Kindle vs Books!

[Digger]

So I have recharged my Kindle Keyboard for the first time in 9 months, luckily the battery still lives. Downloaded a new book & started reading. . . .

but . . . it just is not the same as the real thing. As I expected I stopped reading after a few pages whereas if I had the book in hand I know I would have read further.

Anyone else struggle to get the most out of their Kindle?

[Baron Greenback]

Nope 45 books later but still buy paper backs and the odd hard back books! I have found new authors by kindle! Kindles have their time and place where you can uses both.

[g3org3y]

I've had mine for almost a year and have never used it to read a book (apart from some dictionary definitions). Normally I just use it for web browsing (even tried porn on it!).

Books FTW. I just don't get on well with the tactile/reading experience of the Kindle.

[New POD]

My wife takes her books to the beach. They get clogged with sand, battered, bruised and torn. If she had a kindle she'd leave it at home.

[FiF]

Be interesting to see pricing and file formats available on the Barnes and Noble Nook when it comes to UK.

[LordGrover]

A few salient comments here: click .

[Silver]

No. My Kindle is one of the best presents I've ever been bought. I read a LOT of books and if going on holiday for two weeks, 12-15 books takes up an awful lot of space in one's suitcase. Last year I went to Thailand for two weeks with just a holdall and hand baggage. It's also been on the beach several times and never got wrecked.

I still love actual books and still buy them sometimes but I prefer the Kindle for everyday use.

[otherman]

My wife loves it. I tried it once and went back to paper. What I really hated was the %age read thing in the corner, kind of turns reading into a race. 57%, come on, you can do better than that. A bit more than half is all I want to know.

[Xaero]

For novels, I prefer the kindle now. I'd happily (and have) paid more for them than their paper equivalent. It's just a matter of finding decent authors as a lot of people are pumping out crap at the moment just to be called a published writer. Also makes it hard for genuinely good new writers to break through.

[Digger]

One thing i meant to comment on is I have made quite a saving on buying some books second-hand. Kindle pricing (as been mentioned before now) is quite often close to paperback pricing!

[PugwasHDJ80]

Digger said:

One thing i meant to comment on is I have made quite a saving on buying some books second-hand. Kindle pricing (as been mentioned before now) is quite often close to paperback pricing!

not necessarily- all my kindle books have been either 99p or free. there are also a LOT of havekd books if you were that way inclined (which i'm not).

personally i still read both- the kindle is used 80% of the time, but sometimes i just fancy the feel of a book.

Somethings the kindle excels at- i often read 2-3 books at once, like to take it into work (its small and easy to slip into my bag compared to some of the mahooosive books i sometimes read), and its WAY better in bed as i don't get tired arms reading it!

[Digger]

^ . . . where second-hand prices DO undercut Kindle prices is what I specifically meant.

[Silver]

The only thing I would like to see is a Kindle library between users.

I'm a big lender and borrower of books from friends and the Kindle precludes that.

[FiF]

Silver said:

The only thing I would like to see is a Kindle library between users.

I'm a big lender and borrower of books from friends and the Kindle precludes that.

This ^^, me too.

Also you cannot borrow books from the local library in a format suitable for Kindle. US libraries you can.

[grumpyscot]

FiF said:

This ^^, me too.

Also you cannot borrow books from the local library in a format suitable for Kindle. US libraries you can.

But if you use Calibre software on your P/C you can convert it to Kindle format.

I got a Kindle for Xmas and its restarted my interest in reading. Have since read over 30 books, including Harry Potter which I had previously avoided. Only trouble I find is that if I read in the afternoon, I fall asleep - but at least I don't lose the place!

[Vee]

Only buy on Kindle now - find it more convenient as it saves space, plus I prefer reading on it too.

[rumple]

I use my kindle to replace the paperback, this saves lots of space because im a big reader, if i want something nonfiction with photo's ill buy the book, I.E a big Book on Battleships, or any sort of reference book.

[onomatopoeia]

I like both. I still buy books, but I also buy for my kindle. The kindle really scores in some areas - out of copyright stuff is one, since you can just download from project Gutenberg rather than having to buy a paperback, another is when finishing the first book in a series being able to start reading the second in a couple of minutes with a few clicks, something I discovered when finishing Rivers of London late on a Sunday afternoon.

It's also helping with my bookshelf congestion problem, as I have no more room in my house for more bookshelves and the existing ones are almost full.

[Digger]

Well i think i have partly solved my reticence! Picked up a Kindle Touch WiFi earlier today, and much prefer the touch interface and the cleaner lines (more like the page of a book rather than buttons everywhere).

There are rumours that stocks are being run down, so there may be a new device (or several) on the horizon?

[Mutley]

Got my Kindle Touch back in March, and i love it, it's great for the commute.

While I still enjoy a real book, the Kindle means I can carry many books for whatever mood I'm in that day. Although, going to the beach/pool would require a paperback.

If i have one complaint, it's regarding the Terry Pratchett books, the foot notes are all at the back of the book, and I haven't quite figured out how to read the note in relation to the comment in the text.