I got a kindle!

[druid91]

So, I wasn't really expecting much for christmas this year. Being an adult now I didn't really ask for anything.

But my grand-dad handed me a box. I thought "what would he get me that would come in a box?" I unwrapped it, then found it to be a package. I ripped it open and inside... was a kindle. the first bit of modern portable connected technology I have ever owned. And it is awesome.

[A Rainy Knight]

Congratulations! I'm amused to no end that I'm currently reading a Kindle that I also unexpectedly got today. :smalltongue:

[THAC0]

I got mine as an early Christmas present. Loving it!

[Falgorn]

Hopping on the "I got a Kindle" bandwagon. Still trying to find good reads. I have a lot of classics, most of which are FREE(!), but I bought A Game of Thrones. Now I need some good sci-fi.

[Mr. Moon]

Fff. Kindle is what they should be used for. Being able to carry around a library with you is convenient, sure, but nothing beats the joy of the feel, smell and look of an actual, physical book.

[Private-Prinny]

Fff. Kindle is what they should be used for. Being able to carry around a library with you is convenient, sure, but nothing beats the joy of the feel, smell and look of an actual, physical book.

That's a lovely opinion you have there. I respectfully disagree. I read to take in the story, and whether the words are on a screen or a piece of paper honestly makes no difference to me.

The fact that the e-books are online, and relatively cheap, removes the hassle of going to the library (which is conveniently closed in my town when I have the time to get there).

Plus, I like having options. :smallbiggrin:

[Cahokia]

The feel of reading a book really is a big part of the experience for me, but my parents' house basically also doubles as a library, so that should be expected. I actually wish reading from a kindle didn't irk me the way it does, since it's probably better from the environment than chopping down more trees to make objects that are becoming less and less necessary.

[Dubious Pie]

Ooh! Put me in the "I got a Kindle" club!

[xPANCAKEx]

odd question but how readily available are battletech books on kindle?

and whats the average price of a kindle book?

[Falgorn]

odd question but how readily available are battletech books on kindle?

and whats the average price of a kindle book?

1.) Not sure, sorry.

2.) For me, it's usually 5-10 dollars.

[fimzo]

I got an eBook Reader nearly a year ago, and I never used it after a week. I might try it out some time, if I ever get around to it.

[MonkeyBusiness]

I too prefer the feel of a good book in my hand, particularly if it is an old book with that good-old-book-smell: a fragrance that, by association with many happy hours over a lifetime, makes me feel a sense of intense but quiet joy the moment I open a book and smell its perfume. Like the bouquet of an excellent wine enhances the pleasure of drinking the wine itself, the smell of a good book is - for me - an important part of the experience of reading.

And yet, I was tempted to ask for an e-book for Christmas. This is because I have recently returned to school and recalled from my first incarnation as a student how exhausting it was to drag text books around, not to mention all the books I needed from the library. I am certain the weight of my backpack stunted my growth. :smalltongue: my best friend has a kindle, and I was impressed most by one simple feature: one of her books was a dictionary.

The only reason why I did not request an e-book is that I am not yet sure which one I want.

So imagine my giddy delight when, on Christmas Day, I opened up a small flat package from my sisters and discovered a compact, glossy, white case that said -

"Huggies"

I paused. This was not an ebook. This was a box that held moist towelettes for wiping baby bottoms. Was my family attempting to tell me something? I opened the case and discovered a small calculator with a paper face taped to it, holding a note that declared it was a proxy for an ebook, and that I would find a check enclosed that I could use to buy the one I wanted as soon as I knew which type I wanted.

I laughed so hard I had to hold onto the sofa. Otherwise I would have fallen down.

I don't know what makes me happier: my pending ebook, or the belly-laugh. Both were great gifts.

I love my sisters!

.

[The Succubus]

Heh, maybe we should form a Kindle bookclub in the media discussion bit, then we can review the ebooks we try and recommend them. Just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray and am half way through Bram Stoker's Dracula. Both are free of charge from Amazon. Interesting discourse on the nature of sin, art and immortality.


snip

This is an awesome story MB =D

[Falgorn]

Heh, maybe we should form a Kindle bookclub in the media discussion bit, then we can review the ebooks we try and recommend them. Just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray and am half way through Bram Stoker's Dracula. Both are free of charge from Amazon. Interesting discourse on the nature of sin, art and immortality.



This is an awesome story MB =D

I'd do it. We should keep most of them free, though.

