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So, I bought myself a Kindle for my graduation present. I spent well over $250 dollars on the stupid thing, and what does Amazon do? Drop the price to $189!
Yeah? Go to Amazon's "warehouse deals" site to get a refurbed Kindle for $169 or a DX for $299. Last week they were up for $109 and $249 respectively (for the US only models). And Woot sold them for $149.99.
At this price-point, the Kindle is an amazing deal. Analysts have said that the $150 price point is where casual adopters would "jump in" to the E reader market. Too bad it didn't happen a month earlier!! (and too bad I didn't pick up a second Kindle for $109. . .)
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I know that the Kindle as well as the Nook have a great selection. I just bought one of the new iphones about a month ago now, and am hoping ibooks begins to sell a larger selection. Most of OSC's books are already on there which is a plus, but I'm hoping for more. I wouldn't mind having Peter F. Hamilton's books on there.
Posts: 1937 | Registered: Nov 2006
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Nook's two models are down to $149 and $199 (brand new). I'd heard about the $150 price point estimates, but personally I saw a bigger reaction when the $259 Nook dropped under $200.
I'm still confused as to why Amazon won't just convert its e-book inventory to the EPUB file format. Everyone else got onboard already. Not that it matters for me since my Amazon boycott is still going strong.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Love my nook. I've used it to download articles for classes I'm taking and it makes it so much more portable, not to mention saving paper.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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The removal of rankings of gay and lesbian themed books that happened last April. I really don't believe it was a "glitch." I also don't like the way they bully book publishers (ebook pricing, on-demand printing, etc.) It seems like every time I turn around, Amazon is fighting with someone.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I love my kindle, though I wish it had a touch screen. But I wouldn't want to read books on my iPhone or an iPad, since the screens aren't made for prolonged reading.
Those $110 kindles that were for sale last week were an absolute steal.
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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If you're interested in borrowing ebooks, check Overdrive.com.
Its a company that allows for libraries to build an ebook collection. The size of that collection and the loaning period is based on the individual public library, but all you need in a library card and a free downloadable program. I don't have much hands on experience with it yet because the one for my parish library doesn't officially launch for a few more weeks, but I'm excited for it. Its compatible with Nook and Sony, but according to the website the Adobe DRM material won't work on the Kindle or iPad.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Lisa: How is that cheap?
QFT.
Me three. I <3 cheap used paperbacks. And Goodreads bookswap, where I frequently get 'em in batches at about $2 each -- sometimes less!
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I also love my cheap books! I've actually only read a handful of books on the kindle. I tend to use it most for reading essays and articles. And a decent bit of wikipedia browsing.
I read too much online, and my eyes take a beating.
And the text-to-speech is surprisingly decent on the kindle and has come in handy many times!
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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Well, of course the Kindle's price has dropped. They have to keep the price low enough to keep people from saying "well, it's only another $100, $150 for a lot more functionality on the iPad... guess I'll just go with an iPad." It's especially a good move since most people are expecting an iPad price drop in six months or so - which is a short enough time frame for many people to delay getting an ereader. Now it's unlikely that the iPad price drop will put it anywhere near the Kindle price, so people will just grab a Kindle if they're in the market.
That being said, if you have the disposable income for an ereader, I can't imagine not saving up a bit longer for the iPad.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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The iPad is a fancy toy that you can read books on. Kindle and nook ate e readers. Besides being less than half price, the nook has free wifi and 3G wireless Internet, as opposed to the iPad data plan you have to pay for every month. It may not be apples and oranges, but it's at least oranges and grapefruit.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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yeah, MightyCow has it right. The iPad is a great device, with a whole host of reasons that might make it worth buying. But it is not an e-reader, it's a device that books can be read on. So is your laptop, so is your computer, and so is your phone (and so is a book!). The question is, does it provide a good reading experience? The functionality (of the iPad) is great, I'll admit, but the screen is simply not one that was built with reading books in mind, and doesn't solve the problems of why people don't like to read books on their computers.
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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*shrug* I'm not going to argue about your tastes, but no one I know who has an iPad has complained about reading on it. My husband and I each have one (one was a freebie from a raffle, one was a gift from my awesome, awesome friends), and we do all of our reading on them now. No eye-strain, ever. I significantly prefer it as a reading experience over the Kindle (which I've borrowed from a friend for a few weeks) - I've never used a Nook.
To call an iPad a toy, though, is extremely silly. It's no more a toy than any non-necessary technological device. And, uh, MightyCow, the iPad has free wifi too.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Jhai: Well, of course the Kindle's price has dropped. They have to keep the price low enough to keep people from saying "well, it's only another $100, $150 for a lot more functionality on the iPad... guess I'll just go with an iPad." It's especially a good move since most people are expecting an iPad price drop in six months or so - which is a short enough time frame for many people to delay getting an ereader. Now it's unlikely that the iPad price drop will put it anywhere near the Kindle price, so people will just grab a Kindle if they're in the market.
That being said, if you have the disposable income for an ereader, I can't imagine not saving up a bit longer for the iPad.
I guess it depends on what you're looking for.
The iPad is a great "all-in-one" solution, for people adverse to using a smartphone or a laptop. If you want a single device to throw in your backpack to play games (unless they use flash), read books, watch movies, etc.
