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Is the Kindle worth it?
noir_blood
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So looking at my massive book collection, and the possibility of perhaps moving in the comment months has got me thinking about the Amazon Kindle. What are your guys experience with it? Woudl you recommend it?
I do read a lot of books, but mainly in the fantasy/sci fi/horror genre, so I'm worried that I'll buy it and find nothing for it. Also, how expensive are the books to download?
I do read a lot of books, but mainly in the fantasy/sci fi/horror genre, so I'm worried that I'll buy it and find nothing for it. Also, how expensive are the books to download?
noir_blood on
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But yeah, I was underwhelmed.
I've read a shitload of reviews for the Kindle. The constant complaints seem to be:
1. It's too easy to accidentally hit next page
2. It's ugly
So take from that what you will. wasted pixels' is the first complaint I've seen about the contrast, most people seem to find the screen awesome.
(Not saying that your opinion is wrong. Just trying to figure out if your opinion is likely to be the same as mine, or if you're somebody who wouldn't enjoy reading a novel on a computer screen, so your dislike of the Kindle might not result in me not liking it.)
Noir: There's a bevy of Fantasy and Science Fiction on the Kindle. Check out Spontaneous Derivation -- it's an LJ-friend's non-LJ blog about the Kindle, and it's got a good list of what's out there.
So you're not going to save money buying one, no. You might feel that the portable Internet access and convenience of the device outweigh the cost, though.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Say hardcovers are 20 bucks a pop...
20X2X12=480.00
And the kindle is only 350.00 Even saying that hardcovers are half that, that still won't take 3 years.
You must also factor in the cost of shelving, unless you plan on reading books and then tossing them, or just stuffing them in a box in the attic.
There's shipping too--or gas money and sales tax, if you drive to the store and buy the books instead. (Note also that hardcovers and tpbs are much more expensive retail).
All in all, I suspect you'll save the money in a lot less than three years.
Well, okay, the math is more complicated than that. Hardcover off Amazon = $16-17, typically. Kindle book = $10. So the savings for each book purchased are around $7 or so.
7x12x2 = $168 in savings each year. But if you factor in shipping and shelving, again, I think the Kindle will pay for itself, certainly within the first two years. That's assuming you buy a lot of hardcovers, of course. (I for one do not, I mostly buy mass market pbs).
1. You read it where you would read a book, so you need good light to appreciate e-ink. The only place it really bothers me is on airplanes because the light slightly reflects off the screen and depreciates the readability.
2. I buy the same amount dollar wise for books (but since I like the larger size paperbacks - like the size of a hardcover but not hardcover) get a few more ebooks for the same dollar.
3. It really is indispensable if you travel alot... because books weigh a ton as you know.
And that folks, is why I'm not a math major.
But sheesh, 10 bucks for hardcovers? I tend to try to buy pbs too, but nowadays do a little bit of hunting and you can find hardcovers close to that price too. more than anything, I had been hoping it would let me save more money on books.
I basically do it for a living. Aside from work (graphic design, so I do a ton of typesetting), most of my day is spent reading 20-page proposals, epic 50 paragraph emails, and source code. It wasn't that I was reading from a screen, it was reading from THAT specific screen. I've read a couple of books on my PSP with no particular complains, it was just something about the low-contrast Kindle screen that bugged my eyes. I'd really, really suggest that you try one out before you purchase.
Aha. So you're pretty much me, although apparently on the editing end and not the writing end.
That bodes ill for the Kindle. I'll give it a long look. Thanks!
It's funny how it has spoiled her. She gets frustrated when she's reading something and has to manually turn pages now.
Go on Amazon.com and there's a little drop down next to the search box. Set it to Kindle Books and get and you can get an idea of what's available, titles you want to read, see if they have them. It's better for some people than it is for others. If you read a lot of new hardcovers than you're gonna save a ton of money. If you read a lot of small author sci-fi/fantasy like you seem to suggest, then you're probably going to find it lacking. Check out what they have for your favorite authors.
Edit: I also authored this thread in the tech. subforum, you probably didn't see it since it fell off the first page and into obscurity.
Obviously, how much they're worth it depend on how much you'd use it. If you read a lot, or read on the go, I absolutely recommend them. I've got both the Sony reader and the Kindle, since I was supposed to decide which our school should pick up a bunch of. Unless you've got some special reason for wanting the Kindle, I definitely recommend the Sony reader. Hardware wise, it just feels better than the Kindle. The cover it comes with is much better than the Kindle's, too. Most of the features are comparable, I just think the Sony reader is more comfortable to hold, and seems to have a quicker refresh rate.
