e-reader advice needed

[doc47]

I know little to nothing about e-readers. Living in a Francophone country with few resources it is tough to get books in English here. So, I am considering an e-reader.

 

I did some on line research but still have questions.

 

When I was living in The Gambia, Amazon told me they don't have Kindle service there. I suspect that may be the same here since it's so close. I will check with them.

 

There are many e-books available free on line but they are in various formats; epub, XUL, etc. I'm having trouble trying to open them on my laptop. Eg: Oliver Twist is available in .XUL format but my laptop won't open it. Would an e-reader have the same difficulty?

 

If Amazon doesn't have Kindle service here can I still access their books on line, then transfer the file to an e-reader?

 

Can anyone offer me some (simple) advice on all this? Or can you recommend a website that would fill me in? The websites I've read either don't answer my questions or assume knowledge I don't have.

[chrisolson]

... If Amazon doesn't have Kindle service here can I still access their books on line, then transfer the file to an e-reader?

 

LINKY

[Mrs. Caddis]

have you looked at this site? Gutenberg Project

[Francois_Dumas]

I bought the Barnes & Noble e-reader for Nina, because it supports a wider range of formats and is not monopolized by Amazon. Cheaper too.

[Mike]

have you looked at this site? Gutenberg Project

 

Agree. It's an amazing resource!

[Natche]

If you have a web connection you can sync a Kindle via wifi and get Amazon books that way. I think they were referring to the 3G service that may not be available everywhere.

 

Amazon has lots of free books - especially classics. If you visit the site often you can pick up current books free from time to time.

 

Most of the e-readers use a proprietary file type. They can be converted but I have had little luck trying. Usually the formatting goes haywire.

 

FWIW, I have a Kindle and an Ipad and the Kindle is great for reading everywhere except low light. That's where the Ipad excels. The Kindle app for Ipad is free and the Kindle app will sync your books across both platforms. Amazon is here to stay.

[RonStewart]

I am hearing that Kobo documents are available outside North America. We bought the new Kobo Touch Edition (the last one in Metro Vancouver!) and are quite pleased with it. The Canadian book chain Chapters had it first, but are now sold out. It will be available soon from Best Buy.

 

Getting it to Africa? No idea.

 

Ron

[beemerman2k]

I bought the Barnes & Noble e-reader for Nina, because it supports a wider range of formats and is not monopolized by Amazon. Cheaper too.

 

I plan to buy one of these mainly because it's an e-reader, it's really just an Android tablet, and therefore it will support book from all sorts of vendors so long as they supply an app for it (Kindle, iBooks, Nook, etc). I will opt for the Nook Color.

[doc47]

Francois, I've been leaning toward the Kindle but I like the idea of being able to download library books, so the Nook seems like a real possibility. They are both $139, though.

 

Has Nina had any problems with the Nook? I've heard they sometimes freeze.

 

Hiya, James!

 

Gutenberg is amazing! What a great resource!

I'm reading Great Expectations that I downloaded from them. War and Peace in the works....

 

"These are the days of lasers in the jungle,

Lasers in the jungle somewhere."

Paul Simon

[Francois_Dumas]

Ah, yes, sorry about the price. I thought the Kindle was more expensive. Or maybe they came down recently?

 

Can't tell you about problems yet.. her birthday is on July 7th and she won't be getting it before then ;-) I just tried it to check it out and so far no problems.

 

We want to be able to load Dutch language books (haven't found many, if any at Amazon), hence the choice for a more versatile reader. I bought the Nook Wifi with the small color screen at the bottom and possibility for Internet connection.

[Dave McReynolds]

I have used a Nook for about a year, and have generally been satisfied with it. Due to the lower cost of most e-books compared with print, and the numerous free books that are available, I'm a frequent user. I've never used Kindle or any of the others, so really can't make any comparison.

 

I've started downloading books on my Iphone too (Ibooks). If I have some unexpected spare time or have to wait for an appointment, the Iphone is always with me and I can pass the time more enjoyably. I'll also probably bring the Iphone on my backpacking trip this year rather than the Nook. It is smaller and lighter than the Nook, and has many other features I can use. I also have a recharger for the Iphone that is about the same size as the Iphone that's supposed to give me an additional 50 hours of use, which ought to be more than enough to give me a couple of hours use in the tent every night. Since the Iphone is internally illuminated, I don't have to use up my headlamp batteries when I want to read.

