Kindle vs actual books?

[MannDude]

Was looking at ordering some new reading material from Amazon to give my eyes a rest from glowing screens all day and noted everything I wanted to order was also available for the Kindle at a much lower price. I've never used one, though have read good things about them. Just curious if how they are compared to a good ol' fashioned book?

I'm leaning towards the book route but if I can be convinced a Kindle is worth it, then I may go that route instead.

 

[rds100]

I absolutely love my kindle, it is much more convenient to use than an ordinary paper book.

I have an older model (with keyboard and without a touch screen), don't know how the newer models feel.

 

[Darwin]

I like both, they complement each other.


At home I usually read dead trees.


In the subway I love my kindle, weight less than a book, stores a lot of books and e-ink is really better to your eyes than a lcd screen.


If you are planning to get one, get paperwhite or the new kindle voyage.

 

[Aldryic C'boas]

I used a second gen Kindle for years (e-ink + keyboard kind, that still has free Whyspernet if I ever bothered to charge it).  These days, using a 7" tablet simply because it makes more sense to have a multi-functional device than a batch of individual hardware.

It took quite some time to get over the "have to have the real book" compulsion, just like with music.. but it just doesn't make sense to collect more and more physical media anymore.  I still have all of my old books if I ever feel nostalgic, but I doubt I'll purchase any more unless I cannot find its ebook equiv without DRM.

 

[AbeloHost]

Something about holding a collection of papers that portay a single world speaks to me. You have to open it to enter it.  

 

[wlanboy]

I own a Kobo Glo: http://www.kobo.com/koboglo

Perfect device to read books while using public transportation.

Their "ComfortLight" is a huge plus to read while my year old son is sleeping.

I call it the "non torch light" effect - it does not light up the room.

Not talking about built-in dictionary, translator, SD-Card, WLAN, ....

And it is able to open about any format.

 

[souen]

I read with a Kobo Mini for some time before eventually switching to a tablet (which I got for other purposes but since it can be used as an ebook reader it I didn't need to carry both around). The e-ink might take a bit to get used to (the refresh mechanism that makes the screen blink black/empty to refresh the screen every several page turns), but I really liked the options to adjust brightness, font face and sizes. Visually it is similar to reading a paperback page, like printing on greyish paper, the e-ink text is crisp and the screen illumination is much softer than LCDs. Easy to load with books like a regular USB device and the battery life is all right (fully charged and wireless off, I could read for several hours straight before it dipped to 80%).

 

[drmike]

I have an e-ink device from B&N and it just sucks as shipped... Never got around to hacking it to make it more functional.

Tried the whole normal tablet reading thing and I just hate it.

I still buy paper books and prefer them.  When I do e-reading I do it on a computer and large monitor / high resolution.

My issues with the reading devices are resolution still not there, form factor not comparable to book and honestly if casually reading, not at a computer so dealing with tiny displays on devices.

If I am away from the computer reading in lounge mode, the whole device, tablet, etc. cause me more neck, hand, related stress than a book.   Industry really needs to consider other sorts of mounts, accessories, etc. to assist in more non traditional environments for these devices (i.e. while lounging on couch, while laying in bed, etc.). 

There are plenty of used books at discount rates at level of the e-book stuff or below.   I mean as far as I see it, Amazon, B&N pricing is just to mop up market share and kill traditional paper publishing.  Once the market share rate is accomplished they'll float the prices back up.

That Kobo Glo looks fairly interesting

 

[ihatetonyy]

Kindle Paperwhites are pretty good - you have to buy into the Amazon ecosystem to a certain extent, but you can use Calibre to buy eBooks from other stores and convert files/'adjust' the DRM to get books on.

I own a 2nd Gen after getting fed up with a Nook Simple Touch Glowlight and it's great. Thin, decent amount of storage, and Calibre makes eBook management easy.

If you don't need a light or can make do with a clip-on one on a case, there's the standard $79 model -- or older models can be snapped up easily and aren't bad at all. If you want high-resolution, there's the new Voyage or competing Kobo Aura HD.. both of which approach tablet prices.

 

[libro22]

From the classic Nook to a Galaxy tablet, I say Kindle (app) is a life saver.

Dedicated e-book readers are terrible for PDFs, graphs and anything having to do with technical papers. Unfortunately, I tried this path when doing my academic thesis.

I recommend getting a 8-10" tablet and install Kindle app. Amoled screens can be tough on the eyes, LCD is better for longer periods, based on experience.

I'm starting to sell my physical books haha and downloading books in Kindle, so much space for storage. If you love traveling, then go for a tablet/ebook reader!

-- Don't take my word for it, this is just my experience, other opinions may differ.

Ebook price wise:

Kobo >> Google Books >> Kindle (way cheaaaap)

 

[libro22]

Kindle Paperwhites are pretty good - you have to buy into the Amazon ecosystem to a certain extent, but you can use Calibre to buy eBooks from other stores and convert files/'adjust' the DRM to get books on.

I own a 2nd Gen after getting fed up with a Nook Simple Touch Glowlight and it's great. Thin, decent amount of storage, and Calibre makes eBook management easy.

If you don't need a light or can make do with a clip-on one on a case, there's the standard $79 model -- or older models can be snapped up easily and aren't bad at all. If you want high-resolution, there's the new Voyage or competing Kobo Aura HD.. both of which approach tablet prices.

I had an old Nook with a handy dandy Book Light lol

 

[Nick_A]

I don't know if I'll ever be able to read a book on a lit screen. I'd be too afraid of getting a migraine.

 

[BBGN Brian]

Call me old school, but I still enjoy holding the actual paper. I use my Galaxy Tab 4 for some occasional online reading. 

 

[Licensecart]

Nothing can beat a good old book.

 

[RLT]

As my eyes get older I find I use the phone and tablet kindle readers much more often. The ability to adjust the font and zoom in on illustrations is a necessity these days.