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My wife got me a great birthday present. I had been looking at the Kindle for several months longingly, but knew that I probably wouldn't get one for a while. But, she surprised me with one. Since then, I've read several books that i would not have read had my wife not gotten me a Kindle.
My reading volume has increased since my birthday, and it's only been about three weeks. I usually have it at work, and can read when I have short down times when I'm waiting on the next piece of furniture to come down the line. I used to have(still do for the most part) a book in every room of the house that I would be reading, depending on where I am in the house. Now, I just take my kindle along and just switch books if I feel like it.
Has owning an e-reader of any kind change anybody else's reading habits?
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My library is stacked three deep with forty plus years worth of acquisitions. I have limited my purchases to collector's editions I desire [e.g Ray Bradbury, Jack Vance, Stephen King] and paberbacks (which take up less room). I've been less inclined to purchase new hardcovers of series, particularly fantasy series with each volume being multi-hundred or thousand! page long.
The Kindle has changed all this.
I read George RR Martins last two SONG OF ICE OF FIRE doorstop novels on my Kindle and didn't leave a concavity in my chest from the weight of the book. I may purchase Patrick Rothuss novels next, and maybe even Brandon Sanderson's THE WAY OF KINGS. However, not all books are on Kindle, like C.J. Cherryh's REGENESIS, so I still have selective print purchases to make.
I am also more likely to spend a dollar or three on new authors (particularly fellow Hatrack writers) who epub.
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I've been sitting on the fence regarding getting a Kindle. I always told myself when the price of the 3G/WiFi model dropped to that of the other ($139) I'd do it. Well, it dropped. Now here I sit, still undecided. Do I really need another gadget? I'm guessing I would start reading much more, however, so maybe it's a no-brainer.
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I finally broke down and bought an e-reader. There's more of my internal debate about which one on a thread in the Grist for the Mill section... Convince me to buy a kindle. I don't want to repeat it all here but it went over months.
At first I wanted a kindle for various reasons but I finally ended up with a color Nook. The Color version was a game changer for me. I still almost bought a kindle when they lowered their prices but decided the color and other features made it better.
I still want some paper books. I still like the idea of being able to put a paperback or maybe even someday a flipback, in my back pants pocket. Plus paper still feels better but I have read one book on Nook and downloaded, and am reading, one other from KayTi and I plan to buy two other books that way and download one maybe two other ebooks written by people hereabouts.
At Barnes and Noble e-books are a little cheaper than their paper brothers. A newer ebook is about half way between a paperback and a hardback. Actually I believe it's closer to the paperback price. So when I have to get a book that is only in hardback I can buy an e-version and save money.
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My version 1 nook is an essential part of my life. I'm usually resistant to and suspicious of personal technology. For example, I did not get a cell phone until 2009, the one I have one that is only capable of phone calls and text messages, and its usually powered off. Being the homeless wanderer that I am, books were something that I couldn't, practically, own and collect. My nook is light and compact. Its more comfortable to read than a book, because I don't have to break the spines to make the pages flat and I don't have to roll onto my other side to read the facing page (when I'm reading in bed). I can use the cover as a sort of easel, so that the book holds itself up while I'm reading. I've had my nook for a few years now, and I still get gleeful when I get online to go shopping for books. I've discovered all kinds of wonderful authors and my reference collection is always at my fingertips. And there are so many interesting books for free and cheap! I never listen to music while I'm reading, but if I develop that habit someday, my nook will accommodate me. Also, the built in dictionary is quite handy. And I can loan books to and borrow books from my crew mates! If they ever outlaw the ebook, they will have to send me to rehab.
There are a few frustrations: The stewardesses on some airlines don't want me to read while we are taking off or landing, even with the wifi turned off. Some books that I want are not available, even books that need to be ordered print-on-demand from publishers, which makes no sense to me. People are always approaching me while I'm reading to talk about the technology because they are curious (I'm reading! Leave me alone!). I can't label my bookmarks, search the text for a phrase, or search the notes that I've made on a highlighted section (this is particularly annoying to me. If I could, that'd be an obvious advantage over a dead-tree-book.)
[This message has been edited by Crane (edited August 08, 2011).]
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One thing I have found that makes reading on my kindle a little easier is a program called Calibre. If you want a book that is not available through amazon, but is from B&N, calibre can save it to the right format for the kindle, and vice versa. It makes owning either one almost a moot point. Posts: 53 | Registered: Dec 2009
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I've never been asked that in a bookstore...just supermarkets and grocerystores. The bookstores have tried to sell me their canvas totes, but I haven't bought any. Books-a-Million gave me several as freebies for renewing my membership...I use them as book totes when I'm on vacation.