Can you read books on the iPad? Sure, but remember it's a multifunction device and ISN'T the best solution. The Kindle is about the same weight as a paperback, 10 ounces, while the iPad weights a pound and a half. The Kindle can be viewed in any light, just like paper, but the iPad has problems with bright light. Digital ink doesn't cause eyestrain over a long reading session, but a digital screen will.
I'm not looking to play games or watch movies . . . I can do that on my laptop if I really wanted to. But the Kindle replaces the paperback that I would normally carry in my backpack -- it not only replaces it, it's superior. If all I wanted to do was watch movies and read an occasional book, I'd pick an iPad. But I'm a reader. . . .
Ehh, nevermind my rant. The price came down when the Nook price dropped. Perhaps the iPad had something to do with that . . . or perhaps it was because Kindle sells way more books. Who knows?
Posts: 688 | Registered: Nov 2008
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I have borrowed an iPad and find it very annoying to read on. While I'm not fond of the backlit screen, I really can't stand carrying around something so large and delicate. I couldn't just throw it in my purse and since I already pay a monthly service charge for my iPhone (which fits in my purse or pocket) I can't imagine paying for another service plan.
The lack of expandable memory and battery replacement with Apple products makes me crazy. When I pay for a device, I want to own it as long as I can. I don't like knowing that after two or three years it'll stop holding a charge and become a paperweight.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I couldn't help but notice all of the Nook owners here. It doesn't seem like there's all THAT big of a difference between the Kindle and the Nook.
I've looked at the reviews, and it seems that the Nook is a little heavier, has a little less battery life. But it does have expandable memory and the ability to read in Barnes and Noble stores.
The Kindle, on the other hand, has Amazon, slightly cheaper books, an arguably bigger selection, and is built a little bit sturdier. But it doesn't support EPub, and it has a few problems with PDFs (or so I hear). I do love the text to speach, but there are probably not that many other people who use it regularly.
I wonder if multiple readers will proliferate, or if one of them will become the VHS. I can see big B&N supporters advocating the Nook; but as a general consumer, I'd much more readily argue for the Kindle as the dominant format -- at least due to the greater sales numbers and new book availability.
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When I called the iPad a toy, I didn't mean it as an insult. It's more of a game machine/web browser/light computer, while the e-readers, are focused on book reading, so I would say they do that much better.
The price point is also significantly different if you don't get it for free Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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I wonder if multiple readers will proliferate, or if one of them will become the VHS. I can see big B&N supporters advocating the Nook; but as a general consumer, I'd much more readily argue for the Kindle as the dominant format -- at least due to the greater sales numbers and new book availability.
Nah, this will be more like Mp3 players. We have Amazon, like Apple, sort of doing its own thing. Then we have everyone else who are pretty much compatible with one another.
My birthday is coming up, and my wife and mother are splitting a Kindle for me. They had asked me which I wanted. At first I was going for an Sony, because it was compatible with my library. Playing with my sister-in-laws Kindle changed my mind. It was the free internet that pretty much did it for me. I'm not worried about compatibility issues, people always create programs to get around that.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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I have a question about Ebook availability. I wanted to compare availability between the Nook and the Kindle, so I searched B&N's sight for Brandon Sanderson books. The Mistborn series is there, as is Warbreaker . . . and that's it. No WOT (Gathering Storm). Elantris isn't available. His new novel (that comes out next month) isn't listed.
It also seems that OSC books are "missing" from both the Alvin Maker series (in which only three books are available) and other titles such as Pastwatch.
Kindle has all of the new fantasy and sci-fi novels that I'm looking for. Can you really not get The Gathering Storm and Alvin Maker on Nook?
Posts: 688 | Registered: Nov 2008
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quote:Originally posted by Herblay: So, I bought myself a Kindle for my graduation present. I spent well over $250 dollars on the stupid thing, and what does Amazon do? Drop the price to $189!
... Too bad it didn't happen a month earlier!!. .)
I have felt this way with practically every technology gizmo I have ever purchased (computers, phones, cameras...). I have come to accept they have the fastest exponential depreciation of any merchandise.
Posts: 293 | Registered: Apr 2000
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I just got the Sony Touch ereader and I love it. I'm using to read all the free books on google books that I've been meaning to read for years but never got around to. So far it's the Letters of Dostoyevsky, Don Quixote, and Goethe's Faust. There are millions to choose from. And it reads natively all the file types I care about. None of this "email it to us and for a dime we'll give you a badly converted copy of it" business. I'm so glad the price has dropped on all these things. I'm totally not going to buy ebooks, though. There are enough free ones I want to read to last me forever. =)
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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I use my iPod Touch constantly. I can read every format of ebook on it and it slips easily into my pocket. Much more convenient than any of the eBook readers or the iPad, plus it has all the other functions/games/etc.
That said, I may get the new Kindle when it comes out. WiFi only, smaller than the first Kindle, and $139.
Generally the times when I wish I had an iPad are weekend mornings at home, in bed. That's about it.
[ July 31, 2010, 06:33 PM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Adding: mainly buying it because I'm helping some friends convert their books to Kindle format and would like to see how they look Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I wouldn't mind having Peter F. Hamilton's books on there.
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