Have You Changed Your Opinion On eBook Readers? 569
An anonymous reader writes "The Kindle made waves when it came out, but they've now had the chance to calm. How many of you have been using your eBook readers since you've received them? How many of you forgot you had one, and how many of you swear by your reader? I like my single-purpose (well, dual — music player) Sony Reader because I actually use it to read, rather than multitasking myself to death. Is this technology as convenient and useful as you expected?"
If not, what refinements or improvements would reKindle your interest?
Simple answer: No I have not (Score:5, Interesting)
There is a sense of achievement when sitting in the living room surrounded by bookshelves full of varied book. Besides, they are always a conversation starter when I get visitors.
A file on a computer does not compare.
Palm Tungsten (Score:5, Interesting)
Any of the modern phones SHOULD be able to do ebooks but the vendors keep the damn things so locked down it's impossible to do much with them. You want some app on a Palm nobody's written yet? You can write it yourself. Want something someone else wrote? You can install it. The Palm is more like a PC, very open, and the damn smart phones these days, even the blackberries, are more like Xbox 360's, technically capable of being open but deliberately locked down due to the parent company's infamous douchebaggery.
I will also say this: none of the books I've read have been paid for and the prices charged for electronic distribution are obscene. Electronic distribution removes most of the costs associated with publication and you're still going to charge me the full price of the hardcover? Fuck you.
What about e-ink in subnotebooks? (Score:3, Interesting)
BUT...I'd really like to see subnotebook with e-ink. Yeah, no colours and low refresh rate...but that doesn't really harm www/im/e-mail/writing. With a huge bonus of prolonged battery life.
Sadly, market works against me, in similar way how it established 15,4' "laptop" as perfectly acceptable standard (cheapest) size...
Hi, I'm your polar oposite. (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm sick of books and would gladly pay for non drm'd replacement pdfs. I have hundreds of textbooks, novels and paperback books and can think of several serious restrictions. I have to remember who I loan them to. They are a pain to move and an even bigger pain to put back on shelves. Eventually, almost all of them will rot. I'd much rather have them all stored on a hard drive that I can run away with when the next Katrina comes. I've been taking pictures of the books I use more frequently, but a pdf would be better.
Publishers don't really stand to lose much this way. If the price was right, most people will just buy their pdfs. Universities and other schools can put the cost of texts into tuition. Employers will keep buying reference material. Libraries could pay a special fee based on average circulation. The other stuff might be swapped but it's not something people would have bought anyway. Publishers that don't get it soon enough are going to be made irrelevant by things like Google text and free science journals.
Re:Only two sticking points for me (Score:5, Interesting)
Prices can only drop as we cut out middlemen.
If an itunes-like publisher were to open up, and offer low priced books direct from the author (like on the itunes app store model maybe) this would revolutionize (read KILL) the dead tree publishing industry. It would also open the door to lots of CRAP. But a ratings system would emerge I am sure.
If wishes were fishes...
Re:Palm Tungsten (Score:4, Interesting)
My list of killer features (Score:3, Interesting)
- *NO* DRM.
- Uses the same amount of electricity as a solar-powered calculator, so that it can be passively powered rather than rely on batteries. All it needs to do is display text at a decent resolution, enough that it's readable without eyestrain, and scroll about as fast as a 300 baud modem used to be able to put text on a screen back in the day.
- durable enough that I can take it places, drop it, let it get wet, and worry about as much about damage as I would a book, or less.
- Screen is readable under the same lighting conditions as traditional print on paper -- particularly under bright sunlight. I don't want a backlight for reading in the dark as much as I want to be able to read in daylight.
Nice features:Re:Only two sticking points for me (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm OK with DRM on ebooks from a lending library which expires them at the end of the check-out period. But if I'm going to purchase a DRM encumbered ebook it had better come at a substantial discount over the dead-tree version.