[Mrs. Caddis]

Amazon announced recently that library books will be available on Kindle by fall. I have the Kindle. Love it. Customer support has been outstanding. I wanted the E-ink. I feel it is easier on the eyes by not being backlit like an ipad or nook. They have promotions on facebook all the time. Very easy to sync with my netbook. A cover is important since thay are thin and can damage easily. I have the cover with the built in light that powers off of the unit so no additional lighting is necessary in low light.

[doc47]

Great information! Keep it coming.

[Mike O]

You can get just about any book format you want on a Kindle including most major publications. You don't have to use Amazon (albeit their selections are superb in my opinion). The simple piece of software you need is called Calibre and can be downloaded for free here. You can schedule to received several many mags, news articles, etc. all for FREE.

 

Also a quick search I found this very recent article comparing the two. It can be located here. I was not that familiar with the Nook (bought the Kindle because of 3G support and concern that Barne's and Noble wasn't going to be around) but this article reaffirms I made the correct buying decision.

 

Mike O

[DavidEBSmith]

Note that Calibre will only convert non-DRMed books. But it's great for managing your library of ebooks from various sources.

 

A great resource for free classic books for e-readers is the University of Adelaide. They have most of them in EPUB format, which you can convert to Kindle format with Calibre. You just load the ebook into the Calibre library, say Send to Device, and it converts and uploads it for you.

 

Also Google Books has millions of scanned free books and non-scanned pay books in PDF, iPad, Nook, smartphone, and EPUB formats. With recent versions of Kindle firmware, you can load PDFs, MOBI reader files, and EPUBs converted to MOBI with Calibre.

 

The Kindle comes in a couple of flavors, WiFi and 3G, the latter using GSM phone technology. The coverage map only shows Africa coverage in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. But as has been pointed out, if you have a PC/Mac with an Internet connection and a USB port, you can get ebooks onto the Kindle.

 

I recently got a previous-generation refurbished 3G Kindle for $89 on a one-day sale at Woot.com. Woot is owned by Amazon, so it might be worthwhile keeping an eye out on those sites in case the refurbs pop up again. (The refurb Kindle looks brand-new and came with a 1 year warranty from Amazon).

[artig]

The best source for e-reader advice and help is probably the MobileRead forums. They also have a large number of e-books available free.

 

Almost a year ago I bought the original version of the Kobo reader, mainly because it was available from a local retailer. It's not the most advanced or versatile reader available, but I've been happy with it.

 

Some time later I bought a Kindle , since there were books available for the Kindle, at a lower price, than for the Kobo. I use both readers. One in the office and for travelling, and one in bed. The Kindle has a number of features not found in the original Kobo, such as dictionary, annotations, collections, etc. I always download the Kindle books to Kindle for PC.

 

For organizing and transferring ebooks I use Calibre. One of the most useful things I've learnt is how to remove DRM from both Kindle and Kobo ebooks. Not that I would ever consider using that knowledge, though, since it may be illegal, immoral, and/or contrary to any end-user license terms and conditions.

 

Since getting the Kobo I haven't read a single paper book, but have read more than 20 ebooks.

 

 

[beemerman2k]

I'm not liking this Nook Color. This thing is going back to Barnes & Noble. Very slow and sometimes, nonresponsive, and it has a very confusing UI, it will often prompt me for things yet not let me know what on earth I can do about it!

 

In short, this is a tablet for people who are not at all demanding of their hardware as it wants to hold your hand all day long.

[Natche]

I'm very happy with my Kindle. I got the "special Offers" wifi version for ~$125. The only time you see any ads are on the screen saver. I'm rarely aware of it. I have little need for connecting when I'm out of range of a wifi network as I can load more books than I can read in a year on it. Keep in mind, the Kindle is a reader. It will do some other things but the focus is on reading. For a multi-use device, I have an Ipad. My daughter asked me why I was getting it (the Ipad) rather than a Iphone and I told her, "because I can see it".

[beemerman2k]

I think I was looking for a reader that I could also use as a tablet. As it turns out, what I really want is a tablet that can also be used as a reader! So maybe an iPad is the way to go? I'll look at the Android based tablets out there, too.

[BFish]

Just got a kindle about 2 weeks ago. wifi version. so far i really like it. read two books. downloaded the kindle app to my iphone. the iphone is now recognized by amazon as another kindle. it syncs to the page i left off at on the real kindle.

 

so far so good.

[Natche]

I think I was looking for a reader that I could also use as a tablet. As it turns out, what I really want is a tablet that can also be used as a reader! So maybe an iPad is the way to go? I'll look at the Android based tablets out there, too.

