What do you think of kindle?

We’ve had numerous discussions on the Kindle here on Fluther – you can search for them and I think they’d be helpful, to you. I have a Kindle and I love it. I have many paper books as well and I think it’s not a ‘all or nothing’ kind of thing.

I’m worried about something that I can so easily drop and break.

Here is a previous answer of mine from another Kindle question that was asked on Fluther not too long ago:

I purchased my first Amazon Kindle (6” latest generation, global wireless) back on January 8th of this year. I resisted it for a long time because I was so accustomed to reading books the old fashioned way but I finally gave in and made the plunge. I haven’t even looked at a regular book since I’ve had my Kindle and I’ve read right around 25 books on my Kindle since I’ve bought it.

I think it is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made and, in my opinion, it’s one of the neatest devices that I’ve ever owned. I read books like there’s no tomorrow so that’s probably a good thing. There are thousands of free books you can put on the Kindle right away and then most books I’ve shopped for and purchased haven’t been over $9.99 and these are books that sell in bookstores from 15 to 30 dollars.
Flaws could be no backlighting (although that’s not so bad because it causes additional eyestrain which iPad users are going to find out) and several books from some of my favorite authors aren’t on the Kindle yet.

Just that I was told that I could sell my own books on kindle and make a profit, so I put a couple out there and its been a year since then and I still havent sold one copy.

It doesn’t give you the feel of turning the pages, but it’s not as much of a replacement as you’d think – I still buy books that I really want to read in paper in paperback format. I read mostly books I only want to read once on Kindle, as well as books that are too thick in paperback for it to be comfortable to read them for more than an hour at a time. You turn the page by pushing the “next” button on the side. The big downside for me is the DRM on the books because then I can’t read them on my computer as well or let a friend borrow it (luckily, I’m ok with finding ways around that, but you may not be). It’s one of the best things I ever bought, it lets me read a lot more since I don’t have to worry about not being comfortable after a little while.

I want one, not to replace books, but to take with me on holiday, dr appts, any waiting place. I still want to hold books in my hand if it’s a favorite author or teaching me something.

What is it like to read a Kindle lying in bed?

Can you adjust the size of the print?

Is there any way to mark things as you read? I underline and make marginal notations and make notes at the back (and also compulsively correct typos). Any way to do that on a Kindle? I regard a book as a dialogue and don’t want to miss out on my part.

@Jeruba It’s perfect for reading in bed – you can adjust the size of the print – and you can highlight text and make notes as well (though I don’t).

I’m always shocked by this whole “I want to turn the pages” thing. I don’t get it. Its not a critical part of the whole book reading experience. Whats important is what the author wanted to say, not the fact that its on paper.

@roundsquare For those who love to read, it’s not always so much about what you read as the experience of reading. Sitting down in a comfy chair, pulling the blanket over your lap, having a nice cup of hot tea to sip on, adjusting the lighting just so, the smell of the book… It’s like how many people don’t go to expensive coffee shops just for the coffee, they go for the experience.

@papayalily I am one of those people, I love reading (and good coffee shops). But I guess for me the experience is almost completely in the content of the book.

This is just about where I fail to see the analogy though. If I wanted good coffee, I’d just brew it myself. Having a coffee shop means that you are explicitly making the atmosphere, etc… part of the experience. I don’t see that with books.

However, I tend to find myself in the minority on this, so this might be something very hard to explain to someone who, like me, doesn’t “get” it.

@roundsquare I enjoy reading in the bookstore because of the experience. I don’t have any great chairs at home due to the whole “college student with hand-me-down furniture” thing, so I’ll take books I own to the bookstore and read them in their comfy chairs. Then I can really get in a good few hours of reading instead of being distracted by the computer, tv, pets, and thoughts of “I really should clean that”.

@papayalily Fair enough. I agree on all those things, excpet the idea of having the physical book over the electronic one (assuming neither hurts my eyes).

Except, I never really get the urge to clean stuff. About once a year I’ll be like “shit, can’t find anything. I guess I better clean stuff up.” I’ll get halfway done, and go out for a beer instead.

@roundsquare Oh, I didn’t say I actually cleaned. Ever. I am the least domestically-inclined woman ever. I just keep thinking that I should.

The Kindle would probably be good for the many books I buy, read once, then never open again; the “trashy novels”. My current practice is to put those in a box; when it’s full I take them to the county complex, where the residents of the jail and old folks home can read them. The Kindle is a nice idea, but then the book supply for the old folks and prisoners would dry up.

@Jeruba, the Plastic Logic Que is supposed to be released in June—it will be marketed by Barnes & Noble so there should be no problem obtaining content.

@papayalily Haha. Fair enough. Wow, finally found someone who cleans less than I do.

Thanks to those who digressed a little to answer my questions. I’m not ready to capitulate. I love the look, feel, heft, and character of a real book, as well as the freedom to make marginal notes and underline with a pencil. In time, perhaps I may give in, but not yet.

Kindle is not a book.

I had an iPad and used it so little that I got rid of it and ordered a Kindle 3. It arrives tomorrow.

I like the nook better