I absolutely love mine (Score:1, Interesting)
Once you get over the silly ego-cnetric aspect of building a collection that you can show off to your friends, I'd much rather have a large electronic collection, just as I do with my music. My whole family has their kindles on one account, so we can share books far more easily than we used to, as well. I no longer have to pop a book in the mail to my folks, or risk having my latest book stolen at the end of a visit. Instead, once I'm done, I just delete it from my kindle and any member of the family can grab it. Try that with a dead tree book! The kindle was be far superior if they just formalized the concept of loaning a book to a friend. I do it with my dead tree books, and I do it with my kindle books now, by sharing account info, but I'd rather just be able to do it by giving up my access while they are reading it after I email it to them.
Also, show one to someone who has failing eyesight and they'll be ever so pleased. The large font size is very readable, even for someone suffering from macular degeneration.
As for the shopping experience - with the built in whispernet, I've been known to wander around a B&N or borders, buying books I see on my kindle, so the experience of walking around, browsing a bookstore isn't really lost. And I don't care much about the 'fairness' o doing that to B&N or borders. However, when it comes to my favoured mom & pop bookstores, I'd far rather that any books I buy while wandering their store would have some kind of rev share deal with amazon. Instead of whispernet, just let me check out at the front and download my books from a machine up front. Or let me use whispernet, but give a cut to the store I'm in.
My wife loves her Kindle (Score:1, Interesting)
While she may pick up a paperback every so often-- usually if someone lends it to her-- I don't think her life will ever be without an eBook reader again.
As for me.. I don't read as many books. However, I've been considering one, likely the Sony, as a replacement for all of the PDF's I'm always printing out and sticking in my bag for reading during my commutes and while on business travel. There are always a few white papers, marketing material, reports and other documents which I want to have on me for when I have a chance to read them. Unfortunately, when I fall behind in free time, the weight of the documents can add up appreciably and my bag can get pretty heavy. I'm thinking the eBook reader can easily help me cut down on the weight and even allow me to read more as it will be easier to hold onto them until I get to reading them. I suppose I'll also cut down on the paper I'm wasting since when I've finished reading one of these printouts, I trash it.
Re:Simple answer: No I have not (Score:4, Interesting)
Now, the price. I paid
Indispensable (Score:5, Interesting)
The device has PDF support, but it is glacial and nearly inadequate for reading (say) ACM papers. There are conversion possibilities here, or the device may get better support in the future (it wouldn't be hard, frankly).
But for plain text it's wonderful. I'm on vacation now with my unit, and have ploughed through 3-4 books in the last few days.
My balk at getting a Kindle: Having to route your content through Amazon. The privacy aspects of this are terrifying.
Agree that the Kindle has its weaknesses (Score:4, Interesting)
It's very weak when it comes to handling most books with code samples as a critical component, but in most such cases, the kludginess of transporting Kindle text to a machine where I might use the code sample is such that the attraction of stocking up on programming references that contain significant caches of adaptable code is not really there on a Kindle -- and most publishers now offer some simpler means to supply sample code in an accessible manner if you own a hardcopy of the book.
I actually find its main use for me is as a laptop substitute, at least in settings were I'm not looking at a lot of quantitative material, and as a pinch-hitting connection to the 'net when I might be someplace without a convenient phone jack or other connection. My book collection is already too large and I won't replace most of it with Kindled copies.
Still its connectivity is useful for following a few current papers, storing public-domain classic texts for text search and reference purposes, when I want to be able to answer some question quickly, but still want to "un-plug" for the most part from phones, e-mail and other pointless distractions.
I can also store reference documents of my own on the device in what is usually a more readable form than I could managed with most PDAs, if the text in question can be readily formatted as HTML without too big a loss of readability.
That's not a safe bet at all. (Score:5, Interesting)
Well maintained, redundant archives should last forever - the ability to copy reliably is equivalent to imortality. I have not lost a single file in the last eight years and I have all of my mail going back 20. Devices may and have failed me but my work, letters, photographs and music has survived and grown. They can be passed on to my kids but books will be too bulky for the same. Every library is overflowing with the result of estate overflow. Some put them on the shelf as a "free library" the majority goes to the paper mill to make TP. Such is the sad fate of your paper media and this is why public libraries are important repositories of culture. In the end, not even libraries last forever. All civilizations have their down time and public libraries are often torched. The entire library of the ancient western world, for example, now fits on a single six by twelve foot shelf because the vast majority of it was lost. The US Library of Congres itself is rotting as we speak. Digital libraries will be much hardier than this.