The Kindle does have the ability to download new books anywhere, but I hardly use that feature, since I keep it loaded up with plenty of new books anyway. The content for both readers is DRM locked, so you won't be able to use those books you purchase on anything but that specific reader, but it's not too much of a hassle, since there's not much else you'd do with them. Also, speaking of the stores, when I was looking at them the Sony store had a better selection of fiction. I'd say they're about the same as far as nonfiction goes, but the Sony store had a lot more sci-fi and fantasy, so that's something to keep in mind. You also get 100 free books if you buy the Sony reader.
There's new models of both coming out for the christmas season, but they're not drastically different. The new Sony one is already out, with a touch screen and backlight, and I'd expect the new Kindle is making advances, but they're keeping it under wraps for now.
So, yes, I think an ebook reader is definitely worth it, but I'd lean more towards the Sony one than the Amazon one.
Other than that, the device really is just reading. It has all of the hicups of other readers. Slow page turns, etc. When you are first looking at one to determine if you like it or not, the turning time will probably seem annoying. I don't even notice it, anymore.
So, was it worth it? My favorite purchase in quite a while. My only regret is that I don't make more time to read. (Getting better, we got a chaise lounge/sofa unit so my wife can watch tv while I read.)
Oh, and what folks said about travel is dead on. It is great to be able to take as many books as you feel like in less space than most single books take up. (And if you have a fancy to read any old classics, there are plenty of legitimate free sites online.)
The wireless connectivity is wonderful. It does burn battery life a lot - but you can easily turn it off w/ a switch. With it normally disabled, the book easily lasts for a week of steady bedtime reading.
One really nice thing - you can get free "previews" of the first few chapters of a book downloaded to the Kindle. So if you're trying to decide whether or not a particular book is worth it (or looking at several books on the same topic and want to pick the one that suits you best). If you like browsing through the bookstore before picking out your winners, this is really nice.
Book selection varies. I went through my list of SF favorites, and found a couple (I, Robot; Dune; Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Neuromancer) and didn't find some others (Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Uplift War). For newer stuff, it's almost certainly got Kindle equivalents. Also, if you don't find it at Amazon, there's still Mobipocket stuff and public domain.
Costwise - there's a bunch of factors to consider:
- There's a bunch of "free" classics. If you've ever wanted to read these (but find a computer too confining of an evironment), the Kindle will save you a ton.
- Most bestsellers are now available for $9.99. So, if you read a lot of the latest stuff, you'll save quite a bit over time.
- No more deliverary charges, etc. (I still buy enough from Amazon to go with their Prime User yearly bulk shipping deal).
- If you've got a great public library near by, and they've always got what you want available, heck, use that.
I second and third this comment. A lot of people don't realize the depth of what's available completely free at their local library. The only way that I'd change the thought is that all public libraries are great; the only difference between them is size. If you're in a major city then you'll have more options then in a small town, but check it out regardless, you'll probably be glad that you did.
If you buy from the online Amazon store via Wispernet, they're delivered instantly to your Kindle (assuming you have the wireless switch on, the Kindle is turned on, and you're in a service area - otherwise, they're delivered the next time all three of those are true). It takes a surprisingly short amount of time to download a book. If you're not looking for it, you're likely to miss the message in the corner that says it's downloading.
The wireless access to the Amazon store is included with the Kindle, there are no access fees.
You can save the AZW files off of your Kindle's memory to your PC, yes. They are not readable on your PC, they're locked to your Kindle's serial number; however, you CAN share downloads between Kindles on your Amazon account (may be some limit on how many Kindles per account, but I've heard of people having at least two on their account). If your Kindle gets damaged, you deregister the Kindle from your account, register the new one, and you can redownload all or some of your purchases, as you choose.
Once you buy a book, it's associated with your Amazon account, not the Kindle (although the downloaded file is associated with that Kindle's encryption key). So you can delete and redownload books you have purchased as you wish.
BS. If you order 2 hardcovers from Amazon, you're getting free shipping. Since that's where you have to order the Kindle books, may as well go apples to apples.
Shelving, okay. Shelving can be very cheap depending on how DIY you get, though. I don't see either of these being significant contributors in a lot of situations.
EDIT: Amazon also isn't going to be charging you sales tax, if I do recall correctly.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
About the sales tax, I didn't mean Amazon would be charging it, I meant a retail bookstore would be (not to mention hardcovers cost $25 there).