[happyturtle]

I got a Kindle too. =3

I'm currently reading The History of England by Thomas Babington Macaulay (http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-England-Accession-James-II/dp/B002JCT13Y/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1293399771&sr=1-4), which was £0.72 for all 5 volumes.

As for the feel of paper books... bah! The history books I like to read tend to be rather massive and uncomfortable to hold, especially in bed. And you can't read large books in the bathtub. I put the Kindle in a ziploc bag and read comfortably in the tub until the water gets cold. ^_^

[0tt3r]

Hopping on the "I got a Kindle" bandwagon. Still trying to find good reads. I have a lot of classics, most of which are FREE(!), but I bought A Game of Thrones. Now I need some good sci-fi.

I tried to e-read A Game of Thrones on my phone, but it did not work out very well, because the book I had did not italicize the parts of the book that were italicized. The italics represent the characters thinking to themselves, and it was much better having them italicized, then reading halfway though a sentence and realizing that they were thinking. Does the Kindle italicize the parts or not?

[Liffguard]

I tried to e-read A Game of Thrones on my phone, but it did not work out very well, because the book I had did not italicize the parts of the book that were italicized. The italics represent the characters thinking to themselves, and it was much better having them italicized, then reading halfway though a sentence and realizing that they were thinking. Does the Kindle italicize the parts or not?

I haven't got AGOT specifically but I haven't had any problems with the fonts or formatting on any of the books I have read on my Kindle.

I understand the appeal of books; the feel and the smell and all that. But an e-book reader isn't a replacement for books, it's a supplement. Personally, I love my kindle and find it extremely useful for commuting and traveling. The massive collection of free classic works is also a major plus.

[Falgorn]

I tried to e-read A Game of Thrones on my phone, but it did not work out very well, because the book I had did not italicize the parts of the book that were italicized. The italics represent the characters thinking to themselves, and it was much better having them italicized, then reading halfway though a sentence and realizing that they were thinking. Does the Kindle italicize the parts or not?

Let me go through it again...
Formatting seems alright, but I can't find the people thinking that you're talking about.
This is the first time I've read A Game of Thrones, so I'm not sure how tight the formatting is for it. But it seems good.
Yeah, there are italics.

[Kjata]

Let me go through it again...
Formatting seems alright, but I can't find the people thinking that you're talking about.
This is the first time I've read A Game of Thrones, so I'm not sure how tight the formatting is for it. But it seems good.
Yeah, there are italics.

If i was you, I would stop reading A Game of Thrones right now.

It will save your sanity when you get to the end of A Feast for Crows and realize, "Oh damn, it's been 5 years since this came out, with no word on when the next is due."

Seriously. Finishing A Feast for Crows was an extremely soul crushing experience in my life.

If you don't heed my warning, realize that you are currently my absolute favorite story presented in any form of media I have ever experienced. It makes Tolkien look like an unimaginative hack in comparison.

Sorry for being off topic, but I have no experience with the Kindle, or any e-readers. I'm too cheap to buy books, why would I buy a a machine for which I then have to buy books?

[Ashen Lilies]

I got a Kindle for Christmas... last year! Moohoohaahaa.

But yes, I agree with the general sentiment that they are awesome.



I am certain the weight of my backpack stunted my growth. :smalltongue: my best friend has a kindle, and I was impressed most by one simple feature: one of her books was a dictionary.


The dictionary is a function of the Kindle itself, not a book you put on it (unless you wanted to, for some reason). You can highlight words and get the dictionary definition, or just search as you would a dictionary. It's pretty cool. :smallbiggrin:


I put the Kindle in a ziploc bag and read comfortably in the tub until the water gets cold. ^_^

You're a genius. My life has been enriched by reading this sentence.




Sorry for being off topic, but I have no experience with the Kindle, or any e-readers. I'm too cheap to buy books, why would I buy a a machine for which I then have to buy books?

Oooh! I can answer this one! Not only are e-books cheaper than paper ones, but a great number you can get for absolutely free, from places such as Project Gutenberg, making the Kindle much cheaper in the long run.

[Em Blackleaf]

Well, I got a Nook.

*is spurned out of the thread* :smalltongue:

But yeah, I'm surprised to find how cheap/free ebooks are. I've been in a nerdy paradise for a while with my $0.99 Jane Austen collection and free copy of Brahm Stoker's Dracula. :smalltongue:

(this is the reason I haven't been here in a while :P)

[dracoslaad]

This thread just reminded me that I have to get to actually using the Kindle I got. So, thank you. (Also, my goal is to read the Arabian Nights first.)

