is one free android APP I have where you practice takeoff, flying around and landing on a carrier. Track the visual passes for the space station and some satellites. Cool stuff.
We have a collection of iPad, Kindle (3) and a Nook. I personally prefer the iPad because it has much better ease of navigation, the best page rendering of any reader, and it can run any ebook format, including Kindle and Nook. The downside is that you can't get Kindle or Nook from Apple's store and you need an app for each format you use. (I have six.) The iPad also had useful apps like iWork, Safari, etc.
My wife prefers Kindle DX, which they no longer make, because it is a large page format. Somewhat heavy.
I have a Kindle 6" paper white, too, but I seldom use it because the page is too small.
That said, I greatly prefer actual books, but then I'm a geezer.
Whatever you do, get a tablet, iPad, android, whatever. You will really want internet access.
I used to have a Kindle. Then one night, under cover of darkness, Amazon surreptitiously took back copies of Anima lFarm because they ran afoul of US copyright laws (they sold the European version, they did not have the authorization for the US version). When people awoke and found that Whisperlite can work in reverse, they were outraged. Amazon refunded the purchase price after a hue and cry arose, saying they intended to return funds anyway. I put my Kindle away and have never touched it since. Besides a good product, I believe in corporate responsibility - Which apparently not all corporations do.
I use an iPad using the Kindle software (also on my Mac). I have never tried using it outside as I now live in a nursing home, the concept of "going outside" is an anathema to them, so I cannot report on the screen readability in bright light. The tablet is easier to read while lying flat on my back versus a book as I am constantly trying to keep the book open and upright at the same time. While I really enjoying books, they are best suited to viewing from a more upright position, as in sitting with the book in one's lap or on a table.
The other consideration with an illuminated screen is to beware of too much light at the end of the day, lots of reading with an illuminated screen radiating straight into the eyes can mess with one's circadian rhythms and make being able to get to sleep difficult. Pay good attention to maintaining healthy sleep hygiene.
The tablet also works much like a computer, only using an entirely graphic UI, so it is not just an e-reader.
Not only do I not own any kind of e reader, I've never even seen one except in pictures. If I buy a book, the bookstore cannot come to my house and take it back.
I use the Kindle on my PC laptop as I travel a good bit and carrying one of everything would just be insane. I have 2367 books that are 2.97gig total and stored in Calibre. With Calibre, you can download any form of book and convert it to the type reader you need to view. Or, you can just keep it in Calibre and read there. I prefer the look of the Kindle, though. When reading in the evening, I dim the screen to the lowest or I end up getting the video game/tv effect and can't/won't go to sleep.
I don't have enough smarts to give you any relevant details... I just like reading with mine. Books are easy to download, and I can change the font size for easier reading. The only thing I don't like about it, I can't carry it in my back pocket.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah. Get one with a back light so you can read in the dark or well shaded places.
DeleteThe apple systems are like nothing I've dealt with, I bought an iPod to use my tuner on the Mustang, I've figured it out but if you're not familiar with apple stuff, I wouldn't buy one......
ReplyDeleteKindle Fire....get it and you will not regret it....
ReplyDeleteI've been using them for quite a few years now. I would caution you that using a tablet or e-reader that uses LED instead of e-ink to display the words can cause eye strain and something called "dry eye". Don't read in a completely dark room and look away from the screen every so often. e-ink doesn't cause this as it is exactly like reading from paper. It depends upon outside light to see the screen, just like the page of a book. If the e reader uses e-ink but has a built in light to illuminate the screen, you must use the same cautions as with a back lit (LED) display.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I use my LED tablet display to read most often since it is a bigger screen than either of my e-readers. But always in a well lit area. I've become so used to using e-books that when I read a regular book I find myself pressing the right side of the page to make it turn pages. I read a lot, really a lot. At least 4 books a week plus Internet reading and magazines. I absolutely depend on e-books now and would have difficulty doing without one. Instant access to 10's of thousands of titles without getting up from the chair is a beautiful thing. One more thing: There are 3 primary formats for ebooks. Epub, MOBI, and PDF. Amazon Kindle uses ASW which is nothing more than a locked MOBI. Kindle's will not read EPUB which is the open source format and probably the most used. However, Amazon is a huge source of books and they have deals for freebies, so having a reader that won't read Kindle's format might be a minus. Good Luck!
I have two Nooks, one in a case with a swing-arm light, and the newer one is backlit. They download pics, but only in black and white. They're LCD screens, which make them easy to read in bright light. Books are downloaded in the same format as the dead tree books. The only drawback to the Nook is you're limited to Barnes and Noble books.
ReplyDeleteWhat ever your decision, look at this software for management of your library: http://calibre-ebook.com/ I use it on my Nook 1st edition to keep track of everything.
ReplyDeleteIf you have anything that needs color, then you are SOL eReader wise. There is color e-ink technology, there is only one color e-ink reader and it costs $500. (http://www.jetbookk12.com/jetbookcolor/?refid=29532) I bet there is a Chinese company that will make one for you though.
