Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,011,510 times
Reputation: 28903
Advertisements
OK, I sucked it up and *let* my husband buy me a Kindle, after he'd been threatening to do so for, um, since they came out. But I made him promise that it would be a birthday present, seven months early. Oh, and I promised myself that I would only use it to read FREE classics, because I can sell the (ton of) books that I buy in paper form. It seems I've finally entered the 2000s, albeit a decade late. (I'm writing this on my abacus, by the way. )
Congratulations, Dawn! Welcome to the dark side...
I find it very entertaining that you bought a Kindle (sorry, you "let" your husband buy it!) to take advantage of the free classics, and meanwhile I bought a Kindle to take advantage of low prices on category romances, probably the lowest form of printed material besides comic books and graphic novels (no disrespect meant to either of those!). I'm definitely on the wrong side in this comparison...
I can't afford a Kindle but will buy one as soon as I can put it in the budget. For me it's the solution to several problems. I had to downsize my life when I was downsized at work. That meant moving into a tiny apartment and having to sell off my precious collection of books; some which I had for years. There were hundreds of them. There was just no room for them.
Also, in my old age I am having eye trouble with small print. I tested my friend's Kindle and found I could adjust the fonts exactly as I needed them. I can't read long posts on my computer, but I have no trouble reading page after page on the Kindle.
The library often does not have what I want in the print I need. Friends who have Kindles tell me it is cheaper to download books than buy them. The Kindle is the answer to my being able to contine to read. I can't wait to buy one.
Friends who have Kindles tell me it is cheaper to download books than buy them.
You mean it's cheaper to buy the ebook than the printed book? That's not ALWAYS true but it is for many/most books. Since publishers now have the right to set their own ebook prices instead of leaving it up to the retailer, some (but particularly Penguin Publisher) have put their prices up higher than the paperback version Amazon sells (sometimes even higher than the hardback!). These cases are in the minority though and when you come across it, you can always buy the print version instead.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,011,510 times
Reputation: 28903
Quote:
Originally Posted by SandyCo
Congratulations, Dawn! Welcome to the dark side...
I find it very entertaining that you bought a Kindle (sorry, you "let" your husband buy it!) to take advantage of the free classics, and meanwhile I bought a Kindle to take advantage of low prices on category romances, probably the lowest form of printed material besides comic books and graphic novels (no disrespect meant to either of those!). I'm definitely on the wrong side in this comparison...
Happy early birthday to you as well!
Oh, Sandy, it's not good news. I hate the thing. HATE. I downloaded 16 books (all free, thank goodness), read 30 pages of one, and hated every single second of it.
I found the weight of it cumbersome but, more than that, I hate not having paper. I like to turn the pages, smell the pages, leaf through the pages.
The irony of all this is that I'm in the technical field -- I'm a technical writer and editor -- and I just don't like the Kindle. That's not how I want to read a book.
Actually, the last paragraph that I wrote here made me realize why I don't like the Kindle: It's not just that I'm old-school. It's that I work on my laptop all day; looking at a screen; pressing keys; reading, writing, and editing technology documents all day. At the end of the workday or on the weekend, when I want to unwind, the last thing I want to do is look at a screen, even though that screen is somewhat different. I just want PAPER.
The Kindle is going back.
PS. As for your choice of reading material, I don't know that I would have gotten into the classics anyway. I just didn't want to buy newly released books on the Kindle because, when I buy them in paper form, I sell them afterwards, recouping much of my cost.
And I NEVER judge anyone by *what* they read -- I'm just happy that the people who I know LIKE to read. We don't all have the same taste and that's OK, but I take great pride in the fact that I surround myself with people who enjoy reading, no matter what kind of book they choose. I even turned my husband into a reader -- he's never without a book now (even though they're books that don't interest me), and I love that.
Oh, Sandy, it's not good news. I hate the thing. HATE. I downloaded 16 books (all free, thank goodness), read 30 pages of one, and hated every single second of it.