 

I started off that way too. I first purchased a cheap tablet/reader and that was a compromise all over. The Ipad just works! Only one very minor annoyance - no Flash capability. If you want both, the tablet is the way to go. The Kindle is the way to go for reading only - especially if you plan to do it outside - read, that is.

[JerryMather]

I decided to by pass the e book readers and just bite the bullet and picked up an iPad instead. So far I've been very happy with it as a reader, heavy but not an issue like I thought it would be.

Using IBooks you can download ( fairly new) FREE BOOKS in the epud format directly into the iPad which is very cool.

 

Look over to the site: http://www.epubbud.com/browse.php

[Natche]

You can also get a free Kindle app, which is very nice. I use the ibooks to store all my manuals in pdf format. Fast and easy access.

[Allen Rowand]

Another book resource is feedbooks.com; you can get books in epub, Kindle and PDF format. They have new releases for purchase as well as tons of public domain books (including new works). It should be easy enough to download the books to your computer and then use them with any reader. The ebook software I use on my tablet supports it directly, which is a bonus. Good luck!

 

Allen

[Francois_Dumas]

 

In short, this is a tablet for people who are not at all demanding of their hardware as it wants to hold your hand all day long.

 

Which is why I think it is ideal for Nina, whose only achievement (and interest) on a PC in these past 35 years is to start Skype

[RichEdwards]

I have a Kindle...but I do most of my reading on my IPad. There are "apps" on the iPad for nearly every e-reader made And they're all free.

[beemerman2k]

OK, my family gave me a Kindle WIFI & 3G model for a Fathers Day gift. Nice! I really like this device for all the reasons I hated the Nook.

 

First of all, it's very fast. You push a button and BANG! it happens. No waiting whatsoever.

 

Second of all, I love the Amazon Kindle library of books. I am now on a mission to get rid of all my paper books. Computer software books, photography books, martial arts books, history books (primarily Civil Rights Era), religious books, novels (Tolkien, Rowling, Twain, Daniel Quinn) -- everbody goes!

 

Third of all, it serves as a "tablet enough" in that it has a rudementary browser. This is a good "read only" device; you don't want to rely on it for data entry, but again, it's FAST! The browser is FAST! The Internet connection is FAST! You type in a url and that page is loaded NOW!

 

Fourth, it's a real pleasure to read with. The screen is nice and clear, not at all a strain on the eyes. And the battery life seems to be outstanding.

 

My iPhone and iPod made my DVD based movies and CD music library obsolete, and now paper books are going the way of the typewriter.

 

This e-reader is staying with me; I won't be returning this one. I'm luvin' it

[DavidEBSmith]

For those looking for a Kindle, right now Woot.com has a refurbished second-gen 3G version for $89. You probably have about 30 seconds to get one.

[Albert]

My wife wants one but thinks the 6" screen is too small. Any thoughts on the bigger Kindle (9.7")?

[ltljohn]

You can change the font size. I really like my kindle. It is like reading a large print paperback

[Albert]

Thanks John. So you have the 6" right?

[beemerman2k]

I have the 6" WIFI & 3G version. Yes, I use readers when I read it, but when I lose my readers, I just kick up the font size and I'm good. Find my readers and the font size goes back down.

 

I love the 6" because it's big enough to read from, yet small enough for a jacket pocket, so I end up taking my Kindle everywhere I go.

[Mrs. Caddis]

You can change the font size. I really like my kindle. It is like reading a large print paperback

 

I have the 6" screen. Very easy to read. I increase the font for when on the treadmill etc. no big deal. 6" is a handy size and easy to read. Fits in my purse. Highly recommend getting a good cover. The thing is very thin and can be damaged by just a little flexing! DAMHIK.... All in all very happy with mine.

[Albert]

Great, thanks guys & gals. I have one on the way.

[ltljohn]

Albert,

Yes I have the 6 inch wi-fi no 3g.

[Francois_Dumas]

UPDATE:

 

Nina unwrapped the Nook Wifi and loves it. Yes, it is only black-and-white and Internet works on it, but its not great. We have the Netbook for that though, and now a smartphone alongside it too.

 

The nook is great for just reading books (and playing Sudoku) and that's exactly what Nina wanted !

 

 

[Powers77]

Does anyone have any real world experience with any of the ebook services? I have been getting mine through the library so far and it has been good, but picked up a Kindle for my parents and they do not have the library option available. (and I'm seeing that "library" books won't download via 3G)

Looking for something with reasonable availability at a reasonable cost that would allow for the 3G downloads as they live remotely and do not have a wireless connection.