Irish, I have a Kindle e-reader, and I really like it. As my eyes get worse, I can upsize the print size on it. I have everything on it from brain candy to classics to economics to history to math and science to military science, and have plenty of room left on it. If I had hard copies of all the books I have stored on my Kindle, they would weigh, probably, two to three hundred pounds. If you buy one, you will love it. Of course, I still like a real book to read, too.
ReplyDeleteany android tablet that suits you and then nook/kindle apps , Coolreader app handles most formats of ebooks you find on the internet .
ReplyDeleteI use Kindle. I read books using Kindle on my laptop and I-phone. The technology is handy, offers huge storage capabilities using Kindle Cloud, and it is portable. Still, I like books. I am old school I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI use Kindle. I read books using Kindle on my laptop and I-phone. The technology is handy, offers huge storage capabilities using Kindle Cloud, and it is portable. Still, I like books. I am old school I suppose.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the input, seems like I have some choices to consider.
ReplyDeleteThe Kindle Fire is great - easy to use and navigate. A lot of books to download are free from Amazon. Others are a lot cheaper than the paperbacks or hardcovers. And it only takes seconds to download them. You can adjust the volume, mark the page when you leave off, make notes and even do a topic search when you want to look up something while you are reading.
ReplyDeleteThe only downside is it's hard to see the screen in bright sunlight.
Kindle 6" Paperwhite with wifi and 3g. And as other commenters said, I can increase the type size to whatever I need, and you can read the Kindle even in bright sunlight.
ReplyDeleteAn android tablet will do many more things than a one function reader. It will do the reading and a lot of things a PC, a GPS, a Camera, a movie player, etc will do. I don't play video games much but cribbage once in a while, Mahjongg, chess, flight simulator stuff can be cool on a tablet with all the motion sensors it has. There is one free android APP I have where you practice takeoff, flying around and landing on a carrier. Track the visual passes for the space station and some satellites. Cool stuff.
ReplyDeleteWe have a collection of iPad, Kindle (3) and a Nook. I personally prefer the iPad because it has much better ease of navigation, the best page rendering of any reader, and it can run any ebook format, including Kindle and Nook. The downside is that you can't get Kindle or Nook from Apple's store and you need an app for each format you use. (I have six.) The iPad also had useful apps like iWork, Safari, etc.
ReplyDeleteMy wife prefers Kindle DX, which they no longer make, because it is a large page format. Somewhat heavy.
I have a Kindle 6" paper white, too, but I seldom use it because the page is too small.
That said, I greatly prefer actual books, but then I'm a geezer.
Whatever you do, get a tablet, iPad, android, whatever. You will really want internet access.
I used to have a Kindle. Then one night, under cover of darkness, Amazon surreptitiously took back copies of Anima lFarm because they ran afoul of US copyright laws (they sold the European version, they did not have the authorization for the US version). When people awoke and found that Whisperlite can work in reverse, they were outraged. Amazon refunded the purchase price after a hue and cry arose, saying they intended to return funds anyway. I put my Kindle away and have never touched it since. Besides a good product, I believe in corporate responsibility - Which apparently not all corporations do.
ReplyDeleteI use an iPad using the Kindle software (also on my Mac). I have never tried using it outside as I now live in a nursing home, the concept of "going outside" is an anathema to them, so I cannot report on the screen readability in bright light. The tablet is easier to read while lying flat on my back versus a book as I am constantly trying to keep the book open and upright at the same time. While I really enjoying books, they are best suited to viewing from a more upright position, as in sitting with the book in one's lap or on a table.
The other consideration with an illuminated screen is to beware of too much light at the end of the day, lots of reading with an illuminated screen radiating straight into the eyes can mess with one's circadian rhythms and make being able to get to sleep difficult. Pay good attention to maintaining healthy sleep hygiene.
The tablet also works much like a computer, only using an entirely graphic UI, so it is not just an e-reader.
Thanks John. I appreciate the input. More research for me I guess.
DeleteI've over a thousand reference books and pdfs on an ipad. I like it.
ReplyDeleteI use goodreader for my pdfs, kindle for when I get something from amazon and an ebook reader for my epubs.
You will not use it in bright sunshine. At night you can set it dim enough to be comfortable. And do watch out for dry eyes.
Not only do I not own any kind of e reader, I've never even seen one except in pictures. If I buy a book, the bookstore cannot come to my house and take it back.
ReplyDeleteZeke, right now I have real paper books. I, as well, am old school. I was looking for something to keep all thinks in
Delete"place". Thanks
I use the Kindle on my PC laptop as I travel a good bit and carrying one of everything would just be insane. I have 2367 books that are 2.97gig total and stored in Calibre. With Calibre, you can download any form of book and convert it to the type reader you need to view. Or, you can just keep it in Calibre and read there. I prefer the look of the Kindle, though. When reading in the evening, I dim the screen to the lowest or I end up getting the video game/tv effect and can't/won't go to sleep.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, the Kindle reader and Calibre are free for you pc. Not sure how they do on Apple. I know nothing abt Apple products.
Delete