Knights in armor, bent on chivalry
Friday, February 18th, 2011 05:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rolanniThat? Was a staggeringly unpleasant week. Let us speak of it no more.
Instead, let us speak of what Steve and I will be doing tomorrow, which is driving out to Bridgton to record an interview on “What Are You Reading?”, which airs on Lake District Cable. Bridgton’s a pretty place, a couple hours away from the location of the Cat Farm, and we anticipate a pleasant, relaxing drive and a good time at the interview itself.
In other news, the taxes have been dropped off with the accountant, so Sunday I’ll start revising “Intelligent Design.” That done, I’ll be clear to reread and get back with George, which still hasn’t forked over with a Title. Though, yanno, if there can be a movie called Harvey why not a book called George?
A question for all you ebook readers out there. I’ve actually been enjoying reading with the Nook app on my Android, which I never thought I’d say. But I really like that I can make the text bigger and read without my glasses, and I like how crisp the resolution is, and the page-turn — which was slllloooooowwwwwww in the One Real Nook I’ve ever held in my hands — is snappy. So, I’m thinking…maybe an ebook reader. But! There’s the brand-new iteration of the Kindle, of which I’ve heard lovely things, including the fact that they’ve got the hand-feel down to mass market weight, and, well — weight counts. I could never hold one of your whomping great Ipads and read on a book on it.
So, those of you with ‘em — how’s the refresh rate on the actual Nook and Kindle? Comparable weights? Glad you have one? Wish you hadn’t bothered? What do I need to know? What should I think about before I plunge my next bit of crazy money into one of these things? Tell all.
In the meantime, I’m going to go vacuum the house and terrify the cats. Double the fun!
Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.
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no subject
Date: 2011-02-18 10:26 pm (UTC)I really recommend modern e-readers. Throw a few hundred books on one, leave it in your purse, and you never have to worry about having something to read. New book really not to your taste? Pick the next one in your queue, or a later one in your queue if the next one isn't what you're in the mood for.
Neither the Kindle nor the Nook can be used in the dark without a book light; the Kindle has a $50 case available that has a light built in, which uses the Kindle battery. The Nook Color is a backlit screen, therefore readable in the dark, but if staring at screens all day strains your eyes, it will -- and then there are battery issues.
Do you care about being able to make purchases while away from home? If not, whether you go for a Kindle or a Nook, you can save $50 and an ounce or two of weight by getting Wireless-only. (If you don't have Wireless, just download through your computer and transfer.)
Regardless of what e-reader you choose, beware of DRM. It's surprisingly little hassle on the Kindle, and I suspect it's also surprisingly little on the Nook, but it is an attempt to lock you into your current choice of platform by making your purchases worthless elsewhere. (Much the same as purchases through iTunes don't work on other portables unless you turn them into CDs first.) I first gave your books a try because I was purchasing through Webscriptions, where there is no DRM.
What's important to you in an e-reader?
no subject
Date: 2011-02-20 11:20 am (UTC)Kindle Latest Gen FTW
Date: 2011-02-18 10:35 pm (UTC)Mine, and I assume any new one, has an "experimental" web browser which is nice but a bit awkward to use with 4-directional "mouse" - no touchscreen with the e-ink.
I did have a problem with mine rebooting itself at odd moments and not saving the last page read, but that turns out to have been related to the non-lighted leather cover I bought for it - I haven't had that issue recur since I took the cover off.
Other than that, my one true kvetch is that Amazon does not *currently* allow you to loan out your Kindle e-books, which I believe the Nook does. There is some scuttlebutt that they may allow loans in the future - I hope they do, it will make happier with the Kindle.
Re: Kindle Latest Gen FTW
Date: 2011-02-22 03:16 pm (UTC)talking about the NookColor...
Date: 2011-02-18 10:59 pm (UTC)It's also backlit, which was a major problem with my Kobo - eInk may be easier on the eyes, but most of my reading is done not outside but indoors with indifferent/indirect lighting. I love being able to read in the dark without disturbing my partner/travel companion.
Also, I can port pdfs onto the Nook, which is very very nice.
The touchscreen is also addictive - you do have to invest in wipes to keep the smudges at bay, but that's the only problem I've had with it. The weight is less than a hardcover - maybe about the same as a hefty trade? And the design makes it comfortable to hold one-handed. I find myself pulling it out and using it as easily as I do my cell phone.