[ShadowHunter]

HAH so I haven't logged into my forums account here in years, and the day I do, I find a topic that instantly applies to me! I also got a Kindle for Christmas with completely no expectation for it.

In the past I was skeptical about e-readers because of thoughts exactly like this:


Fff. Kindle is what they should be used for. Being able to carry around a library with you is convenient, sure, but nothing beats the joy of the feel, smell and look of an actual, physical book.

But I'm actually pretty impressed by, firstly, how readable it is, and the more I think about it the better I start to feel about the concept of e-books. I mean, think about it, your typical mass-produced paperback you buy in a store is a cheap sheet of plastic encasing cheap paper that's bound with cheap adhesive, and then you're overcharged for it. You like the cover art? Find a high quality shot of it online and print it off. Heck, for the price of the book you could probably print it on nicer paper, get it framed, and stick it on your bookshelf. I do think a cover helps though, both with aesthetics and feel (I have a black leather one I also got for Christmas). - edit for clarity: The Kindle covers protect it but also close and open like a book. And at least the one I have feels nice enough, thus satisfying my tactile needs. -

I'd still like to see a more uniform decrease in e-book price (some are cheap, but some are just marginally cheaper than their print counterparts).

Also, kindle is a verb, you were thinking of kindling ^_^ The first book I bought on it was To Say Nothing of the Dog (a hilarious sci-fi novel that won a couple of awards back in the 90s) which has a character named....Kindle! Coincidences ahoy!


I actually wish reading from a kindle didn't irk me the way it does, since it's probably better from the environment than chopping down more trees to make objects that are becoming less and less necessary.

It's almost impossible for any personal electronic device to be anything remotely near environmentally friendly. My suspicion is that you'd have to let it stop you from buying a LOT of books before you broke even environmentally. Trees will grow back, you'd be terrified how few known mines on this earth produce necessary materials for electronics. In any event, I'd suggest dialing back the skepticism, based on my own experience. The Kindle has an e-ink screen and really if I took a picture of it without seeing the machine itself you'd probably mistake it for printed paper. With the cover, the form factor is much like that of a book.

[MoonCat]

I love my Kindle, for a big reason. I read on my side. Think about it. With a book I either have to hold up the book every other page, or switch what side I'm lying on for every page. With a Kindle I can just keep hitting 'Next Page' without any trouble. A couple small things, I always lose bookmarks, and don't have to worry about that with a Kindle. And the weight and size is just about right for carrying and holding. I have been wary of large books ever since I dislocated my shoulder with an unabridged dictionary (long story). Anyway, I like my Kindle, although I've had it for longer than this Christmas.

[GrlumpTheElder]

I don't have a kindle, but my Girlfriend does - and just saying, the free books you can get on it are worth it, they're all the classics.

Kindles are great!

[Yardo]

I have been thinking about getting one, but I'm not sure if I will like using one. Reading up on the experiences of you all here may help me decide. :smallsmile:
And since I don't expect to get one as a present, I'll have to buy one myself. I tend to only read in bed, before I go to sleep, does that make any difference?

[happyturtle]

I find reading in bed easier with a kindle than with a paper book, for the reasons MoonCat said. If you have a chance to go somewhere and try it out first, it would be a good idea. Some people prefer backlit readers for reading in bed, so they don't need a light on. Though others say that a backlit screen can make it harder to get to sleep.

[MoonCat]

I have been thinking about getting one, but I'm not sure if I will like using one. Reading up on the experiences of you all here may help me decide. :smallsmile:
And since I don't expect to get one as a present, I'll have to buy one myself. I tend to only read in bed, before I go to sleep, does that make any difference?
It makes a huge difference, you can lie on your side without having to hold up the book or change position. It also needs a only tiny amount of muscle movement while flipping the page, the easier to fall asleep with.

[leakingpen]

i also love the physical feel of a book, but its an indulgence these days for me, like drinking really GOOD coffee instead of the standard crap.
The ereaders do a really good job of presenting words on page (i have the sony myself, but the kindle isnt bad).

{scrubbed}

[happyturtle]

I broke my kindle. :smallfrown::smallsigh:

I'd been reading in bed, and later, I accidentally put my elbow on it and broke the screen. Amazon is sending a replacement, but it cost me £50.

Learn from my fail: buy a protective case for your kindle.

[Si-on]

Just got to jump in to say that I too got an unexpected kindle for christmas and although I have always loved paper books, me and my kindle are already very happy together.