I still don't see the point (Score:5, Interesting)
From what I've seen of e-book readers so far, I can predict that in The Future, the "perfect" e-book reader will be almost identical to a paperback book, only slightly smaller than a real book, with electronic pages, and dozens of seldom-used features like dictionaries and trivia games and thesauruses. And I guess the pages might as well light up too. Maybe it will be useful if there is a paper shortage
On the other hand, the newspaper functionality has potential. Unlike novels, reading the newspaper can be very clumsy and annoying unless you have an entire table to read it on. And the online distribution method is so much more convenient than real newspapers. Of course you can already get news on your cell phone or computer for free, but all the same I think e-book newspapers have some serious advantages over the real thing, which I can't say about the e-novels.
Re:Wishlist. (Score:3, Interesting)
1. book sized
2. thin
3. a "cover" or something to protect the display (clamshell with dual screens would be awesome)
4. quick search/bookmark
5. annotation with a stylus so you can write on the pages
it's not here yet (Score:2, Interesting)
Best solution? (Score:1, Interesting)
That's what I want, for my iPhone. It's perfect - just flash the two or three word clusters on the phone while I stare at it. Let me control the speed with simple up and down buttons. Fast with high comprehension. Does something like this exist already for Mac/PC? Somebody make it for the iPhone!!
A well made E-book is a killer app... (Score:3, Interesting)
Would you go back to regular mail from email? I wouldn't. The ability to search my email and find things from a long time ago is just way too useful to go back to using bulky dead-tree mail. The same goes for books, ever wanted to share something with someone that you read somewhere... there's lots of quote farms online but there are lots of other things you'd love to quote or read online but it is locked behind copyright. Right now I LOVE being able to use google for books but HATE being locked out of the book itself (only getting one page, etc).
I wish we could just subsidize copyright for written works since the internet makes locking up written work a kind of pointless thing if you believe in progress. How many insights and advances are now being stumbled onto because of the net and being able to mine the collective data human beings produce? A lot I would say.
What I'd like in an e-book (Score:3, Interesting)
In my mind, the e-book would look a lot like a paperback, and open in a similar manner.
When I'll get a reader (Score:3, Interesting)
To realistically have a shot at dethroning books in my life, a device would have to:
- Weigh a pound or maybe even less.
- Have a battery life of at least 24 hours (of usage - not just standby) on a single charge.
- Be rugged enough to handle the same kind of conditions as books.
- Tactile comfort. Plenty of it.
- Easy loading of content, including stuff I download myself (PDF manuals, for instance).
- Wireless? Sure. That'd be nice too.
- Cheap enough that I won't be bitter if I lose it or have it swiped.
- My library needs to support it.
In other words, not for at least a couple more generations of reader. Maybe never. Paper is cheap - really cheap. If I buy a book for $10-$20 and I take care of it reasonably well, it'll still be there 20-30 years from now. My 6-year-old son reads books now that my wife and I owned when we were kids. Those books are almost 40 years old, and they are still useful today. If I buy a Kindle now, I'm probably looking to get rid of it in 2-3 years.
I think that for the foreseeable future (at least 5-10 years) e-books are at best a niche product.
Re:Almost agree with you 100% (Score:2, Interesting)
It can't show any images - in fact it is limited to xhtml files but the layout is similar to a traditional book (2 pages in view) without the thumb fatigue massive paperback editions can cause, it's lighter, smaller, can carry lots of books and bookmarks your page in each book.
I'm on my 4th book so far and version 1.2 is showing a lot of refinement.
I'm surprised a real e-book in a clamshell form hasn't been brought to market yet as it is really much nicer to use.
Caveat: don't let your batteries run out or the fibre nerds will kick sand in your face.