I didn't get 3G and honestly haven't felt the need for it. In fact, it's nice to know that there will be times that I won't be distracted by the lure of the Internet, but will 'only' be reading. (I've got so many books loaded on the thing, I'd have to be stuck for a month to be at a loss)
Kindle
Date: 2011-02-18 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-18 11:32 pm (UTC)I had a K2, bought a K3 for my daughter and I have a Kindle DX, but the older one so the text is not quite as sharp as the new ones. I also have the Kindle app for Android on my Sprint EVO (4.3 inch screen), Dell Streak (5 inch screen) and a Sprint Galaxy tab (7 inch screen). For me I prefer the Android app because I like the color in the illustrations. I do still use the DX however. One of the biggies with the Amazon Kindle, Amazon will let you download a book to 5 different "Kindle devices" so when I am reading a book on the DX before I exit out I turn on the "wispernet" really a built in cell phone if you have that option and let it save my current plact on Amazon's server. Then when I find, while I'm out, that I have time to kill I will launch the Kindle app on my sprint EVO, open the book I was reading on the DX. It then checks with Amazon to see my saved location, and asks me if I wand to go to that location. When I close the app on the EVO it will save my current location back to Amazon. When I open the book on the DX it will check with Amazon to see the last location I was reading and will give me the choice of going to that location. Pretty neat when you think about it. On the Kindle app you can change the background color. I find the black bg with white text easy on my eyes and can read for several hours at a stretch with out much eye strain.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-18 11:40 pm (UTC)I've been avoiding Nook and Kindle like the plague because of the whole subscription/device lock-in/DRM madness that most of these devices subscribe to.
Yep, I've paid for ebooks (including some of yours!), but i prefer to choose where/how to read them for myself. I may yet cave to the lure of the big screen, but for now I'm okay with what I have.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-18 11:53 pm (UTC)One thing to consider is customer service. Amazon's is reported to be excellent, B&N, not so much.
On the other hand, the Nook will handle library books (if you library uses overdrive), but the Kindle does not.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-18 11:53 pm (UTC)The second decision is wi-fi only vs. 3G. The wi-fi only models are cheaper, but need a wireless network to go online, or need to be connected to a PC. The 3G models work like cell phones to go online anywhere. Both Nook and Kindle have both.
The third decision is file format. Nook uses epub; Kindle uses a proprietary format. There are conversion utilities available for converting other formats to epub; I like Calibre. For the Kindle you can upload documents in other formats to their website and then download the converted version directly onto your Kindle.
The fourth decision is whether you'd rather do business with Amazon or Barnes&Noble.
I've had a Nook (the cheapest one: e-ink and wi-fi only) for nearly six months and absolutely adore it. The slow refresh was annoying at first, but I got used to it right away. Also, the firmware update in November made it a little faster, so if you tried a Nook before then, it would be worth checking out again.
Nookie
Date: 2011-02-19 12:32 am (UTC)We bought the eink version of the nook late summer 2010 in preparation for AussiCon. We loaded a bunch of free and purchased books onto it. The coolest was an 1886(?) travelogue of New Zealand scanned from a New York Public Library copy. No way could we have carried around enough books for that trip in dead-tree format!
We bought the nookcolor in November, and that's now my primary e-reader. Books purchased via B&N can be used on up to five devices - in our case, the desktop, two laptops, and two nooks.
I've put library books on both our nooks. Our local library requires Adobe Digital Editions to manage borrowed ebooks, so it has to be done via a computer. I seriously unimpressed with that software, but maybe it will improve in future versions.
I've copied PDFs and the epub books from Baen CDs, and downloaded public-domain titles from Project Gutenberg. The PDFs were technical documents. They're fine on the color, but none of the diagrams came through on the eink. I also have an mp3 of the BBC Lord of the Rings production on one, which is kind of cool. I haven't really played with the audio options, but I'd definitely use headphones rather than the somewhat tinny internal speaker.
We have a lot of Audible audiobooks; since Audible's owned by Amazon, I don't expect those to be supported on the nook anytime soon. Since we mostly use the iPod nano for those anyway, that's not a dealbreaker for us.
I find the weight and the page-turning speed of both versions acceptable. The browser is pretty rudimentary, but functional for basic operations, and is updated periodically. That's MUCH better on the nookcolor, because it has a full touchscreen. I think that's why Pandora Internet Radio and crossword puzzles are only available on the nookcolor. Both have Sudoku!
As mentioned above, the nookcolor is readable in the dark. It's so-so in bright sunlight. The eink nook requires lighting, just as a print book does.