I found the weight of it cumbersome but, more than that, I hate not having paper. I like to turn the pages, smell the pages, leaf through the pages.
This is exactly why I'm hesitant....I've been going back and forth about getting an eReader for awhile now...my family wants to get it for me for Christmas....(although most likely it would be the Nook so I can get library books and share books with friends)...I just can't commit to it though. One day I think - ok and the next I just don't want to go there. I'm guessing there is a compromise - I can use it for convenience but I don't have to give up my beloved real books all together...
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,011,510 times
Reputation: 28903
Quote:
Originally Posted by maciesmom
This is exactly why I'm hesitant....I've been going back and forth about getting an eReader for awhile now...my family wants to get it for me for Christmas....(although most likely it would be the Nook so I can get library books and share books with friends)...I just can't commit to it though. One day I think - ok and the next I just don't want to go there. I'm guessing there is a compromise - I can use it for convenience but I don't have to give up my beloved real books all together...
That's exactly how I felt. Every day was a different story. "Jeremy? I decided I DO want the Kindle." Then, the next day, I changed my mind. "Jeremy? Forget it. I need my paper."
Yesterday afternoon was total impulse because he'd told me that they sell it now at Staples. He was going out anyway, right near there, so... "OK, get me a Kindle. I really, really, really want one."
This morning: "Jeremy? I have bad news. We have to return the Kindle. Me no likey."
I've never felt more flakey in my life, but at least I gave it a try. Later this morning, I ordered four PAPER books from Amazon. I'm happy.
Later this morning, I ordered four PAPER books from Amazon. I'm happy.
LOL - in the midst of all this, I did order a few books from Amazon last week. Can't wait until they come! When I walk in the front door to my house, the first thing I see is my bookshelves - full of books...I love it. It makes me sad to think future generations may not have the pleasure of seeing a shelf full of books you enjoyed enough to keep.
Personally I like the paper books. I have no interest in the Kindle or anyother Ebooks. Now I don't begrudge anyone else those techy things I just prefer the paper version. I also like to give away some of my books when I am through. I also like to place the books in my bookshelves makes me look smart
Dawn, don't feel so alone... I do like my Kindle, and I've read several books on it. However, in terms of those category romances, I found that I miss the cover photo (why, when it's always the same man-woman clinch?) and reading the back blurb, and also the very short excerpt on the inside. Because I have a lot of time on my hands, I solved this problem by going to eHarlequin.com, where I was able to at least copy the back cover blurb and excerpt for each book. I've saved these in a text file, so I can at least read them before I start each ebook.
I'm annoyed, though, because Harlequin stopped issuing the monthly categories in one bundle for each month. That was the entire reason I bought my Kindle! How could I pass up six books for only $9.99?! I was able to enjoy that wonderful deal for one month. One.
Then, because I'm on eHarlequin's mailing list, I took advantage of a very good sale, and ordered eight books for $21. That's about $2.63 per book, which is a great price considering that they retail for $4.75 now. And yes, when I received the package, it was nice to be able to hold the physical books, smell the new paper, and look at the covers and read the back blurbs. I just wish I could find a home for them after I've read them. It hurts me to think of simply throwing them away. That's why I currently have a grocery bag half full of such books. (I had many more, but had to throw them away when I moved in May '09.)
I can straddle both worlds... Even when I bought my Kindle I knew I had no intention of giving up DTB (dead tree books) forever. I am taking advantage of some of the free Kindle books, though - and I bought several months of category romance lines that I don't usually read, so my Kindle TBR pile is huge.
So Dawn, you can see that we're not so different. I'm not 100% on the Kindle bandwagon, either!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DandJ
Oh, Sandy, it's not good news. I hate the thing. HATE. I downloaded 16 books (all free, thank goodness), read 30 pages of one, and hated every single second of it.
I found the weight of it cumbersome but, more than that, I hate not having paper. I like to turn the pages, smell the pages, leaf through the pages.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)