Re:Pages (Score:3, Interesting)
Books and eBooks offer a similar comparison in my opinion. With books you have the feel of the paper and the sound of the pages turning against your shirt. It's very physical and again, analog. eBooks of course give you the book in a very digital format, you can't stain the pages of your eBook or write in the margins for the next reader to explore, but it's given to you just as the writer intended.
For better or worse with both. If I owned an eBook I'd probably fill it up, heck, I read comics on my DS. But there's still something with holding a book in hand and getting a feel for the pages and smelling its distinct library, bookstore, or basement scent.
Re:You're Missing the Point... (Score:5, Interesting)
The e-ink is nice, but what really matters is the design and form factor. I've read on a Kindle, and it's very nice, and I want to get that or a Sony, but my trusty old Gemstar e-book, with its high-resolution paperback-sized screen is every bit as nice to read on, and it has the advantage that when I want to I can turn on the backlight and read in the dark.
That's actually my one big complaint about the Sony and Kindle readers, that they don't have any sort of internal lighting. I do most of my reading at night, in bed, next to my sleeping wife. The Gemstar's backlight, set at its dimmest, is perfect for me to read by in a dark room, and dim enough that it doesn't bother her at all.
Still waiting for the iPod of electronic books (Score:4, Interesting)
- Paper is a fantastic technology, and hard (but not impossible) to beat for books.
- Reading low-resolution text on a glowing screen sucks for long stretches, and always will suck.
- Electronic paper is a fantastic idea that has yet to be perfected. No, the Kindle is not a good reader. A good e-paper reader will handle all reasonable text and document formats, will be DRM-free, will effortlessly connect and sync with my computer, and will include features like margin notes, text highlighting, dictionary/encyclopedia lookup (think Leopard's pop-up dictionary), and other stuff I haven't thought of -- features that actually make it *superior* to paper books instead of merely equivalent.
Re:Monospace Font for Technical Books (Score:5, Interesting)
Nonsense. (Score:2, Interesting)
It's a rhetorical question, but I'll answer it anyway.
IF the electronics and bearings survive, and IF the platters don't get bit-rot, in 50 years there still won't be a computer capable of running and reading that hard drive. You might have to build one yourself from 50-year-old open standards and schematics.
Sure, you could copy your data to new media every few years. Make redundant copies in case one is lost or fried. Keep them in separate places. Don't type "rm -rf *" at the wrong time (or anything like that). In a few years? Do it again. And again. And again. Got to keep up with technology, right? It's a lot of work.
Oh-- and while you're doing that...?
I'll be reading the paperback!
Re:Monospace Font for Technical Books (Score:5, Interesting)
I've also heard that you can use it to take notes and stuff.
And, even new at full retail ($299), it's cheaper than just about every eBook reader out there.
If the thing had a cell phone expansion card it would blow the iPhone out of the water.
Re:That's not a safe bet at all. (Score:3, Interesting)
What you are saying is: Digital technology puts archiving in the hands of the individual, and there are several orders of magnitude more individuals than governments and philanthropic organizations combined. If even one individual's archives are preserved, the information is preserved for all of us.
That is definitely a pleasant thought. :-)
Palm/plucker vs Nokia/FBreader (Score:5, Interesting)
Meh. Does it run Linux? The Nokia N800 / N810 run Linux, do all the above (well, 800x480 actually),
And the N800 is cheaper than the TX. Of course, the TX is a better PDA ,
but I think the Nokia wins as an eBook reader - e.g. with FBreader program.
And did I mention? it runs Linux.
Re:Monospace Font for Technical Books (Score:1, Interesting)
Deal breakers for me.
Re:You're Missing the Point... (Score:3, Interesting)
From my perspective eInk has almost nothing going for it OTHER than battery life. As we come up with more efficient display technologies, like OLEDs, eInk will be little more than an amusing footnote in the digital history books.
Re:How about no? (Score:0, Interesting)
Re:Monospace Font for Technical Books (Score:5, Interesting)
Then I cracked the display. I was looking at replacement PDAs when a co-worker was talking about his PSP. It's cheaper, wider screen (which makes reading more pleasant), good battery life etc., and trivial to hack to run custom software like an ebook reader.