@Timothy Leary:
Depending on how your Kindle is broken, you are alright. They have a fairly long warranty and my screen hit the fritz. (Probably from my fault, I should add.) We called and had a new one within a day. Already registered on my account so I had access to all of my books immediately. (Taking better care of this one, too.)
Again, if this is not for you, it is not for you. For me, though, I'm about to head down and read some books while the wife watches HGTV.
(As far as features I think they should add, an RSS reader that updates once a day. Would be kinda nice to have access to those on the screen for reading outside.)
"So alternate, against the grain, anti establishment - so you're just a regular joe again, right?"
What's more important the physical item or the words contained within?
I really think storytelling survives without a medium therefore I welcome digital words.
I think in the future we will revert back to oral storytelling, and storytelling skill will be a currency.
The physicality of books is also a negative once you start gathering a large collection of them. It's not just the cost of shelving, it's the space. I'm 23. I have seven bookshelves, and they don't fit all of my books (there's no more room in my apartment for more shelving). More square footage costs more money; I don't want to think about how many square feet bookshelves will take up for me ten years from now.
Granted, I do know what you mean. There's something about having one enclosed book that lends a little emotional weight to the story. But I'm willing to give that up for the wide variety of pluses an e-book reader offers. Or at least I will be, once I can afford the damn thing. The up-front cost is pretty high as a single purchase.
Far from it. Just from now on, all of my real books will be limited to collectors versions or signed first editions.
I mean, honestly, when sitting down to read most books, do you really take in the smell and feel of every last paperback you have? When/if you loan out books, do you say, "you have to feel this book!" I'd imagine it is usually more of "you have to read this!!" (Good Omens, I'm looking at you.)
This is why I've gone through several versions of some books. And why I hope that they all make it to the Kindle eventually. It is great to be able to easily get to your library, no matter where you are. On a long car ride? At a family gathering? On a business trip? Living in a dorm for a while and don't have the space? Simply tired of the wasting the space?
Also, it should come as no surprise that some folks still like the smell and feel of records. They can still be bought. Most of us just prefer mp3 nowdays for the convenience.
Heh, I just sent my secret santa this book. And yeah, I love all my physical books, I don't want to part with them, but man, moving with them, and the shelves is a big pain in the ass I want to avoid. Plus, realistically speaking, a lot of books I read maybe twice.
After years of loaning books and knowing the return rate is subpar and normally a pain in the ass, I've gone to the Adama rule of, "I never loan a book." I just give them to whoever is interested and if I care enough about it, I buy it again. Kindle would stop this little sharing thing I like to do. And part of the joy of reading is sharing the story with others and having people close to you invested in these stories or topics.
But moving recently, the books I were carrying with me accounted for far too much of the hauling. And how often do I really open them? Not enough to justify dragging them around much longer. The pack rat in me wants to admire the collection, but I think the ability to reduce my book load would provide a different but equally rewarding satisfaction.
Do those with a Kindle find you miss being able to share and loan books?
Warframe: TheBaconDwarf
So I'm looking into jury-rigging something to suit my purposes. I've got access to a few portable devices, including a palm OS PDA, a Windows Mobile device, and a homebrew-capable PSP. What, if anything, would you guys suggest as a viable device for e-book reading, and where would I look for software to make it happen?
To fit with that, there are of course a metric FUCKTON of services for getting these damn ebooks once you've rigged something together or bought their crazy device. Are any of them actually good, besides Amazon's(presumably)?
I have found that I started "missing" the ability to loan out books the minute I graduated college.
I can say that if I was super rich and had a room I could devote to books, I'd consider it in a heartbeat. However, I'm not.
That is going to depend entirely on you. The screen of ebook readers is very very easy to read in sunlight. So, this makes it harder to suggest any of those devices, as I can not imagine going back to them right now. So, I'd simply find the one that is easiest on your eyes.
As for software on them.... I have never tried any ebook reader software. Amazon's service will be off limits, I believe. It is highly tied to you owning a kindle. What sort of books do you read?
I'm considering a Kindle since I'll be moving out of country for a few years to a place where English books won't be readily available. All I can find on the Kindle's website is a download map showing all of the US - has anyone tried the wireless access outside of the US?
*edit* I just got an email from the Help Desk that you can use the Kindle non-wireless where I am going if I have the account linked to a US bank card.
Yeah, I would doubt the wireless would work. That said, you can always download to your computer first and then copy the file to a kindle. Not sure it is worth the extra cost at that point, though. I mean, seriously the main draw is the wireless bit.