(In the grocery stores, I get plastic---they have handles. But sometimes my mother asks me to get some paper bags; she uses them for stuffing newspapers into so she can toss them into the recycling can. (I let my papers accumulate for a few months and then just tie them up with twine.))
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I'm toying with the idea of buying a Kindle. I doubt I can find anything for a better price and since I'm short on money the price is the dominating factor.
However, I'm still partial to paper books. I love the weight of them, the smell of them. I like handling large books if they're interesting (Dance with Dragons just came from Amazon, a monstrous book but I like the thought I have so much to look forward to).
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The new nook is pretty awesome. Saw one in use the other day, it's small, much smaller than the original nook, the nook color, or the kindle. If size is a factor, you should be looking at this one.
Love my regular nook (wifi black and white display.) works great. Found some on woot! for my kids when they were selling refurbished ones for $99. Keep your eyes peeled, there are deals out there. This holiday season will likely be the season during which the ereaders totally pop...
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I have also held off getting a Kindle but my resolve is beginning to waver...especially now that the 3Gwifi is available for $139. I was going to wait for the holidays but now that I am "caving," I want it NOW!
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Didn't mention it before, 'cause I have in our "other" thread about Kindles and Nooks and all that...after having my Nook Color for two months, I find I don't use it as much as I thought I would for reading downloaded novels...but I've found it's ideal for my habit of going online and reading Internet Fan Fiction.
How long that lasts, time will tell---my fanfic reading goes through phases, like once or twice a year---and I'll have to see what I'll be reading, or how much I'll be using my Nook Color, when the impulse dies down...
Lissa... I hate to add more temptation but I just checked they still have the one for $114 if you don't mind a bit of advertising. Supposedly its not that much. I was very tempted to get it but I used some of my workshop stash and bought the Nook.
Robert, I can see how you may not use it a lot. I have two downloaded books on it and a couple of stories. I want to use it to read the stories I'm criting for hatrack. They were-are taking away from my writing time on my desk computer. There's a new writing book out, evidently just on e-book, I want to get. Would have gotten it already but I forgot my B&N password. Had to end up resetting it. And while at Boarders I recalled another book I wanted to get on nook instead of paper. But I let my Nook sit for so long it almost ran out of juice even though it was asleep.
An aside here but why does the last paragraph I write end up highlighted when I press the capslock button on my key board? Seems like it just started doing that. It's a pain when I look up to find the last paragraph is gone. Good thing there's that Undo typing button on my browser but ugh.
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I forgot by plastic or paper I meant the book. Plastic because the e-readers are mostly plastic.
Posts: 5289 | Registered: Jun 2010
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I've got the Kindle app on the phone and I use it pretty regularly. Long lines at the store or wherever, etc.
Having said that, I *like* owning books. I like the feel of them in my hands (even the big ones) and one of my favorite smells on the planet is "old bookstore". If you've never been to one...stop reading this and go find one. Today.
I've talked about this with other folks and I could make the switch from coin and paper currency to something electronic instantly, no problems at all. I would be hit pretty hard if all the books went away.
Having said *that*, I must confess that I am tempted...primarily because books take up a lot of space and I know that electronic storage is getting pretty darn cheap. I would also need some type of protection for my electronic library because books are a bit more resistant to accidental damage than your e reader.
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I prefer paper and have a huge collection of it. (The "library" is two full pickup loads, as I found last time I moved. And it's grown since.) But I've gotten lazy and now if I have an e-copy of whatever I want to read, most of the time I can't be arsed to go dig up the hardcopy from the enormous pile (which admittedly is largely in boxes and less than convenient). So I've gotten used to reading on the computer screen. *sigh*
Maybe the thread title should be "Paper or Plastic?"
I haven't used any yet but on the Nook if you touch the page of the book you're reading a menu appears. It has four choices, one is making notes and one is for looking up a word and I forget the other two but they're related.
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I was surprised at how quickly I adapted to reading with my Nook 1. If the book is not full of figures and tables, I prefer to read it electronically now, Otherwise I use paper or the Nook app on my iPad. I read more widely in other genres now since ebooks generally cost less. Travel with books is easier since I don't have to take up precious one-carry-on space hauling paper. It's easier to read in the sandwich shop now too since I don't have to hold the book open with thumb and little finger.
Posts: 109 | Registered: Aug 2011
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