Plus if you get bored you can play games, listen to music, or watch a video. Definitely recommended.
Re:Hi, I'm your polar oposite. (Score:3, Interesting)
The market for eReaders isn't really "anyone who reads books of whatever sort." If eBooks were MUCH cheaper (like, $3-5 MAX, with most being under a buck, rather than $10 or more for "in demand" books and over a buck for many others), then maybe. But most people don't see the benefit of going digital for reading because there just isn't much financial incentive for them to do so.
The advantage of an eReader is weight. portability and readability. An eBook containing 5000 texts weighs under a pound; according to the movers, my library which contains roughly that many books, weighs several tons. I like to read and I like to travel: I spent the last couple of summers bopping around Asia and I was really hurting for reading material - I did not want to lug around a bunch of books so that I had something to read at night. On top of that, the selection of English language books was paltry unless I wanted romance novels or mystery thrillers, and even then, what was left was 2-3x more expensive it would have been otherwise. And this summer I'm going back, this time to Korea to teach ESL for a year - I'd like to accumulate as little stuff as possible, and books tend to gather quickly around me. So, enter the Kindle, which I got as a graduation present and thousands of texts I've gathered (legally and most for free) - I'm set for a LONG time, and it still weighs under a pound, still takes up the same amount of space, etc. Lasts for about 5-6 days between charges if I don't use the wireless, which, for me, is plenty (cause if I'm away from electricity for 5-6 days at a stretch, either the point is to not have the conveniences of home or things are entirely out of hand and reading isn't an option anyway).
As for readability - last summer I brought my MacBook with me while I travel. It's great, as a laptop - really light weight, etc. Except, compared to something the size and weight of the Kindle, it's really kind of heavy and bulky. I have to close it up when I want to move. It only runs for 3 hours or so on batteries. And the display is nice, but even when I find a power source to plug it in, it's still pretty hard on my eyes after awhile. Not so the Kindle display. I can read it just as easily in direct sunlight as I can in darkness (I have a cheapie LED light-bar that I can attach to it - been using that a lot (a few weeks now of reading at night in a dark room) and it's not needed a new battery yet. I've taken it out to the beach and wasn't worried about getting sand on it, which was a big worry (clumsy me) for my laptop.
If I'm at home, yeah, curling up with a book is great. But I won't be home for a year at least. So, for me, even if I hadn't gotten one as a gift, I'd probably have plonked down the money to get an eReader of some sort. Anyway, gadget fiends and people like me are the market for these kinds of things right now, really.
OLPC XO laptop as an ebook reader (Score:2, Interesting)
The ebook function by itself justifies the cost of G1G1, and you get a bunch of other neat activities too.
Currently I'm working on making my Etexts activity do Text To Speech with Karaoke highlighting.
My Activities have been published on the OLPC Activities page if you want to check them out.
I, too, prefer dead tree books, but the XO gives me a convenient way to read books that I would otherwise never be able to own.
Re:Palm/plucker vs Nokia/FBreader (Score:4, Interesting)
FBreader is a wonderful little book reader.
Re:Nonsense. (Score:3, Interesting)
And I am most assuredly not the type to abuse books. My fiancee drives me up a wall because she's always leaving her books open face down on a desk. I just start twitching and can't seem to stop.
I just read them, a lot, and often. I've reread certain books nearly 100 times, on their own. I go through about a book a day on the weekends, and about a book every 2 days on the week. I only own about a single large bookshelf worth of books, so I'm rereading the same ones over and over again.
Plus there's space constraints. Even if I wanted more books, I wouldn't have anywhere to put them, unless I started stacking them on the floor. That single bookshelf is the max space I can use up for a book-holding piece of furniture.
No, I'd prefer if every book I owned, I had in e-book format, and it was all condensed down to one single reader. I could sell or give all those paper books away, get rid of the book shelf, and reduce some of the vast clutter in my tiny house.
Or I could do it the american way, and just buy a bigger house, and bigger bookshelves, and more books, and be your standard consumer whore.
But at least I'd have new books to read.
As you may be able to see, I'm conflicted.