If there's a B&N nearby, the nook has some advantages over the KIndle, starting with the fact that you can play with both nook versions prior to purchase. You can read a lot of ebooks free for up to an hour a day at your local B&N, and get at least basic tech support from staff at the stores. You can lend books to other nook users, but that - and the availability of books to read for up to an hour per day at the local B&N - appears to depend on the agreement with the publisher/author. Terry Pratchett's books, for instance, don't appear to be available for read-in-store, and I suspect they're not lendable either.
At least for the moment, you can download a specific ebook free on Fridays if you're in the store then. I think this is also due to publisher agreements, possibly an attempt to pick up readers for new authors. I've picked up a couple of titles that way, but my to-read pile of both print and ebooks is too big to spend time with them yet, so I can't offer an opinion on quality. There are also occasional specials (free smoothie/coffee, discount on whole cheesecake) available on the nook while you're in the store.
Nookcolor is curently ONLY available in a wireless/USB version. That doesn't mean no purchasing while on the road; it just means you have to get to a wireless hotspot. All B&Ns can provide that connectivity - heck, even our local McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts franchises have hotspots now - so this hasn't been an issue for us, but if being able to always buy on the fly is important to you, stick with the eink nook/Kindle with 3G connectivity.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 12:58 am (UTC)I've been using a Rocket eBook since 2000, so I have a lot of books in electronic format; Calibre was able to convert all but the few that had DRM. I currently have 500+ books on it, most from Baen or the public domain.
The refresh rate is fine, the adjustable fonts are good. The one problem is it is harder to jump around in the book if there isn't a table of contents with relative links.
I have only bought a few books for it; I won't buy a DRM'd electronic book unless it is something I know I will want to reread. But there is a lot of free stuff available from Project Gutenberg and other places.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 01:07 am (UTC)I wouldn't be surprised if this worked with the Nook too. Either way, it's awesome.
have a kindle second generation
Date: 2011-02-19 01:18 am (UTC)I still buy some hardback books and paperbacks but find I seldom read in anything but an ebook now. Can't hold the book long enought to keep interested most of the time or regret it if I can.
kindle
Date: 2011-02-19 01:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 01:48 am (UTC)Brom
no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 01:50 am (UTC)If I replace it, I am very dubious about the Nook and Kindle because of their ties to the stores that sell the content. Basically I really don't trust Amazon. Also I am VERY vexed that some publishers are only making their e-books available as Kindle books, which I can read on the Kindle for Mac app, but can't put on my Cybook unless I find someone to supply me with the DRM-stripping software. Grrr. Authors that used to be on Fictionwise no longer are. Hurray for Baen.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-20 11:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 01:57 am (UTC)I also love being able to read. On whatever platform is out there. I favor the nook software because it lets me have a reverse video option that's easier on my eyes. But I have half a dozen kindle books, and probably 20 stanza books, not to mention my smashswords books and my baen books.
Let me say that I'm very unhappy with Apple's latest move to charge for content they had nothing to do with. GRRR!!! But I have faith that that will be set straight by the government.
A
no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 02:25 am (UTC)The page refresh rate on the Kindle is at least as fast as I can turn a paper page. For my mother, who has a bit of arthritis in one hand, page turns are considerably faster than paper. The Kindle is also substantially easier to hold than a paper book, since you don't have to hold it open. With the help of a good ziplock bag, it's even easier to read in the bathtub than paper.
Yes, the eInk can't be read without a light, but neither can a paper book. Bedside reading lamps are and always have been a requirement in my view.
The best thing about the Kindle is the portability of my library. I'm currently in Costa Rica for three months. There is one store, an hour away by bus, that sells English language books. The selection is...odd...and the prices are high. (Terry Pratchett's entire works, which is good, but almost no other SF or fantasy.) Three months' worth of reading material would have filled my entire suitcase once--now it's six ounces in my carryon bag. My landlady, who is Canadian married to a Costa Rican man, just bought a Kindle for her daughter after seeing mine and talking about availability/pricing of books.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 02:32 am (UTC)Which means that if you buy a Kindle, you cannot read ebooks from your library. You live in Maine, which means it is entirely likely your local library is a member of the Overdrive Download library. If not, they could be, and the State Library certainly is. But those ebooks are in EPUB format, and the only thing they will not work on is the Kindle (the iPad is apparently a work in progress and coming soon).
