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I do believe that 7" units are where the IPAD Tablet format and the e-reader format meet in the middle and mate. The offspring is the 7" tablet that also reads books.
I like the iPad for reading magazines and newspapers, but it is slightly too small for that as it is - going smaller doesn't appeal to me at all. My smartphone has the largest smartphone screen out there and I absolutely hate it for trying to read anything on.
I think the line between an e-reader and a tablet is simply what you want/need to do with the device. If you want it mainly to read books, an e-reader makes much more sense. If you plan to watch movies (and you had better watch your internet connection speed and bandwidth cap if you plan to stream movies), listen to music, read the internet and maybe read a book now and then, a tablet is a better bet.
I was listening to a radio show yesterday and they said that in 5 years e-readers are going to be obsolete.
Better to pay a bit more and get a tablet pc which can do all that and more.
Personally, I wouldn't have one, but I'm just passing along what I heard.
20yrsinBranson
I think people who say this don't fully understand what eInk is.
I admit, I thought the same thing when the iPad first came out - in fact, if you dig, you might find my posts about it here on this forum. I thought the iPad would be a "Kindle Killer". But then I wound up getting a Kindle myself! My husband has an iPad. I hardly use it - it's good for magazines but when it comes to reading a book, I want my Kindle.
I don't have a problem reading on a backlit screen but many people do - if eInk readers were to be discontinued, I know a LOT of people would go back to reading paper books when their eInk device finally died because they simply can't read for long lengths on a backlit screen. Even though backlit screens don't give me eye strain, I do simply prefer eInk for reading - it looks like paper and it's just a better reading experience for me, I prefer the way it looks for reading.
Also, tablets are much heavier than eInk devices. Part of the reason I decided to get an ereader was because they are lighter and easier to hold than a physical book. The iPad in particular is very heavy but even smaller tablets are significantly heavier than eInk devices. For example, the Kindle Fire (which I don't think is even a full fledged tablet?) is more than 3 times the weight of the smallest eInk Kindle and more than double the weight of the Kindle Touch. Tablets could get lighter in time but so could eInk.
The other disadvantage to backlit screens is the battery life. The Kindle Fire, for example, only has 8 hours of reading time where as their eInk readers have about 30 hours. Heavy readers will benefit more from the significantly longer battery life of eInk.
Along the same lines, what I hate about reading on my iPad is that if I'm not turning pages fast enough, the screen dims in order to save the battery usage and interrupts me in the middle of my reading. I suppose fast readers may not have a problem with this but when I'm tired and reading particularly slowly, it is a problem. Since eInk uses so little energy, my Kindle stays on for 15 minutes before going into a sleep mode if no buttons have been pressed in the mean time. Usually, I don't need 15 minutes to read one page, lol - but some people do joke that they know it's time to go to bed/sleep when their Kindle goes into sleep mode because it means they've been on the same page for 15 minutes.
Of course this doesn't mean tablets are no good for reading - it really just depends on the individual. My point is merely that there is a BIG market for eInk devices and that market isn't going away.
Got my Kindle Keyboard for Christmas and LOVE it. I picked the one with the keyboard, beacuse I get easily annoyed at touch screens that don't respond exactly how I'd like them to. Once touch screen technology improves, I'll re-think that. My touch screen on my droid is infuriating, either not sensing what I'm touching, or jumping around/ stuttering, or being overly reactive to "perceived" touches. I clean it all the time, thinking there might be grease or dirt on the screen interfering with the responsiveness, but even when it's completely clean, I get the stuttering effect. Even on ATMs with touch screens, I get frustrated when it doesn't "feel" my command. So long story short, I wanted the keyboard kind.
I'm really impressed with the screen! Had no idea how sharp it would be, and how it would not have a light of its own. It's just like reading ink on paper. Doesn't hurt my eyes at all. Plus, not being a touch screen, the screen is not likely to get fingerprints on it and require constant cleaning.
I also picked the one that was a little more expensive, but didn't have all the ads and special offers on it. It was like $50 more, but I figured that would get on my nerves, so I was kind of buying-off stress.
I love, love, love how lots of older books are free from Amazon. I can catch up on old books and classics I'd always meant to read, or ones I'd like to re-read (like the Canturbury Tales, The Divine Comedy, Beowulf, and 19th century lit). Some of my "classic" books are nice hard-covers that I'm afraid to read in the tub and ruin, so now I can read or re-read them on the kindle. I took the one poster's advice about putting it in a zip-loc bag when in the tub, but it took away from the sharpness of the screen, so I just took it out and tried to be extra careful.
The only thing I don't like so far is there seems to be no control over the screen savers--no choosing which one will come up, and no getting rid of the ones I don't like. Of course it's a minor problem, but when an image of an unattractive famous author comes up (and too many of them were not "lookers"), I end up hitting it a few more times until a cool design or reproduction of an old etching or illumination comes up.
So far, it's really easy to use. There's the electronic user guide, but most of the stuff I could just figure out on my own.
I got the kind with 3G, since don't have wi-fi at home. So the books I bought on amazon were instantly "delivered" right onto my kindle. I haven't yet tried buying any right from the kindle, but doing it on the computer is convenient, so no rush.
I'm still a total paper-and-binding book lover, but this is definitely going to complement my reading.
Of course, as soon as I started reading on it, I had two dogs VERY interested in it, and I had to wipe dog-nose-prints off the screen in the first 5 minutes!
I love, love, love how lots of older books are free from Amazon.
Is there some easy way to find those public domain books for Kindle? I expected there to be a category for that specifically in the store but have been unable to find it?
I do have them on my kindle. I couldn't figure out how to browse for them right from the kindle, however. I'm sure there's a way.
So on my computer, I went to Amazon and searched for "kindle free books classics", and a whole bunch came up. The ones that didn't immediately come up, but I knew I wanted, I just searched for the regular way. Then when the book I wanted came up, I saw if the kindle version was free or not.
I clicked on "buy" and the price was $0. They appeared on my kindle within minutes.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TracySam
Of course, as soon as I started reading on it, I had two dogs VERY interested in it, and I had to wipe dog-nose-prints off the screen in the first 5 minutes!
Ha! I think that I posted this on the dog forum. Whenever I start a new book, Artie licks a couple of pages, as if to bless the book and deem it a good one. Each time I use my Kindle, he licks it too. How he knows it's a book, I have no idea. Hmmmm, I wonder if I can teach him to read to me.
I got the kindle touch for Christmas. downloaded a free book, but haven't really had a chance to read on it yet. I have too many library books coming in! Our library offers free "e-reader" help sessions and set up to get library books on your e-reader. so, next week, it will be time for me to head into the library for a little learning!
Received a Kindle Fire for Christmas.
I have been a bit of a Luddite when it comes to reading. I like books. I like turning the pages, and all that comes with reading a book, and resisted the e-readers.
Having said that, I have to say that I like this new thing.
firstly, I can get a new book from Amazon before my trip, instead of having to choose from the books at the airport shop.
secondly, I can load up the PDF manuals and documentation for the product I am going to service before leaving home, and have them at my disposal in the data center in a handy, easy to read format.
thirdly, the search option means I can easily go back to a point in a book to recheck something in the story line.
And the Fire does almost everything those tablet PC's can do.
I LIKE it.
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