I can't say anything about refresh rates and such, but file format can matter.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 06:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 07:08 pm (UTC)One of our staff members has an iPad, and they were unable to even find the app.
kindle vs nook
Date: 2011-02-19 04:25 am (UTC)If you are looking for strictly an ereader, I find the kindle is more suited for purely reading activities. E-ink is crisp, big font sizes a plus, battery life is good. I have audible titles loaded on as well as some music mp3's. I find the biggest drawbacks to be DRM and inability to organize books easily.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 04:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 05:02 am (UTC)You're not limited to Amazon for reading matter either - Baen has Kindle format available, Project Guttenberg has a lot of older stuff, and there are other commercial sites like Smashwords too. From those sites, you'd want to download to a computer and then transfer to the ereader - emailing via Amazon costs something.
I'm trying to stick with electronic books as much as possible, becuse I'm just plain out of shelf space. Unless it's something I know I'll read over and over (like your stuff!) - and then I'm likely to have both electronic & hard copies!
Mary
Books on Paper?
Date: 2011-02-19 06:24 am (UTC)C.
Re: Pricing books for Kindle
Date: 2011-02-19 02:58 pm (UTC)From what I've seen so far, Kindle editions on Amazon seem to be priced just below the price of whatever hardcopy verson is available. E.g. if the paperback is 7.99, Kindle is 6.99; if trade paperback is 12.99, Kindle is 9.99. I haven't had my Kindle long enough to notice if the price of the Kindle version drops when a book initially released in hardback is released in paperback - but I suspect it will. (As Amazon says at every turn - prices are set by the Publisher.....) Also, there are a lot of books in the $1-5 range that are either released only electronically, or are re-releases of out of print books. And there are huge numbers of free books too - though the quality of the digital version can vary quite a bit, depending on who created it.
I don't know if Nook version prices follow this pattern or not.
Mary
I love my Kindle!
Date: 2011-02-19 08:44 am (UTC)Kindles Are Us
Date: 2011-02-19 11:56 am (UTC)If you can't choose..
Date: 2011-02-19 05:30 pm (UTC)I have Kindle, eReader and Nook installed on mine.
Also some Baen html zip files. Use it every day on the commuter bus, for reading, editing, email.
-mac
no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 06:50 pm (UTC)* Easy, intuitive functionality that my dad's work-rough fingers could handle (fine manipulation doesn't work for him)
* really crisp text and a very nice "make font bigger" feature.
* my personal issues with how Amazon handles book rights and DRM on Kindle files.
So far, he's been absolutely thrilled.
Corporate citizenship
Date: 2011-02-19 08:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 07:39 pm (UTC)The kindle screen is, as others have said, not backlit. In my opinion this is its best feature, since it really is like a real book, and it's great for reading in bright sunlight. Especially if you already have a smart phone, I think the kindle is a good complement. I tend to read on the kindle in good light and on my phone in the dark, like right before I go to bed. (As long as the kindle wireless is on, your kindle will sync to your furthest page read with all of your other devices.)
Other factors... I almost always save money when buying books on the kindle vs. hard copy, usually by 1-3 dollars for a paperback, or more with hardcovers. This may vary depending on the types of books you read, though.
Also, Amazon.com has incredible service, which is more than I can say for Barnes and Noble. I have a few ebooks from B&N, which I bought while I was still on the fence about which e-reader to buy, and during one purchase the website developed a bug that took me two hours on the phone with customer service and another day of waiting for their fix to take effect before I could download my book. By contrast, the one time I had an issue making a purchase on the kindle store it was speedily resolved in a 3 minute phone coversation. And, when my kindle broke a few weeks after I bought it (my fault, for leaving it unprotected in my backpack with a couple of whomping heavy chemistry books), Amazon shipped me a new one, for free, that arrived 3 days later.
One thing that you should probably do, however, no matter which e-reader you buy, is get a case to go with it. Particularly if you're like me and have a habit of randomly throwing your possessions into bags, your reader will start to get a bit banged up unless you have a case to protect it.
Note on 3G: I have a kindle with 3G, and I think it's worth it if you travel a lot and/or commute. Sometimes my kindle has issues connecting with unfamiliar wireless networks, particularly if it's the sort of network where you have to agree to terms of use or something before you use it, and you might not always have a computer handy when you want to download a book.
-Meara
My Kindle
Date: 2011-02-19 10:06 pm (UTC)I also like to read outside and I can with the Kindle. The only con - and this is a big one - no library book check-outs with the Kindle. My mom has a Sony Reader which I like very much and she can get library books with it.
KellyV in L.A.